Parents actually name newborn son ‘ESPN’

Sometimes jokes can have very real consequences.

Case in point, as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports, when Melissa McLain gave birth to twins, her husband David decided to joke that they should name their newborn son ESPN, after the sports network. It turns out Melissa actually dug the idea, and liked the name Espn.

“I jokingly asked my wife what she thought about the name Espn,” David McLain told WITN. “She said she really liked it. When I told her I was just kidding, and that I was just saying ESPN as a single word, she said she still really liked it.”

Thus, Espn McLain was born.

The absurd thing about the name Espn is, that it’s not even the first time somebody named their kid after the sports network. Multiple toddlers have been named Espn, with a newborn boy in 2011 being given the name because “when he was born, he looked more like an Espn.” Uh… sure.

Espn’s twin sister was named Taylor, so the McLain family didn’t get bold and double down on the sports network theme and name her Fsone (although Jay Onrait named his son after the network). The couple also decided to give the twins Star Wars themed middle names, as their children are Espn Luke and Taylor Leia. I can respect that, although, I’m not entirely sure the McLain’s aren’t shilling for Disney. Hopefully, though, when he’s older, Espn’s classmates don’t shout the Sportscenter and Star Wars theme at him each time his named is called in roll call.

Liam (oh hey) was the most popular baby name for boys of 2015, so perhaps the McLain’s are starting a trend to make Espn a favored name among boys in 2016. Something tells me fellow parents won’t follow in suit.