“HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLO EVERYBODY! AND WELCOME TO THE MARBLE SPORTS WORLDWIDE PODCAST!”

The marble known as Commander Wof groggily opened their eyes to the popcorn ceiling above. They rolled over to find Brendan, co-host of the Marble Sports Worldwide Podcast, standing on the bed next to them fully dressed and ready to roll.

“Wof, come on!” exclaimed Brendan. “Today’s the big day!”

Wof pulled their sheets over their head, attempting to block out the blinding sunlight cascading through their hotel room windows. “I know…I’m excited…can you just give me five —”

“No! I can’t give you five minutes. I’ve waited six years for this, and we’ve finally made it. MarbleCon 2025.”

Conceived in April of 2019 as a “worldwide convention where all the marble sports fans can come together and talk”, MarbleCon 2025 was the culmination of years of passion and planning among marble sports professionals. It was something that Jelle themself had dreamed of since their marble runs became internationally recognized: a place where athletes and teams could trade off meet and greets, media personnel could host live shows, and the tradition surrounding marble sports could be celebrated by as many fans as possible. Since receiving a press pass for MSWP in March 2024, Brendan and Wof had been hard at work, committed to ensuring that MarbleCon 2025 would be everything they wanted it to be and more.

“Big X called me while you were fast asleep,” noted Brendan as Wof sorted through their luggage, searching for their green MSPN-branded T-shirt. “I was already up. We met for coffee. Talked through our interview later today. It’s gonna be fun.”

Wof pulled their T-shirt over themself, clearing their throat. “Did they mention anything about their application?”

Brendan laughed. “Technically, no. But they had, like, the biggest smirk on their face when I asked about the expansion team rumors…”

“I don’t wanna know! I thought we were over stuff getting leaked in this community.” Adjusting their glasses, Wof opened their laptop to check the MSW Podcast Discord, typing up a short message for #mswp-announcements:

@everyone

Today’s the day we’ve all been waiting for: the start of MarbleCon 2025!

You can find us in row 20 of section 3. Can’t wait to meet y’all soon!

“Everyone seems really excited. I’m so happy we’re doing this.”

Brendan laughed. “Now’s not the time to get sappy, Wof. But, yeah, like, me too.”

The sun had just broken the horizon when Brendan and Wof crossed the pedestrian bridge to the convention center within Tide Tower, newly constructed by the sports tycoon of the same name to house the convention and future tourists to the Nijellen. Casen and Johnny Marble were waiting for the co-hosts when they arrived at the MSW Podcast’s designated booth, which included a set from which they would record their first live shows in the podcast’s history.

“Everything’s set up. Johnny’s about to test the mic,” Casen piped up.

“HELLO MARBLE SPORTS FANS!” boomed Johnny Marble. “I am Johnny Marble, here with the Marble Sports Worldwide news! And I’m still not fired yet!”

Feedback crackled through the speakers. “Uh…I’ll make sure to gain stage when we’re live,” promised Casen. “Brendan, want to check levels?”

As Brendan tested the mic, Wof scanned through their itinerary for the convention. “I can’t believe we signed on for this much. Are we crazy?”

“Always have been. That’s why I love ya, Wof,” replied Brendan. “For believing in all of my wild ideas.”

“Well, at least we’ll be on time for all of these. Considering we’re already here.”

“I dunno…” wondered Brendan. “I promised Stynth I would meet them for Momo’s Dumplings at 1:30. Could be a tight squeeze for our afternoon slot.”

Wof sighed. “Stynth won’t let you be late. They’ll tell you to do takeout.”

“I know.”

Day 1

The JMR Panel

With fans applauding Johnny Marble’s news segment, a familiar cyan marble covered in red and green stripes snuck behind the backstage curtain.

“Hallo, everyone!” said Mellacus, sporting a sharp suit and tie. “I’m glad to see you all made it here safely. Everyone else is on their way, they’re just finishing up brunch, so I’ll make a short speech to bridge the gap.”

Brendan embraced Mell, giving them a nice pat on the back. “Sounds awesome. Let’s do this.”

“And now, our first guest…we couldn’t think of a better way to open MarbleCon 2025 than to have the passion, beauty, and brilliance behind the operation join us,” said Wof. “For the first time since Episode 20 of the MSW Podcast, let’s all give a warm welcome to JMRC President Mellacus!”

Fans roared as Mellacus drew back the curtains, their Mellospace Industries pin glimmering in the fluorescent convention lights. Mell outstretched their arms, mimicking a plane flying through the sky as they rolled to their seat onstage. 

“This is a day we’ve been looking forward to for six years. You’ve all worked so hard, and now, we’re here. MarbleCon 2025.”

The convention center erupted in celebration as banners came down from the ceiling on cue, identifying all of the series and co-sponsors supporting the convention. The largest and most ornate banner of all was for the Marble League, stretching across the entire width of the facility.

“Long have we waited since Episode 11A, when I mentioned how much Jelle likes to share their experiences talking about marbles and wants to share that with the world. We dreamt what it would be like to have fans meet and receive autographs from Jelle, cosplay as their favorite athletes, and do a live show. You asked if we could imagine it, and we made it a reality. It literally did happen – we are truly living our dream.”

The crowd cheered for minutes. Mell grinned widely the whole time, then slowly and dramatically lifted the microphone back to their mouth. “And now – for the friends I wouldn’t be here without – please welcome the JMR Committee!”

Rounding the curtain, a line of current and former committee members crowded the stage, among them: Little Mighty, Darkarchon, Stynth, Betawolfs, Gee, Alayjo, Fouc, Spex, Valencia Parker, Minty, Killian Bladestar, Ghost, Mesp, Novawolf, Smacg, The Emperor, Orbitball, and Archie. In honor of Shino, who never RSVPed to MarbleCon 2025, Stynth held up a small green Marblopoly house to the camera before tossing it into the crowd. The crowd cheered, then stood and gasped.

From the audience, a bright orange marble donning gangsta marble bling and blue flowers hopped on stage, boosted by none other than the voice of the marble sports world, Greg Woods. “Are you ready???” they boomed. “We are rolling — rolling — rolling —”

Jelle cleared their throat, inhaling deeply and letting out a long “OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO’RANGERS!” chant.

MarbleCon 2025 had begun.

The X-Camo Panel

It was five minutes past two when Wof spotted Brendan rolling back to their booth. “I thought you were getting takeout.”

“We did!” insisted Brendan. “But then I ran into Stynth’s Marblearth colleagues. They’re all working on RetRollSpectives again.”

“Exciting stuff. But you kept X-Camo waiting!”

“It’s fine,” Big X assured, dapping Brendan up. “We know Brendan’s always late. Plus, it’s not like we’re rushing to head home.”

“Is Marl Desert rough this time of year?” asked Wof.

“It’s rough every time of the year,” answered Cam. “That’s what makes it fun.”

Brendan signaled to Casen, who gave a thumbs-up back as they put on their headset. “And we are BACK! For the first time since the Fan Team Contest, checkin’ in with Marble League hopefuls X-Camo! Welcome to the show; how’s everyone doing?”

“Honestly, the crowd’s almost overbearing. Ironically, I’m finding it hard to blend in,” admitted Sneaky.

“That’s because you wore your chartreuse camo today!” quipped Sniper. “I mean, not really. It’s because of our application.”

“Well, we know how hard you’ve been training at the Stealth Base since the contest. But do you really think that’s enough to prepare you for the greatest stage of them all? Do you really think that’s enough to beat your biggest rivals — the Savage Speeders?”

“Come on, Marblegut,” chuckled Big X. “It’s more than prepared us. What we learned after we failed to advance past that round of voting was that the Fan Team Contest would be the easy way out. Look at what happened to the teams that won the votes. How much success have they really had?”

Wof shrugged. “Depends on what you think of the Sliders.”

Cam shrugged. “Disclaimer: we don’t think about them at all. All we know is that you can’t be countin’ X-Camo out.”

“Oh, that’s a good quote,” replied Brendan. “Write that down, Mister Wof.”

The BGBT Panel

“MARBLE SPORTS FANS OF ALL AGES. WELCOME TO THE SHOWDOWN.”

“In this corner, weighing in at close to 250 episodes…Let it Roll. And in the other corner, still under 200, we have the Marble Sports Worldwide Podcast. ARE. YOU. READY?!”

“Hey!” yelled Brendan from the other side of the stage. “Scheduling is hard, you know. And honestly, quality over quantity.”

“Woof, woof,” barked Term. “You put up more excuses than Speedy after Marblocross.”

“Andddddd hi guys!” interrupted Wof. “I’m Commander Wof, and this is such an amazing opportunity. Only the third time we’re collabing, and the first time live, of course!”

“Oh, I’m just messing with you guys, you know how I love Brendan. Even when they support the Speeders.”

Nonagon cringed. “Yeah, aren’t you a Cat’s Eyes fan?”

Dekker snickered. “I thought ‘ey liked the Limers.”

“They’re all in my top four!”

Wof shook their head. “I thought the O’rangers and Mellow Yellow were in your top four.”

“I…but…Look, I like who I like, alright?”

Term howled. “Still messing with you guys.”

“I’m not,” chimed in ThesaurusDinosaurus. “You can’t root for those pesky Speeders and my precious O’rangers.”

To the side, Hector and Sky chatted with Casen and Johnny Marble. “What’s your over/under before we get to our scripted cold open?” asked Sky.

“Heh. Mine’s at least twenty minutes,” Hector replied.

“Knowing Brendan? We’re lucky if we make our dinner reservation at 9:30,” admitted Casen.

“That’s three hours away…yeah. I can see why you think that,” agreed Sky. 

Day 2

The Fan Panel

The first fan to roll up to the stage was Pesky, who donned a few different shades of green against a bright orange streak, wrapping around themself as if a hairpin turn. Their lanyard included several pins from Project Marblearth, the Marble Invites, and a Thunderbolts fan movement advocating for Thunderstorm to get fired. They cleared their throat. “This is a wonderful show that brings together the wider marble community. Four words: WORLDWIDE Marble Sports Podcast.”

The crowd cheered as Pesky bowed, passing the microphone off to famed adventurer and former JMRC member, Killian Bladestar.

“In my times of adventuring, I’ve always listened to the MSW Podcast. I’ve enjoyed the banters between Brendan and Wof and the various guests they had, though what I’ve enjoyed the most are the Wof Tunes: they’re some banger songs that I listen to a lot when going on hikes or runs. Hope the best for you all in your future endeavors!”

“Thanks so much!” said Wof, grinning widely. “I hope you’re as excited for my show tomorrow as I am.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world! Adventure can wait until MarbleCon is over,” promised Bladestar, passing the mic to MarblesForAutism.

“I enjoy the memes and the laughs — and of course, ‘I saw a triangle and thought four,’” quipped MarblesForAutism as they handed the mic off to Bill Frosby. The audience laughed as a rogue fan held up a sign of a triangle with the number four inside it.

“I enjoy Brendan and Wof’s personalities most of all! They’re both friendly and so easy to talk to,” stated Bill. “Just by talking to them, you can tell how passionate they both are about marble sports and I always appreciate that from them!”

Wof blushed. “Thanks, Bill! Right back at ya – we’ll always appreciate the wisdom you bring to the show.”

Bill passed the mic next to a translucent greenish marble, who carried a mailbag sporting a Raspberry Racers, Phoenix, and Marblearth pin. Edu G.J. cleared their throat. 

“This program was one of my gateways to a wider experience. MSW helped me discover there is more to the sport than just the action on track. The discussion around the events, the cautious analyses, curiosities, and even aspects regarding organization and series promotion. The effort to expand the horizons by bringing light to new and uprising competitive series. The energical voice and the factual voice give light to fans and personalities alike and explore themes that no one else dared to bring up. Pieces that make for a unique talk show in Marblearth. Now, all that’s left for me is to appreciate and thank you for the years of service that you’ve delivered to the marble sports and its community.”

A collective aww came from the audience as Brendan started tearing up. “That…really means a lot, Edu.”

Wof slid their co-host a box of tissues from across the desk, wiping their eyes with one of them. “We appreciate you so much. Thank you.”

Edu handed the mic to a fellow Raspberry Racers fan, MSW Podcast Graphic Designer Piney. “What I’ll always appreciate about MSWP is the people it brought me to. It was exciting, way back when, to be part of a small community for something new, fresh, and unique. I don’t remember what drew me to it, but if I never tuned in, I never would have known the group of awesome people that I happily consider my friends whether MSWP is here or not,” they said, flashing a large button pin and adding, “Hashtag Night Squad Nation!”

A translucent purple marble with white streaks spoke next. Fans in the near vicinity gasped as they realized that Tonio, the host of the series “Power Ranking Power Hour”, was in their presence. It was Tonio’s first public appearance since predicting Team Plasma to win Marble League 2023, after which point they had moved their show permanently online.

“Thanks for everything MSWP. You’re one of the few groups that consistently follows marble content. I will miss your podcast but I will wish you luck in your endeavors.”

“What, you’re gonna stop watching us? Why?” asked Brendan.

“Because you’re a fan of the Limers. Why the Limers? Because they acted like trash.”

“Well uh…I’ll take them out of my top 4,” promised Brendan. “Okay, who’s next? Only have time for a few more.”

“Eh, I guess I’ll go,” said a blue and white striped marble, motioning for someone to pass them the mic. “Thanks. Suffice it to say that MSWP has come a long way and that you have so much to be proud of. The best thing that’s come out of this is that you’ve had fun sharing what you’re passionate about with other fans, from hot takes to deep analyses to big ideas to trivia and everything in between. When you look back on everything you’ve ever done, I hope you remember that more than anything, and I’m excited to see what you all do next. Keep on rolling.”

“Roll on, Stynth! Although you’ll always be wrong about the Savage Speeders not needing to swap out their Marbula One roster,” asserted Brendan. “Swifty’s how we got the gold.”

Stynth shrugged. “If you say so.”

“…and we have time for one more!” said Wof. “Who’s it gonna be?”

The microphone passed from Stynth through a gaggle of marbles, including graphic designer Jack Ironhide; a variety of guest stars, such as Red Pandas founder Dave, John Wood, Novawolf, Justin, ZombieZander, Sman, Titan, Steve, Sucho, MarblesForAutism, Ramen, Super Yak, Ghazi, Black Panther, and Jack; other custom comp creators; other podcast hosts; and one of the greatest longtime supporters: Lisa. 

Lisa handed the mic off to Eliezer, who graciously extended it to another striped marble, this one donning red and white. The marble known as Akanon drew their own reaction from the crowd as they rolled forward to the front.

“I’ve been listening to the MSWP for years now, and have consistently been to live recordings. The level of communication Brendan and Wof are able to have with live listeners while recording episodes is unlike any podcast I’ve seen, and makes the podcast feel just as much like a discussion as a podcast, making it far more immersive to listen to,” said Akanon. “Thank you, MSWP.”

The Surprise Panel 

After their afternoon break, where they gathered with media networks from Project Marblearth and Marbles Today to The Marble Report and All the Marbles, Brendan eagerly shuffled around in their seat waiting for the mystery athlete who had agreed to interview with them. “Wof. You gotta tell me. I’ve had too much mocha madness today, I am bouncing off the walls.”

Wof laughed nervously. “Oh, you’re gonna…you’re gonna…”

“What’s that? I don’t like that tone. Why are you — oh.”

Approaching Casen to get fitted for their microphone was a multi-Marble League gold medalist, sibling to one of the greatest athletes who’d ever lived, the Maroon Missile — Rapidly.

“Wof, I…I need to use the restroom.”

“They were the only one who responded! Either that or Manager Savvy found a way to intercept all of our other emails to other athletes. We’ll never know.”

Brendan wiped their head, which was beading with sweat. “I don’t have enough time, do I? Oh, what am I gonna say?”

“Don’t say you were ‘right’, that your ‘yelling and ranting was validated’, or that ‘the world of marble sports is in good hands’.”

“Wof! I’m being serious.”

Rapidly rolled over to Wof, giving them a firm bump. “It’s an honor,” the athlete said. “Truly. Thanks for your invite.”

“Thanks for coming on!” Wof said, smiling as widely as they could. “I’m sure you know Brendan.”

“Ah,” Rapidly swiveled around. “Congrats to you.”

“Uh um what?! For what?!”

“For being right!” answered Rapidly, gesturing to Brendan for a hug. From behind both of them, Wof witnessed perhaps the most awkward hug known to marblekind.

“Uh…ah. Thank you. That was so nice,” replied Brendan. “You’re so chill, honestly.”

“My pleasure. I always respect when the media keeps me in check. Even though, you know, I’ve already won several championships for my team.”

Brendan went silent.

“But that’s beside the point! So Wof! You said you prepared questions for me. Let ‘em roll.”

Day 3

The M-Games Panel

“Hey Wof, mind testing the mic today? I didn’t sleep well last night.”

“And when has that stopped you before? I know how often you went out when you were studying in Pastone. Or after you go spin disc golfing,” answered Wof.

“I…okay, yeah, you got me there,” admitted Brendan. “I just want to save my voice for commentating. You know how long I’ve waited for this.”

“Yeah, I’m just teasing ya. Oh look, there they are!”

The eight teams arrived side-by-side, opening all of the convention center’s doors for no better reason than dramatic effect. Just ahead of them, convention officials were clearing the last of the emptied booths for a ramp and ring, which upon setting in place, they promptly lit on fire.

“You know, I’m shocked they’re allowing equipment like that indoors,” noted Wof.

“You can thank Tide for that,” replied Casen. “It’s their equipment from the Seven Seas Circuit, their building tower, and their insurance.”

“Insurance covers this?”

Casen shrugged. “Look! The Woodland Foxes are testing it.”

They watched as the team’s reserve, Hickory, sprinted across the floor and nailed their dismount from the ramp, sailing through the ring of fire and traveling fifty meters into the soft barriers padding the wall.

“An epic showing from Hickory!” commentated Brendan. “And even if that was a test run, the Woodland Foxes have to feel great about that showing, as does Hershy, who for the first time, is bringing M-Games to a live audience of avid marble sports fans!” Brendan cleared their throat. “Toss me the mic. I’m good now. Heck, I could do this all day.”

The Wof Tunes Show

Donning a flowing black robe with a bowtie adorning the top, Wof gestured to Brendan for a glass of water as they waited backstage for the lights to dim.

Brendan chuckled, their voice cracking. “You know, we should do an episode where we see how long we can make it without needing to talk to each other. I probably wouldn’t make it five minutes!”

Wof smirked, trying to contain their laughter.

“Anyways, you’ve got this,” said Brendan, giving Wof a light bump of encouragement. “See you out there.”

“Thank you all for coming,” said Johnny Marble as the lights dimmed. “We’d like to give you a warm welcome to the closing act of MarbleCon 2025: the Wof Tunes Show! Our very own Commander Wof has prepared a collection of their greatest hits to share with us all. Let’s roll on, marble sports fans, and give it up for Wof!!!”

Wof took a deep breath and burst through the curtains to overwhelming applause as the intro to “MEE6 Got Us Rollin’ In Love” kicked in. Classics like “Roll Me To The Moon” and “Rollylujah” opened the show, followed by “Never Gonna Roll You Up”, “Marb Like Me”, and a MarBeats medley before closing with the final Wof Tune. Somehow, Wof had managed to keep the song a surprise from everyone, even the rest of the MSWP crew, but they had rehearsed it daily for years and executed their performance flawlessly.

As the final chord of “Wof’s Way” rang out, the crowd gave an ovation, throwing roses onto the stage of the theater. In the very center of the room, Wof could see Brendan grinning right at them and mouthing, “We did it.”

“Thank you! Thank y’all so much!” yelled Wof, bowing. “For the show! For MarbleCon! For everything! We did it.”

As Wof gazed back at their friend, they could swear Brendan was being framed through the screen of a phone. The lights went out above the stage, dimming the theater as the crowd noise, too, seemed to fade.

Present Day

“HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLO EVERYBODY! AND WELCOME TO THE MARBLE SPORTS WORLDWIDE PODCAST!”

The marble known as Commander Wof groggily opened their eyes to the popcorn ceiling above. They rolled over in their bed and swiped to answer their phone, finding Brendan, co-host of the Marble Sports Worldwide Podcast, video chatting them from hundreds of kilometers away.

“Wof, come on!” exclaimed Brendan. “Today’s the big day!”

Wof pulled their sheets over their head, attempting to block out the blinding bright screen of their phone. “I know…I’m excited…can you just give me five —”

“Excited to finally move on?” Brendan sighed. “You know, we’ve had a good run. But seeing everything that’s changed…the JMRC knew when to move on. I think it’s time we do the same.”

Wof was home, wherever Wof identifies home to be. Although Wof’s dream of MarbleCon 2025 would effectively end with that of the Marble Sports Worldwide Podcast, they knew there were still reasons to be excited. New career opportunities were on the horizon, ones Wof could still celebrate with their marble sports friends. Team Momo and the Raspberry Racers were still competing, and Wof was sure to still be following them, even if they couldn’t follow the videos as frequently as in the past. Even if there was too much that Wof had learned about the troubles behind the scenes, there was still a reason to be here: in the end, they were free to keep rolling on and never let go of their dreams.

“Besides, there’s no one else I would have wanted to do this with than you.”

Wof smiled. “Thanks, buddy. I’m gonna miss ya.”

“Wof, come on! I’m not going anywhere. Maybe we’ll grow apart, I dunno, I’m not gonna overanalyze it. But there’ll always be a soft spot in my life for you, and what we created.”

“Brendan. I’m supposed to be the philosophical one. How much Magic Mind have you been taking?”

“Shut up!” Brendan laughed. “You know, it’s funny. I got something physically in the mail today. A bright orange envelope, kinda official-looking. I would ask if we could open it during the mailbag, but I got carried away.”

“Of course you did.”

“You’re gonna love it.”

The End

Credits

• Writer: Stynth
• Additional Writing: Pesky, Killian Bladestar, MarblesForAutism, Bill Frosby, Edu G.J., Piney, Tonio, Akanon
• Reference: Marble Sports Worldwide
• Release: 09/03/2024