Marblympics Marble League, Huh?

Yes! If you're familiar with the Marble League, you know the drill. If not, welcome! Jelle's Marble League is an annual event where teams of marbles from around the globe come together and compete in sporting events, similar to our Olympic Games.

A lot of time and effort goes into arranging this event. Miniature stadiums hold stands of hundreds of spectating marbles, many bearing signs and banners to cheer on their favorite teams. As the athletes perform, you can hear various team chants echoing from the crowd in support.

A lot of the League's charm comes from the lively sports commentary of Greg Woods. While there's no shortage of action from the competitors to keep viewers engaged, Greg's commentary really helps bring it to life while helping viewers follow along with the standings, especially those who aren't yet familiar with the teams. It's not uncommon to find yourself holding your breath at the edge of your seat, watching your favorite underdog team fight valiantly for a spot on the podium!

(They're still the Marblympics to me...!)

That was me, holding my breath in 2017 as I watched the Pinkies desperately try to claw their way away from the bottom half of the scoreboard. I had randomly stumbled upon the 2016 Marblympics videos, and I was enraptured. It didn't hurt that my girlfriend showed an infectious enthusiasm for the delicate little stadiums and all of the drama in miniature. Best of all, it was all played with complete sincerity, and both showrunners and audience were having genuine fun.

It was a fun year for the Marblympics, and as I would soon discover, things could only go downhill for my favorite teams, the Pinkies and the Limers. It's now 2022 at the time of writing this, just before the seventh annual Marble League, and both teams have yet to make a comeback. But I'll always root for them, as well as other teams I've become a fan of over time: the Hazers, the Solar Flares, and the Midnight Wisps—after all, I need something to do with neither the Pinkies nor Limers make it through the qualifiers. ;)

PINKIES

#PinkyPower
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From the JMR Wiki:

Despite having appeared in the first four Marble League editions, the Pinkies are generally considered to be one of the worst overall performers. They often finish in the bottom half of many events and, consequently, finish in the bottom half of the overall standings.

The exception to this is 2017, where they finished 1st overall in the Qualifiers and 6th overall with two bronze medals in the League.
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The Pinkies, god bless 'em, are shimmery pink performers-turned-athletes with heart, determination, and an increasingly terrible track record for competing in the Marble League. They're widely known to be one of the worst teams, yet each year they give it their best shot and I think that's beautiful. I'll always root for this cute, shitty team to do the impossible and make it to the podium.

LIMERS

#LimeTime
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From the JMR Wiki:

Regarded as one of the worst performing teams in the Marble League, the Limers first participated in Marble League 2016. They finished 15th that year.

At Marble League 2021, their first Marble League appearance in three years was reminiscient of their poor reputation, as they were only able to finish in 15th overall despite earning their first League medal since 2018.
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You may have sensed a pattern here. The Limers truly do suck, but I love them and I just want them to win. Unlike the Pinkies, these persistent green marbles have never really had a golden era of success, usually qualifying for events by chance or the skin of their teeth. But they have an enormous love for competing and they always put their best curve forward. Even if that's never enough to win, let alone qualify, it's enough for me to enjoy their performance!