WHO’S NOW: TOM BRADY VERSUS GALACTUS.
The ESPN Who’s Now set fades into the screen. The camera prowls, because that’s what cameras at ESPN do when not locked onto a talking head: they move like panthers, dammit. On the left sits Stuart Scott. On the right sits John Krasinski, Megan Fox, Mike Greenberg, and the Silver Surfer, who floats three inches off his chair at all times.

Stuart Scott: The passion of sports. The hype. The gaze, if you will–it has all come down to this, the last round of our ESPN “Who’s Now” competition where we ask you who the most “NOW” athlete in the universe is. And we mean universe, people, because we’re getting intergalactic with a supernova bang tonight: Our number 2 seed, mah boy Tom Brady, cool as the other side of the pillow, going up against the biggest appetite in the galaxy, the original G, Galactus, Eater of Worlds. HOLLA!
With me, the sultry–and I mean, daaaaayum sultry–Megan Fox, a sports fan in her own right. What’s crackin, Ms. Fox?
Megan Fox: I like paste. It’s low-cal.
Stu: For shizzle, MF. And also here John Krasinski, who’s starring with the lady Fox in the upcoming movie Fatwa of the Bride. Holla at ya boy, JK.
John K: Um, yeah. Sure. (Turns head, raises eyebrows, stares with slight smirk at camera.)
Stu: How’d you get the cultural understanding to play a Palestinian American dentist who has to go back to Gaza Strip to marry his Jewish-American model/CIA agent of a wife?
John K.: Um…I went to Brown. (Turns head, raises eyebrows, stares with slight smirk at camera.) And Tim Allen does a great job playing the wacky Orthodox rabbi who makes it all work.
Stu: Educated, intelligent, and handsome all to boot. To the right: Mike Greenberg.
Mike G: Hello.
Stu: And finally, our smooth man to the right, someone who knows a bit about who we’re talking about today: the herald of Galactus, smooth Kelly Slater of the Stars, the Silver Surfer.
Surfer: ALL THAT YOU KNOW IS AT AN END.
Stu: Whoa. Intensity there.
Surfer: THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON YOUR SHOW, STUART SCOTT. MY PLEASURE.
Stu: No problem, dog. So: on one side Tom Brady.

Megan: OMG he is hot. Sooo hot. I love hockey players. When they take out their teeth, they give–
Greenberg: –um, ha, Tom Brady’s a football player, I think you mean to say.
John K.: No, Mike, you’re mistaken, I think. (Turns head, raises eyebrows, stares with slight smirk at camera.)
Greenberg: –No, he played at Michigan first, and then he was drafted—
Surfer: –BY THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS IN THE SIXTH ROUND.
Stu: Surfer, droppin’ knowledge like some kind of pantsless Socrates, here.
Megan: OMG, he’s really not wearing pants? Where’s your dick?
Surfer: THE POWER COSMIC IS BETTER THAN GENITALS. I ADVISE YOU TO FLEE YOUR PLANET IMMEDIATELY.
Greenberg: Tom Brady’s seen longer odds than that, friend. Coming off the bench in relief of Drew Bledsoe, rising to being as “Now” as he is, um…now.
Stu: And…there’s the models thing. Dude’s got play.
Megan: I’d fuck him. OMG, would I fuck him.
John K: (Turns head, raises eyebrows, stares with slight smirk at camera.)
Surfer: YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET A THIRD EXPRESSION KRASINSKI. ACTORS NEED RANGE.
Greenberg: Would you fuck me? In the Harold Reynolds hug closet? Like, now? My wife thinks I’m an idiot. Seriously. Hasn’t touched me in years. And I work out. I need.
Stu: We’re gonna have to edit that. But you can’t deny that the dude is utterly and completely NOW, right?
Surfer: WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
Mike Greenberg: No, he’s totally now.
John K: He’s so now, it’s like he’s tomorrow fast-forwarded to today.
Megan: I dropped my water. It was so heavy! Can someone please get me some more water.
Surfer: I STILL DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU MEAN. AND I, TOO, WOULD LIKE SOME MORE DELICIOUS POLAND SPRING WATER, THE OFFICIAL WATER OF ESPN’S WHO’S NOW.
Stu: Sure, we can do that. And that was a smooth promo, Surf-dogg.
Surfer: I AM A PROFESSIONAL STUART SCOTT. I REPEAT: LEAVE YOUR PLANET OR BE DEVOURED BY MY MASTER, GALACTUS, EATER OF WORLDS.
Mike G: Speaking of that guy, it’s hard to be more now than someone who’s threatening to end all life on the planet. I mean, that’s NOW.
Megan: Who?
Surfer: GALACTUS, EATER OF WORLDS, ONCE KNOWN AS GALAN OF TAA–
Stu: And a total baller.

John K: I wasn’t…aware…that he was an athlete–
Surfer: GALACTUS POSSESSES ALL ABILITIES KNOWN AND UNKNOWN TO YOUR PEOPLE.
John K: So he actually is, say, the best center in the history of the game of basketball.
Surfer: IF YOU SEE HIM AS THIS, THEN HE WILL APPEAR AS THIS.
Mike G: Will he still have the helmet? You gotta love the helmet.
Surfer: OF COURSE. THE HELMET IS A TRADEMARKED PROPERTY OF GALACTUS, INDUSTRIES.
Megan: You really don’t have balls or a cock, do you? OMG that is fucked up I have to take a picture of this on my camera phone.
Stu: So, let’s talk head to head, now. I mean, Brady’s got three rings, the babymommas off the runway, he’s doing magazine shoots, he’s…
John K: Galactus takes entire planets and crams them into his maw. Um, that’s pretty now, if you ask me. I know the word ‘maw’ because I went to Brown. Maybe you’ve heard of it. (Turns head, raises eyebrows, stares with slight smirk at camera.)
Surfer: HE WILL DO THE SAME TO YOUR PLANET IN 86 OF YOUR EARTH HOURS. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE GET ME SOME MORE OF THAT DELICIOUS POLAND SPRING WATER.
Megan: I have no idea what you guys are talking about right now. You know what, though? I like pickles. Just love them. You can’t eat them because they make you fat, like bread.
Mike G, looking desperate: Who doesn’t like pickles? I mean, come on. They’re delicious, right?
Surfer: (raises hand, looks sheepish.)
Stu: Really? Hate for pickles, then?
Surfer: THEIR DESTRUCTION IN THE GULLET OF GALACTUS WILL BRING ME NO SORROW. BY THE WAY, WHICH EYE SHOULD I LOOK AT?
Stu: (dejected.) The left one’s fine, man. Just look there.
Mike G, to Megan, leaning in: Seriously. Two minutes. That’s all I need. You won’t even remember it.
Megan: What?
Surfer: THANKS, STU. THAT WAS HAUNTING ME THERE FOR A MINUTE.
Mike G: Back to the topic at hand: Brady had a 21 game winning streak, man.
Surfer: GALACTUS SURVIVED THE EXTINCTION OF HIS UNIVERSE.
Stu Scott: And he’s got that debonair, Rico Suave meets All-American Dawson’s Creek think going on, man.
Surfer: THE FACE OF GALACTUS IS SO POWERFUL ITS FULL VISAGE WOULD SCORCH YOUR RETINAS.
John K: And to be fair, he’s unstoppable in the two minute drill. He just eats whatever defense you throw at him alive.
Surfer: MY MASTER DEVOURED THE WORLDS OF X573 AND U723 IN TEN MINUTES BETWEEN TWO SLICES OF LOW-CARB BREAD. IT’S ALWAYS ON SALE THESE DAYS, YOU KNOW. THIS SEGMENT SPONSORED BY WHOLE FOODS, YOUR SOURCE FOR NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIC AND FRESH.
Stu: You’re straight killing the promos, Surf.
Greenberg: Certainly. You wanna come replace Golic on the show? He’s dead weight anyway.
Surfer: NO I AM BOUND BY OATH TO GALACTUS AS HIS HERALD. PLUS YOU ARE INSUSBTANTIAL AND ANNOYING, JUST AS ESPN RADIO HAS BEEN SINCE THE DEPARTURE OF KORNHEISER AND HIS MAGNIFICENT RADIO SHOW. YOUR DEMISE, LIKE THAT OF PICKLES, BRINGS ME NO TEARS.
John K: (Turns head, raises eyebrows, stares with slight smirk at camera.)
Stu: So, do we have a winner?
Megan: I just farted! EWWWWW! Gross!
Mike G: It’s like the aroma of freshly baked bread, babe. Two minutes. I won’t even let Salisbury watch this time.
John K: I’m going Galactus, since he downed the entire city of Mumbai last night just to show how serious he is.
Megan: No wayyyy! Tom Brady. He’s the hottest basketball player I’ve ever seen. Eeeps! I totally farted again.
Mike G: (Sniffs long, exultant snootfuls of the air around him.)
Surfer: YOU SHOULD CONSIDER LESS FIBER IN YOUR DIET, MS. FOX. OR CHANGE BUTCHERS, PERHAPS.
Stu: I know you’re biased, man, but what’s your vote.
Surfer: BRADY. YOU MAY KEEP YOUR VAINGLORIOUS AWARDS. YOUR TIME IS FLEETING AS IS, AND MY MASTER’S HUNGER INSATIABLE.
Mike G: Downer!
Surfer: PLUS MR. BRADY IS EXCEPTIONAL AT READING COVERAGES, SOMETHING MY MASTER STRUGGLES AT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE ZONE BLITZ TO THE WEAK SIDE. IT’S A TRUE CONUNDRUM FOR EVEN THE EATER OF WORLDS.
Stu: Mike G?
Mike G: I’m going Brady.
Stu: Then it’s settled. For ESPN, this is Stu Scott–
Surfer: FLEE, EARTHLINGS. I BEG OF YOU.
Stu: –saying peace out to the world. Out!
Special thanks to Holly, who came up with “Fatwa of the Bride,” and to Reed Richards, who’s kept us safe from Galactus…for the moment.









51
Scalz1 says:
If you could have squeezed in a “Holla at a playa when you see ‘em in the galaxy” quote from Stu, I might have climaxed.
August 9th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
52
Dankgesang says:
You know that dream you keep having, Orson? Where you get to quit your day job on account of you got hired to write for some up-and-coming media entity that recognized the comic genius behind your earnest, humorous blog? That dream? It’s over. You ain’t that funny. Consider yourself arch-enemied.
Coming soon: South By South Bend, the college football blog that’s better than EDSBS because it’s about Notre Dame.
And we’ll probably do the mustache thing, too. Cause we were on that, like, ten years ago.
August 9th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
53
Wooderson says:
Here’s what confuses me: Sicne Stu Scot looks in two directions at the same time, can he read a teleprompter with one eye and the look into the camera with the other?
Can he just stay motionless and have the two camera angles focus onto a different eye each when they do the shot change?
August 9th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
54
Nick says:
Who’s more Now? Galactus or Unicron?
August 9th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
55
Scalz1 says:
Stuart Scott can hunt rabbit and quail at the same time.
August 9th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
56
Scalz1 says:
Stuart Scott can hunt rabbit and quail at the same time.
Hold your breath until, I read a Notre Dame blog, darkesang.
August 9th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
57
Rob says:
This article is pretty now. kudos.
August 9th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
58
Out of Conference says:
Wait, Darkesang – I thought you wanted it called, “EDSBSMD”
August 9th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
59
Hook'em Tide says:
From the WTF department (Fayetteville Division)
Check out Rollbamaroll.com
Nutt wanted the Bama Job! More of his personal dirty laundry is splattering all over the blogosphere!
August 9th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
60
Futbawl Fan says:
Orson, I think you have something here…. get the Silver Surfer, Subcommandante Wayne, Coach Woody Hayes, maybe Paris Hilton and The Devil to do a round table each week on CFB, I am thinking you could set a pretty high admission….
I would pay extra on weeks where Phil Hartman’s Frankenstein stops by….
August 9th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
61
VandyJ says:
+ 1000 gin rickeys to you gents. Plus one for me to replace the one I horked all over my display reading this.
#54 – Galactus and the points.
August 9th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
62
PeterPumpkinhead says:
http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/showthread.php?t=14637
If we’re going to start spreading random blog stuff, maybe the Florida fans can enlighten us on what the hell is going on with Tebow.
August 9th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
63
KongHorn says:
I’d trade you my signed vol. 2 Lee/Byrne double-sized oneshot for more Surfer!
OK, I doubt I’d let you even look at it for fear you’d somehow crease the spine, but you get the idea.
Weekly appearances might stretch things a little thin though. Maybe SS should only show up when something earth-shaking happens, like down two with a minute left in the 4th, Franchione listens to an assistant coach, or the waterboy or somebody, and goes for the two point conversion.
August 9th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
64
Orson Swindle says:
Dankesgang–
We’ll just have to settle for being the gayest college football blog around. Ahoy, boys!
August 9th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
65
Coop says:
Orson,
As a 3rd year law student a year ago, i.e. someone who was not required to be anywhere until 10 or 11 on most days, I watched way too much ESPN2’s telecasts of Mike and Mike.
Greenburg, or “Greeny,” would get dogged by that slobbering tub of goo who bleeds Notre Dame, Golic, for all the money he spent on haircuts, hair products, etc.
And, you posted something a while back that discussed your passion for getting your hair cut by a woman or, more likely, a very homosexual man, at the hair salon of your choosing in Atlanta.
I don’t really have a question, or a point, but isn’t there a code amongst you metrosexual folks about not ripping on your own?
Conversely, I severely disliked both of those guys, and would show up in Law Review land ready to extract my anger on whatever 2L spaded what I had to read that day, so thank you for taking “Greeny” to task.
Those guys, and, basically, all morning radio folks, are tremendous douchebags.
August 9th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
66
Mr. Wrong says:
PeterPumpkinHead-
Your link didn’t work, but let me guess: Some ‘tards were saying Freshman John Brantley should start ahead of Tebow? See, Tebow had a rough day at practice, and Brantley is the reigning king of Fla. HIGH SCHOOL football. And, like most schools, about 90% of our fans are complete raving morons, and they live on those message boards. So naturally, Tebow is teh suxorzz, Brantley is the young god who’s never made a mistake, and blahblahblah untill your ears, eyes, nose, throat and spleen bleed green acid. It’s the FOURTH day of practice. I’m amazed they can even turn on their computers.
August 9th, 2007 at 5:47 pm
67
NewAZTiger says:
#36, I see you missed the fake MLB news conferences a year or two ago. I officially stopped watching ESPN at that point.
The MTV-ication of ESPN is complete.
August 9th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
68
Palouse says:
I see you missed the fake MLB news conferences a year or two ago
Yeah, I forgot about those. Very worthy of being on that list. Poor Steve Phillips. He was trying to make a go of it, but you could see the pain on his face of having to do those fake press conferences. Just sad.
About the only thing that ESPN has gotten right in the past few years is the WSOP coverage. MacEaren and Chad are excellent.
August 9th, 2007 at 6:06 pm
69
LSUJoshua says:
I don’t know where to start. I will try Orson.
First of all, you are back in my good graces, as long as you don’t screw up the bunda tomorrow.
Secondly, 100 cocktails to you at no charge on and around October 6th (if Holly will spring for it, otherwise, like, 5).
Thirdly, the asking which eye. Thank you. My underpants don’t.
If you want to skip a week or few after this, feel free. Don’t push teh genius. Just let it flow when it wants to.
Quintupely, I am in awe and envy of your ability. I doff my LSU hat of a tiger wearing a LSU hat backwards. Seen it? It rocks like jorts.
August 9th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
70
Dankgesang says:
Orson#64:
(snort)
Nope. You don’t get that either. Check it: 1)Tommy Zbikowski fanfic will be very much a part of the SXSB experience. 2)There’s only one direction that can go. 3) It isn’t ‘not-gay’.
August 9th, 2007 at 7:11 pm
71
Out of Conference says:
Darkesang – first off, what’s that name mean. I’m not very adept at making out what clever license plate abbreviations mean, so maybe your name is somehting obvious. It kind of looks asian to me. Not trying to be an insenstive dick, but if it is asian, do you feel as if no one takes you seriously, that everyone is out to get you, that the rich bitch in freshmen lit shouldn;t have made fun of you? Well, if so, let me take this chance to reach out to you, to tell you that people do like you, that you are accepted, and to suggest perhaps if you weren’t such a dick, people would try to hang out with you more. But if you aren;t asian, haven’t rented a u-haul, bought fertilizer, diesel fuel, or think allah is the fashizzle, well then, you’re just a penis. There. I feel better. Thank god most domers don’t act like you.
August 9th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
72
Nate (ltdomer98) says:
On behalf of all the Domers who make EDSBS a daily visit, precisely because of wonderfully hilarious posts like this:
Dankesgang, STFU. Your comment confirms, in many minds, the image of Domers that non-Domers have–namely, that we’re a bunch of douches. I prefer to belive I am not one; neither are most of the Domers who frequent this wonderful blog. Please don’t make being a Domer in non-Domer country any harder for those of us who venture out of NDNation. Make your blog, and if it is funny, they will come. If it is not, it will be my last stop of the blog-checking day, after EDSBS, BGS, Rakes of Mallow, House Rock Built, Fire Mark May, Kelly Green, HerLoyalSons, IRT, and many other quality ND blogs who don’t feel the need to go to top-shelf blogs of other fanbases and act like asses.
All-Sorry about that. Pay no attention, move along.
August 9th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
73
Nate (ltdomer98) says:
Nevermind. Clearly that last comment indicates Dankesgang isn’t actually a Domer, just an idiot.
August 9th, 2007 at 8:11 pm
74
DaveP says:
great read. it just makes Megan even hotter thinker of her that dumb
August 9th, 2007 at 8:20 pm
75
Valtrex says:
Megan Fox…Tennessee trash at it’s finest.
August 9th, 2007 at 8:21 pm
76
NewAZTiger says:
OK, this thread has gone way to long without a current update from Sports section of the major newspapers in Alabama. And I quote…
Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban Saban
August 9th, 2007 at 8:34 pm
77
jaybuzz says:
epic post, Swindler. It ranks up there with the “Beano in Bangkok” thing.
Reason #41 I can’t wait until CFB Season:
Watching ESPN “College Football Today’s” EA game pre-enactment thing. Good god, have they no shame??
August 9th, 2007 at 8:36 pm
78
PAK'00 says:
Best EDSBS post ever, and that says a LOT.
August 9th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
79
Geaux Irish says:
Since nobody else has said it yet, here’s the requisite reply to all of your posts:
Yes, Nick Saban might just have time for this shit.
Excellent work Orson. Pure genius.
August 9th, 2007 at 9:10 pm
80
Meg says:
66- I thought that thread was a joke. The fact that it appears to not have been makes it even funnier. Hail UF fandom!
August 9th, 2007 at 11:59 pm
81
Rome says:
If this isn’t your best story, it has to be in the top 5. I still laugh my ass off thinking back to the “52 Things that are wrong with ESPN” story. The story that made me a daily visitor to this great site.
For all of your wonderful work, I will kick [NAME REDACTED] in the balls if I ever see him.
August 10th, 2007 at 1:08 am
82
obiwan's accent says:
There’s no way Galactus would have trouble reading coverages…his head is ginormous and so are his eyes. He can see everything at once. I mean he’d have to be just plain stupid to not see a zone blitz coming from the weak side of the formation
August 10th, 2007 at 8:36 am
83
obiwan's accent says:
I think the surfer’s just trying to get himself fired or something
August 10th, 2007 at 8:43 am
84
Burt77 says:
Too. Fookin. Funny.
Silver Surfer should give his “college gameday final” every week.
August 10th, 2007 at 8:44 am
85
KongHorn says:
Next up for former Norrin Radd: sidekick duties on the Dan Patrick/rumored Michael Irvin syndicated radio shows.
August 10th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
86
tzubear says:
Frustrating! Some of my best friends would love this post as much as I do IF they followed CFB.
August 10th, 2007 at 4:36 pm
87
Jeff says:
whosnot.blogspot.com
August 11th, 2007 at 12:45 pm