Stump the Schwab
Encyclopedia
Stump the Schwab is an American game show
that aired on ESPN Classic
(originally ESPN 2). The show ran from July 8, 2004 to September 29, 2006 and featured three contestants trying to stump Howie Schwab
, who was the first statistician
ESPN ever had. Stuart Scott
was the show's host. The show also appeared on Canada
's The Score
Television Network.
Each episode of the show had three rounds, "Leading Off," a second round that featured a different game each time, and "The Schwab Showdown." After each of the first two rounds, the contestant with the lowest score was eliminated.
in home runs that year." As this round consisted of three such lists each contestant was given a turn to begin each list. During the first season, the full list was displayed on screen for the home viewers, with each person who had not been named displayed in white letters, and each person correctly named having their names displayed in blue letters. Starting in the third season, answers were shown only as they were given by players, allowing home viewers to "play along." At the end of the question, all answers were shown. Each correct answer was worth one point. If a contestant or "The Schwab" gave a wrong answer, could not come up with an answer, or provided an answer already given, he was eliminated for the rest of the topic with the spotlight shining over him darkened. If there was only one player (including "The Schwab") left, that player scored only one additional point by giving another correct answer. Whoever had the lowest score at the end of "Leading Off" was eliminated from the show, while the remaining two contestants went on to face each other in Round Two.
, who won the men's NCAA
basketball
national championship over the Oklahoma Sooners
that year). Not all members of the starting lineup were on-screen, so each contestant had to fill in the other players not listed. Usually, three lists were given to each contestant; the first list had three spaces to be filled in within 15 seconds; the second, four spaces in 20 seconds; and the third, 5 spaces in 25 seconds. Contestants took turns trying to fill in players, and a contestant "stole" any missing answers that the other was not able to give. One point was given for each correct player named or stolen.
players Julian Wright
, Brandon Rush
, Mario Chalmers
, and Sherron Collins
). Three of them had something in common, and a question was asked where the contestant had to determine who did not fit into the criteria of the question (ie, who is the odd man out, such as "Three of these players have scored over twenty points in a game three games a year at least. Who has not?" for the above four players). After the first athlete was eliminated, there was another question about the three remaining, and so on until only one athlete was left on the board. A question about the remaining player was then asked. One point was awarded for each odd man out identified (for a total of four possible points per turn). Typically, each contestant had two rounds of Odd Man Out, so 8 was the maximum possible score.
, a contestant was given Giants
, Dodgers
, Yankees
, and Mets
. The correct answer was "1, Mets, 2, Dodgers, 3, Giants, 4, Yankees."). Each contestant was given a total of 3 lists, alternating back and forth. They were given 15 seconds for each of the first two lists, and 20 seconds for the third list. Contestants were provided a paper and pen to assist themselves. A point was awarded for each team correctly put in each spot. During the time the contestant wrote down his answers, "The Schwab" made a description of the athlete.
' regular-season finale against the Patriots
, Shaun Alexander
watched from the sideline as time ran out, and he fell one yard short of Curtis Martin
for the NFL
rushing title." In this case, the incorrect part was the team "Patriots", which was the Falcons
. Usually 3 paragraphs in total were given to each contestant.
s") and then was given up to 15 pairs of sports figures and had to name which of the two had achieved more of that category for as many pairs as they could in 40 seconds. Their opponent was then given another 15 pairs of athletes for the other category (also in 40 seconds). In round one, each correct answer was worth 1 point. In round two, each correct answer was worth 2 points.
have?") and the Schwab told the contestant if they were right or wrong. If he was right, they were awarded 2 points. If they were wrong, the opponent tried to guess if the correct figure was over or under what was said. If the opponent guessed correctly, they were awarded a point, and if they then stated the correct figure they were given an additional point. "The Schwab" had openly stated that this was the easiest game for contestants and had to be eliminated as they could easily guess.
Whichever contestant had scored the most points at the end of Round Two went on to face "The Schwab" in the Schwab Showdown.
, with three strikes ending the round immediately. The game was won either by outscoring the opponent after all questions were asked or by the other player striking out. If the contestant had more points than "The Schwab", then he had "stumped the Schwab."
Originally, the final round was called "The Final Table," with questions worth 1, 3, and 5 points. Host Scott gave the players poker chips worth the point value of the question they answered correctly. He still placed strike markers in front of the contestant and the Schwab as they were accumulated.
In the first season, "stumping the Schwab" got a person a prize of tickets to a sporting event. If their "Schwab Showdown" score was good enough (whether or not they "stumped the Schwab"), they were invited back to participate in a tournament, where the grand prize was a job working alongside "The Schwab" in the research room at ESPN, or tickets for two to five major sports championships. But, that person again had to "Stump the Schwab" to win that prize. No one won the grand prize.
In the second season, "stumping the Schwab" won a contestant $5,000. The semi-finals was contested among those who won the bonus round or finished with a high enough score. Those nine players had a chance at another $5,000 prize in the "Schwab Showdown," as well as a chance at the Grand Championship. If they stumped him once more in the championship round, they won a grand prize of $25,000. Adam Garfield of Pennsylvania won season two. The finals came down to one question and the Schwab answered it correctly. Adam won a trip to the 2005 ESPY Awards
in Los Angeles as a consolation prize.
In the third season, the contestant who made it to the "Schwab Showdown" earned $1,000. If that contestant "stumped the Schwab," he earned an additional $5,000 and a guaranteed spot in the semifinals. If they "stumped the Schwab" in the semifinals, it was worth $15,000. A finals win earned $30,000, so theoretically, a contestant won up to $53,000 ($1,000 for each of the game wins + $5,000 + $15,000 + $30,000). Once again, however, at the end of the season, the Schwab won the final Schwab Showdown, defeating Pete Fierro.
The fourth and final season saw several scoring changes. The $1,000 for winning the game stayed intact through all the rounds, but a win in the "Schwab Showdown" in the first round only netted the contestant an additional $1,000. In the semifinals, that went up to $5,000 for a win in the "Schwab Showdown." In the championship show, the winner of the game played the "Schwab Showdown" for a cash jackpot which started at $9,000, and had money added to it every time the Schwab won the "Schwab Showdown." The pot, which reached $30,000, was not won, with "The Schwab" defeating Marty Asalone.
In an episode that aired on May 24, 2005, "The Schwab" struck out for the very first time in the show's history, losing to a senior at Johns Hopkins University
named Stephen Shukie ("The Schwab" is an alumnus of St. John's University
) in the first college edition of the show. "The Schwab" only scored two points (two correct one point answers) in the whole round, while his opponent scored just four. In the same episode, it was the first time that the contestants (Shukie of Johns Hopkins University
, Alec Tolivaisa of Worcester Polytechnic Institute
, and Jonathan Evans of Tulane University
) and "The Schwab" swept an entire Leading Off category (current AFC
Head Coaches) without an incorrect answer.
The episode that aired September 25, 2006 saw "The Schwab" strike out again in the last game of the preliminary round of the fourth and final season.
In an episode from season two, "The Schwab" and Nick Dembski were tied at the end of "The Showdown." Scott then asked them how long in inches a baseball pitcher's rubber (or plate) is. Both came up with the correct answer — 24 inches — then crossed it out, and put 18 inches as their answer, forcing another tiebreaker question. The Next tiebreaker question was "Karl Malone appeared in how many playoff games?" Dembski guessed 163; "The Schwab" guessed 237. The correct answer was 193. Being closer to the actual answer, Dembski won the tiebreaker, and thus, the game.
, St. Louis
, Los Angeles
, and Baltimore
.
Beginning with the fourth and final season premiere on September 4, 2006, Stump The Schwab original episodes debuted on ESPN Classic
.
"The Schwab" was informed ahead of time what topics were going to be asked during the "Schwab Showdown" round in each episode. However, he did not know what the individual questions were.
In the championship episode, contestant Marty Asalone scored entirely perfectly in Round 2, playing "Remember When." He then went on to lose to "The Schwab" in the "Schwab Showdown."
Also, for only the second time in the show's 4 year history, a contestant "stumped the Schwab" twice. Brian Sandalow, then a University of Missouri journalism student, beat "The Schwab" in both the preliminary and semifinal shows. He did not get a chance to beat "The Schwab" a third time, failing in the championship show's "Leading Off" round.
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
that aired on ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic is a sports channel that features reruns of famous sporting events, sports documentaries, and sports themed movies. Such programs includes biographies of famous sports figures or a rerun of a famous World Series or Super Bowl, often with added commentary on the event...
(originally ESPN 2). The show ran from July 8, 2004 to September 29, 2006 and featured three contestants trying to stump Howie Schwab
Howie Schwab
Howard "Howie" Schwab is best known as the sports trivia expert and final adversary on ESPN's Stump the Schwab show....
, who was the first statistician
Statistician
A statistician is someone who works with theoretical or applied statistics. The profession exists in both the private and public sectors. The core of that work is to measure, interpret, and describe the world and human activity patterns within it...
ESPN ever had. Stuart Scott
Stuart Scott
Stuart Scott is a sportscaster and anchor on ESPN's SportsCenter.-Early life and career:Scott attended Richard J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and went to college at the University of North Carolina. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity...
was the show's host. The show also appeared on Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's The Score
The Score (television network)
The Score Television Network is a Canadian English-language cable television specialty channel providing primarily sports news, highlights, information and analysis programming along with live event sports coverage...
Television Network.
Each episode of the show had three rounds, "Leading Off," a second round that featured a different game each time, and "The Schwab Showdown." After each of the first two rounds, the contestant with the lowest score was eliminated.
Leading Off
Each episode began with "Leading Off," a round where the 3 contestants competed, as well as "The Schwab," had to take turns naming an athlete on a list relating to a major achievement, such as, "In the year 1975, name the top 16 players that led the National LeagueNational League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
in home runs that year." As this round consisted of three such lists each contestant was given a turn to begin each list. During the first season, the full list was displayed on screen for the home viewers, with each person who had not been named displayed in white letters, and each person correctly named having their names displayed in blue letters. Starting in the third season, answers were shown only as they were given by players, allowing home viewers to "play along." At the end of the question, all answers were shown. Each correct answer was worth one point. If a contestant or "The Schwab" gave a wrong answer, could not come up with an answer, or provided an answer already given, he was eliminated for the rest of the topic with the spotlight shining over him darkened. If there was only one player (including "The Schwab") left, that player scored only one additional point by giving another correct answer. Whoever had the lowest score at the end of "Leading Off" was eliminated from the show, while the remaining two contestants went on to face each other in Round Two.
Round two
As said above, there were different games used for round two in each episode. "The Schwab" did not compete against the contestants in that round (but asked some questions to contestants, and when no one gave a right answer, he revealed the correct answer). Some of the games were as follows:Lineup Card
A team that won a championship in a certain year had its starting lineup displayed on a screen (e.g., the 1988 Kansas JayhawksUniversity of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
, who won the men's NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
national championship over the Oklahoma Sooners
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
that year). Not all members of the starting lineup were on-screen, so each contestant had to fill in the other players not listed. Usually, three lists were given to each contestant; the first list had three spaces to be filled in within 15 seconds; the second, four spaces in 20 seconds; and the third, 5 spaces in 25 seconds. Contestants took turns trying to fill in players, and a contestant "stole" any missing answers that the other was not able to give. One point was given for each correct player named or stolen.
Who Am I?
"The Schwab" held a card with the name of an athlete or a coach on it, he would give the contestants various hints about that player or coach, given a specific category (eg, "Coaching Legends") before the first hint came for that player or caoch. Hints ranged from 7 points to one point, with a 7-point hint being the hardest, and a one-point hint the easiest. "The Schwab" gave the first contestant the 7-point hint, and then questions decreased in point value one-by-one. If a player did not wish to answer the question, he passed. If a contestant got a wrong answer, they were eliminated for the remainder of the topic.Name That
Similar to "Who Am I?", but contestants bidded for the right to answer a question in the fewest number of clues (similar to the Bid-a-Note round on Name That Tune), with a lower number of clues being worth more points along the same scheme as "Who Am I?". In the most recent seasons, that style of trivia game had been used more often than "Who Am I?"Lights, Camera, Schwab
This game involved questions about sports movies. There were four categories of questions, with each category containing a 1, 2, and 3 point question. Only 1-point questions were available at first, and higher value questions for each category could not be heard until the lower value questions had been asked. Contestants had to buzz in to answer the question. Whichever contestant had correctly answered a question last chose the category for the next question.Schwab's Family Album
Contestants had to buzz in and identify the famous sports figure in a photograph even though the person's face was obscured with that of "The Schwab". Each correct answer was worth 1 point. Photographs were usually of famous sports moments and occasions. Most of the photos elicited a laugh from the crowd.Alma Matters
Contestants identified where current and former players on a specific team went to college. Generally speaking, each player was presented two lists of eight players and 30 seconds to fill each one in, and missing answers were "stolen" by the other contestant. Each correct answer was worth 1 point. The lists followed themes, such as all famous players from a certain team, or all famous players of a certain position.Odd Man Out
A contestant was presented 4 similar athletes on the board (for example, college basketballCollege basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
players Julian Wright
Julian Wright
Julian Emil-Jamaal Wright is an American professional basketball player who last played for the NBA's Toronto Raptors. He played collegiately for the University of Kansas.-High school career:...
, Brandon Rush
Brandon Rush
Brandon Leray Rush is an American basketball player. On July 15, 2008, Rush signed a contract to play basketball for the Indiana Pacers. He was drafted in 2008 by the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. Rush played for the University of Kansas in college for three seasons, including the 2007–2008...
, Mario Chalmers
Mario Chalmers
Almario Vernard "Mario" Chalmers is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the NBA. He was selected 34th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves...
, and Sherron Collins
Sherron Collins
Sherron Marlon Collins is an American professional basketball player who plays for Hacettepe Üniversitesi, in the Turkish Basketball League. He formerly played for the Charlotte Bobcats of the National Basketball Association. He has also played for Lietuvos Rytas, Maine Red Claws and Quebradillas...
). Three of them had something in common, and a question was asked where the contestant had to determine who did not fit into the criteria of the question (ie, who is the odd man out, such as "Three of these players have scored over twenty points in a game three games a year at least. Who has not?" for the above four players). After the first athlete was eliminated, there was another question about the three remaining, and so on until only one athlete was left on the board. A question about the remaining player was then asked. One point was awarded for each odd man out identified (for a total of four possible points per turn). Typically, each contestant had two rounds of Odd Man Out, so 8 was the maximum possible score.
Coaching Ladder
Contestants tried to buzz in to correctly identify coaches and managers based on the clue given. The game featured a graphical "coaching ladder" the contestants climbed, indicating how many points they had earned. There were usually two or three rounds. In the two first rounds, each correct response was worth 1 point. In the final round, each correct response was worth 2 points, but an incorrect response took away a point.Dodge the Schwab
At the beginning of the game, twelve categories were presented, each about a famous sports figure. Contestants alternated choosing categories to answer. Most categories had questions that were deemed of average difficulty, but some contained hidden "diabolical" Schwab questions that were much more difficult, having been devised by the Schwab himself. If a contestant happened to choose a category that had a Schwab question, they chose to "dodge" it and passed it to the opponent before hearing the question, rather than answering it themselves. Regular questions were worth one point, while Schwab questions were worth 2 points. However, if a contestant got a Schwab question wrong, they lost a point.Journey Men
Contestants were given an athlete and an unordered list of teams he had played for. The contestant had to put the teams in chronological order (ie, for Darryl StrawberryDarryl Strawberry
Darryl Eugene Strawberry is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder who is well-known both for his play on the field and for his controversial behavior off it...
, a contestant was given Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, and Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. The correct answer was "1, Mets, 2, Dodgers, 3, Giants, 4, Yankees."). Each contestant was given a total of 3 lists, alternating back and forth. They were given 15 seconds for each of the first two lists, and 20 seconds for the third list. Contestants were provided a paper and pen to assist themselves. A point was awarded for each team correctly put in each spot. During the time the contestant wrote down his answers, "The Schwab" made a description of the athlete.
Stop the Presses
A contestant was given a paragraph of copy that contained one factual error. One point was awarded for identifying the error, and another point for correcting the error. However, if either part of a contestant's answer was wrong, the opponent attempted to steal points by giving the correct answer. An example of a paragraph given was "In January 2005, in the Seattle SeahawksSeattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
' regular-season finale against the Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, Shaun Alexander
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.- Early career :Alexander was born and...
watched from the sideline as time ran out, and he fell one yard short of Curtis Martin
Curtis Martin
Curtis James Martin, Jr. is a former American football running back. He is an alumnus of Taylor Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh...
for the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
rushing title." In this case, the incorrect part was the team "Patriots", which was the Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Usually 3 paragraphs in total were given to each contestant.
Who's Got More?
A contestant was given a choice of two related statistical categories (eg, "Career Home Runs" or "Career Stolen BaseStolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s") and then was given up to 15 pairs of sports figures and had to name which of the two had achieved more of that category for as many pairs as they could in 40 seconds. Their opponent was then given another 15 pairs of athletes for the other category (also in 40 seconds). In round one, each correct answer was worth 1 point. In round two, each correct answer was worth 2 points.
Remember When
Contestants alternated having to guess the year that an event from the world of sports took place. Each contestant started with 100 points. For every year off, the contestant lost a point. If the exact year was guessed, the contestant gained a point. The final question given to each contestant was called the "Ultimate Year" and point values were doubled (i.e., 2 points were deducted for every year off, but 2 points were awarded for guessing the year exactly). Whichever player had less points going into the "Ultimate Year" questions was given a choice of two categories for their Ultimate Year question, followed by the opponent having to answer the question from the other category. Typically, there were 5 rounds of questions before the "Ultimate Year" questions.Over/Under
This was similar to the usual way "Over/Under" style games were played. A contestant was asked a statistical question (e.g., "How many career wins did Cy YoungCy Young
Denton True "Cy" Young was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. During his 22-year baseball career , he pitched for five different teams. Young was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937...
have?") and the Schwab told the contestant if they were right or wrong. If he was right, they were awarded 2 points. If they were wrong, the opponent tried to guess if the correct figure was over or under what was said. If the opponent guessed correctly, they were awarded a point, and if they then stated the correct figure they were given an additional point. "The Schwab" had openly stated that this was the easiest game for contestants and had to be eliminated as they could easily guess.
On the Record
Contestants were presented with a series of famous sports-related quotes. They had to buzz in if they could identify the author of the quote. However, they had to wait until the entire quote was read before attempting to buzz in. There were two rounds. In the first round, correct answers were worth one point. In the second round, they were worth two points, but an incorrect answer cost a point.Whichever contestant had scored the most points at the end of Round Two went on to face "The Schwab" in the Schwab Showdown.
The Schwab Showdown
When there was just one contestant left, he and "The Schwab" faced off in a one-on-one battle. In this last round, there were four cleverly-named categories, each of which dealt with one subject. For example, "Tough Guys" dealt with athletes named Guy, not actual tough guys. Each category had three different cards, each with a question on them. The first question in each category was worth one point, the second two, and the third three. Both the contestant and "The Schwab" were given a pass. If the contestant or "The Schwab" was unsure about an answer to a question, he passed it onto the other player. However, if that player or "The Schwab" still had their pass in possession, they could pass the question right back to the person it was first asked, who then had to answer it. Each incorrect answer was worth one strike, just like baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, with three strikes ending the round immediately. The game was won either by outscoring the opponent after all questions were asked or by the other player striking out. If the contestant had more points than "The Schwab", then he had "stumped the Schwab."
Originally, the final round was called "The Final Table," with questions worth 1, 3, and 5 points. Host Scott gave the players poker chips worth the point value of the question they answered correctly. He still placed strike markers in front of the contestant and the Schwab as they were accumulated.
In the first season, "stumping the Schwab" got a person a prize of tickets to a sporting event. If their "Schwab Showdown" score was good enough (whether or not they "stumped the Schwab"), they were invited back to participate in a tournament, where the grand prize was a job working alongside "The Schwab" in the research room at ESPN, or tickets for two to five major sports championships. But, that person again had to "Stump the Schwab" to win that prize. No one won the grand prize.
In the second season, "stumping the Schwab" won a contestant $5,000. The semi-finals was contested among those who won the bonus round or finished with a high enough score. Those nine players had a chance at another $5,000 prize in the "Schwab Showdown," as well as a chance at the Grand Championship. If they stumped him once more in the championship round, they won a grand prize of $25,000. Adam Garfield of Pennsylvania won season two. The finals came down to one question and the Schwab answered it correctly. Adam won a trip to the 2005 ESPY Awards
ESPY Awards
An ESPY Award is an accolade presented by the American cable television network ESPN to recognize individual and team athletic achievement and other sports-related performance during the calendar year preceding a given annual ceremony. The first ESPYs were awarded in 1993...
in Los Angeles as a consolation prize.
In the third season, the contestant who made it to the "Schwab Showdown" earned $1,000. If that contestant "stumped the Schwab," he earned an additional $5,000 and a guaranteed spot in the semifinals. If they "stumped the Schwab" in the semifinals, it was worth $15,000. A finals win earned $30,000, so theoretically, a contestant won up to $53,000 ($1,000 for each of the game wins + $5,000 + $15,000 + $30,000). Once again, however, at the end of the season, the Schwab won the final Schwab Showdown, defeating Pete Fierro.
The fourth and final season saw several scoring changes. The $1,000 for winning the game stayed intact through all the rounds, but a win in the "Schwab Showdown" in the first round only netted the contestant an additional $1,000. In the semifinals, that went up to $5,000 for a win in the "Schwab Showdown." In the championship show, the winner of the game played the "Schwab Showdown" for a cash jackpot which started at $9,000, and had money added to it every time the Schwab won the "Schwab Showdown." The pot, which reached $30,000, was not won, with "The Schwab" defeating Marty Asalone.
In an episode that aired on May 24, 2005, "The Schwab" struck out for the very first time in the show's history, losing to a senior at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
named Stephen Shukie ("The Schwab" is an alumnus of St. John's University
St. John's University (New York City)
St. John's University is a private, Roman Catholic, coeducational university located in New York City, United States. Founded by the Congregation of the Mission in 1870, the school was originally located in the borough of Brooklyn in the neighborhood of Bedford–Stuyvesant...
) in the first college edition of the show. "The Schwab" only scored two points (two correct one point answers) in the whole round, while his opponent scored just four. In the same episode, it was the first time that the contestants (Shukie of Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
, Alec Tolivaisa of Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private university located in Worcester, Massachusetts, in the United States.Founded in 1865 in Worcester, WPI was one of the United States' first engineering and technology universities...
, and Jonathan Evans of Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
) and "The Schwab" swept an entire Leading Off category (current AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
Head Coaches) without an incorrect answer.
The episode that aired September 25, 2006 saw "The Schwab" strike out again in the last game of the preliminary round of the fourth and final season.
Tiebreakers
If there was a tie at the end of any of the rounds, then Stuart Scott asked a tiebreaker question, where the answer was a number. The person closest to that number won.In an episode from season two, "The Schwab" and Nick Dembski were tied at the end of "The Showdown." Scott then asked them how long in inches a baseball pitcher's rubber (or plate) is. Both came up with the correct answer — 24 inches — then crossed it out, and put 18 inches as their answer, forcing another tiebreaker question. The Next tiebreaker question was "Karl Malone appeared in how many playoff games?" Dembski guessed 163; "The Schwab" guessed 237. The correct answer was 193. Being closer to the actual answer, Dembski won the tiebreaker, and thus, the game.
The Fourth and Final Season
In the summer of 2006, auditions for the fourth and final season of Stump The Schwab took place in eight U.S. Cities including BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, and Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
.
Beginning with the fourth and final season premiere on September 4, 2006, Stump The Schwab original episodes debuted on ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic is a sports channel that features reruns of famous sporting events, sports documentaries, and sports themed movies. Such programs includes biographies of famous sports figures or a rerun of a famous World Series or Super Bowl, often with added commentary on the event...
.
"The Schwab" was informed ahead of time what topics were going to be asked during the "Schwab Showdown" round in each episode. However, he did not know what the individual questions were.
In the championship episode, contestant Marty Asalone scored entirely perfectly in Round 2, playing "Remember When." He then went on to lose to "The Schwab" in the "Schwab Showdown."
Also, for only the second time in the show's 4 year history, a contestant "stumped the Schwab" twice. Brian Sandalow, then a University of Missouri journalism student, beat "The Schwab" in both the preliminary and semifinal shows. He did not get a chance to beat "The Schwab" a third time, failing in the championship show's "Leading Off" round.
"The Schwab"'s Record
"The Schwab"'s record in the "Schwab Showdown" over the show's four season run was 64-16.Contestants who have "stumped the Schwab"
Here is an incomplete list of contestants who have "stumped the Schwab," either by accruing more points than him in the "Schwab Showdown," by forcing "The Schwab" to strike out, or by beating him in a tiebreaker:| Name | Hometown | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Joel Radwanski | Chicago, Illinois | "Stumped the Schwab" a second time when he returned for the semifinals. In the second victory, Radwanski, a Chicago native, also was aided in the final round by a category called "The Chicago Nine" (about the Cubs) which he answered all three questions correctly. |
| Nick Dembski | Columbus, Ohio Columbus, Ohio Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city... |
Won in a double-tiebreaker, as described above. |
| Brian Sandalow | Skokie, Illinois Skokie, Illinois Skokie is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Its name comes from a Native American word for "fire". A Chicago suburb, for many years Skokie promoted itself as "The World's Largest Village". Its population, per the 2000 census, was 63,348... |
Two time winner, second by tiebreaker. |
| Nabate Isles | New York, New York | Did not miss any of his own questions, only missing on a passed question, and won 11-4. |
| Stephen Shukie | West Hartford, Connecticut West Hartford, Connecticut West Hartford is a town located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The town was incorporated in 1854. Prior to that date, the town was a parish of Hartford.... http://hopkinssports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/shukie_steve00.html |
First contestant to cause "The Schwab" to strike out, thereby winning the College Edition of the show. |
| Marty Asalone | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,... |
|
| Chris Calogero | Albany, New York Albany, New York Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River... |
A Season 3 contestant who came back in the fourth and final season. |
| Chad Linden | Irving, Texas Irving, Texas Irving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 216,290. Irving is within the Dallas–Plano–Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, designated... |
|
| Scott Jenstad | Pasadena, California Pasadena, California Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet... |
|
| Dan Needles | Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the... |
"Stumped the Schwab" in the sportscaster edition, in a tie-breaker, after both he and "The Schwab" had a perfect final round with no strikes and no passes. On the tiebreaker question, Needles had the closer guess (386) on Alvin Robertson's NBA single-season record for steals (301) compared to Schwab's guess of 622. He is the Sports analyst for WISN 12 News WISN-TV WISN-TV, virtual channel 12.1 , is a television station located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin serving as an affiliate of the ABC television network. Its signal covers most of southeastern Wisconsin and parts of northeastern Illinois, including Racine, Kenosha, Sheboygan and Waukesha... , the ABC American Broadcasting Company The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948... affiliate in Milwaukee. |
| Carl Burlbaw | Dallas, Texas Dallas, Texas Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States... |
|
| Pete Fierro | Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in... |
Was down 5-6 going into the final question, admitted that he was guessing the answer, and guessed correctly that Steve Garvey Steve Garvey Steven Patrick Garvey , nicknamed "Mr. Clean" because of the squeaky clean image he held throughout his career in baseball, is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current Southern California businessman... was the player who holds the National League National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional... record for consecutive games played with 1,207. |