Author Topic: Stump The Schwab (Read 3149 times)

bandit_bobby · « **on:** September 04, 2006, 07:45:49 PM »

Folks, another season of Stump the Schwab is underway. This season, its home is ESPN Classic, and it airs every weeknight at 7:00 PM, with a replay the following afternoon (or Monday) at 1:00 PM.

This season:

-It's still being produced by Inward Eye (does this have anything to do with Michael Davies?)

-Winning the upfront game is still worth $1,000. In the first round of the tournament, winning the Schwab Showdown gets you another $1,000. During the semifinals, winning at the Schwab Showdown gets you $5,000.

-The finals format, however, if I hear this correctly, reaks of Pass the Buck, and The $100,000 Pyramid. There is a growing jackpot at stake for the one who is able to Stump the Schwab during the finals. Each time the Schwab wins the endgame during the finals, money is added to a jackpot. This could be interesting.

Thoughts, anyone?

MikeK · « **Reply #1 on:** September 04, 2006, 07:58:35 PM »

[quote name=\'bandit_bobby\' post=\'130357\' date=\'Sep 4 2006, 07:45 PM\']-Winning the upfront game is still worth $1,000. In the first round of the tournament, winning the Schwab Showdown gets you another $1,000. During the semifinals, winning at the Schwab Showdown gets you $5,000.[/quote]
Wow, the stakes have plummeted. I'm glad that I didn't go to NYC to try out for this show.

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-The finals format, however, if I hear this correctly, reaks of Pass the Buck, and The $100,000 Pyramid. There is a growing jackpot at stake for the one who is able to Stump the Schwab during the finals. Each time the Schwab wins the endgame during the finals, money is added to a jackpot. This could be interesting.

Comparing either of those shows' jackpots to how you describe Stump the Schwab's finals payout makes no sense. You don't know what you're talking about. Again.

TLEberle · « **Reply #2 on:** September 04, 2006, 08:01:07 PM »

[quote name=\'bandit_bobby\' post=\'130357\' date=\'Sep 4 2006, 04:45 PM\']
-It's still being produced by Inward Eye (does this have anything to do with Michael Davies?)[/quote] Beats me. Do the legwork yourself.

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-Winning the upfront game is still worth $1,000.

I was not aware that winning the main game was EVER worth anything. Did this change in the second series?

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-The finals format, however, if I hear this correctly, reaks of Pass the Buck, and The $100,000 Pyramid.

Not as bad as your spelling, apparently.

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There is a growing jackpot at stake for the one who is able to Stump the Schwab during the finals. Each time the Schwab wins the endgame during the finals, money is added to a jackpot. This could be interesting.

So, they have a growing jackpot, but no way for a champion to come back and play again? <eyeroll> Unless there's something you're holding back from us (a thought which did cross my mind). I don't see how the final round had anything to do with PtB or Pyramid; it was a series of sports questions for varying amounts of points.

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Thoughts, anyone?

Yeah, but for your (and my) safety, I think I'll keep 'em to myself.

Dbacksfan12 · « **Reply #3 on:** September 04, 2006, 08:05:16 PM »

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'130359\' date=\'Sep 4 2006, 07:01 PM\']
So, they have a growing jackpot, but no way for a champion to come back and play again? [/quote]
Must be produced by the Lingo folks.

Bobby however...is just Bobby.

Joe Mello · « **Reply #4 on:** September 04, 2006, 08:39:05 PM »

[quote name=\'bandit_bobby\' post=\'130357\' date=\'Sep 4 2006, 07:45 PM\']
-It's still being produced by Inward Eye (does this have anything to do with Michael Davies?)[/quote]
I heard Embassy Row. Alex?

Here's what I don't get: I thought this show was supposed to die in Season 3, but they gave it a 4th and stuck it on 1st-tier digital cable. If you want to off a show, can't you just say "no"? They seemed to do that with Dream Job.

I'd rather there be either a structured tournament like they always had, or borrow a bit from Lange's NTT and have the endgame be the qualifier for the finals.

Davies confuses me so much.

SRIV94 · « **Reply #5 on:** September 04, 2006, 08:44:28 PM »

[quote name=\'Joe Mello\' post=\'130363\' date=\'Sep 4 2006, 07:39 PM\']
Here's what I don't get: I thought this show was supposed to die in Season 3, but they gave it a 4th and stuck it on 1st-tier digital cable. [/quote]

Not for all of us. ESPN Classic is analog 21 on my system (although I do have digital).

Now, if I could just convince Comcast to give me ESPNU. . .

Doug

Dbacksfan12 · « **Reply #6 on:** September 04, 2006, 08:45:49 PM »

[quote name=\'SRIV94\' post=\'130364\' date=\'Sep 4 2006, 07:44 PM\']
Not for all of us. ESPN Classic is analog 21 on my system (although I do have digital).
[/quote]
Back home, we get ESPNC on analog too...I think its #25.
Of course, I still wish it was CSN.

beatlefreak84 · « **Reply #7 on:** September 04, 2006, 08:47:52 PM »

I happen to really like this show (I feel really smart when I watch this and can actually get a question right!), and part of me expected the show to be a little cheaper since it's only airing on Classic, and not the parent network of ESPN.

Nevertheless, I actually like the way they're going to do the finals. The way it's going to work is that all the money that the contestants don't pick up via Stumping the Schwab will be available again on the final show. That may seem dumb initially because only one person gets to go for it, but I look at it like this:

It's not as bad as a progressive jackpot on Lingo because it's not like you happen to go for less money just because you were on a certain show. Likewise, beating the Schwab is such a rare feat, anyway, that that jackpot is going to easily be worth a LOT of money.

In the second season, for example, there were 24 regular episodes, 3 semifinal episodes, and then the final episode. Under this current payout structure, and figuring on the same number of episodes, there will be a total of $39,000 possibly available for the final winner. If you figure on 4 wins during the regular episodes, and one win during the semis, then there will still be $30,000 up for grabs on the final show!

Oh, and the $1,000 prize for winning the main game started in the third season, Travis...

Honestly, it amazes me that this show gets such a bum rap in these parts because, to me, it's a terrific show (and one of my favorites!) because:

1. The people who play this game are SMART; everybody on this show is well-versed in sports trivia, and a good number of players can give Schwab a run for it in the end.
2. It's a fun show to play along with; there are new games every day, and they made the first round play-along.
3. I enjoy Stuart Scott as host; at first, his catch phrases seemed annoying, but he not only knows how to keep the game moving, but he knows how and when to build up tension, and I do find myself cracking up at some of his jokes every now and then...

4. I love that Schwab Showdown! The fact that there's no time limit, the players get to stare each other down when answering, and some contestants really show why they deserve to be on that show make it all the more exciting for me. Plus, when somebody wins, just looking at the dejected Schwab is prize enough...

Sorry; long rant over!

Anthony

itiparanoid13 · « **Reply #8 on:** September 04, 2006, 09:51:06 PM »

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I heard Embassy Row. Alex?

Embassy Row has officially cleared their name of this show. They do not produce the show as they did in the first three seasons, this coming from Embassy Row itself. Pretty smart if you ask me. So we're basically going to see the season champion winning $3,000. How special.

Joe Mello · « **Reply #9 on:** September 04, 2006, 10:32:39 PM »

[quote name=\'SRIV94\' post=\'130364\' date=\'Sep 4 2006, 08:44 PM\']
[quote name=\'Joe Mello\' post=\'130363\' date=\'Sep 4 2006, 07:39 PM\']
Here's what I don't get: I thought this show was supposed to die in Season 3, but they gave it a 4th and stuck it on 1st-tier digital cable. [/quote]

Not for all of us. ESPN Classic is analog 21 on my system (although I do have digital).[/quote]

Well, that's kinda what I meant. In my mind, 1st-tier digital cable is the stuff that is either on or off the analog, like G4, ESPNNews, Classic, and apparently Sci-Fi. Of course, in my mind, I'm typically not wearing a beard.

/what does Pittsburgh have against the Sci-Fi Channel?

clemon79 · « **Reply #10 on:** September 05, 2006, 12:02:50 AM »

[quote name=\'Joe Mello\' post=\'130374\' date=\'Sep 4 2006, 07:32 PM\']
Well, that's kinda what I meant. In my mind, 1st-tier digital cable is the stuff that is either on or off the analog, like G4, ESPNNews, Classic, and apparently Sci-Fi. [/quote]
Okay, well, in the world the rest of us operate in, that's factually incorrect.

PYLdude · « **Reply #11 on:** September 10, 2006, 01:13:02 AM »

Bumping this up because I got a look at some eps this week:

Not bad. Cheaper stakes suck, but I don't really see a difference in the quality of gameplay. (Always liked StS, liked it better from second season on.)

[quote name=\'Mike Klauss\']...the stakes have plummeted. I'm glad that I didn't go to NYC to try out for this show.[/quote]

I agree with ya on not wanting to go all the way to NYC just for a shot to win $1,000 bucks on a sports trivia show, Mike...but after seeing firsthand your knowledge of sports, I would've liked seeing you on Stump the Schwab...you probably would've given Schwabbie a run for his money.

MikeK · « **Reply #12 on:** September 10, 2006, 02:24:53 AM »

[quote name=\'PYLdude\' post=\'130886\' date=\'Sep 10 2006, 01:13 AM\'][quote name=\'Mike Klauss\']...the stakes have plummeted. I'm glad that I didn't go to NYC to try out for this show.[/quote]

I agree with ya on not wanting to go all the way to NYC just for a shot to win $1,000 bucks on a sports trivia show, Mike...but after seeing firsthand your knowledge of sports, I would've liked seeing you on Stump the Schwab...you probably would've given Schwabbie a run for his money.[/quote]
I appreciate your kind comments. I don't know if I could hold my own versus the Schwab on TV. At the Craft services table, OTOH...:-P

Besides the likelihood of being on the show and ending up losing money if I win, there's another important reason I couldn't be on Stump the Schwab--my cousin has done camerawork for events which aired on ESPN like almost every PBA Tour event over the past 3-4 seasons and Big Ten football games this season, including the Illinois/Rutgers game yesterday. Surely I'd be deemed ineligible even if my cousin's work was done through a third party.