Howie Schwab was a longtime ESPN producer who became an on-air personality with his trivia show, “Stump the Schwab,” in which he showed off his deep knowledge of sports.
- Died: April 20, 2024 (Who else died on April 20?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 63.
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Howie Schwab’s legacy
Howie Schwab grew up in upstate New York and went to St. John’s University. A huge sports fan, he became editor-in-chief of College & Pro Football News Weekly, but his dream job was in Bristol, Connecticut: He wanted to work with the sports network ESPN. In 1987, he was given that chance.
Schwab worked his way to becoming producer on ESPN’s website, then an in-studio producer for shows like “SportsCenter” and “Outside the Lines.” He became on-air talent, too, when he became a “Couch Potato” on “First Take,” discussing the sports of the day — and showing off his deep knowledge of sports in the process.
In 2004, “Stump the Schwab” was launched. The trivia program featured contestants trying to do what the title said: stump Schwab. Few succeeded. The show, which won fans and praise in part because Schwab came across as an average sports fan, ran until 2006. He was released from ESPN in 2013. The following year he joined the crew of “Sports Jeopardy!”
On pursuing a job at ESPN:
“For me, what was happening in the remote outpost of Bristol, Conn., was more magical than anything Disney World could offer. There was something confounding about it all. Wait, there’s a place I could work, where everyone loves sports as much as I do? And they talk about it all day?”— The Athletic
Tributes to Howie Schwab
Full obituary: ESPN
