Howie Schwab, a longtime ESPN statistician and producer, passed away at the age of 63. He was best known for his role as the host of the network’s popular “Stump the Schwab” game show from the 2000s. His death was announced on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” with a tribute, and college basketball analyst Dick Vitale also shared the news on social media. Vitale mentioned that Schwab had been dealing with various health issues but had been feeling good recently.
Throughout his career at ESPN, which began in 1987, Schwab spent most of his time behind the scenes. However, in 2004, he became the face of “Stump the Schwab,” a sports trivia game show hosted by Stuart Scott. Contestants competed against each other and then tried to defeat Schwab in a final challenge. His extensive knowledge of sports from all eras quickly made him a respected authority on the show. The show ran for four seasons before concluding in 2006.
In addition to his work on “Stump the Schwab,” Howie Schwab also made appearances on ESPN’s “First Take,” where he rated his anticipation of upcoming sporting events on a unique “Bags of Chips” scale. After leaving ESPN in 2013, he joined Fox Sports as a writer and consultant for “Sports Jeopardy!”
