William “The Beast” Bibbiani is a former singles and teams champion and Free For All legend. Drafted by Coy Jandreau in the 2020 Schmoedown draft, he is one of the founding members of The Quirky Mercs. Here are his reflections on the show that we all love, in his own words.
Looking back on the Schmoedown, what is the most memorable moment that you were personally involved in?
It was a pretty long “moment” but Free For All 3 [Part 1, Part 2] was an epic adventure I won’t soon forget. I still remember competitors walking up to the stage in the second half and whispering things to me like, “How are you still up here?” And I swear to god I will never forget Allison Janney’s name again for the rest of my damn life.
What is the most memorable moment that you were not involved in?
Andrew Ghai knocking out Dan Murrell was the weirdest damn day. There was a brief moment when he took the lead and everyone was so cheerful, good for him! And then Dan just never quite made it out of the hole, and the gradual realization that not only is Ghai winning but he’s seriously kicking ass was a major mixed feeling. Ghai did what was seemingly impossible, and that’s super great for him, but it was also Dan’s big comeback match and not at all how their storylines seemed to be headed. If you ever needed proof that the Schmoedown matches were 100% not scripted, that’s the match.
Which of your matches would you say is the best you played?
Shazam vs. The Odder Couple, hands down. The only teams match in history to have perfect PPE. We got every question right, never checked down, bet the maximum number of points. We bet on ourselves that day and the gamble paid off. And the best part was that they were such a great pairing, we still had to answer the 5-pointer to win that game. You can’t have a match that overwhelming unless both sides are bringing their A-game.
Which match that didn’t involve you would you say is the best you ever saw?
In terms of gameplay, Samm Levine vs. Marisol McKee. Raw trivia knowledge slugfests don’t get rawer, trivia-er, or sluggyfester than that. They got every single question right. They knew everything that was asked. Nobody missed. If there were an even number of questions in the speed round, I bet that match would still be going on today. They were (and are) legends.
How would you describe the Schmoedown’s impact on you?
I’ve been studying movies and movie trivia for over 30 years, and aside from my day job, I have found no other outlet that celebrates that kind of geekery the way the Schmoedown. We’re a community that respects each other’s love of this art form, that values knowledge, and loves being very theatrical. I found a bit of a family here, amongst the competitors and crew, and amongst the fans. That’s what mattered the most.
What will you miss most about the Schmoedown?
When the Schmoedown goes away we won’t have a professional sport based on movie trivia. A person like me won’t be able to succeed in a major competition and make a name for themselves and perform in front of a cheering crowd. That makes me sad because it’s the kind of dream that normally only people with specific sets of skills can achieve, but in the Schmoedown, all you needed to do was really love movies and, perhaps, be weird. The world needs something like that. For nine great years, it was the Schmoedown.
William Bibbiani can be found on Twitter @WilliamBibbiani.
