Brendan “The Kid” Meyer is a former teams champion. 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?
I think it’s lasting as long as I did in the Free 4 All [Part 1, Part 2], the first year I did it, and getting to witness Bibs go all the way from Number 1 to the final 3. First, for me personally, I never imagined I would be able to last as many rounds as I did. That event came at a time when I had already lost my first match against Paul Oyama, so I didn’t even know if I was gonna get a footing in the league at all so my Schmoedown career was very in flux. To walk off that stage and realize I had truly proven myself as at least a legit player if not one of the very best was thrilling. And, then additionally, I never imagined anyone could last the whole way through from the first table. It just didn’t seem possible. So, to see Bibs, literally hours after he and I had waited to enter on the first table, still up there and surviving round after round was incredible. It’s exactly the kind of cool achievement and display of movie trivia knowledge you only saw in the Schmoedown.
What is the most memorable moment that you were not involved in?
It’s gotta be Kevin Smets returning to the stage at this year’s Spectacular. Kevin is an unbelievable human being and friend and he came into the league at the same time as me so we’re also bonded in that way. Knowing and seeing what he went through and then to experience seeing him back in the character and element I first saw him flourish in back in 2019 was a truly special moment and just so triumphant. I feel like it goes beyond the schmoedown and will be memorable for me in my life in general going forward.
Which of your matches would you say is the best you played?
The best I played is probably in our second match against Korruption, the 51-50 game. When you go that far into sudden death, every single point matters so it really puts emphasis on your individual contributions in a team game. So, while Bibs played even better than I did in the match, you really needed both of us to be at our best. Looking back at the match, I got a perfect round 1 plus the bonus, keeping pace with Chance and Bibs. I was also unsure of the bonus at first but thought it out and changed my answer to the correct one. A key moment where if I dropped the ball in my thought process then we lose. In round 2, there were two answers which I knew that Bibs didn’t. It’s very possible Bibs gets both in multiple choice but even if we go to multiple choice on one of them and get it for 1 point, we lose anyway. I also thought the 2 pointer I had was pretty tricky and I was able to keep the numbers straight in my head to answer 21 Bridges. Then, lasting as long as I did in the Sudden death and never blinking until Bibs could win it was huge. I always felt Shazam did so well because while Bibs was always the best player and came through usually in the biggest moments like 5’s and such, it was the small ways I could get a point here or there he didn’t have or some players wouldn’t be able to do every match that helped us have such a dominant record. This match was the ultimate example.
Which match that didn’t involve you would you say is the best you ever saw?
It’s super hard to come up with a best match as so many have blown me away for various reasons so I probably could have a different answer based on what day you ask! But, think the best match right now is Cushing vs Kalinowski when Rachel wins the IG title. It’s got amazing knowledge on display as Cushing takes the big lead but then to see Mike come back and erase the lead is so thrilling as well and creates an energy to the match that a straightforward back and forth wouldn’t have. Any match that goes to sudden death just rises in my mind too as one player truly has to pull it out over the other one and when the stakes are as high as that match, it takes it to a whole other level. That combined with the history between the two of them and the thrill of seeing an iconic player take down another iconic player to finally achieve a new championship they hadn’t won yet elevates any sports moment.
How would you describe the Schmoedown’s impact on you?
The impact has been massive. I have met countless lifelong friends and so many people have entered my life that have already will continue to be a positive force in my life! I also had an absolute blast being a part of the community and just being a fan of the game. Both the times I’ve traveled to events and when I’ve hung out after tapings here in LA have been some of the most fun social events of the past few years. I enjoyed going on the journey of being introduced to something competitive that I felt I could have the chance to do well at and then be able to rise through the ranks and experience both the highs of victory in the biggest matches and even the pain of crushing defeats. I have no doubt that the memories and connections I’ve made through the years in Schmoedown will continue to affect my life for the positive going forward.
What will you miss most about the Schmoedown?
I know that I will keep in touch with and continue to have great friend experiences with tons of people in the community so I don’t think I’ll be missing that at all. I also feel fortunate to have had a lot of incredible experiences playing in big title matches and at Collision and the Spectacular and at live events and in high-pressure matches in studio as well so I feel content with my journey as a competitor. So, the biggest thing that I will miss is being a fan of the game. I’m bummed that there won’t be any big tournaments to follow or no 1 contender paths or that I won’t get the thrill of settling in before a match with my phone ready to play along either at home or in studio again. That’s how I fell in love with the show, was watching people play the game, show off their hard work and drive to win, and celebrate their passion for movies and the game of Schmoedown. That’s the thing I’m gonna miss the most for sure.
Brendan Meyer can be found on Twitter @BrendanKJMeyer.
