Pros vs. Joes
Pros vs Joes | |
---|---|
Logo from the first two seasons | |
Format | Sports, Reality, Game Show |
Created by | Confidential |
Starring |
Petros Papadakis (Seasons 1–3) Michael Strahan and Jay Glazer (Season 4–5) |
Country of origin | United States |
No. of seasons | 5 |
No. of episodes | 46 |
Production | |
Running time | 60 minutes |
Broadcast | |
Original channel | MTV2 |
Original run | March 6, 2006 – September 8, 2010 |
Pros vs. Joes is an American physical reality game show that airs on Spike TV. The show features male amateur contestants (the "Joes") matching themselves against professional athletes (the "Pros"; mostly of retired male and female pro-athletes) in a series of athletic feats related to the expertise sport of the Pro they are facing. For its first three seasons, the show was hosted by Petros Papadakis. Since Season Four, it has been co-hosted by Michael Strahan and Jay Glazer. The first two seasons were filmed at Carson, California's Home Depot Center, which was referenced in aerial shots.
Professional participants
Season One
Each of the first nine episodes of Pros vs. Joes consisted of a team of five professional athletes, distinguished by their uniform color on the show. Each team, other than the Red Team, appeared in two episodes. A special, "all-star", six-member Orange Team was put together for the season finale.
Red Team
- Bill Goldberg, WCW / WWE
- Matt Williams, MLB
- Dennis Rodman, NBA
- Jim McMahon, NFL
- Jerry Rice, NFL
Blue Team
- Muggsy Bogues, NBA
- Jennie Finch, Softball
- Bo Jackson, NFL / MLB
- Dan O'Brien, Olympic Decathlon
- Bill Romanowski, NFL
Yellow Team
- Kevin Greene, NFL
- Alexi Lalas, MLS
- Misty May, Volleyball
- Xavier McDaniel, NBA
- Dave Stewart, MLB
Green Team
- Morten Andersen, NFL
- Clyde Drexler, NBA
- Gary Hall Jr., Olympic Swimming
- Rebecca Lobo, WNBA
- John Rocker, MLB
Purple Team
- Brandi Chastain, Soccer / WUSA / WPS
- Darren Daulton, MLB
- Justin Gatlin, Track
- Herschel Walker, NFL / USFL
- Dominique Wilkins, NBA
Orange "All-Star" Team
- Xavier McDaniel & Clyde Drexler, Basketball
- John Rocker & Darren Daulton, Baseball
- Bill Goldberg & Kevin Greene, Football
"Created By" credit for Pros vs. Joes successfully challenged
In 2006, prior to the show's initial airing, attorneys for former Archie Comics Film & TV Founder/CEO Tony DeRosa-Grund's filed suit in NY State Supreme Court (Index Number:602080/06) against Spike and parent company Viacom, claiming that Spike had "lifted" the Pros vs. Joes show from another reality series, created by DeRosa-Grund, that the parties had been in discussions over called "The Rookie".
Spike, was and is, part of Viacom (CBS) which had previously deficit financed DeRosa-Grund's prime time series "Sabrina the Teenaged Witch" in the amount of approximately $70,000,000 and had in turn generated over $300,000,000 in first run syndication.
The suit claimed and provided incontrovertible documentation and evidence that, in part, that:
- Pros vs. Joes was created by DeRosa-Grund and as Spike knew, a segment contained within "The Rookie" that DeRosa-Grund presented them in 2004/2005.
- Spike had in their possession since 2004 the format sheets for "the Rookie" delineating the Pros vs. Joes component in detail.
- At the time DeRosa-Grund had been in discussion with Spike he had already owned the ProsvsJoes.com URL which he had registered through Network Solutions which at minimum was over a year before Spike even announced Pros vs. Joes.
- Senior executives at Spike, from then CEO Albie Hecht, on down had met with and/or spoke numerous times in 2004 and 2005 with DeRosa-Grund regarding Spike's acquisition of "The Rookie" (the parties could not ultimately come to terms on the acquisition). According to Spike's formal Answer to Court, they indicated they offered DeRosa-Grund time slots for the "Rookie" he found unacceptable, after which the deal fell apart.
- That Spike, without permission from DeRosa-Grund, decided to go ahead with the Pros vs. Joes show after a deal terms for "The Rookie" could not be reached between DeRosa-Grund and Spike in 2004 for the show's airing.
Spike settled and paid DeRosa-Grund. The terms of the settlement were subject to a non-disclosure agreement between the parties.
Season Two
Each of the second season episodes of Pros vs. Joes consisted of a team of four professional athletes, distinguished by their uniform color on the show. Unlike the first season, returning teams wore different colored uniforms upon their return. Like the previous season, the teams on the season opener and finale wore red and orange uniforms respectively. The Season Two winner was US Army Veteran SGT Jay McKeown.
Red Team
- José Canseco, MLB
- Randy Couture, Mixed Martial Arts
- Michael Irvin, NFL
- Kevin Willis, NBA
Purple Team
- Will Clark, MLB
- Tim Hardaway, NBA
- Claude Lemieux, NHL
- Kordell Stewart, NFL
Green Team - Winner - Rodeny Williams
- Vince Coleman, MLB
- Eric Dickerson, NFL
- Roy Jones Jr., Boxing
- Kevin Willis, NBA
Teal/Gold Team
- Cobi Jones, MLS
- Andre Reed, NFL
- Darryl Strawberry, MLB
- Spud Webb, NBA
Blue Team / Burgundy Team - Winner - Jackson Wright
- Rob Dibble, MLB
- Andre Rison, NFL
- Robby Ginepri, pro tennis ATP
- Rik Smits, NBA
Yellow Team
- Kordell Stewart, NFL
- Will Clark, MLB
- Grant Fuhr, NHL
- Tom Chambers, NBA
Light Blue Team (The New Yorkers)
- Wade Boggs, MLB
- Mark Jackson, NBA
- John Starks, NBA
- Dave Winfield, MLB
Orange Team (Finale)
- Randall Cunningham, NFL
- Tim Hardaway, NBA
- Kevin Willis, NBA
- Bruce Smith, NFL
- Roy Jones Jr., pro Boxing
- Randy Couture, Mixed Martial Arts
Season Three
For Season Three, the format was changed to a "Last Man Standing" format, akin to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament with regionals held at the now demolished Orange Bowl Stadium in Miami, Florida, RFK Stadium in Washington, DC, the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans and the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, where the finals were also held. The format now featured eight "Joes" in the opening round that tests them in a contest that will eliminate two of the Joes from contest. Those six remaining Joes were then ranked from one through six with the top seed taking on number six, number two against number five and number three against number four in a home sport of one of the pros, with the top two seeds choosing from the three pros. The winners advance to overtime, but now includes a bench where the Joes change from one uniform into another. Again the fastest among the three advanced to the finals. Gabriel Canape, a wireless rep from Lebanon, Missouri, was the winner.
As in past seasons, the pros are designated by the color of their uniforms.
Green Team (South Regional I)
- Jimmy Smith, football
- Kurt Angle, Olympic and Pro Wrestling (WWE, TNA)
- Kendall Gill, basketball
Sudden death: Wrestling battle royal
joes: Eddie Dubose, Brent Allen
Jason Vogel Matt Hill Dallas Robinson Steve Huff
WINNER: Jason Vogel
Purple Team (Northeast Regional I)
- Ricky Williams, football
- Arturo Gatti, boxing
- Charles Oakley, basketball
sudden death: punt
joes:"Iron" Mike Hall, Robert Foster
Mark Rohling Donnie Frazier Fameet Hammett Kevin Witt
WINNER: Mike Hall
Light Blue Team (Central Regional I)
- Kenny Anderson, basketball
- Joe Carter, baseball
- Raghib Ismail, football
Sudden Death: rebounding
Joes: Jay Williams Micheal Martin
Chris Rich Tony Railing Derek Schafer Will Hunter
WINNER: Derek Schafer
Red Team (Northeast Regional II)
- Jessie Armstead, football
- Derrick Coleman, basketball
- Marty McSorley, ice hockey
Sudden Death: onside kicks
Joes: Mike Kotsch Pablo Healing
Rahul Soni Jermaine Reid Joe Goodwin John Grkovic
WINNER: Joe Goodwin
Dark Green Team (West Regional I)
- Warren Moon, football
- Nick Van Exel, basketball
- Al Leiter, baseball
Sudden Death: TD Returns
Joes: Terrius Moseby Dave Hubert
Dan Falkner Jerry Lehman Carvel Gardner David Ortiz Jr
WINNER: David Ortiz Jr
Royal Blue Team (South Regional II)
- Christian Okoye, football
- Paul Coffey, ice hockey
- Dan Majerle, basketball
Sudden Death: scoop and score
Joes: Clayton Monte Greg Macaluso
Brian Peters Mark Kilibarda Art Miller Devon Tilly
WINNER: Clayton Monte
Yellow Team (West Regional II)
- John Randle, football
- John Franco, baseball
- Mitch Richmond, basketball
Sudden Death: intercept the ball
Joes: Dion Santo Clarence Chaney
Adam Wasserman Justin Simonsen Micheal Stange Trent Madsen
WINNER: Trent Madsen
Gold Team (Central Regional II)
- Brady Anderson, baseball
- Sean Elliott, basketball
- Jeff George, football
Sudden Death: strip the dummy
Joes: Red Simmons Gabriel Canape
Cory Driggs Cakvin Lafiton Tim Fritz Kirby Sykes
WINNER: Gabriel Canape
Purple Team (Semi-Final)
- Rod Woodson, football
- Antonio Davis, basketball
- Pernell Whitaker, boxing
Maroon Team (Finals)
- Jamal Anderson, football
- Allan Houston, basketball
- Bob Sapp, MMA/ football
Season Four: Pros vs. Joes: All Stars
For the fourth season, which premiered April 27, 2009 at 11 pm ET/PT, the new hosts are FOX Sports NFL Sunday regulars Michael Strahan and Jay Glazer, and is titled "Pros vs. Joes All Stars". In addition, the format changed to a 3-on-3 competition between teams made up of three pros and three joes in three separate skill events and an end game between the teams. If the Joes beat the Pros, they get $10,000.
Basketball I
Football I
Basketball II
Football II
External links
- Pros vs. Joes at the Internet Movie Database
- Pros vs. Joes at TV.com
- Official Spike TV website for "Pros vs. Joes"
- Official Site for becoming a contestant on Pros vs Joes