By Sam Elliott
Among others, Fishers residents and friends Andy Baumgartner and Chris Ball share a pair of passions — playing euchre and talking about sports of interest and various nonsense.
The pair have been doing the latter for three years on their biweekly podcast, Permanent Relegation, and are inviting others to do the former at the second annual Game of Kings charity euchre tournament.
Baumgartner and Ball record their podcast every other Tuesday at Chatham Tap, 8211 E. 116th St., which also will host the Game of Kings tournament at 6:30 p.m. July 20.
Shortly after founding their Permanent Relegation podcast — which takes it title from the pair’s self-deprecating sense of humor plus love for soccer — Baumgartner and Ball began inviting on and interviewing front office personnel, coaches and players from the Indy Eleven soccer team.
“At the beginning of the Indy Eleven, there wasn’t a lot of press coverage or media and the type of coverage we were giving the team they really ate up because we don’t ask the same questions the media does,” Baumgartner said. “We get into just asking questions and having conversations that make them feel like people. ‘You’re a player, that’s great, but let’s talk about you and the things other people would never ask you about … come on the show, have a beer with us and let’s just chat.’”
The duo conducted last year’s inaugural Game of Kings event as a chance to promote Indy Eleven fan and player interaction while raising money for a local charity. Last year’s 24-team tournament included seven squads made up of Indy Eleven players or team staff, and the hosts anticipate a bigger and better turnout this year.
“We raised around $500 last year for charity and we’re hoping to at least double that this year,” Baumgartner said.
Registration into the tournament is $50 per two-person team, with all proceeds benefitting Playworks Indiana, a charity Indy Eleven star forward — and North American Soccer League Player of the Month — Eamon Zayed has experience working with.
“Basically they devote resources and money to help impoverished children and help them with organized sports and learn how to work with each other and see what its like to join a passion with other kids,” Ball said. “We decided it made more sense than ever to have Playworks Indiana as our main charity.”
For more, and to register, visit PermanentRelegation.com. The winning team takes home a wrestling-style championship belt and the highest-placing non-Indy Eleven pairing will also win a team prize pack including tickets, jerseys, an autographed ball and gift cards from Chatham Tap and Big Lug Canteen.
