Sat. July 6, 2024
Pairing Andrew Bauhs and Muffy Fishbasket together to talk about sports is, well, a comedic, must-hear just waiting to happen.
Bauhs has lived in Chicago for 20 years and is originally from Kenosha, Wisconsin. He is openly gay and been married to Olin Eargle for 12 years. He played three sports over the years for the predominantly gay Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association (CMSA), including six years as a softball pitcher and, in 2009, his team won the league title.
Bauhs’ passion for college football has taken him across the country. He is committed to visiting all 134 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) stadiums for a game with the highest level of college football in the United States. This fall, he will hit his 109th stadium on the journey and go from there through the 2024 season. He runs College Football Tour, which documents his journey to thoroughly experience gameday.
And then there’s drag queen Muffy Fishbasket. Sure, she too has lived in Chicago for 20 years from her native Toledo, Ohio.
Their sporting similarities probably stop there.
Bauhs’ favorite sport is college football and his favorite team is his alma mater, the University of Wisconsin, and he also has a deep passion for TCU from his College Football Tour visit to Fort Worth in 2021. From the pro game, Bauhs is a Chicago Cubs fan and tagged Carl Nassib, the first openly gay active NFL player, and Ron Dayne, the 1999 Heisman Trophy winner from the University of Wisconsin, as his favorite athletes.
Muffy sides with the Rhode Island School of Design as her favorite college team – because of the mascot. And for her favorite pro team, she went with her corner Starbucks team. “They really got it together,” she said. Muffy tagged Tonya Harding and Colby Jansen “for his years as a professional rugby player” as her favorite athletes. Most, though, will know the hairy, muscle-packed Jansen as one of the most popular gay porn stars from the 2010s.
Bauhs and Fishbasket are teaming up for a new podcast: Sportsballs, with the debut episode dropping Sunday, July 7. It is a show about sports for people who hate sports, they said.
The podcast can be found anywhere you get podcasts.
“The goal is to find common ground between the sports and queer communities. So, we devise topics that intersect,” Bauhs said. “Our first episode, for example, is entitled ‘Broadway vs. Balls.’ We discuss the commonalities between theater and sports. Other topics this season include ‘Mascots’ and ‘Pageant vs. Pageantry.’”
There will be six episodes, each released on Sundays through the summer. They are recording a second season to be released in winter.
“Each episode provides a comical schooling of the sports world towards Muffy. In return, I typically get blasted with her salacious and salty brand of wit,” Bauhs said. “Rarely heard stories from the history of sports are included, along with our own personal experiences with athletics. We end each episode by quizzing each other on topics related to our specific areas of expertise. Both of us being quite competitive, it comes with a running tally and winner at the end of the season.”
Bauhs confirmed other drag queens will join the banter. In episode five, for instance, Vivian Dejour joins to discuss the pageant side of the drag world while Bauhs elaborates on the pageantry that sports provide. In episode six, Mrs. Yuka Layme joins to add her flair of food as they intertwine it with the tailgating scene in sports.
“The main purpose for launching this podcast is to increase visibility for the LGBTQ+ community in sports,” Bauhs said. “Sportsballs has been a popular term to describe one’s disinterest in sports, which cleverly gets tossed around in the queer world. But the playful contrast is revealed as my sports knowledge gets roasted by Muffy as we demonstrate the connections between our worlds.”
So, who is Muffy?
“Muffy Fishbasket is your favorite number one number two. She is the queen of second place in every competition she’s ever been in,” Muffy said. “She is the perfect antagonistic co-host for this Sportsballs ride.”
Bauhs said Muffy brings a “different perspective and representation” to the podcast and the sports world. “She provides a stark contrast that isn’t typical in the sports world, which only heightens the intrigue.
“I always chuckle when people express such shock that a gay man is interested in sports. Most of my queer friends are sports lovers, so it’s not odd to me. Yet, sports are straight-dominated and often hyper-masculine. By bridging the gap between queerness and sports, pathways begin to open for conversations about not only sports, but equality and acceptance.
“While we share many stories about the sports world and queer world, we also interject stories of struggle and acceptance for members of the LGBTQ+ community.”
Bauhs said they are considering having queer athletes as guests for the show.
“The podcast aims to blend snark with smart. It’s the show about sports for people who hate sports, which is a tagline meant to welcome the full spectrum of sports inquisitiveness,” Bauhs said.
Most podcasts will run 35 minutes.
Talking Sports With … Andrew Bauhs
College Sports, Circa 2024:
“College sports have recently undergone revolutionary changes with the addition of the transfer portal, NIL, radical conference realignment and the newly expanded college football playoff set to debut this season. As a traditionalist, it can be a challenge for me to witness such swift and abrupt changes to the landscape of college athletics. However, I am embracing them the more I see how these changes will help to offer opportunities to teams and fan bases that rarely see the limelight.”
Pro Sports, Circle 2024:
“I have always been frustrated with the outrageous player salaries and exorbitant ticket prices for many of today’s professional sports. Of course, seeing the best athletes in some of the most iconic venues comes with a price, but I wish it were more accessible to everyone.”
Where College & Pro Sports Intersect With LGBTQ+ in 2024:
“I am proud to see many college and pro sports organizations using their large platforms to support the LGBTQ+ community. Social media posts by these organizations often come with a wealth of negative comments. However, that only proves how important it is to increase visibility for the queer community. Sports are not a straight playground. While many athletes refrain from coming-out until after their career, we are seeing more players show their colors as they compete. Pride nights and queer fan gear help fans to be proudly visible in the stands as well.”
SOCIALLY SPEAKING
Andrew Bauhs:
Instragram | TikTok | YouTube | X
Muffy Fishbasket:
Instagram | TikTok | Facebook
Sportsballs Preview:
On Instagram
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