Playmakers with Dave Calabro

IBJ Media's Playmakers With Dave Calabro features behind-the-scenes conversations with athletes, coaches, executives and leaders connected to Indiana sports. Host Dave Calabro spent 32 years in local TV sports and continues as a track announcer at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Each episode digs into the turning points, pressure and decisions behind the wins, plus what these playmakers do beyond the spotlight. New episodes publish twice a month. Presented by Indiana Members Credit Union.

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  1. 19. Juni

    Amp Harris on Indiana Black Expo, Michael Jordan and Resilience

    Amp Harris has spent decades at the intersection of Indianapolis community life and celebrity culture, and his story is far more complex than his famous connections suggest. The promoter, DJ, radio host and founder of the Amp Harris Foundation traces a path from witnessing family tragedy at age 13 to giving toys and resources to more than 18,000 children through his annual holiday drive. Harris discusses his role behind the scenes at the Indiana Black Expo Summer Celebration, scheduled for July 16 through 19 at IU Michael A. Carroll Stadium in Indianapolis. This year's outdoor concert lineup includes Indiana native October London, Southern Soul artist King George, and funk group Midnight Star, marking the group's 50th anniversary. Additional programming includes a health fair with more than $4,000 in free screenings, a youth basketball showcase, an education conference featuring Hill Harper, and a corporate luncheon with Oscar-winning actor Delroy Lindo. Tickets and information are available at summercelebration.net. Harris also reflects on growing up in Indianapolis, being bused to Decatur Central High School in the mid-1980s, his early activism alongside mentor attorney Inyufu Bert Elmore, and the faith his mother modeled through unimaginable loss. He shares a candid account of Michael Jordan's relentless competitiveness at a pool table and card game decades ago, and explains why mutual respect, not proximity to fame, has defined his relationships with athletes including Reggie Miller, Edgerrin James and Reggie Wayne. Playmakers is brought to you by Indiana Members Credit Union. - https://www.imcu.com/business

    50 Min.
  2. 5. Juni

    Colts Great Gary Brackett on the Super Bowl, Loss, and Life After the NFL

    Gary Brackett walked onto the Rutgers football team, went undrafted, and became a Super Bowl champion and captain of the Indianapolis Colts. His path there cost him more than most people know. Brackett lost his mother, father, and brother within 17 months while fighting to establish himself in the NFL. In this conversation with host Dave Calabro, he talks about how grief nearly led him to quit football, what kept him going, and what he took away from the Colts' Super Bowl XLI victory over the Chicago Bears, including Devin Hester's opening kickoff return and what it felt like the morning after winning it all. Brackett also opens up about life after football: earning his MBA, building a restaurant group that reached 10 locations, and watching COVID-19 force him to close it down in 2020. He reframes that experience not as losing millions of dollars, but as gaining millions in experience, and makes a direct case for why failure is a prerequisite for growth. Now focused on co-parenting his three children and coaching his 14-year-old son in football, Brackett reflects on what it means to lead off the field after a career defined by leadership on it. Gary Brackett played linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts from 2003 to 2011, serving as team captain and setting a Super Bowl record with 12 solo tackles in Super Bowl XLI. Playmakers is hosted by Dave Calabro and produced by IBJ Media. Subscribe on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. Send episode ideas to dcalabro1981@gmail.com. The podcast is sponsored by Indiana Members Credit Union. Learn more at https://www.imcu.com/

    25 Min.
  3. 17. Apr.

    Kyle Hupfer on ScatterGun Lodge, Indiana Politics, and Hard Work

    Kyle Hupfer built a career spanning law, Republican politics, and business before purchasing ScatterGun Lodge, a 2,200-acre pheasant hunting operation in South Dakota, in 2025. He talks with host Dave Calabro about what drew him to the property, his plans to grow the lodge, and why he believes land is one of the most reliable long-term investments a person can make. Hupfer traces his path from working on Mitch Daniels' gubernatorial campaign to running the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, serving seven years as Indiana Republican State Chairman, and taking on the role of General Counsel for the Republican National Committee. Along the way, he reflects on what Daniels and former Gov. Eric Holcomb taught him about leadership, and why he describes hard work, not ingenuity, as the defining factor behind most people's success. Hupfer also discusses his playing days at Pendleton Heights, his time at Manchester University under coach Steve Alford, and the lessons from competitive athletics that still shape how he thinks about business and parenting. He talks candidly about running for the Indiana State House and losing, and why he treats setbacks as data points rather than defining moments. ScatterGun Lodge hosts corporate and private groups for full-service pheasant hunts on property that includes nearly a million planted trees. Hupfer says bookings for the season fill quickly. More information is available at scattergunlodge.com. Learn more about Indiana Members Credit Union at https://www.imcu.com/business

    29 Min.
  4. 27. März

    Don Fischer on 53 Years as the Voice of the Indiana Hoosiers

    Don Fischer has called Indiana Hoosiers games for 53 years, from a chaotic first broadcast to a football national championship. The longtime play-by-play announcer reflects on the moments that defined his career and the program's transformation. Fischer traces his unlikely path to the broadcast booth, from factory work and railroad night shifts to a correspondence course ad in the back of a sports magazine that changed his life. He recalls his first game calling Indiana football under Lee Corso, his famously awkward first meeting with Bob Knight, and what made the 1976 undefeated national championship team so remarkable. He also addresses Indiana basketball's current rebuild under Darian DeVries, explaining why the roster's mid-major backgrounds make the Big Ten grind especially difficult this season. On football, Fischer is direct: Curt Cignetti is the best coach in the country, and he knew it after watching one spring practice. Fischer credits the NIL era and transfer portal for making the program's rapid rise possible, and he sees no reason to stop calling games. This podcast is brought to you by Indiana Members Credit Union - https://www.imcu.com/personal/mortgage 0:00 Introduction 0:45 Calling Indiana University of Indiana 2:10 How Fischer Got Into Broadcasting 4:00 Railroad Night Shifts to Radio Career 5:45 Landing the IU Play-by-Play Job 7:00 Lee Corso's First Game at Indiana 8:30 The 1976 Undefeated Championship Run 9:45 First Meeting With Bob Knight 12:00 Fischer's Impact on Hoosier Fans 13:30 Indiana Basketball's Current Rebuild 15:45 The Football Championship Run 17:30 Recognizing Curt Cignetti's Potential Early 19:00 Fondest Memory After 53 Years

    24 Min.

Info

IBJ Media's Playmakers With Dave Calabro features behind-the-scenes conversations with athletes, coaches, executives and leaders connected to Indiana sports. Host Dave Calabro spent 32 years in local TV sports and continues as a track announcer at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Each episode digs into the turning points, pressure and decisions behind the wins, plus what these playmakers do beyond the spotlight. New episodes publish twice a month. Presented by Indiana Members Credit Union.

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