Playmakers with Dave Calabro

IBJ Media Podcast Network
  • 5.0 (9)
  • Sports
  • Updated Semimonthly

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.

Episodes

  1. 2d ago

    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/

    23 min

  2. May 22

    Mark Jaynes, Voice of the 500, on 30 Years Calling the Indy 500

    Mark Jaynes has called the Indianapolis 500 for more than 30 years, and he still cannot sleep the night before the race. The "Voice of the 500" sits down with host Dave Calabro at Indianapolis Motor Speedway ahead of the 110th running to discuss what it took to reach the most iconic seat in motorsports broadcasting. Jaynes traces his path from a small-town kid in Monrovia, Indiana, playing make-believe play-by-play in his living room to working alongside legends like Bob Jenkins, Paul Page, and Gary Lee on the IndyCar Radio Network. He explains how he manages a live broadcast heard on hundreds of stations and across satellite and streaming platforms worldwide, from directing turn announcers to coordinating pit reporters without a single cue light. He also shares what his wife asked him after his very first race in 1996, why he still cannot put a price on the job, and which drivers he was watching heading into race day, including Alex Palou, Helio Castroneves, Pato O'Ward, and a dark-horse pick that could make for one of the race's best stories. Jaynes was inducted into the IndyCar Hall of Fame in 2024. He also teaches at Midlothian High School and has used his broadcasting career to open doors for his students. Playmakers is hosted by Dave Calabro and brought to you by Indiana Members Credit Union. - https://www.imcu.com/business

    20 min

  3. May 15

    Helio Castroneves on the Drive for a Historic Fifth Indy 500 Win

    Helio Castroneves, the four-time Indianapolis 500 champion, explains why he believes he can become the first five-time winner in the race's 110-year history. Sitting at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway days before the 110th running, Castroneves lays out what separates this year's attempt from previous ones and what keeps him competitive at 51. Castroneves reflects on the federal tax evasion case that put him in a courtroom in handcuffs one month before the 2009 race, only to return and win the pole and the race. He also discusses muscle memory, daily training, the mental focus required to compete at the Speedway, and his future as a co-owner of Meyer Shank Racing. Host Dave Calabro also gets Castroneves to share the behind-the-scenes story of his first fence climb in 2001, a fun fact about grabbing the wrong cable that he says almost nobody knows, and a candid conversation about fatherhood, his 16-year-old daughter Michaela, and the nephew he hopes will carry on the Castroneves racing legacy. Playmakers is brought to you by Indiana Members Credit Union. Learn more at https://www.imcu.com/personal/auto-loans-leases.

    19 min

  4. May 8

    Conor Daly on the Indy 500, Leading Laps and Chasing the Milk

    Conor Daly has led laps, finished top 10 five times and come agonizingly close to winning the Indianapolis 500. Now he returns to Dreyer and Reinbold Racing for another shot at the biggest prize in motorsport.The IndyCar driver breaks down what it takes to succeed at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as a one-off entry, why qualifying weekend is the most nerve-wracking part of the month and how the final third of the race becomes a simpler equation than most fans realize. He also reflects on growing up at the track as the son of Derek Daly, his early karting days alongside Joseph Newgarden, and what winning the 500 would mean for an Indiana kid who has spent his entire life chasing it.Daly also addresses the state of IndyCar's growth, the importance of bump day, Fox Sports' impact on viewership, and why he believes drivers need to open their lives to cameras the way Formula 1 stars have embraced Drive to Survive. Plus, he talks about his podcast, Speed Street, produced under Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Dirty Mo Media banner.Playmakers is presented by IBJ Media and brought to you by Indiana Members Credit Union. Learn more at https://www.imcu.com.

    34 min

  5. May 1

    Alex Palou on Winning the Indy 500 and Chasing More

    Alex Palou, the reigning Indianapolis 500 champion, reflects on what it felt like to finally win the world's greatest race and why that victory only made him hungrier. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver discusses the emotions of crossing the start-finish line, the moment his mechanics broke down in tears, and what it was like to stand on top of the pace truck with his family as 250,000 fans cheered from the grandstands. Palou also opens up about life off the track: fatherhood, why Indianapolis has become home despite the weather, and how his daughter has a way of putting a bad race finish in perspective. With three wins in the first five races of the 2026 season, the Spanish driver explains why pressure never goes away and what it would take for him to feel like he has truly made it in motorsport. Dave Calabro sits down with Palou inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, where the championship-winning car and Palou's likeness on the Borg-Warner Trophy are on permanent display during May. Playmakers is brought to you by Indiana Members Credit Union. - https://www.imcu.com/

    10 min

  6. Apr 17

    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

    27 min

  7. Apr 3

    Adam Vinatieri on the Hall of Fame, Super Bowls and IndyCar

    Adam Vinatieri reflects on his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction, the kicks that defined an era, and his new venture as an IndyCar team owner. The greatest kicker in NFL history sat down with host Dave Calabro at a race shop in Carmel, Indiana, to discuss a career that spanned 24 seasons, four Super Bowl championships, and some of the most pressure-filled moments in football history. Vinatieri revisits the 2001 AFC Divisional playoff game against the Raiders, known as the Tuck Rule Game, where he drilled a field goal through heavy snow to keep the Patriots alive. He also recalls winning Super Bowl XLI with the Indianapolis Colts, beating the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game along the way, and what that victory meant to the city of Indianapolis. Off the field, Vinatieri opens up about co-owning an IndyCar team with the goal of winning the Indianapolis 500, coaching his sons at Zionsville High School, and the preparation habits that made him one of the most clutch performers in NFL history. He also shares what it was like to get that Hall of Fame knock on the door after falling short in his first year of eligibility. Playmakers is brought to you by Indiana Members Credit Union: https://www.imcu.com/personal/auto-loans-leases

    17 min

  8. Mar 27

    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

    22 min
  9. Tamika Catchings on the 2012 WNBA Title, Caitlin Clark, Kobe Bryant and Life After Basketball

    Mar 18

    Tamika Catchings on the 2012 WNBA Title, Caitlin Clark, Kobe Bryant and Life After Basketball

    WNBA legend Tamika Catchings joins host Dave Calabro for the first episode of IBJ Media's Playmakers at Tea's Me tea shop in Indianapolis to reflect on her decorated career, including the Indiana Fever's 2012 WNBA championship, four Olympic gold medals and her time as Players Association president. Catchings discusses her friendship with Kobe Bryant, her hearing impairment and how Coach Pat Summitt helped her embrace it, and her thoughts on the current Fever roster and Caitlin Clark. She also talks about owning Tea's Me, hiring more than 200 young people since 2018, and her work with the Catch the Stars Foundation. Presented by Indiana Members Credit Union. Learn more at https://www.imcu.com/business/

    24 min

  10. Feb 20

    Dave Calabro joins IBJ Media with new podcast, Playmakers

    IBJ Media owner and CEO Nate Feltman is joined by Dave Calabro to announce a new podcast hosted by the longtime Indiana sports broadcaster. Calabro joins IBJ Media to tell the stories behind the stories, featuring in-depth conversations with sports icons, business leaders and recognizable names in Indiana sports. Episodes will focus on pivotal career moments, life beyond the game and the people behind the headlines. New episodes will be published twice a month.

    16 min

  11. Feb 13

    Introducing IBJ Media's 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.

    1 min

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

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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