Playmakers with Dave Calabro

IBJ Media Podcast Network
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.

  1. Jul 17

    "Let 'Em Hear Ya": Joey Mulinaro on Sports Impressions and an Indie Comedy Career

    Joey Mulinaro turned sports impressions into a national comedy career, beginning with an Andrew Luck voice that made him recognizable around Indianapolis Colts practices. The Indianapolis comedian and creator tells Dave Calabro how a childhood love of making family members laugh led from Roncalli High School to Ball State University, then home to the University of Indianapolis. A television writing class redirected him from play-by-play broadcasting toward characters, sketches and comedy, followed by an internship at The BOB & TOM Show and long shifts in local radio while he searched for a break. Mulinaro explains how teaming with Benedict Polizzi produced early online sketches, why Andrew Luck's retirement forced him to find a new signature impression, and how a Thanksgiving video featuring Nick Saban reached a national audience. He also demonstrates the voices of Saban, Coach O and Patrick Mahomes while explaining his three-part creative formula: a topical subject, a distinctive voice or mannerism, and a clear comedic hook. The conversation covers the business behind digital comedy, including brand partnerships, contract approvals and the uneven rhythm of creator income. Mulinaro also discusses the challenge of stand-up comedy, his need to prove he can hold a live audience, the THESE GUYS! podcast, and the new material he finds in raising two children. Playmakers with Dave Calabro is brought to you by Indiana Members Credit Union.

  2. Jul 3

    Pat Boylan on Caitlin Clark, the Fever's Title Odds, and the Pacers

    Pat Boylan, the play-by-play voice of the Indiana Fever and Indiana Pacers, makes the case for why this Fever team can win a WNBA championship and breaks down what makes Caitlin Clark unlike any athlete he has covered in 12 seasons. Boylan details Clark's on-court competitiveness and self-awareness, compares her media presence to Peyton Manning, and explains why Stephanie White's coaching history gives him confidence in the Fever's second-half potential. He also addresses the Alyssa Thomas incident from the Phoenix Mercury game, the dynamic between Clark and White, and which Fever player has surprised him most this season. On the Pacers, Boylan discusses Tyrese Haliburton's road back from an Achilles injury, the Ivica Zubac acquisition, and what Braden Smith can learn from Haliburton and T.J. McConnell. He also shares the story of the wildest day of his career: waking up in sweatpants at a Saturday morning radio show, then calling a Pacers game at Madison Square Garden that same night after Chris Denari was hospitalized. Boylan grew up in Carmel, Indiana, listening to Mark Boyle and Chris Denari on the radio, interned at local TV stations, attended Ball State University, and paid his dues doing play-by-play in Bismarck, North Dakota before landing with Pacers Sports and Entertainment at age 24. Playmakers is hosted by Dave Calabro and brought to you by Indiana Members Credit Union. - www.imcu.com

  3. Jun 19

    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

  4. Jun 5

    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/

  5. 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

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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/

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5
out of 5
9 Ratings

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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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