Mark Gleason

Network Sports Camera Operator & Radio DJ

October 19, 2023

Mark Gleason is a network sports television camera operator, working on many high profile sporting events in the US and around the world. He shares his journey in this industry, explains what different camera positions do on a baseball game before Game 2 of the NLCS, and shares how much he loves his career, all while continuing to be a radio disc jockey.

Mark Johnson

Voice of the Colorado Buffaloes

October 5, 2023

Mark Johnson has been “The Voice of the Buffs,” the University of Colorado’s play-by-play announcer for two decades. We talk about his career progression, how the addition of Coach Prime Dieon Sanders has affected his job during the football season and how he describes the Colorado Buffs fan base. Mark also shares how important faith and family are in his life.

Oscar Sanchez

Director of Broadcast Operations & Creator, “Ministry of Broadcasting”

October 3, 2023

Oscar Sanchez is Director of Broadcast Operations for CONCACAF and helps people navigate the broadcast industry with his posts on LinkedIn. Topics of discussion are how people who work in sports broadcasting should understand every position to help them be better, how artificial intelligence will affect broadcasting and the characteristics he looks for when hiring personnel. He is also the creator of “The Ministry of Broadcasting,” a weekly newsletter talking about sports broadcasting.

Jed Drake

Emerging Technology Consultant & Former ESPN SVP & Executive Producer

August 24, 2023

Jed Drake is one of the most influential people to have worked in broadcast sports television. He spent nearly 30 years with ESPN as Senior Vice President & Executive Producer of Remote Production. Jed talks about his early years at The Worldwide Leader, what goes into producing live sports, the stories behind ESPN’s First-And-Ten Line and ESPN’s K-Zone. Jed also talks about his company, Jed Drake & Associates and how he helps advise companies such as C360 and Cosm to create new viewer experiences with sports.

Owen Scannell

Founder & CEO, Premier Rugby Sevens

August 1, 2023

Owen Scannell is Founder and CEO of Premier Rugby Sevens. He started the league in 2020 and completed its third season in 2023. We talk about how he came up and developed the project, how important community is in building a sports league, how branding is important for the fans and more.

Mike DesRoches

National Accounts Organization, Sports & New Media, Sony Electronics, Inc.

December 15, 2022

Mike DeRoches is a rare mix of engineer, artist and salesman. In this episode of Sports In The Making, Mike shares a bit of his background working for Sony Electronics, how camera technology is changing in sports and entertainment coverage, and some of the cool event’s he’s been a part of.

Amy Smolens

TV Production Veteran & Pioneer

December 8, 2022

As a youngster, Amy Smolens always tried to make her mark on sports, whether it was competing against the boys or being a women’s pioneer in sports television. She visits with me to talk about her career covering many Olympic Games, world championship events, sports broadcasting and her love of cycling.

Terry Brady

Broadcast Operations Consultant & Former Director of Operations, ESPN

November 25, 2022

Terry Brady has been responsible for the production operations for many high caliber events in his career, including the Olympics, World Championship events and many more sports. In this episode we talk about how he started in the tv sports business, what it takes to manage the production operations, from the smallest to the largest events in the world.

Dave Raymond

CEO, Hero of Happiness, The Original Philly Phanatic & Mascot Incubator

November 3, 2022

Dave Raymond performed and created the personality of one of the most iconic characters in Major League Baseball, the Phillie Phanatic. Dave shares his story growing up as the son of a hall of fame college football coach, what he learned as he developed the Phanatic from scratch, how he’s helped teams and businesses create meaningful mascots and how the Phanatic saved him from a dark time in his life. A great episode on importance of having fun.

Highlights From First 14 Episodes

October 27, 2022

A recap of the first fourteen episodes of Sports In The Making and includes short sections from some of the most memorable responses.

Andrew Irvine

Game Design Manager – MLB The Show & Former ESPN Event Producer

October 20, 2022

Andrew Irvine was a producer at ESPN & Longhorn Network producing more than 100 games each year and is now a Game Design Manager at MLB The Show. We talk about his progression at ESPN, how he’s influenced the popular video game and how baseball is a significant part of his life.

Marc Rowley

CEO -OwnYourStream.com, Inventor of PylonCam & Former Coordinating Producer, ESPN

October 13, 2022

Marc Rowley was Coordinating Producer at ESPN and made his mark integrating technology into the network’s broadcasts. He is an inventor with credits such as SportsCenter’s rundown and the PylonCam and has won multiple Emmys for his innovations. Marc is now CEO of Live CGI and OwnYourStream.com, a service that helps content creators mint their content and earn income. This is a fascinating look behind the scenes on how he’s made an impact on sports. This episode has visuals so visit the Sports In The Making YouTube page to see what we discuss.

Brian Williams

Producer, Director, Sports Television & Events

October 6, 2022

Brian Williams has been a part of some of the most prestigious events in sport, from the US Open Tennis, to Wimbledon, The Masters and the New York and Boston Marathons. He’s worked alongside some of the best announcers in the business and produced with Tiger Woods. We discuss what goes into producing events both in the US and globally.

Claudia Trejos

On-Air Reporter, Analyst & Hall of Fame

September 29, 2022

Claudia Trejos has worked all facets of television production and has worked some of the biggest events in sports. She is well known in the boxing and fight scene and has recently been inducted into the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame. Claudia talks about her journey, how she has battled imposter syndrome and how she became a cigar aficionado.

David Kroner

VP Creative Services, TV Graphics & Owner, Xtreme Ninja Challenge

September 22, 2022

Dave Kroner has worked in broadcast sports graphics for more than 20 years and has worked on some of the most memorable on-air graphics on television. He is currently VP of Creative Services for TV Graphics and owner of Xtreme Ninja Challenge. Dave talks about how graphics has changed over the years, what the future is and a bit about his business.

Allyson J. Davis

Marketing, Media and Production Executive

September 15, 2022

Allyson J. Davis is a sports marketing executive who has worked for Fox Sports, Universal Sports Network, E! Entertainment and Red Bull, working on high profile events throughout her career. Cycling has been a big part of her life, both personally and professionally and her latest project brings all of her life skills together with the documentary “Uphill Climb.” We talk about her career path and how she has been an influence in the sports she’s worked on.

David Fanucchi & Ted Collins

Author, Miracle On Grass; Movie Producer

September 8, 2022

David Fanucchi worked as the Director of Communications for Team USA Baseball in 1999 as they tried to qualify for the Olympics at the Pan American Games in Canada and continued when the team played for Gold in Sydney, Australia at the 2000 Olympics. We talk to him about how his book “Miracle On Grass” came to be as well as his partner Ted Collins who is trying to develop David’s book into a motion picture. We also discuss their early careers in sports, how the movie will be centered around Baseball Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda and a little about the movie business.

Andy Frye

Sportswriter & Contributor, Forbes

Aug 6, 2020

Andy Frye is a sportswriter and contributor to Forbes (www.forbes.com/sites/andyfrye) writing about sports business and does interviews with many high-profile athletes. This is an interesting conversation with insight on how he does his work. We talk about some of the interviews he’s done, how he got started and other interesting topics.

Tom Van Berg

Thoroughbred Horse Trainer, Son of Hall of Fame Trainer Jack Van Berg

Jul 25, 2020

Tom Van Berg continues his family horse racing legacy and reflects on his relationship with his Hall of Fame father, Jack Van Berg, how he’s grown as a trainer and what it’s like working in the industry.

Dan Lyle

Director of AEG Rugby & Former USA Rugby Player

May 21, 2020

Dan Lyle is a former Team USA rugby player who has also played professionally with Bath Rugby of the English Premiership. He’s played alongside and opposite some of the greatest players in rugby history. Out of college, he was offered a contract to play professional football with the Minnesota Vikings but opted to play rugby outside the U.S. We talk about the history of rugby, how Dan is helping to grow the sport in the United States and the future of rugby.

Atomic

eSports & Broadcast Productions

Apr 30, 2020

Atomic’s Kris Dahl and Patrick Barthe provide broadcasting & IT support for eSports gaming properties. We talk how eSports has grown, how Covid-19 has affected the industry and how they are helping develop eSports for broadcasts.

Ato Boldon

NBC Sports Analyst & Sprint Coach

Apr 23, 2020

Ato Boldon is a 4-time Olympic Medalist, sprint coach and NBC Sports Track & Field Analyst. We talk about elite athlete mentality, his experience as an Olympic athlete, coaching the next generation of Olympic hopefuls and how he got his start as a sports broadcast analyst.

Mary Kate Shea

Sr. Director of Sports Marketing & Sponsorship, John Hancock

Apr 16, 2020

Mary Kate Shea selects the marathon runners for the world’s most prestigious running event – The Boston Marathon. She talks about her role and the relationship between financial firm John Hancock and the Boston Athletic Association, how she selects the best distance runners in the world and her personal stories and memories for one of the oldest marathons in the world.

Heather Novickis

Athlete Agent, Olympic, Paralympic & Endurance

Apr 9, 2020

Athlete representation is the subject of this episode. Heather Novickis of the Human Interest Group agency has been a long-time athlete agent, representing some of the world’s elite performers including triathletes, Ironman competitors and endurance runners. We talk about her journey in this industry, what goes into representing non-traditional sports athletes, the future of women in sports and more.

Brian Nupnau

Engineering Manager, Game Creek Video

Apr 2, 2020

Brian Nupnau has worked on the biggest sporting events in the world during his extensive career, working on broadcast television trucks that cost millions of dollars and handling network sports productions that continually get more complex every year. Some of the events he’s worked on include the Super Bowl, the College Football National Championship MegaCast on ESPN and the Masters.

Brian shares stories from behind-the-scenes in the tv-truck world that includes some fires to go along with it.

Part 2 – Ben Bouma

Sports TV Producer & Sports Management Consultant

Mar 26, 2020

PART 1 – Ben Bouma works on the biggest sporting events for networks such as NBC, ESPN, CBS, and FOX alongside some of the all-time great announcers and reporters in history. In Part 1, we talk about his tv career and what his role is on the events he covers.

In Part 2, we talk about his sports management and how he’s been a part of ownership groups that have purchased professional sports franchises, as well as the National Women’s Hockey League, women in sports and working with Hannah Storm and Andrea Kremer on Amazon’s Thursday Night Football.

Part 1 – Ben Bouma

Sports TV Producer & Sports Management Consultant

Mar 19, 2020

PART 1 – Ben Bouma works on the biggest sporting events for networks such as NBC, ESPN, CBS, and FOX alongside some of the all-time great announcers and reporters in history. In Part 1, we talk about his tv career and what his role is on the events he covers.

In Part 2, we talk about his sports management and how he’s been a part of ownership groups that have purchased professional sports franchises, as well as the National Women’s Hockey League, women in sports and working with Hannah Storm and Andrea Kremer on Amazon’s Thursday Night Football.

Dean Walker

Production Executive & Coordinating Producer

Mar 5, 2020

Dean Walker is former Senior Vice President of Universal Sports Network, former Coordinating Producer at NBC Sports and current Sports Production Executive. We talk what goes into launching sports networks, what he looks for in announcers and what his responsibilities were like during the Sochi Olympic games.

Carlos Alfonso

Former MLB Coach, San Francisco Giants & Houston Astros

Feb 20, 2020

Former MLB Coach Carlos Alfonso talks about his experience as a player, coach and manager in both Major League Baseball and the minor leagues, what coaching responsibilities are and how international players are developed.

Paul Kirk

Associate AD Strategic Communications, University of Utah & Former Director of Media Relations, Denver Broncos

Feb 13, 2020

In this episode I talk with Paul Kirk, Associate Athletic Director for Strategic Communications at the University of Utah about how he helps collegiate athletes use media effectively, what goes into the position and what his experience was like with the Denver Broncos during their back-to-back Super Bowl Championship seasons. He also talks about what it was like working for the late Pro Football Hall of Fame owner, Pat Bowlen.

Jenny Cavnar

Announcer, Colorado Rockies on AT&T Sports Network

Feb 6, 2020

Jenny Cavnar is the pre and post-game host for the Colorado Rockies on AT&T Sports Net Rocky Mountain. She has worked with multiple sports networks in her career and recently became the first woman to call a Major League Baseball game telecast in the last 25 years. We talk about what it was like, how she got into sports broadcasting and how she prepares for games.

Chris Farrow

Coordinating Producer, Ross Mobile Productions & Former CP, ESPN College Basketball

Jan 30, 2020

Chris Farrow is coordinating producer for Ross Mobile Productions, a company that packages events for ESPN, FOX, NBC and other networks. He is also one of the former coordinating producers at ESPN helping to shape college basketball coverage and has given many announcers get their first opportunities at the network level. We talk about his career and how he has made an impact on the sports landscape.

John Howard

Technical Director, NBC Sunday Night Football

Jan 23, 2020

John Howard is the technical director for NBC’s Sunday Night Football since 2014 and has worked two Super Bowls (LII and XLIX) for the network. He has also TD’d BCS Football National Championship games for FOX Sports and directed FOX NASCAR Sunday and was Coordinating Director fo the Alliance of American Football. We discuss how he got started in the industry, everything that goes on inside the tv truck’s control room, the attention to detail that’s required on SNF and what to keep in mind if you watch Super Bowl LIV.

David Loignon

Venue TV Producer, X-Games & Formula One

Jan 15, 2020

In this episode, David Loignon shares how he developed one of TVG Network’s marquee shows, “The Works,” how he managed to produce an international cycling race that was nearly under water and how he produces sports tv for fans at the X-Games and Formula One venues.

Scott Hecht

Sr. Producer, Syracuse University & Former ESPN CP/Director

Jan 9, 2020

In Sports In the Making’s debut episode, Scott Hecht explains his career path, why he loves producing sports on television, how he has been is instrumental role in shaping sports coverage at the university level, and how he has helped many young people get their start in this industry.

Introduction To Sports In The Making

@SportsMaking

Jan 9, 2020

Sports In The Making is a podcast that explores the behind the scenes of sports and what goes into making sports happen. TV broadcast veteran Don Cardona talks with a variety of people who work in sports/ broadcasting to give fans a different look at how it all comes together behind-the-scenes. Conversations with announcers, producers, directors, technical crew, front office personnel, athletes, agents and anyone who works in sports.