The Rundown: The Ultimate Podcast for Sports Event Presentation
Sports & Recreation Podcasts
Since 1994, Don Costante has produced more than 3,000 live events for premier sports organizations, including MLB, NBA, WNBA, AHL, NAIA, EPL, and NCAA. With over 30 years of industry leadership, he is a nationally recognized expert and the author of...
Location:
United States
Genres:
Sports & Recreation Podcasts
Description:
Since 1994, Don Costante has produced more than 3,000 live events for premier sports organizations, including MLB, NBA, WNBA, AHL, NAIA, EPL, and NCAA. With over 30 years of industry leadership, he is a nationally recognized expert and the author of Beyond the Scoreboard: The Ultimate Guide to Sports Event Presentation (SBJ Publishing). Renowned for his meticulous execution and strategic insight, Don consistently delivers best-in-class experiences that elevate every facet of the live event environment. The Rundown Podcast is your go-to source for sports event presentation, featuring behind-the-scenes insights from top professionals across the sports and entertainment industry. Each episode explores the strategies and creative tactics that drive unforgettable live experiences.
Twitter:
@costantegroup
Language:
English
Contact:
210-213-8792
Website:
https://costantegroup.com/
Episodes
Lauren Thompson's Playbook for Hosting Live Events
4/1/2026
A great host shapes how an audience feels, reacts, and remembers a live event. In this episode, Lauren Thompson shares her playbook from more than 20 years in television and live event hosting with NBC Sports and Golf Channel. We cover her career journey, hosting philosophy, the three most important skills to be effective, how to deliver content authentically, her preparation process, and the most common mistakes hosts make and how to avoid them. If you want to become a host, improve as one, or manage hosts, this conversation is for you.
Duración:00:46:52
Inside NHL Game Presentation: Elevating League Events
3/2/2026
In this episode, Don sits down with John Bochiaro, Group Vice President of Game Presentation and Entertainment for the National Hockey League, to examine how league events are designed and elevated at the highest level. John shares his career journey and the design philosophy guiding marquee NHL events such as the Winter Classic, Stadium Series, and All-Star Weekend. He also discusses his role as liaison to all 32 clubs, insights from cross-league collaboration, his perspective on emerging technology, and where he sees the future of game presentation heading.
Duración:00:40:37
The Decisions That Define Events
2/2/2026
Behind every great event are decisions most people never see. Don is joined by Frank Supovitz, one of the most respected leaders in live sports and event production, to explore how those unseen decisions define successful events. Drawing from more than 35 years of experience with the NFL and NHL, including work on the Super Bowl, NFL Draft, Pro Bowl, Stanley Cup Finals, and NHL All-Star Weekends, Frank shares how decisions made early, under pressure, and behind the scenes shape the audience experience. Together, they break down eight critical decision areas that separate good events from great ones.
Duración:00:54:58
Behind the Gameday Experience at Auburn University
12/8/2025
In this episode, Don sits down with Paris Buchanan, Senior Associate AD for Fan Experience and Creative Strategy at Auburn University, to take listeners behind the Tigers gameday experience. Paris shares his career journey, the philosophy guiding Auburn's approach to event presentation, and how he structures and leads teams to deliver seamless, high-impact fan experiences. He also discusses the planning process, creative strategy, and evolving technologies shaping gameday in college athletics, and offers valuable advice for the next generation of sports professionals.
Duración:00:52:59
Building Momentum: 5 Strategies for Transitioning into a New Role
11/5/2025
Transitions are part of every sports career — joining a new organization, stepping into a different role, or adapting to a new culture. In this episode, Darius Smith, Senior Director of Game Presentation and Entertainment for the Washington Commanders, shares five strategies for approaching new opportunities with confidence, clarity, and creativity. Drawing from his experience with both the Commanders and the Minnesota Vikings, Darius offers practical insights for building momentum, earning trust, and making an immediate impact in a new environment.
Duración:00:47:33
Behind the Scenes: 5 Lessons from Producing League Championships
10/3/2025
When a team reaches the championship stage, everything changes. Event presentation shifts from team-driven to league-driven, bringing new challenges and added pressure. In this episode, Joe Legaz, Director of Game Operations and Live Experience for the Seattle Sounders FC, shares five key lessons from producing league championships. These behind-the-scenes insights won’t appear on a highlight reel, but they’re what truly make championship events successful.
Duración:00:42:53
Beyond the Scoreboard: The Story Behind the Book
9/2/2025
In this special episode of The Rundown, the table is turned as host Don Costante takes the hot seat to share the story behind his new book, Beyond the Scoreboard: The Ultimate Guide to Sports Event Presentation. Hear how three decades of experience turned into Sports Business Journal Publishing’s first book, and why it’s a game-changer in the sports industry.
Duración:00:31:04
Set the Tone: The Impact of Team Introductions
8/4/2025
Season 3 kicks off with Jason Lodato joining Don for a conversation on the strategy and creativity behind unforgettable fan experiences. From his early days in the industry to leading game presentation for top teams and iconic venues, Jason shares how his journey shaped his event presentation philosophy and approach to gamedays. The episode takes a deep dive into one of the most climactic moments in sports—the team introduction. Hear how Jason brings this high-energy moment to life to ignite the crowd, set the tone for the game, and elevate the overall fan experience.
Duración:01:23:23
Interview with Sharon delPilar
11/5/2021
In this episode, Don interviews Sharon delPilar who shares her path to becoming the Production Stage Manager for Magic Mike Live. Listen as Sharon illustrates the differences between stage management and production stage management and provides a behind-the-scenes look at what she does for the show. Also, she identifies the skillset required to be successful in this field, outlines her self-development strategy, offers some resources for anyone looking to become more marketable, and much more!
Duración:00:44:02
Interview with Chad Folkestad
8/17/2021
In this episode, Don has a conversation with Chad Folkestad who shares his career path, event presentation philosophy, and talks candidly about storytelling and the creative process he utilizes to generate award-winning content. Listen as Chad illustrates his methods for creating an organic environment that relies heavily on spontaneity. They touch on a variety of topics including… keys to great storytelling, getting players to “buy in” to projects, tactics for generating content ideas, facilitating meaningful ideation sessions, getting ideas approved through leadership, and much more!
Duración:01:38:29
Interview with Andrew Johnson
7/14/2021
In this episode, Don interviews Andrew Johnson who shares his path to becoming the mascot performer for the Houston Texans. Listen as Andrew breaks down the three areas every great mascot should focus on. Also, he provides advice to those who manage mascots, identifies the ideal skillset for performers, points out some of the biggest mistakes made by mascots today and much more! If you’re a mascot, someone who oversees a mascot program, or you enjoy a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the sports industry… you’re going to love this discussion!
Duración:01:11:09
Interview with Ahmaad Crump
5/11/2021
In this episode, Don has a conversation with 16-year NBA in-arena host veteran, Ahmaad Crump. Listen as Ahmaad shares his experience and talks openly about his path to becoming an emcee for the Cleveland Cavaliers. During their conversation, they touch on several topics including communication between Game Director and Emcee, handling situations with multiple hosts, advice on becoming a successful emcee, common mistakes, and much more!
Duración:00:45:32
Tim Tubito, National Football League
4/6/2021
In this episode, Don has a conversation with Tim Tubito who shares his event presentation philosophy and takes listeners “behind-the-shield” revealing the NFL’s methodology in facilitating two of their large-scale events… the NFL Draft and the Super Bowl. During their discussion, Tim uncovers logistical details that illustrate exactly why the NFL is considered a leader in the sports and entertainment industry. Listen as Tim provides insight into his role as Club Liaison, the pandemic’s impact on the NFL Draft and Super Bowl, how technology was utilized to deliver enhanced experiences, and much more!
Duración:01:08:04
Interview with Michelle McComas
3/9/2021
In this episode, Don interviews Michelle McComas who shares her career path, event presentation philosophy, and reveals entertainment best practices that have helped position the Chicago Bulls as a leader in the NBA. Listen as Michelle speaks passionately about her strategy for utilizing and incorporating entertainment resources, development and recruitment of talent, the creative process for performances, importance of branding, how she measures success and much more!
Duración:00:44:24
Interview with Sean Belgrade
2/1/2021
There’s one sporting event that goes beyond traditional fan engagement and totally immerses its spectators into the fabric of their brand like none other… The Daytona 500. In this episode, Don interviews Sean Belgrade, Managing Director of Consumer Experience for NASCAR, who shares his event presentation philosophy and takes listeners behind-the-scenes of the Daytona 500, uncovering logistical details that have elevated the fan experience to mirror the prestige of the race itself. During their conversation they cover preparation, immersive experiences, sponsor activation, driver introductions, and much more!
Duración:00:40:34
Interview with Brian Clapp
1/11/2021
In this episode, Don and Brian talk candidly about the job search process. Listen as they discuss several job seeking tactics that may get you thinking differently about the way you approach the sports industry’s job market. During their conversation they touch on important topics including the first step you should take before starting a job search, construction of a resume, impact of a cover letter, effective strategy for building a professional network, differentiating yourself in an interview, if an advanced degree gives you an advantage, helpful resources, and much more!
Duración:01:39:17
Robert Alberino, Award-Winning Director
12/14/2020
In this episode, Don has a conversation with Rob Alberino who shares his approach to achieving award-winning content. During their discussion, a variety of storytelling topics are covered including how to generate initial concepts for stories, ingredients of a great story, workflow during the creative process, importance of developing characters, how to get players and fans to participate and achieve desired results, the impact a great editor has on storytelling, advice on developing one’s storytelling ability, and much more!
Duración:01:03:11
Interview with Maurice “Mo” Brazelton
11/16/2020
In this interview with Don, Maurice shares his event presentation philosophy and provides a behind-the-scenes look at the NBA Bubble and the steps taken by the NBA to ensure proper execution of game operations. During their discussion, Maurice details the days leading up to the bubble, the NBA’s communication process, the comprehensive health and safety protocols, the on-site preparation and execution of gamedays, the technology that was utilized, life for staff inside the bubble, activism and much more!
Duración:00:58:00
Jonny Greco, Seattle Kraken
10/14/2020
In this episode, Don has a conversation with Jonny Greco who shares his game presentation philosophy and reveals his methodology for tackling the startup process with a new franchise. Listen as Jonny reflects on the lessons he learned from Vegas, how he plans to approach the gameday experience for Seattle, sheds some light on his creative process, provides insight into the facilitation of his ideation sessions, explains the importance of proper execution, identifies the steps he takes in evaluating assets, and more!
Duración:01:31:24
Self-Development Tip with Lumenbrite
9/10/2020
In this episode, Don has a candid conversation with Anthony Bueno who is an Adobe Certified Trainer and Lead Consultant with Lumenbrite. Listen as Don talks about the benefits of learning creative software and the impact it has on him professionally. During their discussion, they talk about free versus paid resources, improving communication with production staff, understanding workflows and identifying key assets, recognizing realistic timeframes for projects, capabilities of software that spark creative and innovative thinking, and much more!
Duración:00:20:40