Playmakers with Dave Calabro
Gregg Doyel on Sportswriting, Faith and the Colts
Gregg Doyel has built a career by seeing sports differently, and the IndyStar sports columnist explains how that instinct shaped decades of reporting and commentary. Doyel tells Playmakers host Dave Calabro how reading the Sunday sports page with his father led to a ninth-grade teacher suggesting sportswriting as a career. He recalls answering phones at a newspaper in Macon, freelancing while attending the University of Florida, covering the Florida Marlins for the Miami Herald, and eventually becoming a national columnist before coming to Indianapolis. The conversation turns to what it means to write opinions people disagree with. Doyel rejects the idea that columnists manufacture outrage for clicks and explains why credibility depends on believing what you publish. He also describes how he searches for stories away from the biggest media crowds, including a recent idea connecting Colts receiver Alec Pierce with another downfield target. Doyel reflects on memorable assignments, including writing about Tyler Trent, a Father's Day story inspired by a basketball goal he repeatedly passed along Interstate 74, and an early UFC assignment that led him to try boxing himself. He also talks about his Christian faith and recent baptism, then closes with his outlook on the Indianapolis Colts and Indiana Pacers as both teams try to rebound with key players returning. Playmakers is brought to you by IBJ Media and presented by Indiana Members Credit Union.
