SpakeUpPodcast

More than 20 years experience as a sportscaster, 15 as a mom and 5 decades of all the other shit! Let's talk!

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Shannon Spake on her viral NASCAR "money shot" hot-mic moment:

“I didn’t even realize I said it.”

Live TV. No rewind button. And a reminder of how thick your skin has to be — especially in sports media.

Watch the full podcast now:
https://t.co/NAARVpdv7D

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Andy Katz on his infamous NBA Draft live-TV slip-up:

“I didn’t even realize I said it.”

A reminder of how fast sports television moves — and how one moment can live forever online.

🎙️ From Spake Up Podcast w/ @ShannonSpake
https://t.co/NAARVpe2Xb

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Mark Martin on finally getting his first NASCAR Cup Series win:

“I was 30 years old… and it had been a long time coming.”

A reminder of how different NASCAR used to be — patience, pressure, and earning it the hard way.

🎙️ Spake Up Podcast with @ShannonSpake
https://t.co/4VH97ysS1N

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Kurt Busch on his infamous crash with Jimmy Spencer — and the viral moment everyone misunderstood.

“99% of America thought I was telling him to kiss my ass.”

Cover of USA Today. Sponsor call. Media training.
Classic early-2000s NASCAR.

🎙️ From Spake Up Podcast w/ @ShannonSpake
https://t.co/YPX3zxN4c7

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Kurt Busch on his infamous “meltdown” moment:

“I wasn’t mad — I was trying to find my car.”

Live mics, missing cars, cameras rolling. This is what really happened behind the scenes.

🎙️ From Spake Up Podcast w/ @ShannonSpake
🏁 Watch the full podcast:
https://t.co/I2V99grbGl

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Kurt Busch on the 2007 All-Star Race crash with his brother Kyle Busch:

“We wrecked each other… and didn’t talk for a year and a half.”

A story about rivalry, family, and the moment respect replaced ego.

🎙️ From Spake Up Podcast w/ @ShannonSpake
🏁 Watch the full podcast:
https://t.co/YPX3zxN4c7

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.@LeahPruett_TF on returning to drag racing:

“Your body remembers — but your brain has to catch up.”

After time away, she explains what testing revealed, how processing speed matters at 300+ mph, and why her full-time return starts in 2026.

🎙️ From Spake Up Podcast w/ @ShannonSpake
🏁 Real racer insight:
https://t.co/2KXQdESQXU

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Kurt Busch on the Pocono crash that changed his career.

He didn’t remember parts of the impact. Failed concussion tests. Realized something was seriously wrong.

This is what drivers go through after the wreck — not just the highlights.

🎙️ From Spake Up Podcast w/ @ShannonSpake

🏁 Raw NASCAR reality:
https://t.co/YPX3zxN4c7

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Tony Stewart explains how a surprise FaceTime call led to his first real connection with Leah Pruett — and why timing mattered more than anything.

A great behind-the-scenes moment from the Spake Up Podcast with @ShannonSpake

Watch the full podcast:
https://t.co/FFpBf4r9qs

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Former Florida Gators star Patric Young tells his most personal story yet.

From elite college basketball to a life-changing accident, this conversation with @ShannonSpake is about survival, gratitude, and perspective after the game ends.

🎙️ Full clip from Spake Up Podcast
🏀 Real talk — not just highlights

Full episode:
https://t.co/YP2bTPmCwK

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Ironman champion Timothy O’Donnell reveals the one race he quit—and why it became the most important moment of his career.

Raw. Honest. No excuses.

🎙️ @ShannonSpake | Spake Up Podcast:
https://t.co/kEw3TDaIkf

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John Calipari on building dominant Kentucky teams 🏀

Packed arenas every night. Multiple NBA players. Five first-round picks on one roster.

Coach Cal explains how culture and trust turned pressure into dominance.

🎧 Full episode of the Spake Up Podcast with @ShannonSpake:
https://t.co/txtoMColWL

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John Calipari on how NIL, social media, and the transfer portal have changed today’s players 🏀

In his interview with @ShannonSpake, Coach Cal explains why he refuses transactional recruiting — and what actually prepares athletes for the next level.

🎧 Watch the full Spake Up Podcast now:
https://t.co/txtoMColWL

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John Calipari on the loss that reshaped his team's mindset 🏀

In his conversation with @ShannonSpake, Coach Cal reflects on the 2015 Final Four loss to Wisconsin, leadership in the locker room, and what truly builds championship culture.

🎧 Full interview on the Spake Up Podcast:
https://t.co/txtoMCnO7d

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“I’ll give you a shot. You come in, you go to work, and we’ll see where it leads.”

That’s what the coach told 58-year-old freshman football player Tom Cillo during their first meeting.
No promises. No guarantees. Just an opportunity.

Tom took it — got accepted, started classes, and is now working to make the dean’s list.

The humility and discipline in this story are unreal.
Stay tuned… he might actually pull it off.

Watch the full episode with @ShannonSpake:
https://t.co/8XQghj2APu

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“When I showed up, I definitely got hit… early and often.”

Tom Cillo says some teammates probably wanted to take it easy on him — and some wanted to hit him harder.

He jokes they “served up more pancakes than IHOP,” and he ended up with broken fingers, bruised ribs, and a banged-up knee…
But he never quit.
He practiced every day, studied every night, and outworked guys 40 years younger.

This man is BUILT DIFFERENT.

Watch the full podcast with @ShannonSpake:
https://t.co/8XQghj2APu

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“At 58 years old… I’m basically getting a do-over.”

Tom Cillo talks about taking English Comp, Old Testament, Criminal Justice, and even ‘The Politics of Coffee’ as a freshman — and how he’s studying for hours every weekend while learning a new position in football.

“I didn’t make the road-game cut… but there’s no shame in that. I’m still a freshman player.”
The humility + the grind = unreal.

Watch the full podcast with @ShannonSpake:
https://t.co/8XQghj2APu

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“Tom… I love you. What an honor it was to play with you this season.”

This locker-room moment between a 58-year-old freshman football player and his teammates will hit you hard.

And then a teammate told him his incarcerated father was inspired by Tom’s story — and is waiting for a second chance at life.
From Bosnia to Japan to Brazil, people have reached out to him.

This is bigger than football.

Watch the full interview with @ShannonSpake now:
https://t.co/8XQghj2APu

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“The only thing in life that has any real value… is time.”

In this moment, Tom Cillo explains why he finally took the risk — even if he failed, even if he felt like he wasn’t good enough, even if it scared him.

He took the safety net off and leaped anyway.

One of the most powerful clips from the entire interview:
https://t.co/8XQghj2APu

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“He told me, ‘It might not be on the stat sheet… but you impacted people worldwide.’”

This moment between @ShannonSpake and 58-year-old freshman football player Tom Cillo hit hard.

Not every impact shows up in yards, catches, or scores.
Sometimes the biggest difference comes from the heart. ❤️

Full episode drops more powerful moments like this ⬇️
https://t.co/8XQghj2APu