Going Deep with Donnovan Bennett

With the 49th Toronto International Film Festival winding down, Donnovan chats about the world premieres of two sports films: Rez Ball & Unstoppable. He also chats with the director of Rez Ball, Sydney Freeland, alongside the two principal actors Jessica Matten and Kauchani Bratt, as they discuss the making of the movie and why it was important to get the small details right (4:52). To wrap up on the films, Donnovan is joined by Sho (10:19) for a review, and chat about TIFF as a whole. Afterwards, Aurélie Rivard (37:10), a 13-time Paralympic medalist - which includes three medals won at the 2024 Paralympics, one of each colour - stops by to chat about her experience in France, her journey to this point in her career, and what has shaped her as an athlete.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

The 2024 NFL season has arrived, as the Chiefs dispatch the Ravens on the strength of Isaiah Likely's shoe size - Donnovan chats with NFL Network's Gregg Rosenthal about storylines that intrigue him from around the league, including the coming-out party for Xavier Worthy, the MVP candidates to watch, and Donnovan's beloved Cowboys. Afterwards, Sho joins to discuss his X-Factors and Rookies to Watch pieces for Sportsnet.ca - which quarterback recovering from injury means more to his team between Kirk Cousins and Aaron Rodgers? How will Bo Nix look amidst a crop of talented rookies? Plus, is this a make-or-break season for Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville?

Donnovan's 10 Stats: https://www.sportsnet.ca/nfl/article/nfl-week-1-by-the-numbers-can-caleb-williams-be-best-bears-qb-ever/

Sho's 2024 X-Factors: https://www.sportsnet.ca/nfl/article/nfl-2024-x-factors-can-harbaugh-turn-things-around-in-l-a/

Sho's Rookies to Watch: https://www.sportsnet.ca/nfl/article/2024-nfl-rookies-to-watch-bears-odunze-looks-ready-for-spotlight/

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

With the NFL season approaching, Donnovan chats with super-agent Leigh Steinberg (2:50) - how do NFL athletes navigate the world of contract negotiations and cutdown day ahead of the season opener? Afterwards, Donnovan chats with Natalie Achonwa (26:45), as she wraps up on a basketball career that spanned four consecutive Olympic games - what's next for her after Paris? Plus, Robert Iaria (41:40), B-Stock's VP of Client Success and Logistics stops by - B-Stock is the world’s largest B2B auction platform for customer returned and overstock merchandise, who partnered with the Olympics and Paralympics to find a second life for the the furniture and equipment from the Summer Games.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

With the 2024 Summer Paralympics rapidly approaching, Donnovan chats with Canada's Marissa Papaconstantinou, a medal favourite on the track in Paris. They discuss how she stays ready for massive competitions, and what the Paralympics means to Canadians across the country. Afterwards, Donnovan speaks to Dr. Cassidy Preston, who is a Mental Performance Coach for professional athletes and high-performers and the author of 'Mindset First' - what does it take for athletes to put themselves in the best mental position to succeed at events like the Olympics and Paralympics?

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

With the 2024 Summer Olympics officially in the books, Donnovan brings on someone who had boots on the ground all over France in Sportsnet's own Arash Madani. They discuss the entire Olympic experience, and get into the biggest stories from Paris and beyond, including Summer McIntosh's sheer dominance, a surprise gold medal from the men's 4x100m relay team, and some disappointing results from both Canada Soccer and Canada Basketball. Afterwards, Donnovan and Sho chat about the plethora of Going Deep guests that made some noise at the Summer Games, including gold medalist Phil Wizard as the first-ever gold medal winner in the sport of breaking.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Donnovan chats with Guy Lawson (3:20), author of 'Hot Dog Money', which aims to expose the widespread corruption inside the NCAA, giving the inside story of FBI informant Marty Blazer, who revealed the “business” of amateur sport - convictions made possible by Blazer’s testimony rocked the NCAA and were directly influential in the establishment of the interim NIL (name and likeness) rules later brought in. Afterwards, Danny Cortenraede (34:05) returns to Going Deep, this time to discuss the NCAA and the Power Five conferences reaching a historic agreement to allow athletes to receive direct payments from their schools, which includes a $2.75 billion distribution settlement to past athletes and a future revenue-sharing model for current athletes.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

With the 2024 Summer Olympics in full swing, Donnovan and Sho take a look at some of the most recent results for Team Canada, including a record three gold medals for 17-year old Summer McIntosh - how dominant has she really been, and could she be the Closing Ceremonies flag-bearer for Canada? They also get into the men's senior national basketball team getting out of group play with a perfect record, and discuss some of the more fascinating stories across the various sports throughout the first weeks of competition. Afterwards, Donnovan takes a visit at the Bunt Jam 2024, a celebration of skate culture and sport in Canada, and chats with a number of athletes, including Zion Wright (30:00), Canada's own Stafhon Boca (35:32), and Lizzie Armanto (44:03).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

With the Olympics officially underway, Donnovan chats with Olympic gold medallist Donovan Bailey - they get into the track preview ahead of Andre De Grasse's quest for gold. Afterwards, Claire Buchanan, para hockey & wheelchair basketball athlete, joins to discuss the Women's Para Hockey of Canada's push for equity in para hockey, with the goal of getting a women's para hockey event in the 2030 Paralympics. Plus, Anders Indset - a entrepreneur and former athlete himself - stops by to discuss his book 'The Viking Code: The Art and Science of Norwegian Success', which reveals how Norwegian athletes achieve outsized influence on the world stage (including the Olympics).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

With the Summer Olympics continuing to draw ever closer, Donnovan preps for Paris by bringing on four people with intimate knowledge of the games. Maggie Mac Neil (3:34) stops by to discuss her pursuit of another Olympic gold in the pool, while Cindy Ouellet (18:03) chats about participating in her fifth Paralympic Games in wheelchair basketball. Afterwards, Donnovan chats with new teammate Shireen Ahmed (34:32) about their coming coverage for CBC Sports, and Ellen Hyslop (1:00:03) joins to discuss The Gist heading to Paris to cover the Games in-person.

Maggie's profile: https://macleans.ca/sports/maggie-mac-neil-swimming-olympics/

The Gist: https://ca.thegistsports.com/

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Donnovan continues his coverage of a frenzied few weeks of soccer with Kristian Jack, Vice President of Media for the Canadian Premier League. They get into Canada's run at the Copa America, and what's coming up for the women's national team at the Olympics. They also discuss the continued growth of the CPL and how it's important for the sport at the grassroots level, and afterwards, preview their beloved England playing for a championship vs. Spain in the Euros Final - is it coming home?

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.