Hour 1: Alan's ASG Take

Summary

Podcast Summary: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 1: Alan's ASG Take

Release Date: February 18, 2025

In the inaugural episode of "Don, Hahn & Rosenberg," hosts Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg delve deep into the evolving landscape of the NBA All-Star Game (ASG) and its surrounding weekend festivities. The discussion is rich with critical insights, personal anecdotes, and thoughtful analysis, offering listeners a comprehensive exploration of the current state and future of high-profile sports events.

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1. Introduction to the All-Star Weekend

The episode kicks off with Alan Hahn reminiscing about his recent experience covering the Capitol Classic, a significant volleyball tournament featuring over 10,000 athletes and their parents. This serves as a segue into the broader conversation about the commercialization and logistical complexities of major sports events.

Notable Quote:

• Don La Greca (00:22): “Because in business, it's all about having the experienced team on your side.”

2. Critique of NBA All-Star Weekend's Commercialization

Don La Greca spearheads the critique, arguing that the NBA All-Star Weekend has strayed far from its original spirit. He emphasizes that the event has become overly commercialized, with excessive branding, sponsored activities, and non-competitive events diluting the essence of the game.

Key Points:

• Overextension of Events: Originally a two-day celebration, the All-Star Weekend has expanded to four days, incorporating numerous non-sporting activities that detract from the core basketball action.
• Commercial Intrusion: La Greca criticizes the incorporation of branded events like the "Ruffles" celebrity game, describing them as "dopey" and unnecessary distractions.
• Player Fatigue: The extended schedule leaves players exhausted, with minimal rest before the regular season resumes, leading to diminished enthusiasm and performance in the game itself.

Notable Quotes:

• Don La Greca (04:29): “This was done by the league. The league turned NBA All Star Weekend many years ago into basically NBA Con.”
• Don La Greca (05:32): “The dumbest thing they ever came up with was this dopey moment that they decided to call it Ruffles. Dorito. Whatever.”

3. Evolution of the All-Star Game Format

The hosts discuss the shifts in the game format, including the introduction of the Elam Ending—a method where the game concludes once a team reaches a specific score rather than playing for a set time. While initially adding excitement, La Greca notes that this change hasn't significantly improved player engagement or fan interest.

Key Points:

• Elam Ending: Intended to make the game more unpredictable, but has led to situations where players lose interest if the outcome seems predetermined.
• Loss of Competitive Spirit: The original competitive nature, where rival players team up, has been overshadowed by novelty and sponsorship-driven agendas.

Notable Quote:

• Don La Greca (09:22): “The Elam ending was whatever the score was. By the third quarter they had a number that whoever gets to this number wins instead of it being on a clock.”

4. Comparisons with Other Sports Leagues

Shifting focus to other sports, the conversation highlights how leagues like the NHL and MLB handle their high-profile events differently, often maintaining a balance between competition and entertainment without over-commercializing.

Key Points:

• NHL’s Four Nations Game: La Greca and Rosenberg commend the NHL for their approach but acknowledge that such formats are unsustainable if implemented annually.
• MLB’s All-Star Events: They praise Major League Baseball for preserving the integrity of their All-Star events, noting that players remain genuinely competitive and engaged.

Notable Quotes:

• Peter Rosenberg (12:42): “It's too corporate. It's too important to our sponsors to have that weekend in Minnesota or Dallas or Florida.”
• Don La Greca (19:08): “I still think Major League Baseball is the one thing they have kept right.”

5. Player Engagement and Professionalism

A significant portion of the debate centers on player attitudes towards the ASG. La Greca argues that players are often driven more by branding and contractual obligations than a genuine desire to compete, leading to lukewarm performances and a disconnect from fans.

Key Points:

• Lack of Effort: Players prioritize brand endorsements and media appearances over the competitive spirit of the game.
• Comparisons to Legends: The hosts contrast current player attitudes with those of legends like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, who were known for their intense competitiveness and commitment.
• Impact on Future Generations: The diminished enthusiasm sets a poor example for younger players who look up to these stars.

Notable Quotes:

• Don La Greca (14:47): “You're not there for the game anymore. You're there to sell.”
• Alan Hahn (23:03): “We got to stop trying to come up with ways to trick the players into trying.”

6. Suggestions for Revamping All-Star Weekend

In search of solutions, the hosts propose restructuring the All-Star Weekend to prioritize the game’s competitive integrity while still allowing for necessary branding and entertainment elements.

Key Suggestions:

• Simplifying the Schedule: Reducing the number of events to avoid overburdening players and preserving the weekend's essence.
• Alternative Formats: Moving competitive games to weekdays to prevent overlap with other major sporting events and reduce player fatigue.
• Focus on Meaningful Competition: Ensuring the All-Star Game remains a genuine showcase of talent and competitiveness rather than a platform for excessive commercialization.

Notable Quote:

• Don La Greca (21:04): “So I say you want to kill the players. The players were led to this by something that has grown out of control.”

7. International Implications and League Expansion

The discussion extends to the NBA’s global expansion efforts, debating whether catering to international markets justifies the extensive commercialization of domestic events like the ASG.

Key Points:

• Global Audience vs. Domestic Integrity: Balancing the pursuit of international viewership and revenues with maintaining the game's authenticity for domestic fans.
• Challenges of International Play: Comparing the NBA’s struggles with international events to the NHL’s attempts to integrate global players and tournaments.

Notable Quote:

• Don La Greca (30:59): “It doesn't matter anymore. You can't replicate Woodstock. Woodstock happened once they Tried to replicate it a couple of times.”

8. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Wrapping up, the hosts express a consensus that the NBA All-Star Weekend, in its current form, no longer serves its purpose effectively. They advocate for a reinvention that prioritizes meaningful competition and player enthusiasm over commercial interests.

Closing Insights:

• Historical Perspective: Reflecting on how past All-Star Events were more celebratory of the game rather than commercial showcases.
• Future Outlook: Hope for a more balanced approach that honors both the sport and its stakeholders without compromising the game's integrity.

Notable Quote:

• Don La Greca (37:54): “In the end, like, was Saturday Night like the. Was that really, like, just a moment.”

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Overall, "Don, Hahn & Rosenberg" delivers a compelling critique of the NBA All-Star Weekend, combining personal experiences with industry insights. The hosts effectively highlight the tension between commercialization and competitive integrity, urging a return to the event's foundational values.

For fans and stakeholders alike, this episode serves as a thought-provoking examination of how major sports events can evolve to better serve both the game and its community.

Transcript

[Alan Hahn]

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[Don La Greca]

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[Peter Rosenberg]

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[Alan Hahn]

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[Don La Greca]

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[Alan Hahn]

The experienced team on your side. At Robert Half, we know talent. Visit roberthalf.com today.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Don, there's no tush push if you're not pushing the tush.

[Don La Greca]

Han, I want you protecting my blind side. And Rosenberg.

[Alan Hahn]

When I was seven, I was riding shotgun and smoking cigarettes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This is in North Dakota. This is New York.

[Don La Greca]

This is Don, Han and Rosenberg. The best threesome I've ever heard on 8 80, ESPN and the ESPN New York app. All right, here we go. So back with the boys with Don legreca and Peter Rosenberg. I'm Alan Hahn. I know you didn't miss me because you guys had plenty to talk about. We got plenty to talk about today. 800 now, 193776. I will say this out of the gate though. So with Gracie all weekend for the Capitol Classic. It was awesome.

[Alan Hahn]

The big volleyball.

[Don La Greca]

10,000 athletes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

10,000. Think about that.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, Think about how much money they made. That's like 10,000 parents with 10,000 athletes. And they make you pay 60 bucks just to watch your kid play for the weekend. No. Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

Wait, the parents have to pay to.

[Don La Greca]

Watch to get in the building? No way. No, I'm not joking.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There's not a turnstile you can hop over.

[Don La Greca]

No, they have this very intricate security system that's to get into the convention center where you have to show your digital ticket, which, by the way, a bunch of old people trying to find a ticket on their phone. Hilarious. Then you have to have your ID to show that that is really you and that's how you get in. So there's different ways to get in. So anyways, yeah, 60 bucks. So do the math there. Just parents alone, and it's not a lot of time.

[Alan Hahn]

And the teams, I'm guessing, pay to be in the tournament.

[Don La Greca]

The teams pay to be in the tournament. Yeah, yeah, the different clubs.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So how do we do this?

[Alan Hahn]

Let's start our own.

[Don La Greca]

I mean, I told you about the.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Kids because this is though.

[Don La Greca]

This is the money to make the kids play Gaga sports.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Do you hear about Gaga?

[Don La Greca]

I think I've heard about this in gym, right?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So let's make Gaga the next big thing. Get a tournament going, charge the parents 50 bucks.

[Alan Hahn]

A bargain.

[Peter Rosenberg]

A little bit of a bargain.

[Don La Greca]

The guys. $10.

[Peter Rosenberg]

How much do you pay for team?

[Don La Greca]

I don't know.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right, Whatever it is, it'll be $10 less than that Gaga ball. And we'll go someplace fancier than D.C. we'll go to, like, to somewhere in Virginia, Right? Like on the beach.

[Alan Hahn]

What you dream about right now, I.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Don'T know much about it. Marco tried to explain it to me, and it was, like, well over my head. I don't know. It was a lot of kicking and watching and butt movement, some kind of stuff. I don't know. He had his hands on his head. I don't know what he was doing.

[Don La Greca]

Well, this was volleyball, and it was fun. And so on the way back, we drove. I put you guys on once we got through the. The tunnel.

[Alan Hahn]

Okay.

[Don La Greca]

And I'm talking about here in New York. I'm talking about D.C. you know, how you come to Baltimore? What's that? Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

Fort McHenry.

[Don La Greca]

That's it. Yes. You get through the tunnel, come out, and I'm like, all right, let's see if I can get the boys from here. 880. ESPN. Got it.

[Alan Hahn]

Nice.

[Don La Greca]

And I had it all the way through Delaware, and. And once we got to, like, once we got to South Jersey, it was crystal clear, like a little bit. You know you had some competing stations, right? No, not at all. So, you know, it was. It was great to hear you guys.

[Alan Hahn]

That's pretty nice. How'd we do?

[Don La Greca]

You saw me texting, right?

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Don La Greca]

Well, I know you had feelings. I had things to say.

[Alan Hahn]

You had feelings about the All Star?

[Don La Greca]

I definitely had things to say. Steve Cohen had things to say today that we definitely have to get to. There's. You know, if you're a Giants fan, this is probably the most important draft that your franchise has had in a very long time. I would argue maybe as long as going back to when Eli was drafted, because we know the Saquon Barkley draft didn't work out. Neither did the Daniel Jones one. This is a critical draft for them, and there's only one choice to be made, if they can make it. So we have that to get to. But if you would, because you guys talked about it yesterday, if you don't mind, can I give you my take on the whole All Star weekend?

[Alan Hahn]

Well, you said over the text, you said, this is not on the players. It's on the lead. I'll explain tomorrow.

[Don La Greca]

Right.

[Alan Hahn]

The floor is yours. Explain away.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Tomorrow is tomorrow's today.

[Don La Greca]

The moment is now. And, you know, because we have so much to get to. Let me just get this off my chest. It's not on the players. Because this didn't start with the players. They didn't start the fire. To quote Billy Joel, this was done by the league. The league turned NBA All Star Weekend many years ago into basically NBA Con.

[Alan Hahn]

This was.

[Don La Greca]

This was no longer, you know, Comic Con. Right. They have all that stuff like. This is what it became. I covered this as a sports writer for many years. It used to be you go out on Saturday, you come back Sunday night, that's it. Now it's Thursday night. Because Friday they got a whole bunch of crap going on, including appearances by the players, the first media session. They have a lot of different charitable events that they want to do. So they want to make sure that's covered. Players have to be present for that stuff. They were the young stars game. The stupid. The dopey celebrity game. No offense, Peter.

[Alan Hahn]

Excuse me.

[Don La Greca]

The dumbest thing they ever came up with was this dopey moment that they decided to call it Ruffles. Dorito. Whatever.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's Ruffles.

[Don La Greca]

Like, come on, man, Ruffles.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But it was dopey. Since they chose not to call you anymore, right?

[Alan Hahn]

Who, me?

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, for the celebrity decided not to put you party.

[Alan Hahn]

But I was, you know, I'm trying to work my way back.

[Don La Greca]

Come on. Do we need.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We don't.

[Don La Greca]

We don't need that. So they got that going on. Then it's Saturday. And Saturday used to again, just be something very simple. A dumb contest. Three point contest. We're done, right?

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don La Greca]

And it was fine.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And.

[Don La Greca]

And when the dunk contest came, it was like a highlight because you had people. You heard of stars competing in this thing. Oh, yeah, it was great. Now it's like gymnastics and novelty. It's not like. So they lost their way because everything had to have a sponsor attached to it. Everything had to have extra commercials involved and extra people. And some celebrities I've never frickin heard of sitting there telling me what's a dunk and what's not. Like it just gets stupid. And that's what they did. And they kept making the players go to these things. Now you gotta go. Now you gotta do another media session on Saturday and go to All Stars Saturday. Sit courtside. All your branding's there. You gotta show off your brands. Then we do an introduction. We're gonna bring you out. You have to come out. You gotta be seen. We gotta play music. It's too much. Then they have the Game on Sunday. It used to be in the afternoon, now it's at night. Not necessary. Why? Now, Monday is the only day off for these players who are participating all weekend. And guess what they have to do Tuesday. Get back for practice. Your first game's Thursday. So everybody else goes to Aruba or Cancun or wherever else in the world that you can go for three or four days and get some R and R, get a little bit of sun on your, on your skin, get your toes in the sand and just reset before the stretch run. But the best players in the league can't do that. So why do you think the players don't want to go? Why do you think the players don't care? Why do you think the players are like exhausted and by the game they're like, I don't want to play. I don't feel like running around up and down like I don't want to compete. Who cares?

[Alan Hahn]

Because I've already spent the whole weekend.

[Don La Greca]

Oh, my God, I've given you everything. So it's a showcase now. My brand wants me here. So all the different sneaker brands and all the different brands are getting their appearances out of the players. They're seen with the different shoes they're wearing, all that stuff. By the time the game comes, these guys don't want. They just want to go home, but they can't because they have one day off and then they got to come back for practice. So tell me again why it's the players fault? You drove them to this. The guys that we're talking about from the 80s and the 90s that we said that was the best years of the All Star, they showed up on Saturday, they left Sunday night. They still had a couple of days. It's not like that now. And I remember the last All Star I covered was in la. And I'll never forget it because it was. Thank God they moved the trade deadline. But that was for a sportswriter, exhausting because you had to go to everything because guys were talking. Guys who could be traded are talking and you had to be. And you realize, my God, they're doing another event now.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What?

[Don La Greca]

Oh, they have a guy holding a shovel and he's digging it to air. We're gonna build a. We're gonna build a playground here. NBA cares. That's awesome.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Great.

[Don La Greca]

Why does this guy have to stand there with a shovel? Who cares? Like, it just gets insane by the game. Everybody just wanted to go home. And I'll never forget that. And so I'm not shocked. It's gotten this bad. And they tried to change format. They brought the Elim ending in which for a minute worked. The Elam ending was whatever the score was. By the third quarter they had a number that whoever gets to this number wins instead of it being on a clock.

[Alan Hahn]

And it got interesting slightly.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, because now it became like, okay, there's still a chance to win even if you're down 20, whatever it is. And so once or twice it worked. And then again the players just became like, well, we're down 20. The hell with this. It just got silly. It used to be, let's get so and so an all Star. He hasn't won one yet. Let's get him an mvp. He hasn't won one yet. That was kind of fun. It was also seeing players that never would have played together. Rivals teaming up. What does that look like? We've never seen it. Now with all the player movement, that novelty is gone. So guys, the NBA All Star game needs to cease to exist. The weeknd as we know it needs to cease to exist. It doesn't matter anymore. We don't need the novelty of the game. You can name all Stars, that'll be great. But this whole us versus the world or North America versus the world format idea, dumb. Here's why. What happens if you don't have enough all Stars from quote unquote the world? And what happens if in a particular year I got a lot more either Americans or North Americans that deserve it over Europeans or world players? Now what?

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, now what do you need to.

[Don La Greca]

Do Now I got to fill out a team. I got to put, you know, Andre Kurilenkov on a team. Like, hey, well we need it. We need another European. Who do we got? Like, then it's again, it takes away from it. Just name teams and make the weekend. Like I said, the in season tournament, the NBA cup has a little sizzle. There's something going on with that. Just move it to the other side of the calendar. So when you flip to 20, 25, play those games during the week, not the weekend, because you don't want to compete with football playoffs. But you have the week still in your pocket. And the championship played as all star weekend. You can still, you do all Star Saturday, you still get your, you know, your branding and it still gets all your vendors come in, you get your NBA con, but then you just have a game that actually will matter. And that's how you. We don't have to keep going back. You can't replicate Woodstock. Woodstock happened once they Tried to replicate it a couple of times. Remember in the 80s, they tried to have these sponsored by Pepsi. Exactly. And it also doesn't work because that was a different. That was a movement. Woodstock, you can't ever replicate it. So what we saw in the 80s with the NBA All Star weekend, that was a movement that was taking a league that was dormant in the late 70s, bringing it to life and discovering that it could sell and the stars playing together was something compelling. And then they ruined it with branding and commercialization and then extending it from two days to four. Unnecessary. So, yes, I don't blame the players.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Don, I brought this up to you yesterday when I was working over at the NHL. I said to somebody, I said, why don't you just abolish this? Nobody cares. The players don't care. Just abolish the All Star Game. He said, we can't do it. It's too corporate. It's too important to our sponsors to have that weekend in Minnesota or Dallas or Florida. That's where we schmooze our clients. That's where we fly their families in. Please spend a million dollars on our product. So what you're asking to get rid of is probably the reason the league does it in the first place.

[Don La Greca]

It's the convention. It's the sports convention. It's not for competition.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right. So I just don't know what you do about it, because if. If you're just gonna have the game and not have all of the schmoozing, then they're probably not having an appetite to do it at all. But they're gonna want that corporate flying everybody in. Please buy into our product. Please become a sponsor. Powerade is there. Please. We lost Gatorade. We need to be able to get you involved. Bring the family. Bring 100 of your employees. We'll take you out on the town in Dallas. We'll treat you to the game. You'll get to meet some players. Please give us millions of dollars in sponsorship. That's what they're doing. So what you're asking to get rid of as the reason why it's no good and the players don't care is the whole reason they do it in the first place. At least from the NHL. So I'm sure the NBA is even bigger.

[Alan Hahn]

But, Alan, here's what I would push.

[Don La Greca]

And I've covered a lot of NHL All Stars as well.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Same thing.

[Don La Greca]

It's the same madness.

[Alan Hahn]

I think you make a lot of compelling points, but a lot of those things that you're describing were in play. And it still remained awesome for a while because of the kinds of players.

[Don La Greca]

Who were around because they were from that gen, you know, like it was. They were offspring of that generation that.

[Alan Hahn]

They were still close enough to it.

[Don La Greca]

So they, they saw it still as important. And even for them personally, their brand, you know, Jordan and Nike and Adidas and everybody else that's involved, they want their stars at this thing again. It's like I said, if you ever been to Comic Con or any of the other cons that they. Do you understand how important it is? There's vendors there. Yeah, it's. It's branding. It's what's next. It's all that stuff. It's important. And there's a lot of fans who.

[Alan Hahn]

Like that, but isn't part of it.

[Don La Greca]

Players were part of it for a moment until they started realizing that by Sunday, I just want to get out of here. But if you've ever been to any of these conventions, by Sunday you want to get the hell out of there.

[Alan Hahn]

I guess I'm just not willing to take it completely off of the players. I just still feel like if the players wanted.

[Don La Greca]

No, but they made them that way. You're not wrong.

[Alan Hahn]

No, they care.

[Don La Greca]

But players should care. But they don't have to care.

[Alan Hahn]

Right? Right. I hear what you're saying. They've now been molded into. You're there for the interview. Nike sets you up for an interview in public on Friday. Saturday morning, you have to be at this thing. Everything else becomes an afterthought.

[Don La Greca]

You're not there for the game anymore. You're there to sell. You're there to sell. You're there to walk the lobby.

[Alan Hahn]

The game, really the interesting part is this. Here's what I think could happen. The reason I think Allen's case is compelling is for me personally, guys, on my mental calendar. I don't know how you guys feel. All Star Saturday has been a bigger part of my mental calendar than the game for years. I forget on Sunday I'll be like, oh, the game. And then to the other point, you made the game used to tip at 6pm on the.it's now what, an 820 tip or something? Yeah, you weren't getting me off the SNL 50th anniversary to watch that schlock. No chance. Sorry. I'm.

[Don La Greca]

I'm old enough to remember when the game was in the afternoon, pre evening.

[Alan Hahn]

There was a. It was three.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Three, three o'clock, three o'clock late afternoon. Sunday perfect.

[Don La Greca]

On a Sunday, middle of the day, perfect.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, I guess I remember that, too.

[Don La Greca]

Like I said, guys would leave after the game, and you were off to wherever, whatever wonderful location you could go to for just three days. So you have to. And then you get back.

[Alan Hahn]

What time did the game end? Sunday night 11.

[Don La Greca]

You know what? Again, you don't know. I'm telling you the truth. I'm an NBA guy. I've covered a league for 20 years. I did not watch it.

[Alan Hahn]

You watched the Saturday Night Live.

[Don La Greca]

I watched snl. Yeah, I did not watch it. I had every reason to turn it on. Did I flip to it? Like, a little bit. I wanted to catch a little Brunson, a little cat. And then every time I did, you know, it was on a commercial.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, it was maddening, the commercials of brutal.

[Don La Greca]

And then I went to it, and you know what else happened? Kevin Hart happened. Why?

[Alan Hahn]

What did Kevin Hart do?

[Don La Greca]

Whatever he was doing, he was just doing something. And I was like, I can't watch this. Like, it just. Can you just give me the game?

[Alan Hahn]

Right, right.

[Don La Greca]

Just too much breaks and too much of this and too much of that. And I know they wanted to. They wanted to honor the TNT guys. They had every right to do that all stuff. But, I mean, God, can we just get this thing going? Come on. I kept. And I finally was like, I'm not going back.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And I mentioned it to Peter yesterday. You Maybe you heard. I mean, you're trying to do this for younger generation, and younger generation has to hear Shaq. Bash it, Charles, bash it.

[Don La Greca]

That's a great.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Draymond Green comes on.

[Don La Greca]

Draymond.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And I use the analogy to Peter. Imagine growing up a basketball fan in the 90s, watching Jordan, watching Larry and all that. And then having somebody like Clyde come out and tell you, boy, this is not as good as it was when I played. You'd be like, all right, stop it, old man.

[Don La Greca]

All those guys did back then when they were at these games, the 50th All Star, they just put their hand up and waved. They were acknowledged. They waved their hand and that was it. They didn't have this overwhelming presence that we have today. So you have a little bit of that. I think that's fair. But it just. To me, like I said, it's just too much sell. Too much commercial, too much of that and not enough of just the celebration of a game.

[Alan Hahn]

Cause like, for example, the players, for example.

[Don La Greca]

And then, of course, there's LeBron telling you last minute, he's not playing.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, Anthony Edwards didn't play.

[Don La Greca]

Anthony Edwards not playing. And that's not because, you know, people say, well, that's unfair because two guys could have played. Nobody wants to see the 12th All Star. Like, nobody cares. It's not about that. You know what that's about. They're there because they had to be there. Brand and appearance, and they had to be there. Otherwise, like, if you're hurt, you ain't going. Like, I'm hurt. I can't make it this year. I'm injured, so I'm going to lay out. But no, he had to be there. Anthony Edwards had to be there, and LeBron had to be there. They know they did because of everything they're attached to commercially, they had to be there.

[Alan Hahn]

If you're going to have something, they'll.

[Don La Greca]

Never say it, but that's the truth.

[Alan Hahn]

If you're going to have something that becomes that commercial, you know, and like, a lot of NFL stuff is like that. You know, there's certainly. I won't even include the super bowl because that's a weird thing. But the entire playoffs are like that. Thanksgiving's like that. The NFL is constantly like that. But guess what? In between all of the commercials and things being hawked, there's this game. And the game's awesome and you really enjoy it. This is all sizzle. There's no steak.

[Don La Greca]

Yes.

[Alan Hahn]

It's nothing. You get a halftime performance with DJ Cassidy doing a medley with the local artist. It's all sizzle. There is no stake in this game.

[Don La Greca]

And I'll say this, Don, as a baseball guy, I still think Major League Baseball is. The one thing they have kept right is their night before with the home run that is still spectacular. There's something about it. And then their game is still interesting enough.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But the thing is, with baseball, I thought about this the other day, too. Yeah, it's perfect because there's nothing going up against it. It's the middle of the summer, and it's a sport pretty much the same as. But also, there's. There's no way to kind of mail it in.

[Don La Greca]

Good point. Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I mean, you don't want to strike out. I mean, you're up there, you're holding a bat. The world's watching you.

[Don La Greca]

Good point.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You're going to want to hit a home run. You're not just going to wave at it and strike out and go back to the dugout. You're not going to let the ball go between your legs. You're going to try to catch it. You might not dive for it.

[Don La Greca]

It's probably because you're Going to try.

[Peter Rosenberg]

To make it effort because you don't.

[Alan Hahn]

Want to look back.

[Don La Greca]

There's no offense and defense right there' Right there's just hitting the ball and feeling the ball and playing the game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And the pitcher knows he's only going to throw like 10 pitches so he can kind of go all out. And a guy who pitched on Sunday or a guy that's already in line to pitch on Friday isn't going to go in the game. But the guys that are on regular rest will pitch, but they don't want to. They don't want to get hit and the batter doesn't want to strike out. So naturally there's going to be competition. But in hockey, I'm not going to lay somebody out. I'm just going to skate around, make sure I don't get hurt. When I got the puck, I'll take a shot. I'm not going to embarrass myself, but I'll just stay out of it, you know, same thing with basketball. I'll just go up and down the court. I'll take an easy shot. So my shooting percentage doesn't look bad.

[Don La Greca]

But it's just when you see like it's a two on two on one and the guy defending doesn't even bother, like it's just like, what are we doing? So like I said, I just, I feel like that's the point.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I thought about it and that's a good inside look at it too, is that. But you would you also think though, to push back a little bit that if you've got, if you had to go break ground at something that wouldn't you kind of look forward to the game? I've been here for four days doing nothing and now can I at least go play?

[Don La Greca]

The last thing an athlete wants to do. I wish we had Rico here because he's the one guy he played in All Star Games. He's the one guy that could actually tell you the experience. The last thing an athlete wants to do is sit around and not really do much and have the talk to, you know, do your media sessions and all that and just it's all the same stuff and all. And it's like I could be on vacation right now. Like I could be away right now. Like I could be relaxing right now. This isn't relaxing. No, it's not hard work. But I mean, ask yourself if you had a choice between I'll give you four days off, you can go wherever you want and come back, or you know what, Don? You don't have to do anything but just. I still need you to show up at work, but you can just, you know, shut down, sit at your desk and do nothing. Which one is gonna be more relaxing? Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, you're right. Like, it's just. That's. It is the reality. People have to understand. No, they're not being taxed into anything. They're not being asked to do things that are exhausting. It's. Yeah, just talk to people and walk around and be zoomed around in, you know, in SUVs and stuff. But it's like, this is my break. I know this is my break. And Now I've got 28 games to make the playoffs and try to win a championship, and this is my break. And that's why I say you want to kill the players. The players were led to this by something that has grown out of control. And it's interesting what you said about the NHL. Don't. It's true. It's gotten too far. You can't pull back now. That's how you make your money. And All Star Weekend is a huge moneymaker, but it is, to me. It's a dying thing. It jumped the shark. And the NBA should scrap it the way it is. Don't think, oh, they'll go back to any other format. The US World thing, like I said, that's going to bring complications. It's not worth it. Turn it into, this is the NBA cup championship game. We'll name our All Star team. You can still do all the other stuff to make it your NBA.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You can still take a break and.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, then the teams that are in it.

[Alan Hahn]

I don't know if you heard this part, Don Allen. I said this yesterday, though. We got to stop trying to come up with ways to trick the players into trying.

[Don La Greca]

You're right.

[Alan Hahn]

Like, if we do this, what if we give a cookie? If every time. If you add up the amount of missed threes that you get. If it's less than 5, we all get baked cookies. They don't care. We can't trick them into care.

[Don La Greca]

They make too much money at this point to care.

[Alan Hahn]

And this just doesn't have. Again, I do feel this. If I were to blame a player, I don't know. There's something about LeBron. He has not taken the torch from Kobe in terms of being maniacal about, like, you got to just push these kids to win. And like, Kobe was a maniac. He took the baton from Jordan.

[Don La Greca]

Well, you remember him yelling at LeBron.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, yeah, that's right. I Forgot about that.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah. Remember that, like, that was the thing that Kobe would keep guys competitive because he would embarrass you until you started playing defense.

[Alan Hahn]

And remember, you remember Jordan when Jordan came back and then Kobe and Jordan.

[Don La Greca]

Went heads up like Madison Square Garden.

[Alan Hahn]

It was. You had incredible moments. And I. LeBron's one of the greatest players who ever lived. And we say this on Don and I always say this. And he's clearly a good man. I have no personal question mark. I criticize LeBron because he's one of the biggest athletes in the world and everything he does is gigantic news. No questioning what I think the character of the man is. But there is something about his style in general that hasn't necessarily translated to the young guys who want to be like him being uber competitive. When you think about the move to Miami, when you think about la, when you think about the All Star, every sort of. You think about the Bronnie, he. There's a little bit of T Ball with LeBron. You know, there's a little bit of T Ball with LeBron. And that would probably be my one flaw that I really see in him as a leader of the sport. And listen, we all know Kobe in the early days does not sound like he was a pleasant guy to be around in those early years. Eventually he found the balance of being a psychopath and a good and mature guy. But man, do I miss Kobe when it comes to that energy at these weekends. He just wasn't going to let you. You couldn't dog it. You couldn't get in the zone. AutoZone.

[Don La Greca]

Welcome to the A to Z Savings Event at AutoZone. Yeah, happy to be here. Can I get some rotors? Would you like brake pads with that? How much are the brake pads free with the rotors Free. Really, really free. Okay.

[Alan Hahn]

I also need some oil.

[Don La Greca]

Would you like an oil filter with that? Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

How much is that?

[Don La Greca]

Free with five quarts of oil. Free. Really, really free. It's part of the A to Z savings event. You might as well call it A to free at AutoZone. Get in the zone. Auto zone restrictions apply.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This is a mini meditation guided by Bombus. Repeat after me. I'm comfy. I'm cozy. Cozy. I have zero blisters on my toes.

[Alan Hahn]

Blisters.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And that's cause I wear bombus. The softest socks, underwear and T shirts that give back. One purchased equals one donated. Now go to bombas.com espnpod and use code espnpod for 20% off your first purchase. That's bombas.com espnpod, and use code espnpod.

[Don La Greca]

I can say to my new Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, hey, find a keto.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Friendly restaurant nearby and text it to Beth and Steve. And it does without me lifting a finger so I can get in more squats anywhere I can.

[Don La Greca]

1, 2, 3.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Will that be cash or credit? Credit.

[Don La Greca]

4 Galaxy S25 Ultra. The AI companion that does the heavy lifting.

[Alan Hahn]

So you can do. You get [e-mail] compatible with select apps.

[Don La Greca]

Requires Google Gemini account. Results may vary based on input.

[Alan Hahn]

Check responses for accuracy.

[Don La Greca]

Thanks for listening to the Don Han and Rosenberg podcast.

[Alan Hahn]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Don La Greca]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

[Alan Hahn]

Dr. Dre is so the right artist for you to sing along with Alan for your voice quality.

[Don La Greca]

I don't know how to take that.

[Alan Hahn]

What do you know? Because your. Your voice is already like and dread. So when you're like, keep them heads ringing. You literally sounded like Dre. I mean. I mean, party's going on.

[Don La Greca]

Heard it. I heard it a million times.

[Alan Hahn]

It's Friday. By the way, that song sucks.

[Don La Greca]

I know.

[Alan Hahn]

Like, relative. You don't mean, like, it's fine. You hear it and you go, it's the beat. It's fine.

[Don La Greca]

The beat is sort of, like, has a nostalgia to it.

[Alan Hahn]

No, it does. And it's.

[Don La Greca]

That's how I like why I like it.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm not saying it's.

[Don La Greca]

The song itself doesn't say anything.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm not saying it sucks compared, you know, whatever crap comes out today. But I'm saying at the time, it's like, two years removed from the Chronic and Snoop's album again. And then you get a random Dre song. You're like, oh, my God, I can't wait to hear this.

[Don La Greca]

And then it's a pop song, and.

[Alan Hahn]

The chorus is ring ding dong ring a ding ding, ding dong. Just wasn't what I was expecting. He was like, oh, you want a soundtrack song? Yeah, you don't get the full Dre exactly.

[Don La Greca]

Like, it sounds a little bit like, you know, his Deep Cover, the soundtrack.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Bing, bing, bing.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, I love Deep Cover.

[Don La Greca]

Like, doesn't it sound like it's almost like I'm gonna take de cover and turn it into a pop song.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, but deep covers, like, one of the greatest songs of all time.

[Don La Greca]

But, you know, you take something really good, and you just turn it into, like, you make it poppy.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. Like, and yet it didn't even get that popular either. It was like, Mildly popular.

[Don La Greca]

You know what I mean, though? It sounds like a pop.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, no, it was definitely an attempt. They thought it would be really popular.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, but still, it was good. 800-919-3776. Let's get some calls here, boys. Chauncey and Westwood. Chauncy.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Hey, what's up, guys? So about this whole All Star thing. It's really.

[Don La Greca]

I think we've just outgrown it as.

[Peter Rosenberg]

As people, you know, the problem stems from the players just don't care. And when you're getting paid. Generational wealth. You know, I might not care about my job, but I still got to do it. So the fact that they go out there and give no effort, and when they ask and they answer questions about, you know, how do you think the new format went? They're all like, oh, yeah, there was a little bit more effort, but, you know, well, the simple answer is, what do you think? Give effort or.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, but they're not going to say, Chauncey. They're not going to say, like, yeah, I didn't care. They can. They know they can't. They know they can't.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The players.

[Don La Greca]

Johnson, here's something. Here's a. Here's a secret, all right, From All Star Weekend that I can share with you. The players hated the format, thought it was dumb, thought the entire situation was a waste of time. That's what I can tell you. The majority of the players, they'll never say it publicly. Majority of players looked around going, what the hell are we doing? What is this?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, they didn't really like it because they were stopping the game to have some ceremony.

[Don La Greca]

Exactly.

[Peter Rosenberg]

For the commercials and all that. Exactly me. The solution is just stop watching it. Because by watching it and complaining about.

[Don La Greca]

It, you're still helping me.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Get a number. Get a number for Sunday.

[Don La Greca]

I haven't looked yet. There should be a number. Thank you, Chauncey. But here's the thing. When it comes to that, did you see what they did brag about over the weekend? Was it 6 billion impressions on social media? Yes. And I laugh when they promote that. And they're like, you know, it's just. Look at the record we set with all these people that are engaging in our content. And it's like, you know why? Because you are an international sport and it is huge in Asia and it's really promoted. They promote the hell out of the NBA in Asia. And so you're getting a large portion of your interest from that market, which has been lucrative for the league and for its players. But it does it tell you anything about where you play your games in North America? Like, that's like, I get it. Sounds nice that, you know, in, you know, Croatia they love you and you know, in China they love you. And you know, in the Philippines, they love you. That's great.

[Alan Hahn]

No, that's a benefit.

[Don La Greca]

They love the NBA in India. Love it. But what about in the States where you play like that?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like, but you know what?

[Alan Hahn]

But at a certain point, it doesn't matter.

[Don La Greca]

That's exactly it. It doesn't matter.

[Alan Hahn]

I used to get in. I used to have some arguments with people about when WWE started running their international pay per views. I would be like, I didn't like the show they put on in France. Do we really have to do a show in this place or that place? It's on in the middle of the day in the U.S. they have us in the U.S. this other stuff they're doing is expansion and it's new money. And we're not really going to walk away from the game just because we don't like All Star Weekend, even if they don't rate. Listen, Allen, you don't have to like the Ruffles celebrity game because guess who likes it? Ruffles.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, they love it.

[Alan Hahn]

I mean, all they talk about is Ruffles. So sometimes it's unfortunate when you're the hardcore fans, which a lot of American basketball fans are, you get kind of unappreciated and your eyeballs don't matter as much as those new ones.

[Don La Greca]

That's a great point. That's exactly what it's been about. Meanwhile, though, Dom and Peter, I know you guys talked about this yesterday, but the whole U.S. canada thing.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, yeah.

[Don La Greca]

Was insane. Like, that game was entertaining. Everything about it was entertaining. And now it becomes. I'm curious. So they'll play each other again for the championship, right? So mission was accomplished on Saturday night. But this is the championship game, though. Did the US win the battle but now lose the war? Because even though they got that win on Canadian soil and there was the fights in the first nine seconds and all that stuff was great. It was so. So how American was that, by the way? This whole just like, you know, fist pumps and fights and brawls and just aggressive. Like the whole thing was so American, but yet you still got to play for the quote unquote championship in Boston and you're not really going to have your full team anymore.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, you're banged up.

[Don La Greca]

McAvoy's not going to play.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So.

[Don La Greca]

So really, in the end, like, was Saturday Night like the. Was that really, like, just a moment.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But you kind of knew. But you're still getting. You have the opportunity to see it on Thursday. But you're right. I was thinking about this, like, they lost yesterday to Sweden. The game didn't match.

[Don La Greca]

Mailed that one in.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And because, you know, McAvoy didn't play and the Kachuks and every. Because of the game didn't mean anything. Didn't mean anything for Sweden either.

[Don La Greca]

They just wanted to win.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But I was kind of happy they lost just because it wouldn't be something that they win every game and then they'll lose to Canada, lose the championship and have the same record as Canada.

[Don La Greca]

Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But they just happen to lose at the absolute wrong time. So maybe get the loss out of the way. I was talking about this on my podcast, Game of Conduct with Anthony. You can get it wherever you get.

[Don La Greca]

It wherever you podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It still balances out. The fact that I don't think Bennington's any good. I think they could take advantage. Connor Hollabuk's playing out of his mind, so they've got a distinct advantage in goal. But I'll be interested to see the number. It's not on abc. I might have misspoked it yesterday. No, it's gonna be on espn. It's not gonna be on abc. It'll be on ESPN now. That shouldn't matter, but it's technically not over the air. Yeah, but it'll still. I think.

[Don La Greca]

But what's on. What's on ABC on Thursday nights that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Just can't be preempted. Shifting gears. The new Tim Allen vehicle, which is actually pretty interesting.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, but we can't. We. God forbid we don't miss that.

[Alan Hahn]

No, you can't.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We can DVR that. You can't DVR a game.

[Don La Greca]

That's right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But I don't know when they first arranged this. Like, was ABC like, oh, I'm all for seeing this for Canada. Usa. We'll put that on on Saturday night. That's great, but I don't want to. I don't want to give you three hours on ABC's dime, and it's Sweden Finland in the championship point. So I think if they had known this was it, they might have flexed that out, shifted gears, for lack of a better phrase.

[Don La Greca]

Well done.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And put the game on abc.

[Don La Greca]

What's the word on the.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They're both good.

[Don La Greca]

Oh, they're going to play.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They're going to play.

[Don La Greca]

That's good news.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's very good news.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, but the McAvoy thing does bother.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know McAvoy was the one that was like laying Connor McDavid into the glass and that was. That was such a tremendous game on. So I still think it's going to be phenomenal and we'll see when.

[Don La Greca]

Well now you're going to have. Because you're going to get a little more desperate Canadian team, right? They're going to be on their toes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They didn't play awful. I think the McDavid goal was an insane. Because after all of that fighting and all that marking your territory, for lack of a better phrase, it's still. McDavid had a brilliant play and Bennington got the secondary assist on it by the way which is right up the ice was terrific. They still trailed one nothing but they had to come back and win the game 2 to 1 with the empty netter. So it was still a one goal game. So listen, Canada could play the exact same game and win two to. That's why I just think it's so compelling. And you're talking about the break. There are games Saturday so those guys are going to have to get, you know, finish that game late Thursday night. They're going to have to hop on a plane Friday morning and some of those guys are going to have like 1231 o'clock games on Saturday. So you're talking about no rest. These guys made a huge commitment for two weeks. The league is off and I'm telling you it's going to benefit. The Washington Capitals didn't send anybody to the four nations but you're going to have. Now look, Crider only played the one game and it doesn't look like he's going to play in this one. But listen, Trocheck Fox playing every game those advantage adds out but just for the fact that. Oh you mean for the game on Saturday. You know then they're going to have a meaningful game in Buffalo at 5:30 on Saturday and they might be spent. They didn't get to go rest on a beach somewhere and lick their wounds. They've been practicing. Those guys had to report like Monday after their game was over on Saturday had to report to Montreal for practices and then they played on Wednesday and then it's been on. So they didn't get any kind of. You talk about the NBA players not getting. These guys didn't get any break whatsoever.

[Don La Greca]

And that's why those who are saying the NHL should do this every year. You can't do this every year. It's okay. I think you alternate. You do The Olympics break, and then you do an All Star, Then you do this.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's what they're going to do. They're going to do the World Cup. The players wanted this. I mean, that's the difference. The players don't want the All Star Game in the NBA. The players demanded this there be some sort of international play between Olympic Games. And they decided, all right, we'll do the World cup again, like they did in 2016. They just couldn't put it together in time. So they came up with this. And they're hoping by the time that they do the World cup again, we figure out a relationship with Russia and hopefully the war with Ukraine is over and that Ovechkin can play and Shusturkin can play and they could put another team together.

[Don La Greca]

It's a whole.

[Peter Rosenberg]

A little bit more interesting piece of.

[Don La Greca]

The NHL that's missing because there's a lot. What are you gonna do?

[Peter Rosenberg]

The Russian thing is just.

[Don La Greca]

I understand political. I get.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's too much.

[Don La Greca]

I get it. But most of the Russians that play in the NHL are really, like. You know, they kind of. I hate to use the word domesticated, but you know what I mean? Like, they're American almost now. They all live.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I get it. But it's just the whole specter of what's going on. And then you're gonna kind of accommodate them and call them the United team member. Then you'll have the Olympics, and then they'll be. The next All Star Game is gonna be at ubs.

[Don La Greca]

Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So.

[Don La Greca]

But.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So before.

[Alan Hahn]

Wait, they're having. They're going back to Australia next year.

[Don La Greca]

Well, they have to. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They're not going to do this every. But they will incorporate the World cup and the Olympics.

[Don La Greca]

UBS is in two years. Yeah, that's right. Olympics. The Olympics. The Olympics.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. And so it'll be like, olympics, All Star Game. They'll still be able to do an All Star Game during the Olympics. They'll figure something out there. So they're not getting rid of it completely, but you will see a World Cup. This will be the last of the four nations. But the World Cup, I think, will be even more interesting because you'll be able to get at least six countries and have it a little bit more.

[Alan Hahn]

This is the last of the four nations.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This was something that was just put together because they couldn't put a World cup together. Once they get a World cup together, hopefully they figure out Russia. Was it Czechia? Now they call it not the Czech Republic anymore. You could probably Put other team. I don't know. If you could do Switzerland, which sucks for. For he. Sheer. Slovakia would have a team, then you'd be able to put together something like that. When they did the World cup the last time, they had the European team, which ended up winning the whole thing, which takes a lot of unity out of it because you've mishmashed a bunch of different countries.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, that's what I was before.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Matt Succurello's like, well, there's no Norway for us to play. Me to play for. I want to play, too.

[Don La Greca]

That was. That was something when a lot of us were kicking around, like, can the NBA do something like what the NHL just did, you know, and capture the same type of thing? And that's what I was saying is you couldn't do. You could do Canada, US but then you'd have to do Europe because there's not enough players. Like, you could do a French team. You could do that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Could you do a Serbian team and have it be competitive?

[Don La Greca]

That's what I mean. Like, I just. If you could, they would have done better in the Olympics.

[Peter Rosenberg]

If you put the whole European team together.

[Don La Greca]

Unbelievable.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There is not a single country that could match only France well.

[Don La Greca]

And they couldn't match the United States. No, but nobody can. That's the other problem is everybody knows that you're playing for second.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And I mentioned it. Just like the Olympics. That's the thing. Other than soccer. Name me a sport in which the US Is the underdog. That's a great point, you know, and it's not our sport. So we kind of come in big bad USA with a chip on our shoulder because it's Canada's sport and we're not. And we may not necessarily be automatically better than Sweden, although we proved to be this time around. But, you know, that's why 1980 resonated so much. There isn't an international basketball movement moment other than how we were jobbed against Russia with the. With the 72 and 72. But there isn't a quintessential international US Olympic win because we're always the favorite.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, it's true. And when you can't have a 19 team and then you had. Even the redeemed team. The redeemed team was simply just coming in and destroying everybody because the other one just.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They screwed up.

[Don La Greca]

They just had bad teams, right? Yeah, they just. They just had a bright. The guys didn't have the right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And that's why I got a little pushback from the baseball standpoint, you're starting to see the World Baseball Classic is starting to become a thing.

[Don La Greca]

I agree, it is.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It just needs some time.

[Alan Hahn]

It's getting there, but.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's getting.

[Don La Greca]

But I like it as a way to kick the season off, you know, again, the Diaz injury is one of those that are unfortunate, but in the end, like, that's a great way to start.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Could it ever be big enough, the World Baseball Classic, where you would consider it an alternative to the All Star Game?

[Alan Hahn]

I think you could.

[Don La Greca]

You'd need to take a lot of time off, though, if you did it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like the four nations. Right. If you. There's probably more than four nations because.

[Don La Greca]

You'D have the rec takes like, what, like two, three weeks?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, it takes a while because you've got a lot of different countries. Of all the Caribbean countries. But if you were to come up with the best four, like if you had a tournament during. In the beginning of the season and then say these are the four teams that made it out.

[Alan Hahn]

But, like, then we're all. We're only discussing the fourth team. It's US, Japan, Dominican Republic, and who's the fourth? Isn't that fair to say?

[Don La Greca]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

If you had to pick four.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I mean, yeah, US And Dominican Republic, I guess. Yeah, Puerto Rico would be good.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, you'd have them.

[Alan Hahn]

But. But if you have to find Ford, you don't put Puerto Rico and the US Together.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, if you need. Well, if you. If you want to have four, I feel like we're missing somebody. How would Korea do?

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, I mean, there's this.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It can't be North Korea.

[Don La Greca]

There's South Korea. There's Venezuela. Canada has a lot of good baseball players as well, so.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But have the World Baseball Classic, and then the best four can play the format that we have here with the four nations for the All Star weekend.

[Don La Greca]

I think, again, you could still do a whole baseball con around that. And sell your sport. Yeah, yeah. Sell your sport, have your convention, but also have games going on during this that matter.

[Alan Hahn]

This episode is brought to you by Allstate. Some people just know they could save.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate first. Like, you know, to check the date of the big game first before you accidentally buy tickets on your 20th wedding anniversary and have to spend the next 20 years of your marriage making up for it. Yeah, checking first is smart. So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate Savings. Vary terms apply. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois.

[Don La Greca]

This episode is brought to you by Lifelock.

[Peter Rosenberg]

During tax season, your personal info travels.

[Don La Greca]

To a lot of places between payroll.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Your tax consultant and the IRS.

[Alan Hahn]

If your W2 gets exposed, that's just.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The ticket for identity thieves. That's why LifeLock monitors millions of data points every second.

[Alan Hahn]

If your identity is stolen, they'll fix it, guaranteed or your money back.

[Don La Greca]

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[Peter Rosenberg]

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[Alan Hahn]

Visit lifelock.com podcast terms apply thanks for.

[Don La Greca]

Listening to the Don Han and Rosenberg podcast.

[Alan Hahn]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Don La Greca]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. Way better. It's a good movie too. Don, have you seen Deep Cover?

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, of course he has. It's Don McGregor, for God's sake.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I have not seen.

[Alan Hahn]

Really?

[Don La Greca]

You got some homework? Have you seen Deep Cover? I can't remember if you ever saw it. The last time we discussed.

[Alan Hahn]

He hasn't seen.

[Don La Greca]

Oh, I've seen it plenty of times.

[Peter Rosenberg]

From on TV to like the regular.

[Alan Hahn]

It's on tv. They show Deep Cover. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Growing up.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don La Greca]

Probably a half hour of the tv because most of it you can't show.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, they edited out a lot of stuff.

[Alan Hahn]

I really only think about the song. Okay, Don, Don, in case you didn't.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Know, it's a Lawrence Fishburne vehicle.

[Alan Hahn]

Big Fishburne vehicle.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Jeff Goldblum that bounces.

[Don La Greca]

He's actually really good at it.

[Alan Hahn]

That song is so. That song is so important. It's the debut of Snoop Dogg. Don, you understand that he's a kid in the video for this song.

[Don La Greca]

Easy for you to say.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, it's easy enough for me. Snoop is a kid wearing a White Sox starter windbreaker and he's a baby faced youngster. By the way, he was great on the SNL concert on Friday as well.

[Don La Greca]

Okay, you know who else is great? Dropkick Murphy's sure and Bad Religion. They're coming to the Stone Pony Summer Stage on Wednesday, August 13th. So set your calendars, everybody. ESPNY York has your chance to score tickets on the ESPN New York app. Just find the contest tile. Submit your entry. It's all brought to you by Live Nation. Tickets go on sale this Thursday, [e-mail] a little game time brought to you by telling More to do Irish Whiskey. Because when it's game time, boys, it's tolly time. Certainly is. No locals in action. We have a break for both the NBA and the NHL still. But how about this on espn, the Uno TGL Golf. That's right. At seven. We also have Kansas versus BYU in men's college basketball at nine. Right. So game time. Brought to you by Telomar Dew, the original triple distilled, triple blended triple cast mature Irish whiskey. Be sure to grab a Tullamore Dew or try the new Tullamore Dew, honey, during tonight's action. Glasses up to enjoying till the more dew responsibly.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Thank you. Laurence Fishburne is like. You look at him as like an elder statesman of actors.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He's only 63.

[Alan Hahn]

He. That's.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That means like.

[Alan Hahn]

No, you want to know why? You want to know why? You're shocked because he was so young when he was Furious Styles.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, he was very young there.

[Alan Hahn]

That's what makes it.

[Don La Greca]

But he was old.

[Alan Hahn]

But he seemed older. He played old as Furious Styles.

[Don La Greca]

He played like the 40 year old dad in that.

[Alan Hahn]

Right, but he played the 40 year old dad. But he looked like a 50 year old dad. And he was probably a 35 year old at the time.

[Don La Greca]

He was old when he was young, though.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, he was old because he lied about his age to get in Apocalypse now. He was 17 and he lied and said he was 19.

[Don La Greca]

No, no, no. 19.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And then what really skews it for me is I was a big fan of the show Blackish. He played the grandpa. So when that came out, he was like in his late 50s.

[Don La Greca]

He plays old really well, man. Real well. He was in King of New York, too, with Christopher Walken. Christopher Walken.

[Alan Hahn]

That's a vehicle you'll never be able.

[Don La Greca]

Have you seen that one, King of New York?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No.

[Don La Greca]

Oh, Don.

[Alan Hahn]

Don, you never seen Christopher Walken? I mean, you never seen King of New York?

[Peter Rosenberg]

New York?

[Alan Hahn]

What?

[Don La Greca]

You really would love that.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, hold on, I got to jump in here. Jacob, the only reason I believe that you're sounding surprised is because you're used to Biggie saying Frank White and King of New York. I do not remember that movie coming out at all. I only remember it as a reference in hip hop and then went back and saw it. I did not know about Frank White. The name Frank White and the whole King of New York thing to me is only because of Biggie.

[Don La Greca]

I saw that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's the only Frank White I know.

[Don La Greca]

That's right.

[Alan Hahn]

That's right. Frank White the desperado. Yeah, but it's from that movie. And I really. I don't remember the movie being. If Don the Greco hasn't seen it, that Means it wasn't that big.

[Don La Greca]

No, it wasn't. But I saw it on a bootleg VHS that someone took in the theater. Like, we were in. I think we were in. I was on the team. The boys all got together and someone's doing. Watched it.

[Alan Hahn]

But, yeah, it's Chris Walken as like a kingpin.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, I'll talk about.

[Don La Greca]

It's so good. Gets his revenge.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, and it is crazy.

[Don La Greca]

Bloody.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He was 38 years old in the Matrix.

[Don La Greca]

Who?

[Alan Hahn]

What?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Laurence Fishburne.

[Alan Hahn]

Couldn't be. He's gotta be 50.

[Don La Greca]

Isn't that crazy?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, he's born in 1960, came out in 99.

[Alan Hahn]

But isn't it nice? Isn't it nice every once in a while when someone's younger than you think? Because these days, we live at a time where everyone we think about, you look and you go, oh, my God, they're 80.

[Don La Greca]

It's nice to see, like, Paul Simon sitting with. Standing next to Sabrina Carpenter. And that I saw.

[Alan Hahn]

That was hard.

[Don La Greca]

It's hard to watch.

[Alan Hahn]

Hold on. I saw a tweet last night. No, I have to. You guys have to hear this tweet. Someone sent me a tweet about Paul Simon last night. My friend Zach is a huge Paul Simon fan.

[Don La Greca]

I'm a big Paul Simon fan. But I just wish he just played.

[Alan Hahn]

Guitar at that point because you think his voice is going.

[Don La Greca]

That wasn't tough.

[Alan Hahn]

His. His voice is.

[Don La Greca]

Is.

[Alan Hahn]

Is. It's not what it was. It came around as the performance went on, but next to the sweetness of Sabrina Carpenter, it was a little tough.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, but contrast, for sure.

[Alan Hahn]

My friend sent me. Here it is. Hold on.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He's 83 guys.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, I know. I'm well aware of a break.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I am giving him a break. And I loved the clothes with the golden slumber with Paul McCartney. I think he had a cold.

[Alan Hahn]

Who, McCarty?

[Don La Greca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Cause McCartney sounded good, though. I thought he was good. No, he sounded good, but he didn't sound himself. I think he might have just had a cold. I don't think it was anything to do with aids.

[Alan Hahn]

This is the line that someone sent me, by the way, about Paul Simon. It's a picture of Simon and Carpenter together on stage. And someone tweeted it. It has now 7,000 retweets. This person said, God keeps throwing shorter and shorter women at him, but he's relentless. He simply will not be taller than anyone.

[Don La Greca]

That's not right.

[Alan Hahn]

No matter what the setting is. No matter what the setting is, Paul will be the shorter guy. He will not be denied.

[Don La Greca]

And she's like. And she's small.

[Alan Hahn]

Like, she's not. By the way, I don't know if you guys saw this. Paul Simon announced dates today. Don.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Mm.

[Don La Greca]

Did you see that?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I did not. I know he was gonna perform. I didn't hear me announce it.

[Alan Hahn]

He announced a mini tour. It says. Real quick. It says it's a mini. A quiet celebration. I don't know if that means that.

[Don La Greca]

It'S going to be small venues. I hope.

[Alan Hahn]

Also, it's the Beacon here.

[Don La Greca]

All right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He's limited. He can't do. He won't do, like, call me Al anymore. That he can't. He can't.

[Alan Hahn]

He just can't get up there.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He just can't do it.

[Alan Hahn]

So he's doing. Here. He's doing five nights at the Beacon.

[Don La Greca]

I might.

[Alan Hahn]

So he's still.

[Don La Greca]

I might go.

[Alan Hahn]

If you guys want. If you guys want to pick it up, I will definitely be.

[Don La Greca]

Want to do it? Yeah, let's do it.

[Alan Hahn]

It's across the street from my house. I'm going.

[Don La Greca]

All right. I'm in pregame at Peter's house. Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

Now we're talking.

[Don La Greca]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast. I don't want to know how the sausage is made, man. I just want to know. It's good. Hear more of Don Allen and Peter weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app, and your smart speakers.

[Peter Rosenberg]

In case you didn't know, these young men are driven. Quite remarkable, magnificent and unmistakable. These are the prodigies, the savants, the ones we've been waiting for. And they are not asking for you.

[Don La Greca]

To pass the baton.

[Alan Hahn]

They are methodically planning the perfect moment to take it. A new generation of Toyota drivers are.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Here, and they want you to know one thing.

[Alan Hahn]

You can't stop my drive.