Hour 1: Baseball Comebacks & Monica McNutt

Summary

---

Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 1: Baseball Comebacks & Monica McNutt

Date: April 8, 2026
Podcast: ESPN New York
Hosts: Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg, Don La Greca
Special Guest: Monica McNutt (NBA Analyst, MSG/ESPN)

---

Episode Overview

This lively episode blends New York-centric sports banter with deeper dives into the culture of fandom and team resilience. After a fast-paced debrief on recent baseball action—highlighting notable Mets and Yankees narratives—the hosts transition to broader reflections on the city’s passionate, sometimes volatile, sports fans, and the pressure cooker that is New York sports. The show then shifts to hoops with the arrival of Monica McNutt, tackling Knicks’ questions, NBA strategy, and her personal connection to a classic hip-hop anthem. As always, humor, quick jabs, and real-talk keep the conversation kinetic and true to the city’s spirit.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Banter & Scheduling Frustrations

[00:31–02:16]

• The hosts riff on the Mets’ and Yankees’ scheduling changes due to weather and how they impact fans and their own show times.
  • Don La Greca: “Just because the Mets are gutless and asked to play at 4 o’clock…”
  • The group jokingly laments the chaos but ultimately shrugs it off as a New York reality.

2. Mets & Yankees: Fast Starts and Baseball Nuances

[03:27–07:45]

• Mets’ Recent Success:

  • Mets pull off a four-game win streak after falling below .500.
  • Don: “They’ve rattled off four in a row since [Juan] Soto got hurt…I’m not going to go there and say they’re better off without Soto—that’s silly—but…Mauricio comes off the bench and gets his first walk off hit.”
    [04:44]
  • Importance of depth, bench contributions (Mauricio, Taylor, Young) in stretching the lineup.

• Yankees & Mets Schedules:

  • Discussion on early-season victories:
    • Peter Rosenberg: “You win in April for whatever reason, however you win, that matters…you have those banked already.” [07:00]
  • Parallels drawn to other sports, noting baseball’s unique volatility and the unpredictability of team performance over a long season.

3. New York Fan Culture & The Pressure to Perform

[09:36–16:39]

• Comparing Mets and Yankees Narratives:

  • Debate on whether ex-Yankees like Devin Williams find Citi Field a “softer landing” than the Bronx.
    • Don: “Is there a pettiness among Mets fans—it’s like, I want to jump them, but the Yankee fans jumped them, so let’s be kinder?” [12:39]
    • Peter: “My fellow Yankee fans...you better be great because you’re putting on the pinstripes.” [12:48]
  • Consensus: New York media and fans are tough—no matter the team, scrutiny is intense.

• Defining the ‘Kindest’ Fanbase:

  • The group tries to identify the most forgiving local fanbase.
    • Don: “I really don’t think you go anywhere here...and say this is a place where the fans are more supportive than others. It’s all the same mold.” [14:48]
    • Islanders fans are described as non-booers; “they just don’t go” to games if disgruntled. [14:14]
  • The Northeast culture—Philly and Boston included—is highlighted as uniformly intense, sometimes “toxic” for struggling teams.

• Memorable Moment:

  • Peter: Recounts a Penn Station encounter with a Knicks fan demanding Jalen Brunson be traded, illustrating fan irrationality.

    “He goes, we have a Jalen Brunson problem. I said, of all the problems you have, that's not one of them…He goes, I think he's gotta go…” [19:36]

4. Fan Passion Turned Dark: Threats, Social Media & Gambling

[19:14–24:14]

• Unhinged Fandom:
  • Don and Peter discuss instances where fans threaten players, referencing NBA security’s increasing challenges with social media and gambling-driven threats.
    • Don: “I mean...People just stick their head out the cab and ‘You suck!’"
    • Peter: “It’s usually the guy sitting in his underwear at a computer going, ‘I was only kidding 99.9% of the time.’” [23:53]
  • Mention of the Robert De Niro movie The Fan as a chillingly accurate portrait.

5. Golf Talk: Mockery, Masters, and the “Don La Greca Open”

[27:34–36:48]

• Golf’s ‘Culture Problem’:
  • Bryson DeChambeau’s 3D-printed club ignites cynicism:
    • Peter: “He’s using an iron at the Masters made with a 3-D printer…Isn’t that great? …Why is this a headline?” [27:36]
  • Don: Lampoons amateur golfers’ seriousness:
    • “You bowl your game, eat your taco, and go home. Golfers…walk 18 holes like a moron for four hours, go home like you accomplished something…You accomplished nothing!” [31:49]
  • Jokes about starting their own anti-country-club golf event:
    • “This should lead to us having a golf...the Don La Greca Open. It’ll be like...maxi golf from Happy Gilmore.” [35:52]

---

Monica McNutt Segment: Knicks, Giannis, & Basketball Realism

(Starts at [41:03])

6. Monica on Sports & Life: Hip-Hop and High School Memories

• Connection to Biz Markie’s “Just a Friend” and the DMV (DC/Maryland/Virginia) roots.
  • Monica: “I am absolutely horrible at most lyrics…but yeah, that’s the hook, right?” [42:18]
  • Shares story of using the song in a high school election campaign—didn’t win but got applause.

7. Giannis to the Knicks? Monica’s Realist Take

[44:02–47:51]

• Responds to buzz about the Knicks possibly trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo:
  • Monica: “If we got to the end of the offseason and Xs and Os, you can make the money work, fine. I just don't think you should leverage your entire future…the dude has not been available…he’s played 8 games in the last two postseasons.” [44:21]
  • Emphasizes that a superstar trade could gut the supporting cast, diminishing the team’s depth in an increasingly deep Eastern Conference.

8. Knicks Team Dynamics & Playoff Readiness

[47:51–50:45]

• Discusses promise of Jalen Brunson–Karl-Anthony Towns pairing after a recent game.

  • Monica: “This was the first time…I was like, okay, so maybe there’s some credence to this idea of not showing your full deck…The issue is not going to be them offensively. The issue is what’s going to happen on the other side of the floor.” [48:41]
  • Praises Towns for defensive improvement but warns that playoff challenges are real, especially with intense scouting and adjustment.

• What Monica wants to see from the Knicks in their final regular-season games:

  • Monica: “I want to see games. I want to see this team playing its best basketball and not playing around…I don't want to see none of the nonsense.” [50:19]

9. Classic New York Sign-Offs & Jokes

• Hosts joke about special guests (hinting at Carmelo Anthony), and rib Monica about her schedule.
  • Peter: “By the way, tell Mel he's got to stop ducking me and get on this show.” [51:27]

---

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Don La Greca:

  “Baseball is not like basketball, where there is a real problem if the Knicks lose to the Nets…Baseball’s different.” [07:45]

• Peter Rosenberg:

  “You win in April…it matters…because later on in the year, you might go through some injuries or slumps, but you have those wins banked. That’s important.” [07:00]

• Monica McNutt:

  “I just don’t think that you should leverage your entire future [for Giannis]…the dude has not been available…as much as this league has been a copycat league, your 1-2 punch can’t do it alone…you can’t just throw anybody out there.” [44:21], [47:14]

• Fan Encounter:

  “We have a Jalen Brunson problem. I said, of all the problems you have, that’s not one of them.” [19:36]

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:27–04:44]: Mets comeback wins, Juan Soto injury and unexpected contributors
• [07:00–07:45]: Why early baseball wins matter
• [09:36–12:39]: Yankees vs. Mets: The 'pressure' question, fan scrutiny
• [14:14–14:48]: Islanders fans as non-booers, searching for a ‘forgiving’ fan base
• [19:36–21:26]: Peter’s bizarre encounter with a Knicks fan
• [23:03–24:14]: Rise in threats, sports gambling, player safety
• [27:34–36:48]: Golf mockery, 3D printing, and dreaming up the “Don La Greca Open”
• [41:03–44:02]: Monica McNutt joins, Biz Markie/DMV, and high school anecdote
• [44:21–47:51]: Monica breaks down Giannis trade rumors and Knicks’ playoff prospects
• [47:51–50:45]: Pick-and-roll promise, playoff readiness, Monica’s “no nonsense” wish
• [51:24–51:38]: Outtro jokes and Monica's sign-off

---

Tone & Vibe

• Unapologetically New York: Smart, brash, self-deprecating humor and a sense of shared community joy/pain.
• Relentless honesty about both sports teams and the fan experience.
• Occasional reverence for New York sports legends, but even more reverence for the quirks (and failings) of fans.
• “Full frontal”—not just analysis, but storytelling and ribbing, as much stand-up act as talk show.

---

For Listeners Who Missed The Episode

• If you love New York sports but are tired of sanitized coverage, you’ll appreciate these hosts’ willingness to call out both teams and fans.
• The baseball breakdowns are insightful, particularly regarding why early-season wins matter and the impact of role players.
• Monica McNutt delivers a measured, intelligent response to breathless superstar rumors, and drills into what makes teams work beyond the headlines.
• The show’s running theme—New York sports as both a privilege and an ordeal—comes through in jokes, stories, and serious moments alike.

Transcript

[Amazon Hub Delivery Announcer]

Partner with Amazon Hub Delivery to earn extra income for your business. With your business, assist with local Amazon deliveries and get paid for each package you deliver. When you become a partner, you and your staff will deliver packages to customers in your area on a schedule that works for you, gain extra income, increase exposure for your business, and connect with neighbors. It's easy to get started with no delivery experience, long term contracts or startup costs required. Interested in Learning more? Visit Amazon.com hubdelivery that's Amazon.com hubdelivery Don sitting it.

[Don Hahn]

Sit.

[Caller or Listener]

You stink.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Han, how about your nuts? Can I get some?

[Podcast Host or Announcer]

And Rosenberg, he wanted me to jump

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

up and make the jokey jokey so the people go laugh time.

[Don Hahn]

This isn't North Dakota, this is New York.

[Podcast Host or Announcer]

This is Don, Han and Rosenberg.

[Monica McNutt]

The best threesome I've ever heard on

[Podcast Host or Announcer]

ESPN New York and streaming live on YouTube.

[Don Hahn]

3 o' clock in the big city. Don Hahn and Rosenberg, full frontal, seven o', clock. Right in your face.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

And by the way, they said, do you want to do 6:30?

[Don Hahn]

I said, no, no.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

I said, I said, why? We were offered and I, they, they were, they offered. They said, well, tomorrow you're 6:30. Friday, you said. I said, that's a shame. I want to give it back to the people.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

So I'm working right till 7 o'. Clock.

[Don Hahn]

You know, just because the Mets are gutless and asked to play at 4 o'. Clock.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

By the way, it didn't age great. I mean, if I'm being honest, it didn't age great.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What didn't age great?

[Don Hahn]

Well, it seemed like no one died at Yankee Stadium.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Yeah, the Yankee game just didn't feel like a big deal. And it would have been a cold.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Completely. I mean, although Jazz looked like he's running for action on Hoff looking.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, it was like.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Or Snow Patrol.

[Don Hahn]

Okay, it was Star wars, mother. But of course, because that's where you go. Yeah, you're one of the non virgins that care. You should celebrate it. He should be lifted up. But they should worship Alan.

[Peter Rosenberg]

How dare you?

[Don Hahn]

He's the guy that made it out.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, that's again, Han Solo. He is one cool.

[Don Hahn]

There's plenty of Solo going on solo every night.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Not him though. He got the princess working out.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Great point. But no, it didn't age great. Just in that I think you should avoid changing the ticketed game time whenever you can.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

You know, like if it's, if it's going to be, hey, there's going to be a dangerous thunderstorm coming through and we're worried about safety. I get it. But, like, it's going to be a little uncomfortable.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It turned out fine when I left yesterday.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Yesterday.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yesterday, yeah. And was off the subway, Penn Station, finding my train. So that's where you always see the confluence. I always know who's playing by the jerseys you see all over Penn Station.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Sure.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And a lot of Yankees fans. Right. Heading to the subways to get up to the Bronx. No one was wearing anything more than a hoodie.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

It looked regular.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Everybody just walking by with like, no. I figured you're gonna see just complete parkas and all. No. And I'm thinking these poor people are gonna freeze their tails off. And then, you know, you watch the game and other than Jazz Chisholm, they really didn't seem like anybody was that overly affected by it. Although, you know, Schlitler did admit, you know, the cold got to him.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, a little bit. His worst performance by far.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And his worst performance ended up being where you just gave up two hits and led to three.

[Don Hahn]

I mean, it's all relatively still throwing

[Peter Rosenberg]

gas, but it, like, it did not seem like that big of a deal. Now we'll see how today works out. It's a beautiful day as far as the sun feels warm, but the air is still obviously cool.

[Don Hahn]

Tonight was not supposed to be as bad as last night, so I think everybody is going to be okay.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. But both teams worked out for both because both came away winners.

[Don Hahn]

Because the Mets are starting early. We're going to start with the Mets and then once we leave, 880. And we'll be exclusively on the app and also YouTube.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yep.

[Don Hahn]

You know, we'll. We'll do Yankees then, who are going to be later on tonight. But that's a nice win for the Mets. Come from behind. Victory. They were. They were up to nothing. Then down three, two, you know, back and forth. And they win in extra innings. And very quietly, guys, you know, they've won four straight. We were having a conversation. I still stand by the conversation on Friday, which was when they dipped under.500, lost the first game to the Giants. Like, hey, at what point Mendoza. Is Mendoza on notice? Well, they've rattled off four in a row since then, unironically. And I'm not going to go there and say they're better off without Juan Soto. That's silly. But Juan Soto got hurt early in the game on Friday. They won that game and they haven't lost since. And you look at the numbers in left field, you know, Taylor's played, didn't do much on Friday. Jared Young started, walked, then Taylor replaced and went 2 for 3, 4 RBIs. Young then played Sunday, went 3 for 3. Nothing really yesterday other than the fact that the roster spot was created for Mauricio because Soto was out. And Mauricio comes off the bench and gets his first walk off hit.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Good for him.

[Don Hahn]

And that's when an extra innings.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Good spot.

[Don Hahn]

Mauricio has been odd. We've been waiting on him forever. And I think I brought it up last year. My son and my nephew have been playing the Show.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh yeah.

[Don Hahn]

And I don't know if you know this, Peter. Like what? The Show. The. The video game.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

That right? Mlb, the show.

[Don Hahn]

Mlb, the Show. You can, you know, you, you can make yourself a minor league or try to get to the major leagues and then you start to get to know some of the players in the system. And this was the MLB, the show 24. And my brother, my son started liking Mauricio because he was playing in the minor leagues for the Mets.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Oh, I remember.

[Don Hahn]

And he was asking questions about him and then he'd come up and he'd do something. He hasn't been able to stick. And now he gets called up because Soto's hurt and he doesn't have a place. You know, Beatty's playing, Vientos is playing. Other guys are getting a chance to play. He's got to sit on the bench.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

That's right.

[Don Hahn]

Which means when you get your shot, you got to take advantage of it. And he did. Now, he didn't hit a game winning home run like Rosario last night, but he got a hit. Big spot, Big spot, big win. Four in a row. And the Mets are in first place in the division and they got a seven and four record. So you got to feel good about where they are right now, how they responded. Now, have they beaten good teams? No. I mean, I don't know what the Pirates are going to be. I don't think the Cardinals are really any good. San Francisco's proving that they're not a very good baseball team. All right. And we'll see what the Diamondbacks end up being. But you could say the same thing with the Yankees who are tied with the Dodgers, ironically enough, with the best record of baseball. Right. The Dodgers and the Yankees having the best record.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Isn't that tempering Dodgers already with injuries, like, it's amazing.

[Don Hahn]

Everybody's got them.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They just, they find a way.

[Don Hahn]

But the Yankees are winning. But like how good are the Marlins? How good are. No, it's baseball season, okay. This isn't football where the Steelers are supposed to win. You know, in 76, the Steelers didn't lose to the Tampa Buccaneers. That's just the way it was. But baseball, it's different. But you don't apologize for it. Pretty much everybody's got similar schedules. Take advantage of it, win. And I thought Michael K. Made an excellent point today when I was driving in. You know, the Mets didn't have a great season, completely collapsed in June, didn't get eliminated till the last day of the season. Why? Because they got off to a great start and that carried them almost into

[Peter Rosenberg]

the playoffs, which I think is important. I don't. So that's why, when we try to downplay it so early, I understand that it's so early. So you can't make predictions of a season. You can't anticipate what it's going to be. But it doesn't mean that games you win in April, for whatever reason why you win them and all that stuff, they still matter because later on in the year you could have, you could say to yourself, it's a good thing you got those wins when you did, right? Because you might go through some injuries that cost you, you might go through slumps, whatever it is, but you have those banked already. That's important. So, no, we never, never, never, never downplay the value of a win, especially in baseball.

[Don Hahn]

Because baseball is not like basketball, where there is a real problem if the Knicks lose to the Nets.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

That's a problem.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, it's a bad.

[Don Hahn]

Look, you got a bunch of teams that aren't trying to win. And when you lose against the team that's not trying to win, that's a problem. You know, if you're going down the stretch trying to make the playoffs in hockey and you're taking on, you know, no offense, the Rangers right now. You got to win that game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yep.

[Don Hahn]

Have to win that game if you want to get into the playoffs.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, it's just very similar to where the Islanders are right now playing the Maple Leafs. You got to win that game.

[Don Hahn]

No, you have to win that game. They've been mathematically eliminated. Got your home. You're desperate to win that game. You have to win that game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This becomes more.

[Don Hahn]

You're playing the Carolina Panthers like they will at the end of the season. Different story. Montreal Canadiens, which they will do the second to last game of the season. Different story. Football as well. You're trying to make the playoffs as that last wild card team. And you're just taking on a team that doesn't care. And they've got one win also. You got to win that game. Baseball's different.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Must win, even though it's not. See, that's why we don't want to get too. Too caught up in the verbiage. But there are games that field must win, and that. That does happen throughout a season. Early in the baseball season, there's no such thing as a must win. But it doesn't mean that you downplay the value of these wins. But how important, though, Don, is the fact that the method. So the Mets, you know, running scoring position had been an issue early at the start of the season. They've been better at that in the last couple of games. But I also, to me, the bullpen is really what stands out.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The fact that, you know, you're starting pitching is still sort of.

[Don Hahn]

And you were in the bullpen early.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, you have to be like. To me, what I'm also noticing is what they're getting out of Devin Williams and Luke Weaver, the two former Yankees who came over, and they've been literally lights out, 10 strikeouts, 10 innings pitched, no runs scored, the two former Yankees. So that they have come over. Is it.

[Caller or Listener]

I don't know.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Is it? I know, you know, you have to play a whole season to see the difference, but is there a difference in coming away from the crucible of the playing for the Yankees and coming to something that might be a little less pressure? Because Devin Williams didn't seem like he could handle that.

[Don Hahn]

That's interesting.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So he's in New York, but is it a different thing for Devin Williams that it's no longer the whole the Yankee thing hanging over you? I've always felt like Mets and their fans, that stadium is a little more. A little. Not much. Little more forgiving than Yankee fans and Yankee stadiums.

[Don Hahn]

Obviously, if you're the Yankees, it's World Series or bust.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But I'm talking about forgiving. Like, you don't feel like, guys, it's April. What are you booing me for? Right. But yet I don't know if that happens.

[Don Hahn]

It happens with the Mets. Now, are the Yankees more popular? Is there a chance there'll be more people in the building on a given night than at Citi Field or back in the day, Shea Stadium? But it's New York. And for the most part, you know, it's a lot of the same media. You know, you've got people that cover the Yankees and people that cover the Mets. Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Why does it feel different, though?

[Don Hahn]

But you guys know that there are Reporters that go to every game, that don't travel. So they'll go to Yankee Stadium when the Yankees are in.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Don Hahn]

They'll go to Citi Field when the Mets are in.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The baseball columnists, the Maine columnist, they'll just bounce from stadium to stadium.

[Don Hahn]

Listen, Mike Lupica is one of the most respected columnists. He's not. Unless it's a big game or the playoffs of the World Series. He's not traveling with the Mets or Yankees. He will, you know, if one of them are home, he wants to follow a story. You're going to have to deal with a Mike Lupica, whether you're a Yankee, whether you're a Mat, whether you're a Nick. I mean that. You just got to deal with that. Media in New York is media in New York. I don't know if there's more for the Yankees than the Mets. It's probably about equal.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I think it's equal.

[Don Hahn]

But if the Yankees, if you want to say the Yankee fan has a higher level of expectation, less patience with a player. Oh, yeah.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

And more negative in general.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's what I was saying. I feel like we are more negative. We are more aggressive, more like, more demanding. It's fully like, you better show it right away or else. Now, again we see Bichette. He's hearing it like, you know, so I guess it does work. It's a New York thing. But I was just wondering, from the Devin Williams perspective, does he feel a little bit less pressure on him? Because he looked. He looked uncomfortable from day one in pinstripes. But yet so far he's been good. Weaver was good then. He kind of hit a wall last year. So I'm not surprised that Weaver's pitching well. But the Devin Williams is going to be interesting to watch this season with them. It's going to be interesting.

[Don Hahn]

But I guess the question I'll have for Peter, because he's neutral, I guess I am somewhat, is, does Devin Williams go, I'm out of the Bronx. It's so much better here in Flushing. Or it's a little better. It's negligible. You're not going to Minnesota, you're not going to San Diego, where it's going to be noticeable. Like, he walked in the big thing with the Yankees. Remember? He walked in like, well, look at all this media.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I remember that story.

[Don Hahn]

You're going to walk into Citi Field on opening day. There was the same media.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. But now he's used to that now, though, because he's had a whole Season of it.

[Don Hahn]

But is there a pettiness among the Met fans were like, I want to jump them, but the Yankee fans jumped them. So let's be kinder to him.

[Kodiak Waffles Advertiser]

I don't know.

[Don Hahn]

I don't know.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I, I, I get this sense from the outside, again, having family members filled with Mets fans, that there's a little more forgiveness than there is from my, you know, fellow Yankee fans, who we are just, you better be great because you're putting on the pinstripes and you know what that means. Like, I just feel like there's a little bit of a different.

[Don Hahn]

Well, let me ask you this.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I would ask Devin Williams this if I was governing the team. First thing I'd ask him, is it

[Don Hahn]

a little different around.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

What would you ask Boba Shet? Because he wasn't used to getting booed.

[Don Hahn]

That's a great point.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

That happened opening weekend, right? He made it, what, two days?

[Don Hahn]

So let me ask you this point, all right? Where do you get a soft landing in New York? Is there a fan base where you say, boy, they're, they're really forgiving. They don't get on you right away. They're very supportive.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So who is the.

[Don Hahn]

I don't think there is the most

[Peter Rosenberg]

gentle fan base of the four majors

[Don Hahn]

because I just think New Yorkers and New Yorkers, just, just because you happen to be a meth fan, a Yankee fan, or a Jet fan or a Giant fan, you're still exposed to the same things that make you the way that you are.

[Monica McNutt]

Right.

[Don Hahn]

Like, I listen, being around the Devils, the fan base, they hate the team right now. I mean, they're booing, they're toxic on social media. The celebrations you saw on social media when kids got fired because they are disgusted with where the team is right now. I've seen it with Islander fans that they, they showed Islander fans don't poo.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They just don't go.

[Don Hahn]

They just don't go.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's amazing. Like, that's what you get. Like, that's, I guess that's the one fan base. If you think about it. Of all the fan bases, Islander fans really don't waste their time booing. They just don't even go. And it becomes an empty building versus

[Don Hahn]

a loud rush is not ideal for a player either. I think the Knicks fan is the most optimistic, hopeful. They're most hopeful. But yet we've seen them get on players right away.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, yeah.

[Don Hahn]

All right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

So we know that they can, they, they can go at a player if they don't think he's given a question. I don't, I don't, I really don't think you go anywhere here of the nine teams now and say this is a place where the fans are more supportive than others. There's places where there's less coverage. If you're a Devil, if you're a net, if you're an Islander, you're going to get less media coverage for sure. But I think we're all cut from the same mole. Whether you're from Long Island, Westchester, Jersey, the city, you know, we all, we all drive on the same roads. We all kind of have similar jobs and you know, we, it's. We're all cut from the same mold kind of.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We're all quick to say he's a bum. We're all do it.

[Don Hahn]

And you know what? I think it's the Northeast too. I think that's the way they are in Philly. I think that's the way they are sometimes in Boston is because. Remember that hole with the Machado, Peter? Remember the construction, right? Thing that felt like that could have been right in Manhattan, a guy in a girder, you know, in 57th and third screaming, a Machado coming out of a hotel, do the right thing and sign. That's what kind of makes it interesting here, right?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I think that's what would make it fun to play here. But it isn't for everyone. It's. It's just not. But the Devin Williams thing, because all we heard about was how he low key, miserable all year, never comfortable and rabbit ears and right now he's off to a really good start.

[Don Hahn]

Maybe it was just a case of him getting a little bit more used to it because he did get better as the season wore on. So maybe it was just a.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He went from closer to set up back to. He was terrible. Every time they put him in a pressure situation, he was off.

[Don Hahn]

He did seem at least talking to Michael about it and hearing him on the air, he seemed to be handling New York better as the season wore. Now maybe he didn't perform well and that's why.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Will the Mets benefit?

[Don Hahn]

I think they will. I think that was the reason they got him.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He got his year right. He got his year in the Bronx and you come to the Mets. So you've got that year under your belt. You understand how it all works here in New York.

[Monica McNutt]

You.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But you also might have just a little bit of a soft delineate. It's only reason why I asked it. What is the Met strength done so far? If you, if you're going to pick something that you would say, this is what their. This is their strength. What have they identified?

[Don Hahn]

You brought up the bullpen because again, they're not. There's nobody offensively that's having any kind of a monster. Monster starter.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

All right. From a batting average standpoint, you know, Vientos is batting.400. But of the everyday players I'm just looking at because I got to give you the starting lineup. Lindor is batting.160, Shed's batting.200. You know, Robert Jr. Has been good. Simeon a little bit better, not great, you know, so you know Alvarez, very good. But as far as what's really got them to where they are right now is that they've kind of found the bats a little bit. But I think. And he can't really go. The starting pitching has been okay, but here early in the season, not giving it tons of length. So it's got to be the.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Both.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. 11 games, 145er ra second best in the league. I mean that's, that's what you always look, you know, you don't have aces out of that bullpen. You do have McLean, but you don't really have. You know, Peralta's been, eh. Right. He had 100 pitches yesterday. I mean four and two thirds. So yeah, if you can rely on your bullpen early on and figure it out, that's. That's a huge value. So far they're getting some value out of the bullpen.

[Don Hahn]

And let's take a look right now at the amazing starting lineup, which is brought to you by Ramsey Mazda. That game gets underway at 4:10. Lindor is going to lead off. He'll play short. Bichette, we were just talking about him. He'll be at third base batting second. Polanco is your DH batting third, batting cleanup. And in center field is Robert Jr. Beatty, batting fifth. He'll be in right field batting sixth and playing first base. Vientos. Simeon will bat seventh and play second base. Binge in left field. And he will bat eighth. So again, no Juan Soto being on the IL and Alvarez back behind the plate. And he will bat ninth and catch for Peterson, looking for his first victory of the season, will go up against Nelson. And that is our amazing starting lineup brought to you by Ramsey Mazda. Get more for your money at Ramsey Mazda. Like a new 2026 Mazda CX50 or Mazda CX90? Choose wisely. Choose Ramsey Mazda. I've told you the stories. I did shows with Steve Phillips and he would talk about getting death threats. He couldn't walk down the street. People just stick their head out of the cabin.

[Podcast Host or Announcer]

You suck.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I hate you. But, like, death threats, I hate.

[Don Hahn]

General manager.

[Peter Rosenberg]

A little rough. Well, these fans are passionate.

[Don Hahn]

I mean, and they're also moral.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They're also crazy.

[Don Hahn]

I mean, I don't want to get into that. Dave Rother. I'm a super. You know how big a fan I am, Peter?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Willing to threaten someone on the team.

[Don Hahn]

I would kill Steve Phillips. That's how big a fan I am.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Did I tell you guys about the guy that stopped me at Penn Station a couple of weeks ago? A couple of days ago? I said, maybe last week, whatever it was, I'm in Penn Station. I'm just literally walking. And, you know, a lot of times people want to say hello. They'll say, go, Nicks, whatever it is. And that's nice. But he literally stops me and he goes, we got a problem. I was like, what's the problem? He goes, we have a Jalen Brunson problem. I said, of all the problems you have, that's not one of them. He goes, I think he's got to go, whoa. He's like, you know, because I guess that one game he sat out the offense, you know, they had a big offensive game. Of course they played, you know, a punching bag and Cat had a big game. And he's just doing this whole, you know, I. I think we gotta trade him. You gotta sell high. And he's trying to convince me this. And I was just staring at him, and he just looked like a normal human being. It wasn't like, you know, right where. Where I wasn't wearing a chicken outfit. I wasn't worried for my life.

[Don Hahn]

You know how to San Diego check.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Normally when somebody walks up to you and they look like a functioning human, you're just like, hey, how you doing?

[Don Hahn]

It wasn't like the guy jumping from subway to subway in Ghost.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, no, nothing like that. But the fact that, like, he. And he's trying to convince me that we have a Jalen Brunson problem. Staring at him like, sir, the one thing you don't have is Jalen Brunson problem. And number two is like, do you remember what it was like before he was here? This team was terrible. What are you talking about? So fans sometimes get caught up in the one moment, and they don't know what to do with their anxiety. And they just. They say crazy things, and that's one of the crazy things I've ever heard this year.

[Don Hahn]

Let me Ask you this. He didn't say trade him.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes, he did.

[Don Hahn]

No, he said, I understand, but let's just say all he said was, we got to get rid of him. Okay, get rid of him. And God forbid something happened to Bronson, would you go to the police and say, I just want to tell you, I did run into Subway. It said, he's got to go if you don't have any leads.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I thought he was talking about a trade, but apparently he really meant he's gone.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Because it's great.

[Don Hahn]

Like, he could say, you know, he's gotta go.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

And what does that mean? Do you gotta go?

[Don Hahn]

Do want me to get rid of him?

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Wait, get rid of him now?

[Peter Rosenberg]

So you're telling me if I replied to him. Yeah. How do we get rid of him? Well, I got this idea.

[Don Hahn]

I got an idea how we can

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

get rid of him.

[Don Hahn]

So you're expecting to hear? Well, you know, we'll. You happen to have his address? Yeah.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

What's his schedule like?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, I know where he is right now. I could tell you. And then it's just like, no, no,

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

he's got to go.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Then the minute I'm done talking to him, I go straight to a cop. Like, you might want to follow this guy. Wouldn't that. See, there you go. That's a movie.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Because you watch these cop movies, they're

[Don Hahn]

always trying to find leads like that that you'll. They'll ask you to see anything strange. Did you talk to anybody that might have had a problem with Brunson? Well, I ran into a guy in the subway who said he's got to go.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And I thought he was. I thought he meant trade him.

[Don Hahn]

No, no, no.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Apparently, go. He meant go.

[Monica McNutt]

Go.

[Don Hahn]

Really go away.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right? Imagine if Steve Phillips. He needs to go. We got to get him out of here. We got to eliminate him.

[Don Hahn]

Now, Steve told the story that's kind of jovial because it was after the fact, and he wasn't the GM anymore. Like, I don't know how you do your job. How can you just. Oh, come. That they don't mean anything if somebody threatens you? Like, you got to take it seriously. No, of course. And you have all the different kinds of security and you shouldn't. I don't care if you're good, bad, whatever, at your job. You shouldn't have to go through stuff like that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I've talked to NBA security people, especially with the gambling. The stuff that they have to investigate because it. It's online, it. And like, I've heard stories only, like, they can't go into detail because some of these things are still being investigated of people unhinged people just coming at not just the player but the family. They do the research to find family members and threaten them. That is so accuse them of the and get on like and tell them that he, he lost me money. I'm coming for you. It's unreal some of the stories that NBA security has to investigate and it's usually they find the guy and it's always just the guy sitting in his underwear at a compute going I was

[Don Hahn]

only kidding 99.9% of the time. Well what was the guy that wanted to stab Mark Sanchez with that whole thing on social media. And then I was so disgusted. I think it was the New York Post like actually featured him in an article which basically you're giving him his 15 minutes. That's what he was asking Hero. Yeah but nowadays man, people are crazy.

[Peter Rosenberg]

People are.

[Don Hahn]

You know it's tough enough to be in the public eye but you know and it's crazy as it's like gambling. It makes sense. I still think fans could do it just because they're upset their team would win.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We always talk about that movie. Emotional investment didn't get a lot of attention. The patent, the fan.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

That was good. I watched your guys recommendation.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Very, very accurate.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

I was Scott Farrell.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, he was in there. Yeah.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Michael Rappaport on the radio.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, for sure.

[Amazon Hub Delivery Announcer]

Amazon Hub Delivery wants to partner with your business. Help your business, help your neighbors. Discover a new stream of income for your business. When you partner with Amazon Hub Delivery, you and your team will deliver Amazon packages to customers in your neighborhood on a schedule that works for you. And you'll be paid for every package you deliver. Getting started is easy. There's no delivery experience required, no long term contracts and you receive weekly direct deposits. Earn more. Gain exposure for your business. Apply today at Amazon.com hubdelivery that's Amazon.com hubdelivery know a local business that would make a great partner. A local coffee shop owner, florist, automotive shop, dry cleaner, you name it. Refer a business today and earn $500 when they successfully join the program. Visit Amazon.com hubdelivery to learn more or refer a partner. That's Amazon.com hubdelivery now looking for hub partners in your area.

[Kodiak Waffles Advertiser]

Quick time out. Some breakfast intel you want to know about. Kodiak frozen power waffles and flapjacks are built for busy mornings. Heat it, eat it and you're out the door. No long prep, no Complicated game plan. They're packed with 12 to 14 grams of protein per serving, a good source of fiber, and crafted with 100% whole grains, not refined white flour. So you're getting something that actually fuels you. And there's depth on the roster. Buttermilk and vanilla. Blueberry chocolate chip. Even gluten free options. Breakfast that delivers, snack that delivers. Find Kodiak frozen waffles and flapjacks in the frozen aisle at your local grocery store. They're the ones with the bear on the box.

[NHTSA Safety Announcer]

You're sitting at a red light or stuck in traffic and your phone lights up. Maybe it's a text, a video call, a new post, or a quick notification you think you can check in a second. It feels harmless. But the truth is, once your eyes leave the road, you're not really driving anymore. And traffic doesn't pause just because you do. That split second of distraction can throw off everything. Your reaction time, your awareness, your ability to avoid someone else's mistake. You could damage your car, injure yourself, or hurt someone you care about. Or you could get pulled over for a reminder that your phone isn't worth the risk. So before you start driving, make it easy on yourself. Put your phone on silent. Toss it in the glove box. Set it to do not disturb. Put the phone away or pay. Paid for by nhtsa.

[Podcast Host or Announcer]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Podcast Host or Announcer]

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

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, Donnie, I have a headline for you.

[Don Hahn]

I want to hear this before we

[Peter Rosenberg]

get to calls and more discussions and stuff like that, because as you know, it is Masters weekend and the. The par three family tournament going on right now on ESPN proper.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Why I'm so excited for why you could be bringing this up.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, because I. I want Don to know. There's a. There's a great headline that I wonder as I read it, as much as Don loves golf and golf coverage. Golf, Masters, golf people. I'm so glad you said that, because that's why I'm reading it. So, Don Bryson DeChambeau, you've heard of him, right?

[Don Hahn]

Yes. Very familiar with his work.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He's going to be using an iron at the Masters made with a 3D printer.

[Don Hahn]

Okay.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Isn't that great?

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

I don't understand why that's a headline.

[Monica McNutt]

You're saying.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Oh, you're saying this is the story

[Peter Rosenberg]

because they 3D printer. I'm using a club that I made with a 3D printer. Look at me. Isn't this great? And it's like, first question, why?

[Don Hahn]

Because they're gonna be yo yos now. Trying to get his driver off a 3D printer.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Let's go. Let's get it right. He made it himself on a 3D printer. This is golf headline. This is a golf headline.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

It shouldn't be. It shouldn't be a golf to perfection. It's not.

[Don Hahn]

Right. This is why they're all yo yo.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right?

[Don Hahn]

I could decide if I had the time to put together a baseball team and just go around and play other baseball teams and other cities in the Tri State.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Savannah Bananas.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

All right?

[Don Hahn]

We love them. At no point while I'm doing that would I feel like I'm actually a major league baseball player. Right. I could take the family bowling this weekend. Sure you can. If I had the time. At no point will I ever think, even if I got a high score, which I did. Bolt a 225 drunk.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Wow.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

So it's a famous story.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, you were nicer that I am

[Don Hahn]

a professional bowler, but I don't know.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Bowling's the one. I feel like the right. If you got a little bit drunker and you just hit a couple more strikes. Don, you're talking. You're having conversations, but I'm not gonna

[Don Hahn]

go around the office practicing my throw, walk around in a bowling shirt with a bunch of sponsors on it with my belly hanging down to my knees, telling all my guys I bowled a 275 last night over at that. That Brunswick lane over there. Brunswick, yeah, that's right. Sucking on a butt ice that they had left over from the 90s. Yeah, I think they should put me on that pro Bowlers tour over there on that espn. No, you just bowl your game, eat your taco, and you go home.

[Caller or Listener]

All right?

[Don Hahn]

We do the Mark Sasso softball. When we're done, we all go out for a meal. They go, hey, just see that line drive I hit in the top of the third? It went all the way to the fence. Look at that. Come on, Vientos. Can you do that? No, I don't do that. We just sit there and we talk about our day, and then we remember Mark and we all go home.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But you golfers, you gotta go DeChambeau.

[Don Hahn]

You know why I'm using this? The grip that DeChambeau uses, man. And I'm watching his. I was watching his swing over at the. The at and T. Back on back. They were replaying it on Tuesday, right? Because the wife had me sleeping on the couch. You know, because I forgot the anniversary, you know, and so I started.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

And I hate my.

[Don Hahn]

And I'm hitting it like this, you know, I'm skinny swing. He's like, no, no, you don't swing like this. You got to swing more over the top like this. And I'm going to take a baseball bat and go this on your sorry ass.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Yo.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yos.

[Don Hahn]

Well, you pretend people. You pretend people that despise your families and wives and kids. And you go sit there and walk 18 holes like a moron for four hours. Then you go home like, you accomplish something, you accomplish nothing.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

What if they shot a good score, though?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. I mean, good for them.

[Don Hahn]

Broke a hundred. You know, you did something.

[Peter Rosenberg]

First time I shot in 88. That's a big deal. You know what I mean?

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Like, well, broken.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I broke 90 days.

[Don Hahn]

You had two kids and they went to college, and one of them's a Rhodes scholar. Yeah, but I got a hole in one once on that. That par four over in Paramus. You know, on that 17th hole, I would do anything.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But I once played Sawgrass, so, I

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

mean, I. I would do anything for Don to somehow accidentally just fall in love with golf.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Fall in love. Take him out, have him play. Give me seven. Seven holes in. He's like, I love.

[Don Hahn]

Bring it in here.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Beautiful.

[Monica McNutt]

Somewhere.

[Don Hahn]

Somewhere on this floor. Do we still have the Sega throw? The PGA golf.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Tiger woods golf is right.

[Don Hahn]

The reason I know what sawgrass is on 17 with Little island is because of. Because of the video.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Tiger Woods Golf.

[Don Hahn]

Caddyshack. One of my favorite movies. Tin Cup.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Love it.

[Don Hahn]

Can't get enough of Tin Cup.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Fantastic movie.

[Don Hahn]

If they wrote songs about golf, might enjoy them.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

What if. Let me ask you a question.

[Don Hahn]

Golf itself can't do it.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Three people dress different, Don. I think that's a big no. What if they didn't all look like nozzles? No, I think that goes a long way.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't think they all look like nozzles.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

90.

[Monica McNutt]

Really?

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Not on the tour. At a country club. 90 look like nozzles.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Because country.

[Don Hahn]

That. That. Exactly.

[Peter Rosenberg]

People pretending and.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

But no, it's what you do.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's lemming stuff. It's like, I want to look like this.

[Don Hahn]

No, no.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

But it's built. But that is. But I. Here's the thing. I love it. I enjoy the sport, but I can't. You can't take that part away. You literally. When you go to play at nice places, you have to drive like you have to. You literally can't break the rule.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But it's gotten so much better than it was just off.

[Don Hahn]

Bowling's got the same. Everybody's got their uniform. It's not even that. Okay. It's how that now becomes part of the water cooler. It becomes part of. But one thing they, I, I just, it's all. It's like they're. That guy, he's just wedding crashers, you know, they're a high fiving each other about the different places they were against you. I went to. I, I told you, Russ, my agent, love the guy. We're in Minnesota. He said, come out. My buddies are all out. We're having dinner. Why don't you swing by? So I'm like, all right, go out to dinner. And it was like all of them talking about the different golfs, talking about, oh, can't wait, going to the Masters. Going to the Masters. Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

It's not that hard for me.

[Don Hahn]

Or me. Another Alabama slammer. That's a deal. Let's meet over at the bar. High five. They're all schoolbox, every one of them.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

But do you see what I'm saying, Alan? It is.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It is.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

It is not as much about the game of golf.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

As it is culture, the kind of people and culture that Don associates with golf. So just hear me out for a moment.

[Don Hahn]

I want to hear you.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Just hear me out because don't. The kind of people you're picturing, do they seem like Rosenberg people?

[Don Hahn]

No, they do not.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

However, I can go out with friends. I won't mention specifically which ones, but one who maybe someone I reference on the show sometime. And the two of us are drinking beers while he's smoking a bowl, and we're riding around having a good time, and we're not coming off. We look like two sloppy bums. And we're hitting it around. You might enjoy that.

[Don Hahn]

We can go out, you know, the,

[Peter Rosenberg]

you know, three of us in Pusick or Jake, whoever wants out of the Jake. Well, I didn't know.

[Don Hahn]

What club are we going to?

[Monica McNutt]

We can go to.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, we're not going to the Masters. Don't worry, Jake, you can go.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Sorry, Jake.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Now, like, so do you think you could ever enjoy it if it wasn't.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, you know, I enjoy it. If we all went. Remember the, the, the golf scene from Swingers?

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Of course.

[Don Hahn]

If that's that. That's me. I could do that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But you're talking about, like, like Happy Gilmore is exactly you.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Hockey guy.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Who just goes, I really like this place, so I'm gonna do what I want. And he did. And he changed the world. Don, you could change the world.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

You know we should do.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You could make a club with a 3D printer and play and make it like.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

No, no. We're missing an opportunity.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What are we missing?

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

This should all eventually lead to. They have their. Their fakacta rickle ball. This should lead to us having a golf.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We need a name.

[Don Hahn]

No.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

And an actual golf ball. The Don legreco Open. That's all I need. And the Lego Open. It'll be like.

[Don Hahn]

It'll be like maxi golf from Happy Gilmore too.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Exactly. And people know and people sign up to play in the tournament with us. We don't care how bad you are. The winning score might be 112. It doesn't matter.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know how we always have our golf thing as a stage outing?

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Out, Arthur.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And we do it our way. Which means, Don, in like a devil's jersey. The jersey Jersey. Not even a devil's jersey.

[Don Hahn]

Throw a mullet for it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I And this.

[Caller or Listener]

Promise something.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, I do that.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Because I think you would. I love this idea because I think Don could enjoy golf if it wasn't for all the things he associated with. With.

[Don Hahn]

I think you're off.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Crystal Springs. Let's go.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Because on a. Oh, that's the best place.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know what I mean?

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

No, we do it an overnight. An overnight at Crystal Springs Spa.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Action.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Oh, you dinner like gentlemen.

[Don Hahn]

I bring the.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Bring. Bring the family.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Crystal Springs on the line. We got to do this.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I like this.

[Don Hahn]

All right, let's get some calls in. Usually at 4:00 clock we get Monica McNutt on. Okay. She had to shift to the next segment. 3:45.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Well, so then. Well, then I think we have to wait on the calls.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's allowable.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

And talk to Monica.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I would talk to Monica.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

And then we get calls at 4

[Peter Rosenberg]

and lots of other things.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

And we just mentioned a lot about golf. So I want to mention quickly that Fanduel has your back with a special Mulligan bet back token this week in Golf. Don, once the tournament starts, which is tomorrow to you and me, you could turn any losing bet into a bonus bet for another try. Now you've got protection to take that sleeper pick or make a bold prediction back with someone to win it all. If you want to pick your guy to win the whole thing, go for it. All right. Like you want to pick one person for a top five finish. I wouldn't pick Tiger this year. Lock it in with confidence because if it doesn't hit you've got that mulligan in your back pocket ready to go. That's FanDuel.com local to claim your special Mulligan bet back token 21 and over and physically present in New York, opt in Required refund issued as non withdrawable bonus bets that expire seven days after receipt. Max refund five bucks unless otherwise specified. Restrictions apply including token expiration. See [e-mail] for help with a gambling problem. Call 877-HOPE-NY or text openy 467-369-Rich Eisen here.

[Caller or Listener]

The April 15 tax deadline is coming fast, but don't worry. Hand off your taxes to a TurboTax expert today. You know how April feels. Everything speeds up. Games matter more. Hoops and hockey schedules tighten, your phone won't stop buzzing, and somewhere in the middle of it all, there's that quiet little reminder.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Taxes.

[Caller or Listener]

You'll get to it tonight or tomorrow or after the weekend. And if you handle it the old way, you're refreshing your inbox like it's breaking news. Waiting, wondering, hoping. Everything's squared away. That's a lot of mental bandwidth with Intuit TurboTax Expert full service, you can match with a dedicated expert who understands your specific tax situation and handles your taxes for you start to finish. You can do it all online or meet in person person at one of their new tech enabled store locations. Have your tax forms imported directly into the app and hand everything off to your TurboTax expert while they work to get you every dollar you deserve. You can go about your normal routine, giving you time back to focus on what actually deserves your attention, like rooting for your team to make the playoffs. April 15th is not waiting, people. Visit TurboTax.com and hand off your taxes to a TurboTax expert today.

[Amazon Hub Delivery Announcer]

Want to earn extra income for your business? Amazon Hub Delivery is looking for ambitious business owners to assist with local deliveries. When you become a partner, you and your staff will deliver packages to customers in your area on a schedule that works for you. With each package delivered, you'll gain extra income and exposure for your business. Plus, Amazon Hub Delivery makes it easy to get started. There's no upfront costs, delivery experience or long term contracts required. Sign up to learn [e-mail] hub delivery that's Amazon.com hub delivery most protein drinks

[Bucked Up Advertiser]

ask you to choose between results and taste. Bucked Up Decided that's a ridiculous trade off. Bucked up makes lightly carbonated protein drinks, 25 grams of protein per can. Clear protein, not milky or thick, and they Taste so good that 25 grams of protein almost feels like a bonus. Bucked up is so confident you'll love their drinks, they're giving away an island vacation just to prove it. That's the kind of brand this is. No purchase necessary. Giveaway ends May 30th. Enter and find your closest Bucked Up@buckedup energy.com. grab a Bucked up and feel like a million bucks.

[Podcast Host or Announcer]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Podcast Host or Announcer]

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

[Don Hahn]

Subscribe. ESPN New York on YouTube. Stream the full weekday lineup live. Watch complete replays or catch up fast with can't miss highlights. Jump into the live chat, react in real time, and make your voice part of the Show. Subscribe to ESPN New York on YouTube now and stay locked in so you never miss.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Is it biz birthday? Oh, man. I saw someone post a picture of Biz the other day, and I mean today, and I didn't put it together.

[Don Hahn]

Well, to celebrate that.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Love that guy.

[Don Hahn]

We welcome in Monica McKnight.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

It works more than you think, Don.

[Don Hahn]

Why is that?

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Because Monica is from the dmv. Biz Markey spent his adult life basically from past the age of, like, 30. The rest of his life was in the DMV as well. It all comes together. Hey, Mon.

[Monica McNutt]

It does come together. Hi, guys.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

How are you?

[Monica McNutt]

I'm well. How are you?

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's amazing. When that song comes on, it's hard not to just sing it.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

It stops everything.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know what I mean?

[Don Hahn]

Like, minute you hear that song, you can't sound worse.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

It's an underrated.

[Don Hahn]

No, no.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

I mean, that's. You know, I don't think Biz would be offended, but it's an underrated. How about this for a take?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Okay.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

It's an underrated song. To be in the conversation of, like, biggest rap songs of all time, you don't think of it. It's not the first thing that comes to your mind, but to think about how well that song still comes off if it gets played in a room full of relatively young people now.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Any arena in the world.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

When you hear it at a basketball game, it just. They still do the jokes on the Tron with. It plays pretty well.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's up there. Monica, were you. Are you able to go, like, chapter and verse on this song? Like, if it comes on and everybody

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

starts singing, you know every word, right, Monica?

[Monica McNutt]

No, I don't. I should this is where we get to know each other even better. I am absolutely horrible at most lyrics,

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

but you do know the chorus.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Wait, wait, do you make up lyrics like, I don't think it sounds like this, or you just don't sing at all?

[Don Hahn]

Oh, baby, you is not hard to remember.

[Monica McNutt]

No, no, no. I mean, yeah, that's the hook, right? But to be honest.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Okay, but if we were to start it and say, oh, baby, you. You know what the next words are.

[Monica McNutt]

So. So here we go. My high school senior year, class president. Like, I went to an all girls school. Whatever. Like this one girl who we loved was.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Where'd you go to school again?

[Monica McNutt]

The Academy of the Holy Cross.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Ah, the Academy of the Holy Cross. Yes.

[Monica McNutt]

In Kensington, right?

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Oh, I know exactly where it is. I've never heard anyone say the whole full. I didn't know you say just Holy Cross. I thought you say Holy Cross. I didn't know you say, like the Ohio State University when you do

[Monica McNutt]

one more sidetrack. I said the whole thing because my high school, my senior team, we're going into the hall of fame. So we've got this email chain going, and I've been talking to those girls. And so it came out that way because of recency bias. Anywho, fast forward back to the original story. I ended my very rogue and ridiculous presidential campaign speech with the song because I have what you need as your class president. And I got a rousing applause and lost the election in the straight.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

I love that.

[Don Hahn]

All right, let dunk on it. I wrote that verse.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

Oh, baby, you.

[Don Hahn]

You got what I need.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

But you say he's just a friend. But you say he's just a friend. That's basically it. Yeah, that's the whole thing.

[Monica McNutt]

Yeah, that's it. And so my twist was I should be your class president and fail.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, very well.

[Monica McNutt]

It was fun, though.

[Don Hahn]

You made a little news. And I'm not sure why we have to have the honest discussion when there's still so much going on now, but you did make a lot of news saying that maybe he's not a fit. If that's a destination they decide to go during the off season.

[Co-host or Contributor (possibly Biz Markey or another regular)]

You're talking Giannis.

[Don Hahn]

Yes.

[Monica McNutt]

You know, so you know, I do that show when I go on about my business. I didn't even know this made news. But anyway, good for you. Here's the deal. If we got to the end of the off season and X is the nose, that you can make the money work, fine. I just don't think that you should Leverage your entire future. And I understand actually pointed out they'll go back to the Bridges trade and all that but the dude has not been available. He's played eight games in the last two postseasons. Yes, it is a down year for him. That still includes practically 27 points and almost I think right around double digit rebounding. But I just I if you honestly all if this roster was the clean house except for Jalen Brunson and Johns Aldokounmpo I love JV and I think he is on track to continue to be great in this league. But how far off are you then from the answer Kumpo Lillard combo?

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's such a great point because that's exactly what you'd have to go to is didn't they have that and it didn't work. But I also don't think they had the best supporting cast around them. And also Dame wasn't available a lot in that season so they didn't have a lot of time together. I just feel like it's hard to say anything right now about it because you don't know what the end result's gonna be of this season.

[Monica McNutt]

I agree with you on that. I agree with you on that. And earlier this season when this came into forefront. Right. My thought was that this group deserved an opportunity to give it a shot. Now I will totally acknowledge y' all that I roll with this team day in and day out. Like I looking at Karl Anthony Towns and his face in the way that this is deal. This is playing with him as an athlete. Right. Like both for my proximity to my proximity, I always add an A. Tyler gets on me about that. Anyway. Both for my proximity to these guys and what I witnessed last year as far as the basketball of it all. I thought this group deserved to have a chance at figuring it out as they were to stay pat. Now we've gotten into the season and have some deficits emerge. Yeah. Have we questioned mentality? Yeah. Do I see and understand why folks see Giannis Antokubo as a solution to those things? Absolutely. But do I also have people boots on the ground in Milwaukee and know that everything that glitters is not completely gold? Yeah. So I just think it's a lot to consider realistically now, the idea of a Jalen Brunson Yamato Kounmpo pick and roll. Sincerely, the space that they would create for one another. Do I probably need to wipe my lip because I'm drooling? Because that is actually tantalizing. Yeah. But again the supporting cast what are you going to have left to do? And guys, as much as this league has been a copycat league, when you look at the best teams, yes, you may have your 1, 2 punch, but your 1, 2 punch and the fall off if you're 1 and 2 punches are 10 and 9. Maybe if you don't have two tens like Boston does, right. Your next couple of guys, you can't just throw anybody out there, right. Like you got to be in that 7 range somewhere in terms of your third option as far as talent. Like that's the way we're moving as a league. And so I just have real concerns about cleaning house and then needing to backfill a roster and believing that in an Eastern Conference where I look at Detroit, Atlanta, Boston, even if you want to go Cleveland, who have depth, more depth than we've seen in the past, especially with Boston's experience, just the whole nature of how Detroit rolls. I think Cleveland's going to be better next year with more time in under James Harden, like in Atlanta is just coming at you in waves with athleticism and Nikhil Alexander Walker all of a sudden becoming an all Star. Like I just don't know that that's actually your solve as you look at the Eastern Conference.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Interesting. So, so let's just now put the focus back on the current Nick team. Right? We can worry about the Gianna stuff whenever this season ends, but we saw something in Atlanta that we haven't seen a lot of nor have we seen in one game. I think at the extent that we saw it, and that is what you just talked about. A two man game of JB and Giannis. How about a two man game of Towns and Brunson that we saw not only early in the game but in crunch time. And it worked. It seemed like it worked to. I don't want to say perfection, but it worked better than anything else I've seen this offense do. What do you make from that? Is that something that they've been kind of hiding until the playoffs? Is this something you think that could be a new wrinkle? What did you see?

[Monica McNutt]

This was the first time that I was like, okay, so maybe there are, there is some credence to this idea of not showing your full deck because through this season I have been puzzled quite a lot. But here's my thing with that. While it was fantastic in the spots that we saw it, everybody knows that the issue is not going to be them offensively. The issue is what's going to happen on the other side of the Floor and making sure that they can be supported now in this back stretch of the season. For all of the conversation around Karl Anthony Towns, I do think that largely he has shown improvement as a defender. He's been smarter. He's been able to stay on the floor and picking up offensive files. Yeah, we're still getting a couple whistles, but I think he's just had his head in the game in a different way.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Agree.

[Monica McNutt]

Should that pick a roll work in theory? 100%. Should that pick and pop also work in theory? 100%. Right. So it's not a shattering thing to me to see that action actually work. And if you can get your corner, three guys, I think I want to say back in January you had the league's like top three of the league's top six corner three point shooters between Sherman Bridges and Anobi. So if you can create the proper spacing, yeah, that should be the formula, 100%. The wrinkle is, though, we know that a series in the postseason slows down. The scouting is even more detailed than it is in the regular season. And if you run into a team, Atlanta again, right. That has defenders that are okay switching and getting into the body of if either one of them, they've got those sort of versatile Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels type of defenders, like, will it continue to work in the series? Just becomes the question. But yes, that was the promise when you made this trade. Like, what do you mean? Come on, let's go.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

So I don't know how Boston's going to handle things tomorrow, but what do you want to see over these last three? Is there anything to see?

[Monica McNutt]

I want to see games. I want to see games. And I know folks will be like, okay, what about the four seed and this formula and this, that and other. I don't care about any of that. I want to see games. I want to see this team looking like they're sorry, hanging out at the pod here, getting ready to hang out with Mellow and Cavs on 7pm in Brooklyn. I want to see games. I want to see this team playing its best basketball and like not playing around. Like, I don't want to see none of the nonsense.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, that's. This is not about the opponent. I agree. Monica. I think this is about you as a team gearing up for what everybody knows is a run that we're going to be. There's going to be a microscope on this team. Maybe more than any team in the East. It's going to be on this team because and that, of course, one day will lead us back into the Giannis conversation.

[Monica McNutt]

Hi, guys. Sorry, guys. Our special guest today, you might be familiar with him. I just let him in the building. But we'll have to wait for the podcast to be.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, you're going to keep that?

[Don Hahn]

Really?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Not even a. Not even a. All right, well, say hi to. Say hi to Mellow Forest and everybody else and Kaz and the crew, and we'll look forward to this episode and the next time we get to talk

[Don Hahn]

to you and speak highly of us.

[Monica McNutt]

Yeah, sound. Of course.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

By the way, tell Mel he's got to stop ducking me and get on this show.

[Don Hahn]

Wow.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Monica McNutt]

Okay, I'll relay that message.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I have asked him several times.

[Monica McNutt]

All right, let me get off the phone because we don't.

[Don Hahn]

Goodbye. Monica McNutt joins usually at 4:00 clock on Wednesday, but she had a lot going on. So busy we'll give her a pass and had around a 345more time to talk to you.

[Podcast Host or Announcer]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg Podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't want to know how the sausage is made, but I just want to know it's good.

[Podcast Host or Announcer]

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.

[Carrington College Announcer]

Your next chapter in healthcare starts at Carrington College's School of Nursing in Portland. Join us for our open house on Tuesday, January 13th from 4 to 7pm you'll tour our campus, see live demos, meet instructors, and learn about our Associate Degree in Nursing program that prepares you to become a registered nurse. Take the first step toward your nursing career. Save your spot now at Carrington Edu Events. For information on program outcomes, visit carrington. Edu Sci.