Hour 1: Chiefs-Eagles

Summary

Podcast Summary: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 1: Chiefs-Eagles

Introduction

In the January 27, 2025 episode of Don, Hahn & Rosenberg, hosts Don LaGreca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg delve deep into the highly anticipated Super Bowl matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. As legends of sports broadcasting and commentary, they bring their unique perspectives to the table, offering listeners a blend of humor, critical analysis, and passionate debate surrounding one of the NFL's most talked-about games.

Super Bowl Showdown: Chiefs vs. Eagles

The episode kicks off with Alan Hahn highlighting major NFL moves, including the introduction of Aaron Glenn and Darren Mugi as the new head coaches for the New York Jets. However, the primary focus swiftly shifts to the Super Bowl contenders: the Chiefs and the Eagles. The trio expresses mixed feelings about the matchup, noting that while it's a clash of titans, it may not be universally popular among their listener base.

Chiefs’ Dynasty and Fan Fatigue

A significant portion of the discussion centers on the Kansas City Chiefs' sustained success and the resultant fan fatigue. Peter Rosenberg articulates a growing sentiment among fans:

“There is this sense of that Chiefs fatigue, and people are just like, not again. Not this team again.” [07:01]

Don LaGreca echoes this frustration, emphasizing the overexposure of the Chiefs in media and advertising, particularly through celebrity associations like Taylor Swift:

“The reason the Chiefs continue to win games is because you have a better coach than anybody else. Andy Reid is just amazing.” [14:54]

Alan Hahn adds to the critique by comparing the Chiefs' current run to past dynasties, questioning whether their repeated appearances are enriching the sport or merely wearing out the fan base.

Eagles’ Performance and Strategy Critique

The hosts critically analyze the Eagles' gameplay, especially their decision-making during crucial moments. Alan Hahn expresses frustration over missed opportunities:

“They settled for field goals, they put the ball on the ground three times. That was frustrating.” [04:22]

Don LaGreca points out the defensive strengths that prevented the Eagles from tying the game, praising their ability to maintain momentum:

“That was a big stop by Philly to not have them tie the game.” [07:01]

Overexposure and Commercialization

A recurring theme is the overemphasis on non-football elements during Chiefs’ games, such as celebrity appearances and elaborate halftime shows. The hosts lament that these distractions detract from the purity of the sport:

“It's everything but football. That's kind of what happens when the Chiefs play in any game.” [14:54]

Don further elaborates on how commercial segments overshadow the actual gameplay, diminishing the overall viewing experience.

Debate on Dynasties in Sports

A heated debate ensues regarding the definition and recognition of sports dynasties. Peter Rosenberg insists that a true dynasty requires consecutive championships:

“A dynasty is when you win three straight championships, period.” [35:49]

Don and Alan challenge this strict definition, citing the Patriots' sustained excellence without a three-peat as a legitimate dynasty. This exchange highlights differing viewpoints on what constitutes sustained success in sports.

Listener Calls and Community Sentiment

The episode features several listener interactions, reflecting a broad spectrum of emotions and opinions:

• Chris and Beth Page express disdain for both the Chiefs and Eagles, rooting for their loss.

  “Those are my two most hated teams in the sport right now. It's Kansas City and Philadelphia.” [18:40]

• Nas in Pine Brook, a die-hard Chiefs fan, shares his agony over the team's performance and the overbearing media presence, only to receive supportive words from Peter.

  “It's killing me.” [29:32]

• Nick in Astoria, a Cowboys fan, discusses his frustration with the Chiefs' media saturation and the intrusion of celebrity culture into the sport.

  “What do you think about that?” [37:18]

Insights and Conclusions

The hosts collectively express a yearning for the game to return to its roots, focusing solely on athletic performance rather than entertainment and commercialism. They advocate for appreciating the sport's purity and the athletes' skills without the ancillary distractions that have become commonplace.

Don LaGreca summarizes the overarching sentiment:

“I'm just tired of it. I'm just done.” [38:55]

Alan Hahn concurs, emphasizing that the pursuit of greatness should not come at the expense of the game's authenticity.

Final Thoughts

As the episode wraps up, the trio engages in a light-hearted debate over their Super Bowl predictions, maintaining the spirited and unapologetic tone that listeners have come to love. The blend of passionate analysis, listener interaction, and candid discussions makes this episode a compelling listen for both die-hard fans and casual enthusiasts seeking deeper insights into one of football's marquee matchups.

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Notable Quotes:

• Peter Rosenberg [07:01]: “There is this sense of that Chiefs fatigue, and people are just like, not again.”

• Alan Hahn [04:22]: “They settled for field goals, they put the ball on the ground three times. That was frustrating.”

• Don LaGreca [14:54]: “The reason the Chiefs continue to win games is because you have a better coach than anybody else. Andy Reid is just amazing.”

• Peter Rosenberg [35:49]: “A dynasty is when you win three straight championships, period.”

• Don LaGreca [38:55]: “I'm just tired of it. I'm just done.”

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Conclusion

This episode of Don, Hahn & Rosenberg offers a multifaceted exploration of the upcoming Super Bowl, dissecting team performances, fan sentiments, and the evolving landscape of sports entertainment. Through incisive commentary and engaging dialogue, the hosts provide listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing one of football's biggest events.

Transcript

[Alan Hahn]

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[Don LaGreca]

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[Alan Hahn]

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[Don LaGreca]

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[Alan Hahn]

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[Don LaGreca]

Don, one day you're not gonna play football anymore. And if there's a God up above, it'll be soon.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Han, huge no, but big. Yeah. And Rosenberg.

[Alan Hahn]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Don LaGreca]

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

[Peter Rosenberg]

This is Don, Han and Rosenberg on 8 80, ESPN and the ESPN New York app. Oh, hell yeah. With Don Lagreca and new Daddy Rosenberg. I'm Alan Hahn. Headlines a plenty today, boys. Aaron Glenn, Darren Mugi introduced as the new hierarch, the New York Jets. And after a championship Sunday in the NFL, we have the super bowl matchup set. And it's not a particularly popular one for at least not on some people on this show and for anything we're seeing around social media and everything else. Chiefs, dynasty and more Eagles. And you've got to deal with that in New York, but, man, we've got a lot to get to. Fellas, how we feeling?

[Don LaGreca]

Better.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Better.

[Don LaGreca]

I needed. I needed a good night. I had a meltdown of meltdowns yesterday.

[Alan Hahn]

Really?

[Don LaGreca]

Calm down. Only by.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, shouldn't I have had the meltdown yesterday?

[Don LaGreca]

Oh, relax. You know what? You're in a really good place, dude. No, no, no, no, no. Your team got embarrassed. I get it. The same way the Giants got embarrassed in the 85 division. The same as that Was not the.

[Alan Hahn]

Same as that, but keep going.

[Don LaGreca]

No, I don't even let me. I'm not talking about this recent regime, that fluke of a playoff appearance in 22. I'm going back to the classy time. I'm going back to the time where men were men. I'm going back to the day 85 divisional round against the Bears. You lose 21 nothing then that. You learn from that and then you win the super bowl the next year. That's what I'm talking about, man. You got a nice future. You know what you did? You paid some dues yesterday. You paid some dues.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Exactly it.

[Don LaGreca]

You know what? My team can't get even in a room. They can't even get in the club to pay the dues. AFTRA doesn't want their money.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Peter, you know. You know the song Dream on by Aerosmith?

[Alan Hahn]

Of course I do.

[Peter Rosenberg]

In the song, the lyric goes, you've got to lose to learn how to win. That's literally what Jaden Daniels, the Commanders, went through. That's all that was. It's just learning. You're learning from losing to learn how to win. And it's coming. And you could see it's coming. And I'm. Anybody right now. If you're a Giants, for a Giant, you've got to envy. I said this before the game. How is a Giants fan? Can you watch this game? Because you're watching the quarterback you weren't. You didn't win enough to keep. And you're watching the court, the running back, and you're watching the quarterback you didn't lose enough to get. Oh, my God. What kind of place is that to be in right now?

[Don LaGreca]

You're at the party, man. You almost got a chance to go on the stage, but you're at the party, you're dancing with hot women. The Giants and Jets are feeding the meter, waiting for you to come out of, Stumble out of the club, and then to drive you home. Feed the meter.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You got the velvet rope in front. They're not letting you in. No, you can't come in.

[Don LaGreca]

We're not on the list. Alan, the jets and the Giants aren't on the list. The Commanders not only were on the list, they were in the Champagne Room.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, right.

[Alan Hahn]

They just didn't go home.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They just had to leave.

[Don LaGreca]

Go home. You know what they just did. You know what? Tomorrow's another day.

[Alan Hahn]

You're making me feel better.

[Don LaGreca]

I gotta tell you, dude, compared to us, you should feel golden, man.

[Alan Hahn]

No, listen, truth be told, yesterday I was. I was not miserable.

[Don LaGreca]

I was.

[Alan Hahn]

I was angry. What I was most angry about was the fact that you did the. We did the one thing you cannot do and win playoff games. Turnovers, they just drop. They put the ball on the ground three times. And that's what, I guess was frustrating, guys. And I'm not trying to be a woulda, coulda, shoulda guy, and I understand the score in the end was outrageous. But you guys watched the game. You take away those turnovers, we're talking about a football game. I mean, they didn't.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They didn't. I mean, first of all, you can't say that. You can't say. You take away the Turnovers, that was a whole part of the game.

[Alan Hahn]

No, no, that's what I'm saying. But like that without a self, without the self inflicted wounds is what I'm saying. They weren't stopping the Washington offense. You're right about very often.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes. Well, look, when it was 11, didn't you feel like, like when it was Listen, tush, push time, which I know you would. You're going to want to talk, right?

[Alan Hahn]

You're going to want to talk time later.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes, but. And we'll get to that. But that whole scene right there, it was a game totally. Like it was still a game. Like there was still things to be had. Like you felt like watching Daniels and this is again to your, this is why you shouldn't feel bad today that you should be just chilling out, relaxing, like we're good. This is just the beginning. The window just opened that. Because as watching that game, Don, you and I again, watching this thing as just, you know, bystanders. Was there a moment until like then the drubbing came in the fourth quarter. But wasn't there like moments where you're like, they could win this game? Like this kid's not faced at all.

[Don LaGreca]

No, I just, I felt like they're hanging in there. But I, I would never go to the point where I thought they were going to win the game. I mean 14 6, settling for field goals, that's not, that's not what you want to do on the road. Then they started turning the ball over.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But I said conversion. They could have tied it. I got a 1412.

[Alan Hahn]

I got, I got to push back on that. Like I had another person who I thought, my friend Andre, who I thought was insane when he said, oh, the game was lost when you guys settled for three on the first drive, I loved. I actually thought Dan Quinn in the first half made the exact right decisions on when to settle for field goals. They get it to 14:6 when Terry McClaurin goes in to make it 14:12. Even though they don't get the two guys, you could feel the air come out of the link quite a bit. All of a sudden you could feel like, oh wait, this team's not going away. I'm totally with Allen. They, they to me up until very late in that game, they were there until the last fumble. That last fumble was okay. You just, you guys cannot win.

[Don LaGreca]

I just didn't think they were good enough to go in going in. So I, I obviously had a different perspective. And again, I guess it's the right thing to go for Two at that point, because, like, you could look at. And what's the difference between being down 1.2 points? You got a chance to tie the game, but, you know, and we'll get into the Bills and the Chiefs and the Bills decision to go for two because you're chasing after the entire game, is that it does give a little bit momentum back to the crowd. You got a big touchdown, big moment. Just kick the damn extra point. You're feeling good about yourself, like in those moments. Now, obviously, I can't kill them because it would have tied the game. And at the end of the day, it didn't really matter the way it did in the Bills, Chiefs game.

[Alan Hahn]

Right.

[Don LaGreca]

But at that particular point, the early ones, we've talked about it many times before, it's like you've just sucked the energy out of the building. You got them worried, and now you go a commercial on a positive. If you're Philadelphia. Yeah, things kind of turn. So. But again, I can't kill them. But that. I. I thought that was a big stop by Philly to not have them tie the game.

[Alan Hahn]

Allen, just later.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Let me set it up. 800 now with 9, 3, 7, 7, 6. The calls are already coming in fast and furious. And we're going to get to them because I know everybody's going to have their takes and their feelings. But the one thing that I do want to just put out there right now is that there is this sense of that Chiefs fatigue, and people are just like, not again. Not this team again. We went through it with Brady and the Patriots, and a lot of people got tired of, and they became again, the evil Empire. They became the team that. That no one wanted to see or you didn't want to see. You wanted to see them lose. It's like everybody rooted for the Giants those two times because you just wanted them to lose so bad. And I think, are we reaching that already? Because this is a chance to see history now with Patrick Mahomes and the Chief. So we'll get to those calls certainly on that. Peter, I didn't mean to interrupt. No, no, no. I just set up.

[Alan Hahn]

I want to get to that now because I think that is the big story of the day. I just want to. At some time, I want to make room. Just give me some room for the. The Tush push. And I need a moment on the refs threatening to award points to the Eagles.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm gonna need so much fun.

[Alan Hahn]

So at some point, I just.

[Peter Rosenberg]

NFL five o'clock hour. Yeah, we'll get plenty of time. Certainly get into that. Yes. Because the. The. That's all. To me the entertaining part of it all. But the emotion is what it's about. And you are gonna see Eagles and Chiefs guys. I don't. Are there two more hated teams at this point? And the Chiefs only hated because I think people are again, the fatigue factor now with them. And also this notion that the league is helping them win games, which is ridiculous. But that part's stupid. That's. But you're getting that. And the Eagles, let's be honest, Like. Like the Eagles aren't a franchise that anybody likes if you're not an Eagles fan.

[Alan Hahn]

No.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Philadelphia's hard to root for. We all know this. Nobody in their right mind would root for the Eagles in this game. Nobody.

[Alan Hahn]

The thing that to me makes the Chiefs absolutely brutal. It's not just that Mahomes is kind of just like a semi insufferable dude. Like, I just. His style irritates me. I think Travis Kelce, I generally didn't think that was annoying. But now the Kelce overload. And of course the big winner of the super bowl is Jason Kelce yet again, who gets to be front and center for two weeks by doing nothing. So the Kelsey fatigue has started to build for me. The Taylor Swift thing is annoying. It's another annoying thing.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But beyond that place.

[Alan Hahn]

Go ahead.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You have. You're a commander's fan and the Eagles are a division rival. No one in their right mind in your place would be rooting for the Eagles in this game. Would have an interest in seeing them win in this game. There's no way you want to see the Eagles win yet another super bowl while your team still is waiting to win. The last 30 years, there's been much.

[Alan Hahn]

Ado about me signing on Twitter at the end of the Bills Chiefs game yesterday and saying, it's been a few hours. My heart is still broken. I will be rooting for the Eagles in the Super Bowl. Let's go.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You can take it back now. You could take it all back now. I'm going to give you a chance. You were emotional and I get it. We have emotional moments where we say things we don't really mean. You have a chance right now. Don, can you agree with me? We're going to give him a chance to delete the tweet and reboot and say, I was out of my mind. I was too emotional. I'd be crazy to root for the Eagles. I take that back. So, Peter, here's your chance.

[Alan Hahn]

I was very emotional when the game ended. I was dealing with a lot of feelings, you know, in general. So much is happening in my life right now. And I got to tell you guys, I tweeted again, I'm rooting for the Eagles in the Super Bowl. I do. I listen. Will I be wearing a green shirt? No. Will I lose one even. Will I lose even an ounce of a thought of sleep if they lose by a hundred? No. I don't actually care. But if you asked me to choose, who would you rather win? Not the Chiefs. Again. I don't want it again. I. To me, the Chiefs have become. Because the style of play. Don, here's the funny thing. Five years ago, the Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Kelsey, Chiefs, I think that was like greatest show on turf territory. Incredibly intriguing offense to watch. They, as in the wrestling business. There's a phrase, and it's not a fair. It's not a fair phrase because X Pac doesn't deserve it. But there's something called X Pac. Heat. Turn off the tv. Heat. Not Heat. Like the Patriots, where you want to see them lose. I just don't want to see the Chiefs. They, they. They play like crap. Don said it all year when he said they can be had. I felt the same way yesterday. They should have been had. Josh Allen had the ball in his hands, down three with three minutes left. This should have been the year they lost. They're not even winning. Impressive. I don't want to see them right.

[Don LaGreca]

And I'm in the exact same boat. But like you said, Alan, I can't root for the Eagles. I can't. And not just some Fugazi rule. You can't root against. You can't root for teams that are in your division. I've just. I've hated this team going back 40 years.

[Alan Hahn]

40.

[Don LaGreca]

I've hated this team, you know, you know, Mike Quick and Cromarty and Mike and Reggie White and even Ron Jaworski, who I started to like when he was working for our company and analyzing stuff. But as a player, I just. I hated the uniforms. I hated the vet, I hated everything about them. And that, that is never, ever going to change. It has nothing to do with Saquon Barkley or anything because Saquon Barkley is a good kid and he's an easy kid to root for, but I just cannot root for that team. Can't do it. And to Peter's point, I'm just. I'm just sick of the Chief. It has nothing to do with even, like, hating them. Like you hated the Cowboys. Or you hated the Yankees back in the day or you hated the Bulls. They're just irritating. Like I said, Peter, when you were away, they're the Macarena. Just. It. It's irritating. It just. I'm done. I mean, the damn post game on CBS was State Farm. Like, it's so with all the frigging commercials. Have to be that with my home was with the soccer and my home was with Jake from State Farm. I just can't take it over and over and over again. And then listen, I have no problem with Taylor Swift, but just that that ends up being the conversation. Like, that's why I hate the super bowl to begin with. Because the super bowl is everything but football. That's kind of what happens when the Chiefs play in any game. It's everything but football. It's the commercials or what Mahomes said before the game, what he said after the game, the officiating, how many times we're going to look at Taylor Swift in the. In the suite. Who's she with in the suite? And it almost has nothing to do with the fact how great the team is. And also it also gets lost. Enough with Mahomes. The reason the Chiefs continue to win games is because there you have a better coach than anybody else. When you think about it, how did McDermott have any chance against him? Andy Reid is just amazing. Those weren't great Eagle teams and he got killed for losing in the championship game every year. Now he's got actually really good players and now he's become the difference. That's why I give the Eagles, like no hope in the super bowl, because really, Saran doesn't belong in the same building as Andy Reid. But does that get talked about? No, it's. What's Taylor Swift wearing? Is she at the game? Did she leave with Kelce before?

[Peter Rosenberg]

After?

[Don LaGreca]

What's Mahomes going to do? Enough. It's never about football when it's about the Chiefs, Peter. That's why I can't. I got to watch this game because it's my job to watch this game. But I have, like, zero interest because super bowl, first of all, is never anything about football anyway. There's one team that I absolutely despise since birth and another team that I'm just fed up with because it's everything about what truly is great about the team, and that's their football.

[Alan Hahn]

I echo and agree with everything Don just said and to the point you made about football. I was explaining to Natalie yesterday who found herself now by the end of the season. You know, very invested in this team. And I explained to her yesterday, I was like, you don't get it. Yes, it's not the super bowl, but I've been dreaming about a conference championship game for 30 years because it's the last real football game of the year. The super bowl, of course, is what counts. You got to win the whole thing. But it's not a football game. It's. It's already a cartoon. And when it's your team, you sign up for the cartoon because you want that championship so bad. But from a football standpoint, it's always a little weird. And now the Chiefs have added these other extracurricular. I don't mean personal hate towards Taylor Swift. I don't care about her one way or the other.

[Don LaGreca]

Right.

[Alan Hahn]

I just mean it's the focus on it that makes it so annoying. Then you factor in that they need never win in a way that I find exciting anymore. It's like this slog of a game. Mahomes is. I get it. He's on his way to maybe being the goat. Guys, when I watch him play these days, he doesn't feel like the goat. He. He. He does not. I'm not taking anything away from the guy. I'm saying from a fan standpoint, you cannot tell me Mahomes still feels as fun to watch week to week as Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, or maybe even Jaden Daniels. He's a winner. He gets it done. He has an ugly scramble where he falls into the end zone and. And spikes a football like he's never touched a football. But I just don't find it enjoyable for the Eagles. Yes, I hate them. They make me sick. But I know so many Eagles fans. I know no Chiefs fan. I know one actual Chiefs fan of my life. They'll still have less super bowl than the Commanders. I don't. I don't care. Don't tell me how to root. I'm telling you right now, I'd rather have the Eagles than win than the Chiefs.

[Don LaGreca]

I'm glad you said that, because I don't think people listen. They could argue with you. You could agree to disagree. But when you were getting beat up on the morning show, like, how could you do that? That's what you choose to do. I don't get it. But be you, man. Be you.

[Alan Hahn]

Thanks, Don. A friend.

[Don LaGreca]

Because that's what everybody does. Alan is like, we got to judge how. How big a football fan you are.

[Alan Hahn]

You're a fraud.

[Don LaGreca]

Obviously, there's a bunch of rules. You gotta Fit you gotta, you gotta do. In order to be a really big football fan, you gotta completely ignore your family. You gotta watch every single second of the game. You gotta pee your. If you go to the bathroom, you might miss the game. You got to ignore your wife if the game's on because it's about football. You gotta hate all the teams in your division. You can't wear a jersey of a team that it's not your team. Like I feel like I'm being lectured to all the time by the Rothenbergs of the world. Like I'm not a good enough fan cuz I don't follow his stupid rules.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't wear a diaper watching the game. You're not a real fan, right?

[Don LaGreca]

I don't yourself during the game.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm two weeks removed, less than two weeks removed from my daughter's middle name being the name of my quarterback. And I'm getting called a fraud because I'm going to pull from the Eagles over the Chiefs. Leave me alone. Root how you want to root. I hate the Chiefs.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I need to know how people feel about this because all I know is this is that I was. It was before the game Sunday morning, Stephanie and I went to the Woodbury deli. We got great. Unbelievable. You know, sausage, egg and cheese sandwiches. Right? Like that's what you do sometimes. You just need to have that. Right?

[Alan Hahn]

Beautiful.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Waiting in line. And I'm hearing the conversation. You're gonna watch the game. Yeah. You're rooting for the chip. I'm so tired of them. And it's like, yeah. And the Taylor Swift. They show her every five seconds. And this other woman goes, I'm over her. I'm over her. At this point, I'm over her. Like you hear the conversations in everyday life and these aren't die hard sports fans, they're just people. But that's a reality that's happening with the Chiefs. It's incredible. 800-919-3776. Let's begin with Chris and Beth Page. Chris, you're up first. Hey guys, listen.

[D]

I'm 61 year old fan, giant fan.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like Don and I totally get it. I'm rooting for both teams to lose in Kansas.

[Don LaGreca]

Those are my two most hated teams in the sport right now. It's Kansas City and Philadelphia.

[E]

Okay.

[Don LaGreca]

I was definitely rooting for Washington to.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Play Buffalo, obviously I think which most of the nation was.

[Don LaGreca]

But I'm going to say this.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I got to push back a little bit on what something Don said earlier.

[Don LaGreca]

I subscribe to The John Madden theory of there's one winner and there's 31 loses. Okay? So you don't build on things. I feel bad for Peter because. You do. Absolutely do. You? Absolutely do. You don't think the Giants benefited from being embarrassed in Chicago by the Bears? They walked out of that room and said, we thought we were ready, and we learned that we weren't. And what they had to do during that offseason to get to that level, that's what you have to do, especially when you're the commanders, that. This came out of nowhere. All right? So it wasn't like they. The Bills can't. The Bills can't build off of anything against the quarterback, but a rookie quarterback, I. Guys, I really do believe you learn from losing.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Don, I'm going to make the ultimate reference here. All right? And it's a reference you know very well. Hey, Chris should know better than this because that's a terrible take. The Edmonton Oilers got swept by the Islanders. They were the best team in the league. They walked out of the Coliseum. And Wayne Gretzky tells the story all the time. He walks by the Islander locker room and he's. And he realizes, like, they look exhausted. Like, we're fine. They're covered in ice packs. You know, they're. They're beat up, and we're walking out of here fine. Is when you realize there's a whole other level to winning a championship. It has to take everything that you have. You learn from losing. That's a real thing.

[Don LaGreca]

Absolutely. Now, the Bills, I don't think, gained anything because they've been down this road and they haven't learned. So. No. So I cannot. So that's. That's a different story.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, you can argue that, too, because this is now the second. They need to do that 30 for 34 Falls of Buffalo, which is an incredible 30 for 30. About the. Again, the early 90s and Jim Kelly and Marv Levy and that. That poor team. Bruce Smith, like. Like the Scott Norwood story is heartbreaking, but they're gonna have to do another one because it's four times now he's lost to Mahomes. There's a new. They're gonna have to do a sequel. Another four falls of Buffalo.

[Don LaGreca]

I can go chapter and verse, because I've had this conversation, Alan, many, many times. Peter has heard it. You know, The Devils win three Stanley Cups. If they don't lose in seven games to the Rangers in 94. You know, going through that, realizing they just weren't good enough, and then they Turn around and win the cup the next year and win three of the next eight years, they win. You brought up the Islanders, the Edmonton Oilers, learning from the Islanders, there's. You don't think the Yankees learn something losing to the Mariners, you know, and then learning from that in 95 and then winning the next year. I mean, it costs Buck Showalter his job, but going through that and realizing this is what we need to do in order to get over the hump. Absolutely. So that whole, that's, it's nice to say the whole Dale Earnhardt, you know, second place is first loser. And it's all like fun stuff to say, but at the end of the day, it's all an education for some teams. For the Bills, it's not. It's, it's. It, it's starting to fade now. But for a team like the Commanders, they're in such a sweet spot right now that I, I know Peter probably can't appreciate it right now, but believe me, during the course of the summer preparing for 2025, it's going to be awesome.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Tessa in West Caldwell. Hey, Tess. You've been medication wise.

[Don LaGreca]

Oh, dear God. She's never been not ready this ill prepared. Tessa.

[D]

Oh, no.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, no.

[D]

Oh, no. I'm so sorry. No, no, I'm, I'm here. I'm so sorry. I think I'm just in like pure utter shock. Like, I'm gonna keep it real with you guys right now. I felt really bad for Peter yesterday. I'm gonna keep it real with you because I didn't do that. I'm like, yeah, why did you do that, Peter? Because I don't know. I think now you got to just call your daughter about her first name for the rest of your life. But it's okay.

[Don LaGreca]

Why?

[Alan Hahn]

He was great yesterday.

[Don LaGreca]

What?

[D]

And congratulations. No congratulations. No, just because of the. Just I think I've got pumble. But congratulations on your baby, Peter. I'm so happy for you and your wife.

[Alan Hahn]

Thank you.

[D]

But I just really want to say this really quick. Like I just kept not thinking you guys were out of it. Peter. I'm like, nah, I need a cardiac team. They keep coming back. There's no way. And I just feel like I was so lost in the sauce because of course I had stocking you because I don't want Saquon getting the ring. Like, are you kidding me? I don't want, want that. You know, I mean, I don't want Philly getting anything. You know, it's Dallas 1A, Eagles 1A, and then it's, you know, the commanders in the jets for me, like, you know what I mean, the people that I can't stand and I baby hate their guts. So I just can't believe what happened yesterday. Like, I was just so shocked. And then to put a 55 up on y'all, I was like, wait, what happened? So it's just like, you know, I did feel bad for you, Peter, because I just felt like that was crazy. You guys were in that, like, you guys were in that for some time. And I don't know where the will fall off at, but they really fell off.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, I mean, Jaden, you know where they fell off. Yeah, you know where they fell off. I mean, the fact that I'm not.

[D]

Trying to get on.

[Alan Hahn]

You put the ball on the ground. No, you put the ball on the ground. You lose football games like that. That's it. Like, listen, that. And that's why you use the word pummel. And I get it.55 is a crazy number in the end. And a lot of people were tweeting me, oh, they hung 55 on you. Listen, Tessa, Don Allen, you all know that the point total may have been similar. That game wasn't anything like the Giants Eagles game from a few years ago. The commanders could have won the game yesterday.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They were in that game.

[Alan Hahn]

They just made dumb. They did not protect the football. And you deserve to lose when you don't protect the football. The Eagles game was such a killer if you were a Giants fan several years ago, because the Giants, they were not in the game from the opening possession yesterday. I felt into the fourth quarter, as the fourth quarter starting, I'm like, we can still do this. And in the end, we couldn't.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's really, again, where you are right now is how close you feel that you are. And if the office. The one thing I will say, the caveat I will say is this, though, Don, where Peter is right now is a great place because you feel like you're on the verge. The window just opened. But as we've seen with certain teams, you could be on the verge and then make a couple of bad moves in the off season and then it all goes to hell. So, you know the anxiety is going to come once you get to around free agency and having to sign guys and keep guys. But your window's here because you have a rookie quarterback on a rookie scale. And so this is the time to win. 800 now with 93776 tons of calls to get to. Again, the fatigue with the Chiefs versus just the animosity towards anything. Philadelphia in New York. We have so much apathy from the fan bases here for both franchises because your teams haven't been good in a long time. You never really had a real chance to win anything. I imagine watching the super bowl is like not being invited to a party but having to watch it from the outside, looking in the window while everybody else is having a good time. What's that like? So how do you watch The Super Bowl? 800-919-3776 Aaron Glenn named the head coach. He was introduced today. Had a lot of interesting things to say. You'll hear from him on all that and more calls to get to. But first, Don, you got something for me here?

[Don LaGreca]

Well, Don Lagregg here to tell you about my friends over at Bath Fitter. They remodeled my mom's bath. Did an awesome job. The install was easy with one expert installer and the customization she needed for a cast iron tub. It was done in one day with no demo or mess. It's a beautiful, high quality permanent solution. Bath Fitter provides a lifetime guarantee 3 million happy customers like my mom lock in 2024 pricing get 0% interest for 30 months. So start designing your bath today. @bathfitterdesign.com there's only one bath fitter.

[F]

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[Peter Rosenberg]

Shopify.comNetwork TaxAct knows filing your taxes can be complicated.

[Don LaGreca]

And that's why we have live experts to help you with any questions.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They can hold your hand through the process, beginning to end, metaphorically, of course. I mean, they can't actually hold your hand in person.

[Don LaGreca]

I suppose you could hold your computer.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Mouse while you chat with the expert about capital gains or whatever, which is sort of like holding hands. Sorry. Point is, our tax experts can make filing easier.

[Don LaGreca]

Tax Act. Let's get them over with.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Alan Hahn]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. Football Mondays on 880 ESPN brought to you by Infinity Experience the infinity lineup at your Tri State retailer today. Oh boys. Before we get back to the call, as you all know, it is Superbox Bonanza 6. Right now your chance to get your box for the big game with a pool with a prize pool of up to $2,000. All qualifiers will get an ESPN prize pack and a chance at one of 10 super box prizes. So listen daily throughout February 6th to DiPietro and Rothenberg, Barton Carlin, the Michael K Show, and of course our show. This year's big game payouts are $250 in the first and third quarters, 500 for halftime and a final score payout of $1,000. And of course, as we all know, it's all brought to you by Tulla Mardu, Irish whiskey and Sloman's Security. For full contest details go to superbox bonanza.com later this hour you have your first shot at it. You guys ready for back to the calls we go?

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, why not?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Why not? All right. 800-919-3776, Nas in Pine Brook. Nas, you're up.

[G]

Hey guys, Peter's there. So I'm nervous.

[Don LaGreca]

No.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What now? Why are you nervous that Peter's here?

[G]

Let's just say that if I were terminally ill, my make a wish would be like to hang out and talk hip hop with Peter.

[Don LaGreca]

Oh wow.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Stop.

[G]

So it's super painful as a die hard Chiefs fan to hear my guys, you know, so angry and disparaging. You know sports is cyclical, right? We've had our trials and tribulations in chief's kingdom. You know, Schottenheimer putting gur back in when Gannon took us to the playoffs was painful. You know, losing my beloved Derrick Thomas, the original homes priest Holmes, his injury and devastation, the vermil tears with the Larry Johnson controversy.

[Alan Hahn]

This is a real. You are a real fan.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's a real fan.

[Don LaGreca]

Yes.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm happy for someone like you. Let me just say that.

[D]

And I have no problem because it's really tough.

[G]

You know, my. My brother, who's also the reason why I'm such a sports fanatic for Christmas, gave me for my wall of fame a poster that has all four super bowl tickets on it and in every corner, it's the winning play for each game. Right. I didn't put it up yet. I'm a little. But. But it's difficult for me to feel joyous when I listen to sports radio all day and it's the refs and Mahomes sucks and Travis and Tay Tay, like, it's killing me. It's killing me.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Nas, here's the thing. The guys are not happy, but if you listen to the show regularly, like I think you do, you heard me Friday. I'm all for this. I love greatness. I want to watch this. I'm rooting for this. As a Jets fan, I have apathy. I can't feel anything. How could I possibly be. Be mad about the Chiefs and AFC team? Because I'm not even in a stratosphere. Right. So I want to appreciate greatness. I want to see history. I want to see the dynasty and that would be achieved. Super bowl winning three in a row. We've never seen three Super Bowls in a row, ever. This would be history. I'm all for it. I'm with you. I'm on your side.

[G]

Yeah, I mean, I'm. I'm. And I'm glad that we're playing the Eagles. I hate the Eagles. But I was one of the people who were like, saquon needs to do his. You know, get his record. Like, I was completely against sitting him for that. But if it was all for not. I mean, at least it's to the Chiefs. But that's going to suck for them. And it's going to suck for him because he could get hurt. He got hurt with the Giants and he may not get that opportunity again. So we'll see. I'm looking forward to this game.

[Don LaGreca]

Please do not misunderstand what I'm saying. I'm just sick of them. But one of the things that I mentioned in my rant last week was there isn't really anybody that's hateable. I don't hate Andy Reid. I don't hate Patrick Mahomes. I mean, there's not. There's no bad guys, there's no nasty guys on the team. There doesn't seem to be any criminals on the team. It's not like that. It's just that I'm done and it's everybody around it. It's just the way that it gets presented. I'm just tired of it. I'm just done. But I acknowledge their greatness. Yeah, I said they could be had. I guess I was wrong. But I can still appreciate how good they are. But just be tired of it. Just be sick of it. I don't think there's anything wrong, wrong with that. I'm just. But I don't hate their fans. I don't know any Kansas City chief fans. So it's not like I don't know her personally, where I know a lot of Eagle fans personally, but yet still, I hate the Eagles, the Cowboys. I hate them basically because of their fans. This has nothing to do with it. It's just. It's all about the presentation. I'm just tired of it. I'm just done. And you talk about greatness. Michael talks about it, too. Listen, I've been very fortunate. We all have. We saw Michael Jordan and LeBron James. We saw Wayne Gretzky. We saw the Yankee dynasties and the Islander dynasties and the Laker dynasties. Like, I've seen plenty of dynasties, all right? I'm like, it's not anything that I'm going to tell my grandkids if I'm lucky enough to be alive for them to be able to say, oh, I was around for three straight super bowl, like, I'm good.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You saw it in other sports, though. You haven't seen it in this sport. This is unbelievable.

[Don LaGreca]

The Patriots won a dynasty, all right? The Patriots didn't win three in a row, but they were just as big.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know my rule on Dynasty. You know my rule on it. You got to have three in a row to even call.

[Don LaGreca]

Oh, but that's just. But that's just an Alice, that's a rule pose. BS thing. You're telling me the Patriots weren't a dynasty? Oh, come on.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I mean, they had a. They had a run. They had a great run. They had a long block, but they did not have sustained just because you.

[Don LaGreca]

Arbitrarily say that they didn't win.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They had two blocks. They had an early one, then they didn't go there for a while. Then they had another late one. That's it. They had two of them now in a long span. You talk about a 15 year run. Yeah, yeah, it's. It's a great run. But what the. What the Chiefs will do here, what the Lakers did, what the Yankees did and what the Islanders did, the Montreal Canadiens did. That's real. Yeah. The Celtics in this, in the 50s when there was four teams. Yeah, like that. That was real. Right. But what. I mean, this. This is what I'm talking about. That's why I think this is a little more significant. You've never seen this. You've never seen it in the NFL.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, wait a minute. Wait.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But I get it. I get it. We. We want new things every year. If it's not our team. But if it was your team, you'd love it.

[Don LaGreca]

Of course, we don't like, acknowledge somebody else's team because it wouldn't be irritating to me, but this is irritating to me.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But. So Sirianni winning. Sirianni's not irritating?

[Don LaGreca]

Of course. That's why I'm telling you this is a difficult super bowl to watch.

[Peter Rosenberg]

These guys are climbing on light poles. Like.

[Don LaGreca]

That's why I'm saying it's difficult. If I have to root. If you told me, Don, I got. There's a gun to your head. You got to root. I'm rooting.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You got to pick a team.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, but I'm not going to be happy about the result of it. All right? And again, you're being so arbitrary. So let's just say that this is it.

[Alan Hahn]

This is.

[Don LaGreca]

This is. They're done for the run. They're going to still play, but they don't win. They don't go to another championship game. They're just an ordinary team for the rest of Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes career. You're telling me that it's. This run is more significant than the Patriots run? Brady won. Brady and Belichick won six Super Bowls.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But that's not what I said. Now, am I being specific when it comes to terminology? That's all I'm saying. A dynasty is when you win three straight championships, period. Three straight championships, period. But that's in a row of never being beaten. That's like. Think about that. That's a dynasty. I'm sorry, this all comes from, of course, you know, Chinese history. Right. The dynasties weren't like family who ruled for like two years and then came back like five years later and then ruled again. That's how it works. It was years of one family dominating. That's what it was. That's why it's a dynasty. It's consecutive. I'VE always felt this.

[Alan Hahn]

Now you're going to change full captain, literal man into the word dynasty.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I am.

[Alan Hahn]

I do not.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I am. This is all because I think you got to earn that word. You got to earn that word. And the Chiefs can earn that word. And I do that because as an Islanders fan growing up as a kid, four straight championships is something I don't think we're ever going to see again, ever. Because the cap, the caps world and everything else, but that is significant. To do something like that. Consecutive years, three, three in a row is really hard. Really hard to do. You got to give that an extra special label. It can't be one that everybody can share. No, that's special. Come on, Peter, Don. You guys have to understand what I'm saying, right? Maybe I'm being literal, but you got to understand it's extra special. Special to do it three straight years. That's so rare. You got to give it some terminology that can't be shared by everybody else.

[Alan Hahn]

I agree with you and also still think it's somewhat arbitrary. I mean, I've never heard anyone get so literal about what a dynasty is. I would argue the Chiefs already are in the middle of a dynasty. And I would also say that they don't exceed what the Patriots dynasty was, even though they never three peated. So I think you're judging it up nice. You're putting all kinds of spices on it to make this game feel sexier and more impactful. I just don't even care. Greatness to me by another team in football does nothing for me. Nothing.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Let's go to Nick in Astoria. Go ahead, Nick.

[E]

Hey guys, how are you? Congratulations on your new show. And Peter, congratulations. Girls are the best. I just wanted to say thank you. You're welcome, my friend. Yes, I'm getting. I'm a Cowboy fan. So this weekend was very, very tough for me. But I was rooting for Washington. But I think more people are just getting Kansas City fatigue. Me personally, I'm getting Brittany Mahone's fatigue. Her trying to be like a big celebrity. That's one second when they pan to her after, you know, Britney's to Taylor Swift when they score a touchdown. And also I think that the Kelsey family should bow down and thank the lucky stars that Taylor Swift is going to be their daughter in law because now it's too much. Jason and his wife on tv all over the place, on commercials, everywhere. What do you guys think about that?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't know. Dick. I got to say this. I think they showed Taylor what, three times? They didn't show her that much. They barely. They didn't show her as much as people are making it out that they show her. It's not that big of a deal. And the Kelsey's are just cashing in on commercials. What would you. You want them to say no to money? Why don't you strike while you're hot? We want to put you on. You know, what happens is when people do get sick and no one now is paying attention, the ratings go down. All. They all disappear. It happens all the time. But they're cashing in, so be it.

[Don LaGreca]

Good for them. But doesn't make it any less irritating. But. And it's not because he's an eagle. Like, I don't get the Jason Kelsey thing. I don't find him intriguing. I don't find his story fascinating whatsoever.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't get, you know, I don't get the big, big, big happy personality fat guy.

[Don LaGreca]

You know, there's a lot of people that are like that. I'm a. I'm a. I'm a personality plus fat guy.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, you're not anymore.

[Alan Hahn]

Neither Jason Kelsey anymore. But it's still the concept. I.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, it seems to work. I mean, there's an audience for it. If there wasn't, he wouldn't be doing what he's doing. Right. We always blame. We always blame the people that put people on tv. We don't realize that. Why don't you blame all the people that are watching? Because if nobody's watching, they're not going to be on. It's always. We always blame. Oh, there's too much overload of this.

[Alan Hahn]

Why?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Because there's a demand for it. That's why.

[Don LaGreca]

I know, but there's a demand for it. But most people don't know what they want and they like it because. Because. So what is it? You know, the supply and demand thing. But also you don't think that there's, like, control, I guess this must be something. They keep putting them on television, so there must be something to it. Like, so is it liking him because are they putting him on the air because he's likable, or is he liked because they put him on the air? Like, what came first, the chicken or the egg? I would say 75% of the people that love the Kelsey's, you know, five minutes ago, didn't even know who they were. All of a sudden he starts dating Taylor and he's in the box. Last year in the super bowl, you know, drinking, chugging a beer and Pulling up his shirt and it's like, I gotta have this.

[Alan Hahn]

It's, it's, it's not weird. It's not to knock the man. He seems like a lovely guy.

[Don LaGreca]

Of course.

[Alan Hahn]

No, I take, I take no issue with him. Seems lovely. I hear what Don saying, Like, we just, we live in a, in a world where it's such overload. Like, is Jason Kelsey a guy who does a nice job on tv and him being a semi notable football guy considering he's a lineman? Pretty cool. Sweet. He's on my TV 24 7. Like, he's, like, he's reinvented entertainment as we know. It does get to be a bit much. And it does lead to that sentiment of like, what is it with this team and anyone even associated with this team? I mean, Jason Kelsey is practically more of a chief story than an Eagle story.

[Don LaGreca]

Listen, and to show you, like, I. Because I'm invested in it and I've benefited from it, it's not as irritating, I'll be the first to admit that. But I can understand the world being sick of the Mannings too.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, for sure, for sure.

[Don LaGreca]

But I have a dog in the fight, so it doesn't bother me as much. I'm admitting that I don't have a dog in this fight, so it bothers me. But I would have no problem if somebody in Nebraska is like, enough with the Mannings already.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Do you guys find it also a little straight? Like, this is also where I felt like there was an embarrassing moment for NFC east teams. So two of them are playing against each other in the championship game. Meanwhile, the other two are represented by a beef between DEZ Bryant and Kayvon Thibodeau on social media. Did you see this?

[Alan Hahn]

I did.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Where DEZ is just mocking the Giants for letting Saquon go and Thibodeau won't let it happen and starts going at him because nobody's going to talk bad about my team while I'm on it. And all DEZ is trying to say is, yeah, but you're. You're bonehead general manager to let him go. And these two are now fighting with each other about who sucks less, while the Chiefs and Commanders are fighting for a chance to go to Super Bowl. If that's not a perfect photograph of the division, I don't know what is.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, it's so true. But I will say, man, we talked, Don, we talked about this months ago. And Alan, I'm sure you did it on your show back then too. Obviously, we've had a million conversations about why it may have not made sense for the Giants to keep. Keep Saquon, but, boy, could this have not gone any worse since then.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, my God, it has been an abomination. And John Maris literally can't be. Can't possibly have slept well after that game. Thanks for listening to the Don Han and Rosenberg podcast.

[Alan Hahn]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Peter Rosenberg]

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

[Alan Hahn]

Warriors, come out to play.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Don Han and Rosenberg's weekend Warrior. All right, fellas. So, Peter, you pick Jaden Daniels. He didn't embarrass himself at all. No, it's not like, you know, it is not. That's not a crazy pick. That's not something anybody would say, oh, that's a bad one. I mean, he was 29 of 255 yards a touchdown. He did throw a pick. Got sacked three times, but still, I mean, for a rookie in a big spot like that, no, I. I think he was just fine. Don, you chose Josh Allen, correct?

[Don LaGreca]

Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Another one. 22 at 34. 237, two touchdowns, only sacked twice. But, you know, again, the. He was against a. I can think against the pressure. He was six for six until that. Unbelievable. He just throws it up and Kincaid has a chance and he just can't make the catch.

[Don LaGreca]

That would have been.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That was the one time he didn't have a completion on a. On a pressure like that. But that's. That's spag. So he did that. I had Saquon Barkley, 15 carries, 118 yards, three touchdowns in the 60 yard kind of tone Setter took it to the house on the first play from scrimmage for the Eagles. It really did set the tone in that game. And I don't know, boys. I kind of feel like Saquon was the warrior of the weekend.

[Don LaGreca]

Oh, there's no question. What do you win?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I just win the fact that I was right one behind Peter for the lead.

[Alan Hahn]

There you go.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And there's that, too. There's not enough right when it comes to the picks. It's 32 to 31 right now, Peter. So I guess the super bowl we.

[Alan Hahn]

Don. Don is done. Don is finished.

[Don LaGreca]

It comes.

[Alan Hahn]

It comes down to me versus Alan. And if we pick the same, I win. And if we pick separate, it comes down to the last day.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, we can't pick the same. Who gets to pick first then? Do you get to pick first?

[Alan Hahn]

No, we have to for this turn in our picks.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. You have to text me your pick earlier in the show before. Oh, you mean. So it's like secret ballot. I don't know who you're picking. So.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, we got it. We got it. As you.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I just lose.

[Alan Hahn]

That's right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But based on the fact of how Peter feels and roots and how Alan wants the games to go. I don't love this. I don't love this at all. Don't support. Can you arbitrate here? Do you think that's the right thing to do? Is that it's. It's basically I'm flipping a coin to see who gets the ball first in overtime. That's ridiculous.

[Alan Hahn]

No, it's not.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I should know who you're picking so I can pick against you.

[Don LaGreca]

No, no, no. That's precisely the reason not to do it. Right. You don't get to play four corners on this show.

[Alan Hahn]

You got it. You got to make your honesty Pete Carrell.

[Don LaGreca]

That's not the way it goes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, I'd. But I. I don't even care if I. No, you were right. You're right. You had it. Princeton. It wasn't four corners. It was back doors. But it's still.

[Don LaGreca]

That's what I mean. I. I missed up. Yes, it's four corners.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No worries. No worries.

[Don LaGreca]

You know what I'm talking about. This is pre shot clock. You can't hold the ball. No, you gotta. This is. You got text your pick to Anthony and if it ends up being the same, so be it. How is it in the essence of I know more than you if I'm just going to automatically pick against you?

[Alan Hahn]

Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Because it makes it more fun.

[Alan Hahn]

That is.

[Peter Rosenberg]

At least I have a rooting interest.

[Alan Hahn]

You know what? I want to say this about your weekend warrior. Obviously Saquon gets the three touchdowns and he was great. But it's funny, man. Like you look at the day he had. He didn't even have to do that much. I mean only 15 carries.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, but he did.

[Alan Hahn]

I don't think he hit 60. He didn't.

[Don LaGreca]

I know, but talk about.

[Alan Hahn]

He didn't even hit the over. He didn't even hit the over on yardage in Vegas.

[Don LaGreca]

The thing is his. These holes and. And who was it broke tackles? Was it Tripley that had like that big run at the end of the like. It's just that they are just so. Their offensive line is so dominant. And again, I'm not taking anything away from. He's got a tremendous amount of speed. He's able to turn on a dime. But at the Line of scrimmage. He's running through gargantuan holes. That's why you said it best at the beginning of the show. If you're mad at the Giants. If you're mad at the Giants, they weren't good enough to take advantage of how good Saquon was. To think any of this would happen with Saquon Barkley is ridiculous. And you know how I know? Because I watched the previous six years with Saquon. It was never this. It wasn't Saquon's fault. Yeah, he got hurt. I get it. But for the most part, it was. The Giants were never good enough to take advantage of his talents, and that's why it was a good idea to let him go. But what the bad idea was, or at least what the negative thing is, yeah, obviously they should have traded him and Gettleman and Shane should have done a better job of building a team around him to take advantage of the singular talent. You don't Just quickly. I don't. You don't. With running backs. They don't. They can't make your team better. Better teams make running backs better, not the other way around. So that's why San Francisco was right to do what they did with Christian McCaffrey. They were close. They had the talent. He was the icing on the cake. But to think you can build a team to take him second overall and say, this is the guy that's going to turn it around. It doesn't work without the quarterback, without the offensive line, and also without the coach that has the imagination to draw plays to take advantage of.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's it. That's it. It's amazing that the Giants are more aligned with the Carolina Panthers than they were with the San Francisco 49ers when it comes to recognizing what you have. The niners recognized what McCaffrey could bring for them, went and made the trade for him, took the money and had a chance, and they went to the Super Bowl. The Giants saw that and said, we don't want to pay this guy. Running backs aren't worth that. And then let him go somewhere else who saw what they had, what he could be, and now they are playing in the Super Bowl. Isn't that amazing? You are more like the Panthers. The Carolina Panthers couldn't figure it out, ended up moving on from him.

[Don LaGreca]

Now, question for both of you before we break.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Okay, let's go.

[Don LaGreca]

Is Shane obviously didn't think he was going to Philadelphia. That was his sin.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That. That.

[Don LaGreca]

That was his misplay that he didn't think Philadelphia was interested. He got duped. Okay. If you knew Philadelphia was interested, would you have scrapped your plans to keep him just despite him going to Philadelphia and having this happen, or do you take the emotion out of it and just say, you know what? I gotta do what's best for my team?

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's a great question. Yeah, no, I got a good answer for that one. On the other side. 800-919-3776. It's Superbox Bonanza 6. Each qualifier will take home an ESPN prize pack. Have a chance at one of 10 Superbox prizes, including a yeti cooler bucket, solo stove, Ray ban meta wayfarers, and more. So, guys, pick a number. What do you want to do here?

[Don LaGreca]

I guess.

[Peter Rosenberg]

How many days old is Maya now? How many days old?

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, that's a. That's a good one. She's 12 days old.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right, call it number 12 right now. 888987, ESPN. 888987, ESPN. You select the box for the big game with a chance to win $250 in the first and third quarters, 500 at halftime, and a final score payout of $1,000. All brought to you by Tullamore Due Irish whiskey and Sloman's Security. You'll hear from Aaron Glenn coming up and more. Stay with us. Don Hahn, Rosenberg, 880 ESPN.

[Don LaGreca]

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[Peter Rosenberg]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast. I don't want to know how the sausage is made, but 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.