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Alan Hahn
Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to Mario's Bistro.
Don LaGreca
The special tonight is the beef carpaccio. With the Venmo debit card, you can turn the basketball game tickets your friends paid you back for into a romantic dinner that you can earn up to 5% cash back on. Use your Venmo balance to pay for the things you love to do. Visit Venmo Me Debit to learn more. The Venmo MasterCard is issued by the Bancorp Bank N.A. pursuant to license by MasterCard International, Inc. Terms apply. Dosh Cashback terms apply. Don, give me a piece of wood. I'll eat it.
Alan Hahn
Don. Peter, the most used sweat is at a buffet.
Peter Rosenberg
And Rosenberg, I'll be honest, the one thing I miss about having an office is the taste of Steve Hart's nuts.
Don LaGreca
This isn't North Dakota, this is New York.
Alan Hahn
This is Don Hahn at Rosenberg, the best threesome I've ever heard on 880 ESPN and the ESPN New York app. All right, here we go on a Wednesday in New York City with Don Lagreca and Peter Rosenberg back with us. I'm Alan Hahn. How we doing, boys?
Don LaGreca
Good, good. How are you?
Alan Hahn
Hanging in back to back? I can't complain because Don Lagreca got off the air last night after the Rangers finished their game and you did your post game and everything like that. In la, they played the loss to the Kings. And Don, did you say it was like 2, 145? Yeah. So can we round up. Peter, are we okay to round up when it's 145?
Peter Rosenberg
Absolutely.
Don LaGreca
That's a 2:00am Yeah, 2:00am Here at dawn.
Peter Rosenberg
What time are you in bed, Don?
Don LaGreca
Well, you probably can. You can empathize with this. I am not a like, hit the pillow and fall asleep guy, no matter how tired I am and especially getting off the air. So I was just on the air. So go up and by the time you brush your teeth, get yourself ready, it's like, you know, 10 to 5 to 2. And then you sit there and you stare at the ceiling for 30 minutes. It's just. That's the way it works. Did a little reading and I probably, as Michael UK used to say, in the arms of morpheus, probably about 220. And then I was up at 8. 20.
Peter Rosenberg
Look at you.
Don LaGreca
All right, look at you.
Alan Hahn
At least you got the sleeping because.
Don LaGreca
The kids are on spring break, so.
Alan Hahn
Spring break? Yeah, Cali had me up at 6, so. But you. But, but, but still, you. First of all, you quoted Golden Earring, if I'm not mistaken, that's right. Did you just. Was that Twilight Zone?
Don LaGreca
Yes. I love that song.
Alan Hahn
So do I.
Don LaGreca
You know the song, right? Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.
Alan Hahn
It's a great song.
Peter Rosenberg
I don't think I do. Is that's where Arms of. That's where Arms of Morpheus.
Don LaGreca
No, no, no, no, no, no. I said. When he said 2am and I said here at dawn.
Alan Hahn
Here at dawn. That's a great song. It's the way the song starts.
Don LaGreca
It's a band, honestly. They. I think that's their one big hit. But they. They're a band from the Netherlands, Peter, that started in 1962, had that monster hit 1983. It might have gone to number one. I'm not sure.
Alan Hahn
Could have.
Don LaGreca
And they just. There. I think their lead singer, Shane, like, had als and they finally had to bang the band up like in 2022. Like they were. They. They were around for 60 years.
Alan Hahn
What? I didn't know that.
Don LaGreca
Crazy, right? You would, Peter. You'll know the song. Maybe the next break. You will know this.
Alan Hahn
Absolutely.
Don LaGreca
You're.
Peter Rosenberg
You're.
Don LaGreca
That was a big enough hit. It was. It's been in movie. It's. It's a pretty. It was a major video. It was. It's actually a song that got the inspiration from the Bourne Identity, believe it or not. The book, obviously not the movie. Yeah, it's.
Alan Hahn
It's.
Don LaGreca
It's pretty incredible stuff that I think you will. You will recognize.
Peter Rosenberg
But I look forward to this.
Don LaGreca
Alan, because it wasn't like I took the deep dive.
Alan Hahn
That's.
Don LaGreca
That's impressive. That's almost like tune level.
Alan Hahn
I told you, like sometimes, like I go from. I go for my eyes. As we saw that one time a couple of weeks ago when I mixed two songs into one. Completely screwed that one up. I'll do that. And I'll also do stuff like this. Like, it doesn't make sense, but it caught my ear, so I had to call it out. 800 now, 377-6 for the call. Speaking of calls, we want you to be part of the conversation here. Make sure you're listening on the ESPN New York app with us. As you know, as baseball season begins tomorrow, we're going to be all over the place when it comes to the dial. So just get us on the app. The best place to get us so there's no interruption. And by the way, from what I understand, the sound quality on the app, pristine.
Peter Rosenberg
Are you kidding me? You know, that's how I consumed yesterday. I enjoyed it.
Alan Hahn
Like, you Dream about the Giants have. As it was late in the show last night, yesterday, I guess evening, it.
Don LaGreca
Was the break of the show.
Alan Hahn
Yeah, it's like 6:50. Basically. This breaks from Adam Schefter about Russell Wilson taking a one year. Very, very team friendly, very, very get out of a deal. But still with the Giants choosing the Giants. And we really didn't have a lot of time, Donnie, to just like digest it and figure out what is it all about. But it clearly looks like what the Giants are doing is having an emergency escape plan just in case the draft doesn't work out the way they want it to. And if they happen to fall into something in the draft that they are absolutely in love with, then they still have Jameis Winston and they can, you know, part ways with Russell Wilson. What is in it for Russell Wilson? That's the part I don't really understand. But this is the path he chose and he went with the Giants probably just to have an opportunity because in New York for him probably makes the most sense.
Peter Rosenberg
Before we get into Russell Wilson's feelings, just to be totally honest, because who cares? Um, let's talk about the feelings of the people who matter. The, the. The New York Giants fans.
Alan Hahn
Oh, they don't care, Peter. Giants fans are apathetic. I'm telling you, they don't care. They are, they are numb right now. No, well, that.
Peter Rosenberg
Well, that's. But that's. But still, even not caring and being apathetic is an important feeling. And I just want to say, yes, I'm sort of laughing at you, but more so relating to you just because I've been there. I am sorry to be in this level of purgatory. Like, cuz, don't get me wrong, guys, we've been speculating on what level of purgatory this was, but when you really sit back and look at what they're gonna trot out there next year, I mean, Don, it's. It's shades of Donovan McNabb, Redskins.
Don LaGreca
It's, it's.
Peter Rosenberg
It's not even a real. Like this isn't a real year. This is just a. You, you have to look forward to September, Don, knowing you're not looking forward to a real year. It's just sort of a practice year to set you up for the next year. And that's incredibly depressing.
Don LaGreca
Well, there's a lot of things at play. I believe that if you want to say they were in on a quarterback, it was probably Ward. They can't move up to one. So they realize now that they're not going to take Shador Sanders just for the sake of it. They're probably not in love with him. For all I know, they're not in love with Ward either. And they've got to win games. They want to go out there and win games. They need quarterbacks. So they went out and got quarterbacks that you got one project that's 31 years old and you've got, I think, a finished product that's 36 that maybe you can work with and massage into some sort of a comeback season that can throw 25 touchdown passes and win you some games of Russell Wilson. I think Winston and Wilson are going to battle for the starting job, and I'm rooting for it to be Jameis Winston, because I think there might be something there. At 31, with another year left on his contract, at only $4 million a year, that. That could turn out to be some sort of a bargain where Russell Wilson. I think it is what it is, right? He's going to go out there and then this will probably be it for him, right? He's either going to retire or go sign someplace else. I really don't see there's much of Beyond 25 with Russell Wilson at quarterback, but at least you got two NFL quarterbacks battling with each other, and you had to get bodies in the room. And they did that. And they did it for a relatively cheap price, right? Eight years. Eight million for two years for Winston, $21 million for. For Russell Wilson, and only half of it's guaranteed. So they really didn't commit anything financially. They can go out there and be competitive, and at 3, they can get themselves a generational talent in Carter or Hunter and start really building up this roster, because, as we know, they're not a quarterback away. So I see where you're going, Peter, where you're, like, throwing away the year and you can. You can feel sorry for us, but I think this is the best case scenario if you weren't going to blow it up, which I advocated for months ago. Blow it up? Start over. New general manager who had coach. If you were going to keep everybody intact and you didn't love the quarterbacks or didn't feel that the quarterbacks are going to be available, I think this is probably the best pivot.
Peter Rosenberg
But I guess what I'm saying is it's still blowing it up, essentially, right? It's a delayed blowing it up. What scenario?
Alan Hahn
It's not even delayed. No, Peter, it's not. It's not delayed. First of all, you Need a capable quarterback in the NFL, right? Like, you can't not have. Like, you can't put Tommy DeVito out there as much as you could. No, you can't go that level. You got to have something competent in that. In that quarterback room. So you. You like what Don said, you just bring a couple of guys in, you have them compete. If you're not going to get a quarterback, or at least somebody, you think that can start right away for you in year one, they might take somebody in the second round, the third round, I don't know. But did you see what Mike Florio said about what they're saying out of Pittsburgh? This is the part where, again, with Russell Wilson, it's almost like he's signing and agreeing to a very, very easy to get out of kind of deal with the Giants. Probably just to have a place, because this is what it said with Florio's reporting. By the time the season was over, there was a sense from some in the building in Pittsburgh that Wilson is, quote, physically done. And they talked about. Remember they were talking to Justin Fields and waiting on him, and Fields wouldn't sign with them. And then we later found out it's because he wanted to go to the Jets. There was this thought that, well, why didn't they just pivot and then go back to Wilson if that's who they were deciding between the two? Because his name never came up. So Pittsburgh saw enough to think, we're all set and they don't have a quarterback. Guys, they are at a point where they're like, we've seen enough. We're all set, and they don't have one. So this isn't like a real thing here with the Giants. This feels like a name more than it does anybody that can help.
Don LaGreca
You know what's weird, though, about that is that why didn't they go back to Fields then? They were losing games at the end of the season, all right? Not being able to score, losing game after game after game. There are people in the room that thought Russell Wilson was physically done, and they never went back to Justin Fields.
Alan Hahn
But no, no, Justin Fields didn't go back to them.
Don LaGreca
Fields.
Alan Hahn
They were waiting on Fields?
Don LaGreca
No. During the season.
Alan Hahn
Oh, oh.
Don LaGreca
Their season was falling apart. They thought their starting quarterback was done. Why they didn't go to Fields then?
Peter Rosenberg
Well, I never understood it. Great question. Do you remember when this came up a while ago, guys? I still was a little bit miffed by the whole thing. And everyone's like, oh, well, Fields wasn't good. So they had to go to Wilson, even though they had a 42 record. But then Wilson wasn't particularly good and they still just. None of it really made a lot of sense. And now you look at Pittsburgh's depth chart, you want to be depressed in New York. I mean, Pittsburgh's supposed to have a competitive football team. Mason Rudolph's at the top of their depth chart. So there's more than one way to be depressed. But I just feel like Don, to know that you're going into a season where not only are you not going to have a real team that's trying to compete, but let's just also be clear. Russell Wilson. Now this is sort of. I'm sort of having fun here, but also like, in terms of like, if you're someone who loves your team and takes it somewhat seriously. And let's be real, of all the teams in the league, guys, the Giants are a team that kind of takes themselves seriously. The. Russell Wilson at times has one of the cheesiest, weirdest brands of all time. And now Jameis Winston has been unfolding in front of our very eyes. He clearly wants to be an entertainer more than a quarterback. That is clearly what his brand is. He was literally a host for all of super bowl week guys. He was running around with Fox Sports doing silly interviews. He's. You have two caricatures. Two completely different caricatures.
Alan Hahn
So not back.
Peter Rosenberg
It's. This is so off brands.
Don LaGreca
Yeah. Thank you.
Alan Hahn
So off brand. That's why I'm telling you. If the, if Giants fans gave a rip, they'd be. They'd be ringing the phones off the hook right now. They'd be furious. Well, but they don't care. They have lost any care about this franchise until otherwise notified that somebody in charge either knows what they're doing or has a plan. I'm telling you, like, I couldn't believe Chris Cany today. Chris, can he. Like he loves what they're doing. Are you crazy?
Don LaGreca
You can't love it. You can't love. Here's where.
Alan Hahn
Or unless you're waiting for Archie, unless you're waiting for Arch Manning, unless you really believe next year in the draft you can get him and you're going to go with a Manning 2.0. If that's your plan, then okay. But we'll have to wait and see if it gets.
Don LaGreca
Apparently it's. I mean, unless John Mara is lying. He. He said that I don't want to be here next year. I don't want to be a three win team again. And Every way they conducted themselves, the money they spent on the offensive line, in the secondary, you know, going out and getting veteran quarterbacks. John Maurer is trying to put together a team that can be competitive in 2025. I don't think he's going to. It's going to be competitive. The schedule's too hard, and I don't think they're close to that yet. But clearly, John Mara is trying to do that. He could have blown it up and did what the jets did and go with a neophyte head coach and the less expectations. And I'm not saying the jets aren't trying to win, but certainly there isn't the expectations of winning. No. John Marrow wants the expectation of winning because he is going to fire these guys if they don't go out there and win him some games. Now, as a Giant fan, I disagree with that tact. I would have blown it up, and I would have said, I got the third overall pick. I'm moving on for my head coach and my general manager. I'm going to start over. John Mara decided not to do that. So as a Giant fan, now what do I do? So now I got to hope to win games because I don't want to have to, as Peter said, delay the inevitable. Where I'm going to throw another season away just to watch them bring in another general manager and a head coach and then start all from scratch when I could have done it in 2025. I hit the pause button. I don't want to do that. So if John Marrow wants to win, he's grading this coach and this general manager on victories, then I'm kind of left to do what I've done, always as a Giant fan. Have them go out there and root for them to win and be the best team possible. The frustrating thing, and the reason you feel dead inside is, you know that's not going to happen. You know, they're not going to pull off a Washington season and shock the world and make the playoffs. The schedule's too hard. They're still bereft of enough talent to do that. I'd love to see it happen, guys. But unless Russell Wilson all of a sudden hits a time machine from 10 years ago, or Jameis Winston all of a sudden just decides to shave 20 interceptions off of his season, how is this team going to be a playoff team?
Alan Hahn
How they're not. And that's the whole thing, what you just said. Look at. Again, take this not as a fan. Just look at it from a business perspective. Don't put emotion in this at all. Don. All right, Peter, you have lived through this, so you know what this is like. You have to look at this strictly as a business and say to yourself, look at the forecast of the coming season. We have the, a hard schedule. We are not ready to win. We are still trying to build something. Is this the year to try to put something together when you know the schedule is going to be tough, when you know you're really not quite ready? You got some holes to fill, or do you just put your head down, try to hide in the corner? Don't pay attention to us. We're just going to, like, put some, you know, like when they do construction on a building and they, and they wrap it with like all the scaffolding and stuff, and you can't see the facade anymore. The Giants right now need to do that. They need to wrap themselves in this scaffold facade. And for a whole season, don't, don't pay attention to what we're doing. Don't watch us. We're going to suck. Vegas already has them with the, with the worst, with the lowest over under win total for any team in the NFL. So the expectation is they're going to lose. And you do that hoping that next year when there's somebody that we think we could land, that we know the family, we have a background there. If you can get a Manning, that buys us another draft and another year and then we can take the scaffold down. Now you can look and go, oh, after the dust settled, they built themselves a pretty good roster. It just took another year.
Peter Rosenberg
So. And to that point, I'll just throw this on the back if that was going to be the plan, because it does make sense. You look around, you read the tea leaves, you go, you're not. Let's be realistic. We're not. We're not better than Philadelphia. We're not better than Washington. We'll see what happens with Dallas.
Alan Hahn
Dallas could be on the way down, right? That could be imploding. Can let that happen.
Peter Rosenberg
But either, but either way, we're not a top two team in this division. We know that. So let's then do what we're going to do.
Don LaGreca
Why?
Peter Rosenberg
That's why I don't like the Jameis Winston thing. Can you then just go get another boring quarterback who's going to get you no wins? Because I'll be honest, guys, so I'm not trying to be a jerk. Winston could have a really fun post NFL career and God bless him, I hope he does but as far as the face of your franchise, if he ends up winning the job, it's kind of clown show.
Alan Hahn
Like it's already media. Oh, especially New York media like the Serbi. I can't wait for the Serbi Q and A. How entertaining will that be to read?
Don LaGreca
But, but guys, it was never on the table to paint the picture you're talking about. Like you said, the scaffolding. I'm thinking about that. That. That store that is. Isn't open yet. So they, they. What do they put like the, the soap on the, on the windows? You can't see inside.
Alan Hahn
The whitewash.
Don LaGreca
The whitewash. But you, you can't do that. When you brought Shane and Dable back, they had their opportunity to do all the things you were talking about. That's what I advocated for. You blow it up. That's what the jets are doing. All right, let's get rid of Aaron Rodgers. We got a new coach, we got a new general manager, we got new coaches. You know, we're gonna. We are going to reconstruct this team. And they've told their jet. I know it's been a frustrating 15 years, but give us a chance here. We're pivoting, we're moving on. And now it's going to be that kind of season where if they go out and win six games, they're going to carry Aaron Glenn out on their shoulders outside MetLife Stadium in celebration of an amazing season. Giants don't have that luxury. They could have, they could have blown it up, did the same thing the jets did, but instead they ran it back. So they don't have the ability to say, don't look at us. Don't pay attention to us. We are going to look at you because we're going to see, can Shane and Dabel save their jobs? And the only way to save the jobs is to go out there and win. And the frustrating thing is I don't see how they're going to do that, but they have to do it because they can't do this construct with. With that. You're talking about with the same general manager and head coach, not with John Maris saying, I don't want to be here again. If you gave him a contract extension, then maybe you could do what you're talking about because they're not going anywhere. But, you know, they're fighting for their supper. They are not going to come back in 2026 after a losing season because they're not going to have them be lame ducks and they're not going to give them a contract extension after going 3 and 14. So they have to try to win every game. They've got no choice.
Alan Hahn
Yeah, that can't be the approach. I'm sorry. It can't be. But I'm not a guy that advocates losing.
Don LaGreca
I agree. Then they fire them or give them an extension. What else can you do when they are fighting for their supper?
Peter Rosenberg
I would have. If that's a real thing and I'm Joe Shane, I'm fine. I'm finding a way to try to get Derek Carr in here or something like. If you're saying it's that Don, then give me someone who maybe turns out to have a great, weird, great year and could win you eight games. I don't know if they have. If they put together a room that could do that.
Don LaGreca
But that. But the problem, the reason they're getting these guys dirt cheap is because they've got other holes to fill. They're not a quarterback away.
Peter Rosenberg
All right, well then why Winston at all then? So hold on real quick then. So then why not just Wilson?
Alan Hahn
Just do the Wilson. That's the one that does.
Don LaGreca
You may disagree, but there is something intoxicating coming from Dable, who is. Who prides himself as an offensive guy and a quarterback fixer. This is a guy that's thrown 30 touchdown passes in this league. This was once upon a time the first. First overall pick in the draft. I can fix him. And if I can fix him and I can get him to play where he throws 30 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions, boy, is that going to look like a bargain that I'm paying him $4 million a year. He's only 31 years old. The Wilson thing, again, it's cheap. It's somebody that I think that maybe pushed Jameis Winston. Because you can't have just Jameis Winston and Tommy DeVito. So for an easy cap friendly contract, it's only 10.5 guaranteed. You get somebody that can push Winston, Winston can't be fixed. Then May Wilson could go out there, throw you 20 touchdown passes, be competitive. They didn't have a lot of choices, Peter, if they're not going to. If you can't spend a ton of money and you can't convince Aaron Rodgers to come here, clearly then. Then you're really. Isn't it?
Peter Rosenberg
It totally is. But you have to agree, for some reason, it looks a lot jankier to have Wilson and Winston than just to have gotten one of them.
Don LaGreca
It looks like you to have both.
Alan Hahn
That's how I feel. And the only Thing I come up with is this, is that Wilson. Wilson is a guy that's easy to cut. And if somehow in the draft, they. Because you know you're not getting more, they. They absolutely clear they're not getting Ward, right? And that's the guy they really loved. If they still like Shador, they might not get him. He could be gone at 2. Could you take a quarterback later in the draft, second round, whatever like that? You can get a guy, right? You could get somebody, a rookie just to bring in and just see what they are. But in the end, if you somehow find something out of the guy you might get in this draft, don't you think that even Winston's contract is certainly movable when you consider how teams are always desperate, they need a backup at some point of the season, that you could just trade them. You know what I mean? Like, you could always trade that. It's not only just cut Wilson, it's also that you could trade Jameis Winston to a team that has a devastating quarterback injury, which is always one. And they need a guy, right? Like. Like. So I don't think they're stuck with these two. I think they just are making sure the room's not empty before all the chairs are filled.
Don LaGreca
I think. I think that's the problem, is that you guys joked with me when I said a body. Your quarterback room three days ago was just Tommy DeVito. That was it. You didn't have anybody else. And I don't think they're interested in drafting either of these two quarterbacks or at least know they're not getting Warden. They're not interested in Chidor. You got to bring in players, Peter. Got it. Somebody's got to play quarterback for you, right? And. And. And you're not spending a ton of money. What is DeVito make a million. All right. Winston makes four. So that's five million for two quarterbacks. And you're paying essentially guaranteed $10.5 million to Wilson. So you're not. You're not spending a lot of money. And you get yourself guys that are at least competent, quarterbacks that are probably better than what you had last year is this. Is Winston and Wilson better than Jones and Lock? Probably, sure.
Peter Rosenberg
You know, I would say in all likelihood, yes.
Don LaGreca
I just.
Peter Rosenberg
Again, I just keep coming back to the same thing. Wilson's going to end up being the starting. This quarterback. Starting quarterback for this team.
Don LaGreca
I don't know.
Peter Rosenberg
And I don't. Come on. There's no world in which he's getting. He's getting 10 times the money. He's a Super bowl champion. He's going to be the guy that they hand the reins to. And so I just don't understand then why you bother having Winston sitting there to clown things up.
Don LaGreca
But the thing, but you're going to have a whole training. You don't think there's a world that through training camp that Winston can't win this job?
Alan Hahn
No, I don't think this is, I don't really want this on so many levels. I just don't think you want this on so many levels. But like I said, I, I had, I thought Giants fans were completely checked out on all this stuff. I think they've reached that point of, of, of. I don't want to hear it anymore until we turn things around. I think there is a, a large portion of the fan base that is so disillusioned by the direction. It's seriously, this is, this is like Eli Manning, Tom Coughlin, what has happened to your franchise? Look at it now. So like that's where you are. So we got more to get to Don. I know we got calls. We have to get to them. And I'm sure you can hear it in Don's voice because he's the guy that has that passion for the Giants. There's more for him to say. So you don't want to miss that. That's coming up. We've got a lot of baseball today. Howie Rose, Jeff Nelson will get you ready for the Yankees and the Mets as they begin their seasons tomorrow. We will talk some Knicks with you as well. A lot to get to. 800-919-3776. We are beginning though here with the Giants. How, just how much are you completely disillusioned by the direction of this franchise? Calls coming up next. First Donna message.
Don LaGreca
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Alan Hahn
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Don LaGreca
Credit.
Peter Rosenberg
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Peter Rosenberg
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Alan Hahn
Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.
Peter Rosenberg
I didn't listen to anything you just said.
Alan Hahn
Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.
Don LaGreca
I was reminded though, I don't, I don't want to give them short trip.
Alan Hahn
All right.
Don LaGreca
Somebody on Twitter had sent me. I want to be able to give him credit for it. Oh, I saw David hurts Radar Love was also a hit for them. So that.
Alan Hahn
Wait, the original Radar Love was them?
Don LaGreca
Yeah, yeah, they're, that's, they're terrific, man. I'm serious. It's a, it's a really, really good band. That's an awesome song. And 80s on 8 on Sirius XM every, every, every weekend. It's scattered throughout the day. They'll, they'll, they do the same thing on 70s on seven with, with the top 40. The Casey case. They get all the MTV former VJ VJs do the top 40 of that date or around that week of certain year and last year, Last weekend was 1983 and which was this was I.
Alan Hahn
Would argue one of the best. Would you say 83 might be the best music year of the 80s?
Don LaGreca
It's right.
Alan Hahn
I always argue that it's, it might be the best. 84 could be right there with it. But I think, I think 83 is the best year of the 80s when it comes to music. By the way also, would you ever wit like, like to me it's always these like dream job things like if any of the VJs were like you know what I'm done. I'm like pushing 70. I don't want to do this anymore. And they needed to get people to do 80s on eight. I'm like lining up for that job that's not even work right.
Don LaGreca
Love that. I always.
Alan Hahn
Oh, my God.
Don LaGreca
It's not even. I did it in college. It was so much fun.
Alan Hahn
Same. Instead we talk sports.
Don LaGreca
No, it's. It's.
Alan Hahn
It's.
Don LaGreca
It's DJ Jace, right?
Alan Hahn
It is sort of. We spin. We spin sports instead of music.
Don LaGreca
So we. We've locked that. We're going to do a lot of baseball today, considering opening day is tomorrow. So Jeff Nelson's going to give the Yankee side of things. Coming up at 4. How he rose at 5.
Alan Hahn
Oh, yeah, great.
Don LaGreca
But I just wanted to get out like before we went to break. Yeah.
Alan Hahn
I cut you off. So go.
Don LaGreca
We were talking, but just. I understand the frustration. I'm a Giant fan. I would have blown it up. Right. So. Yes. That you can't call up and say they should have blown it up. I agree with you. I think everybody agrees they should have done that. They didn't do that. So now what you. What are you left to do? All right? What are you left to do with Shane and Dable? And to me, I think you gotta. You gotta root for them to do well. So. Because again, if you're gonna root for them to fail and you blow it up, then. Then you wasted another year and now you're looking for another head coach and another general manager. Hopefully there's a quarterback in next year's draft. Hopefully it's Arch Manning, but maybe it's not. And maybe they win too many games again and they don't get I. The. John Maris said he wants this team to start winning games. I think he's embarrassed by what's happened over the last couple of years he wants to do whether it's right, wrong and different. That's what they're doing, guys. So what would you do then if you're. If. If the edict from your owner is win as many games as possible. What. What could they have done better than this? Yeah, Aaron Rodgers. Well, it doesn't seem like Aaron Rodgers wants you. Would you be better with Joe Flacco? Would you rather overpay for a Kirk Cousins? Would you rather overpay for. For a car? Or would you try to see if you can get some guys in here? There's the potential of doing well if everything strikes, strikes well. But it's contracts that you can move out of very easily. Didn't spend A ton of money. I think the argument has to be, Alan, what would you have done differently if you're trying to win games? Because that's the edict. So don't, don't waste time saying they shouldn't try to win games or they should have blown it. All right? They should have. They didn't. So this is what they're doing. So what would, what should Joe Shane have done better? What could he have done better?
Alan Hahn
No, I guess that's the problem is it's like, you know, again, your options, right? It's only. All you have. Is that so you, you can't act like they should have just gone out and find themselves a five star quarterback. Right? But I guess what Peter and I keep trying to say here, Donnie, is like this, like this is so not Giants. Like you are trying, you're saying, I'm trying to win. And I'm bringing in, I'm bringing in two polarizing quarterbacks for two different reasons. One guy in, Russell Wilson, as we know, not exactly the most popular guy around the league. Right. That he has, that he has a weird reputation. The stuff that happened in Seattle, the stuff that happened in Denver, not much happened in Pittsburgh, but as Mike Florio was, was saying in his latest column is that they were, they were done with him. They thought he was done. And they need a quarterback. Like that's the. Has another warning sign of here's a franchise that needs a quarterback. Had this guy in house and was like, we're all set. So there's that. And then the other guy in, Jameis Winston, who everybody loves because he's entertaining and as I've said, he is a fun quarterback and a very entertaining quarterback when he's not your quarterback. Because when he's your quarterback, he'll drive you crazy because guess who else needs a quarterback? The Browns. And they don't want him. Well, they were all set.
Don LaGreca
True. But, but let's, let's take. So this is what you got, okay.
Alan Hahn
What did you guys used to say? Flotsam and jetsam, that's what you got.
Don LaGreca
But Cleveland's got the second pick, so they can walk away with a quarterback if they want one in this draft. The Giants couldn't. Pittsburgh can't draft a quarterback. Okay? So that, that, that's where it's different. Cleveland also has a quarterback making a ton of guaranteed money that is still very talented that might be able to someday figure it out. I don't know. You know, so, so they're in a different situation. You know, let's not sit here and talk about Pittsburgh as being, you know, the perfect organization because they're dancing with the devil here too. They must know that Aaron Rodgers is going to not retire and sign with them so they can talk disparagingly about Wilson because they know Rodgers is going to come. What if Rodgers retires? What are the Steelers going to do? The Giants are trying to win games to save jobs. Pittsburgh's trying to win games because they think they might be able to make a run. With who, by the way, if Aaron Rodgers doesn't sign with them like so. Let's see what ends up happening with Pittsburgh at the end of the day. And again, if they hated Russell Wilson so much, they're the ones that benched Justin Fields at 4 and 2 for Russell Wilson and then never benched Wilson. So I find those comments to be a little curious because if he was shot, Allen, if he was done, then why didn't they pivot back to Justin Fields who won four or six games at the beginning of the year?
Alan Hahn
That was the question in Pittsburgh at the end of the season where a lot of people were wondering, would they go back? Are they going back? Should you go back? And they used him in some situations, but they did not make him the full time quarterback again. That is absolutely true. We have lots of calls here. 800-919-3776. Don, let's hear from the people, shall we?
Don LaGreca
Let's do it.
Alan Hahn
Let's begin with Shooter in Stamford. This is. I want to see, I want to hear this. Shooter.
D
Hey now, how are you fellas?
Alan Hahn
Hey now, how are you? What's up?
D
Hey. So I changed what I was going to say because of what Don said. I agree with him. Like, what should we do? I think the Giants are in this mess, Don, because we were trying to win. We were trying to get the right guy. No one, and I mean no one wants to come to the New York Giants dumpster fire at this point. And these were the only two guys that we can get to come here. I was talking to, I ran into Chris Simms, I don't know yesterday, and he said the same thing to me. He's like, russell Wilson had no options. This was it. And the Steelers are a smart, well run organization. They're on planned ABCD right now, right? They're going to probably be. The Giants are on plan M, M for misery. Because we have no other options. And now we're a year behind, right? We should have blown it up. He should have done it, but he didn't. And now we got to deal with this year, and then next year we're going to blow it up, maybe get our quarterback. But I'm sorry, Don, it's just. We're done.
Don LaGreca
No. All right. Allen said something serious, like the Giant. What is the Giants way? When you take a look at since their super bowl championship, they've gone to the playoffs twice. They completely got in bed with Odell Beckham Jr. And messed that whole thing up. Right?
Alan Hahn
That way.
Don LaGreca
Him. Clown. Clown.
Alan Hahn
That was the first indication, Don. Right. The whole. The banana boat and the whole. That's when the clown show began.
Don LaGreca
Right? The whole clown show has been going on now for over a decade. And that's kind of who you become, because history doesn't matter. You know, when Stump Merrill was the manager of the Yankees, you know, Ruth, Garrick, DiMaggio didn't matter anymore. You know, your franchise was a mess. You know, the Canadiens have been a mess for 30 years. John Beliveau is not going to skate out there for him anymore. When the Celtics were losing 17 straight games, Larry Bird didn't matter anymore. All right? Lawrence Taylor, Harry Carson, Phil Simms don't matter anymore. Sam Huff doesn't matter. They've been in embarrassment for a decade, all right? It's an absolute mess. And for all the people out there, you know, tank for the pick. Well, you know what? Even if they tanked last year, it doesn't look like they were interested in. In the quarterbacks, number one and number two, when you tank and you lose, that's why nobody wants to play for you, because you're a losing organization. It's an absolute mess. You don't do these things in a vacuum. Losing creates this, Alan. The losing atmosphere.
Alan Hahn
Of course it does.
Don LaGreca
And I'll give John Marek credit for this. All right? I would have blown it up, but I guess what he's looking at is I gotta get credibility again. I gotta be a functioning franchise again. I can't be an embarrassment. I can't have 50,000 people in an 80,000 MetLife Stadium, my fans booing. Everybody's still wearing Barkley jerseys because they hate me. And I need to get my franchise back and stable again. That's what he's searching for, because that's what losing does. It's a cancer. It corrodes. And they're really just a mess right now. And I guess he's just trying to get him upright again.
Alan Hahn
Yeah, well, he already told you, like, he watched the documentary. He saw his father talking about, you know, consistency and not always, you know, like, Sticking with people and letting them work through it and all that stuff. So he had that moment. He had that moment where he decided, I'm not going to be impulsive like I've been in the past and just keep flipping it. I can't keep turning the soil over. Eventually I got to let something take. And that's what he's doing here. So we'll see if it finally does work. Let's go to Dave in the car. Dave.
D
Hey, what's up, guys? Obviously I would have blown it up. Thanks for having me on. But here's my take with the Giants. Here's my take with the Giants. I think their defensive healthy is going to be better than people think. I think if the Giants can keep teams hovering around 24 points or less and get 2, 250 yards a game out of Wilson or Winston, they might surprise us. I'm looking at them as unorthodox. I'm going to say this and let you guys run with it. This is people before your time. Peter. There was a boxer named Ronaldo Snipes who almost pulled up the biggest upset in boxing. He cracked Larry Holmes in his prime. No one saw it coming. He had this way of holding his hands up and swinging. The most unorthodox, arguably boxer of his time as a heavyweight. I think the Giants are very unorthodox now and maybe that being unorthodox and desperate with some good, healthy quarterback, they might actually surprise us.
Don LaGreca
I think both could be true. I think they can be competitive, but with that schedule, I just don't know how many wins you're going to get out of it. They will be better than they were last year. They will not embarrass you. They'll be competitive, they'll be in games. But when you look at that schedule, Alan, there a lot of Mondays were going to come on after an NFL Sunday and go, boy, that was a fun game. They scored some points. They didn't embarrass themselves. But they lost the game, you know, 31, 27 and they're still 06. You know, something like that could end.
Alan Hahn
Up being that they're going to be irrelevant by Thanksgiving. And the schedule sometimes year by year, when you're going through certain things, the schedule sometimes the situation tells you what to do. That's all I'm saying about this.
Don LaGreca
But the NFL situation, schedule, right? I mean, you know, there are teams you're right from that do like so that caller's not wrong that maybe they can be that team. Like, where did they come from. Yeah, well, I mean it's an algae out there, but I appreciate the effort.
Alan Hahn
Well, we have more effort calls coming up. 800 now at 93776. So stay with us on the Giants, Jeff Nelson at 4 and we'll get into the baseball because that's right kids, it's baseball season starting tomorrow. The Yankees and the like. Just like you dream about the Yankees and the brewers to open the season tomorrow afternoon. So let's get you ready for that. But first, your call. Stay with us. Don han, rosenberg 880 ESPN Guys, I.
Peter Rosenberg
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Like you know to check the Jumbotron.
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Don LaGreca
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Alan Hahn
See full terms@mintmobile.com thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.
Peter Rosenberg
I didn't listen to anything you just said.
Alan Hahn
Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. You know, Don, this could be a potential beach bass song.
Don LaGreca
You know, it's not a bad thought.
Alan Hahn
This is in your wheelhouse.
Don LaGreca
You know what year this song is from?
Alan Hahn
65.
Don LaGreca
No, 73.
Alan Hahn
73. All right. Felt like a 60s song with the, with that guitar. That guitar sounded very 60s.
Don LaGreca
That's pretty good, right? Like that was. Where did this end up in the. It got to 13.
Alan Hahn
That's not bad.
Don LaGreca
And that was. That was 10 years before the. The one we just played before. So pretty good, right? That 10 year difference in there in their hits. So that's how.
Alan Hahn
Yeah. So twilight zone was 10 years after this one. Yeah, that's. Yeah. That's impressive. I think. You know what, I'm telling you right now, if you do Radar love, maybe I'll do Twilight Zone. No, that'd be great because Twilight Zone is more my. Like that. That's like in my wheelhouse.
Don LaGreca
I love Twilight Zone too. A lot.
Alan Hahn
It's a good one. We could do both. We'll do a duet cover.
Don LaGreca
I wonder if they had.
Alan Hahn
Anyway, we'll do a mashup though. Mashed.
Don LaGreca
Whatever you want. It's. I'm telling you what, the Bash is going to be off the hook this year. Absolutely off the hook.
Alan Hahn
Because I just have a feeling that.
Don LaGreca
That you and I are going to be like totally all in. Not that everybody isn't normally all in, but I think you'll be in for.
Alan Hahn
You could say it the weird.
Don LaGreca
Like, I like it to get crazy.
Alan Hahn
Absolutely. Like crowd surfing. All of it. I'm for it. I like definitely all for it. All right. 800-919-3776. We're all for Jeff Nelson, who's going to join us at 4. We'll get into the Yankees and the new season ahead, what to expect, how to get through some of the early issues that they are going to have and where do we project? They're going to be a lot of baseball talk coming up, but right now we have your calls on the Giants. Let's go, let's go to, let's go to Dan in Bloomfield. Hey, Dan.
D
Guys, what's going on? How you, how you doing?
Don LaGreca
How you feeling? Good.
Alan Hahn
How are you feeling?
D
Good.
Don LaGreca
Good.
D
So listen, Don, you're absolutely right. This was the best that they could do. But Alan, your, your, your point trumps all. It's so apathetic to it. I love the Giants, I really do. But like, look, it's absolutely the best that they could do. They draft the quarterback at three, right? Let's just say they draft the quarterback at three. Then they're still not going to win enough games because of the schedule. I don't know if you guys saw, but they're over. Under win total is four and a half. Yeah, that's the lowest the NFL and they're not going to win enough games. So they're gonna get fired. So then the new GM comes in and either has the same situation Joe Shane just inherited or they're gonna have to trade. You know, it'll probably be Shoulder Sanders if they go somewhere 3 depending on the dollar or if they don't draft the quarterback. Okay, you get Carter or Hunter on this team. Great. You you added to the talent pool and that's great. And all. They're still not going to win enough games. And then you have to hope in 2025 that you don't win enough games so that you have a top three pick or the top pick to where you can get someone like Arch Manning if he decides to come out again. He's making so much money in nil. It's not possible. It's not 100. Sure he comes out.
Alan Hahn
I know, dude, he's coming out. If he's going to be a top. If he's going to be a top five pick.
Don LaGreca
But we don't.
Alan Hahn
10 pick.
Don LaGreca
We don't know. We don't know that that's still. We don't know.
D
But Peyton Manning was supposed to be the number one pick and he said wait, but.
Alan Hahn
Yeah, but Dan, Dan, Peyton Manning didn't come out that year because he didn't want to be a Jet.
Don LaGreca
He wasn't making any money.
D
And I understand, but Arch Manning, and.
Alan Hahn
Let'S keep in mind too. I'm sorry, Dan. I think there's a delay that's screwing this up right now. So I apologize for. I keep jumping in on everybody. But I just want to add one other thing though, to Dan's point, Don, is that do you think the Giants might have a little insight on what Manning wants to do? You think the least that Eli would do is just give them a heads up about like, you know, this isn't a good plan, but why does it.
Don LaGreca
Always have to be?
Alan Hahn
He'd be ahead of the game on that.
Don LaGreca
Maybe, but he still has to go out there and play well. I mean, they might want him to play at a level where they could draft him, but we still have to see that all manifest itself. I mean, he's only played a handful of games. Let's see what he can actually do. And yeah, I think he's going to come out, no question. But you know where he's going to be drafted, how the Giants are going to feel about him, just because that being a Manning is not enough of a reason. And also, you don't have to necessarily tank to get a top pick. I mean, they could still possibly trade. There's other things that you can do to get him. And listen, maybe it'll be like it was with Eli, where I want to play for the Giants and they'll be able to make something happen and a trade can take place for that to happen. But you're going to have to build talent. You can't not care about the third pick. It's not going to be a quarterback. I'm fairly sure about that with this Wilson signing, they are not going to get a quarterback at three. If you get Carter or Hunter, there's nothing ever wrong. Allen, no matter how many games you're going to win in 2025 to bring in generational talent and that's what they're going to be adding to what your hope is already a talent like that in neighbors and build around that. And this defense could be pretty good. Obviously they were disappointed in how it went down last year. They've added to the defense, they've helped the secondary again. I'm not going to sit here and advocate they're going to go out there and win 10 games. They will be better, but I don't know what it's going to look like record wise.
Alan Hahn
Take Lewis in Poughkeepsie. Lewis.
D
Hey, guys, how's it going? Big fan.
Alan Hahn
Good.
Don LaGreca
What's up, baby? All right.
D
Yeah, I, I need to go after Han and Rosenberg a little bit. I mean, I, I just, I don't understand what else the Giants were supposed to do. Am I, I'm a lifelong die hard Giants fan, Almost frozen. Rosen Rothenberg Ask. Almost. I'm not very proud to say it, but then it's closer to the truth. And I'm kind of whatever about these, the moves. I'm not gonna at all go out and buy a Jameis or Russell Wilson jersey, but I'm not disappointed. I'm not outraged. I don't know what else they were supposed to do. They got two quarterbacks on the cheap.
Alan Hahn
Right, Lewis? Is that kind of what I said? I said there's a lot of apathy. Like, I don't think Giants fans care right now because you're saying it exactly for me. You feel nothing right now. You're not mad, but you're also not excited. You're just there right now. You're just existing right now, waiting for a reason to care again. I think that's a, it's an accurate statement that I made. And you're, you're basically telling me that that's how you feel, that's where you are.
D
I mean, I guess I would say I'm more, I'm more interested to see how it plays out rather than just like, I don't feel. I'm numb. I would say, I would say it's closer to just like, all right, let's see what happens.
Alan Hahn
Okay, well, that's good to know. And the closer we get to the draft and see how things play out, the more you know we're going to want to hear. There's no question about it. Coming up, Donnie, Though it's baseball season, the boys of summer, they're getting ready tomorrow. The first pitch of a long and brand new season. And we'll get Jeff Nelson's take coming up next. Stay with us. Don han, Rosenberg. 880 ESPN brackets.
Peter Rosenberg
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Alan Hahn
For listening to Madonna 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. In case you didn't know, these young men are driven.
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Peter Rosenberg
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Alan Hahn
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Alan Hahn
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Podcast Summary: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Episode: Hour 1: Giants QBs
Hosts: Don LaGreca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
Release Date: March 26, 2025
Duration: Approximately 50 minutes
Platform: ESPN New York and ESPN New Jersey App
At the outset of the episode, Alan Hahn welcomes listeners back to the show alongside Don LaGreca and Peter Rosenberg. The trio sets the stage for an in-depth discussion about the New York Giants' quarterback situation, delving into recent team decisions, management strategies, and the overall sentiment among fans.
Discussion on Recent Acquisitions
The primary focus of the episode revolves around the Giants' acquisition of quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. Alan Hahn references an update from Adam Schefter regarding Russell Wilson's one-year, team-friendly deal with the Giants.
Strategic Analysis
Don LaGreca elaborates on the Giants' strategy, suggesting that bringing in both Wilson and Winston provides the team with flexibility. This dual-quarterback approach serves as a contingency plan against potential disappointments in the draft.
Peter Rosenberg expresses skepticism about the rationale behind signing both quarterbacks, questioning what benefits Russell Wilson brings to the Giants beyond being a quarterback option.
Financial Implications and Team Dynamics
The hosts discuss the financial aspects of the Giants' decisions. Don highlights that Winston's contract is relatively inexpensive, making it a low-risk investment that could potentially yield high rewards if he performs well.
Alan Hahn adds that the Giants are maintaining financial flexibility, allowing them to remain competitive while keeping future options open for drafting or acquiring new talent.
Critique of Current Strategies
Don LaGreca criticizes the Giants' management, particularly General Manager John Mara, suggesting that the team should have opted for a complete reset rather than incremental changes. He believes that the current approach is ineffective and prolongs the team's struggles.
Alan Hahn discusses Mara's focus on winning games to regain credibility, despite the team's ongoing challenges.
Fan Sentiment and Apathy
Peter Rosenberg and Alan Hahn explore the disillusionment and apathy among Giants fans. They argue that prolonged losing seasons and questionable management decisions have led to a significant decline in fan engagement and enthusiasm.
Alan Hahn [05:54]: "Giants fans are apathetic. I'm telling you, they don't care."
Peter Rosenberg [05:07]: "I just want to say, yes, I'm sort of laughing at you, but more so relating to you just because I've been there."
Potential Draft Picks and Long-Term Strategy
The discussion shifts to future prospects, including the possibility of drafting Arch Manning. The hosts debate whether the Giants should focus on immediate competitiveness or prioritize long-term rebuilding through strategic drafting.
Alan Hahn emphasizes the importance of balancing current team needs with future aspirations, suggesting that the Giants must navigate a tough schedule while building for the future.
Listener Perspectives on Team Building
Listeners contribute their viewpoints, reinforcing the hosts' assessments of the Giants' situation. Many agree that the team has limited options and that the current quarterback strategy may not yield the desired results.
Listener "Shooter" [33:45]: "We were trying to win... No one wants to come to the New York Giants dumpster fire at this point."
Listener "David" [44:11]: "We have the lowest over under win total for any team in the NFL. So the expectation is they're going to lose."
Risks and Challenges
The hosts delve deeper into the complexities of managing two quarterbacks with different playing styles and personalities. They highlight the challenges of establishing a cohesive team dynamic and question the effectiveness of this approach in achieving sustained success.
Peter Rosenberg [21:30]: "It totally is. But you have to agree, for some reason, it looks a lot jankier to have Wilson and Winston than just to have gotten one of them."
Don LaGreca [23:00]: "You may disagree, but there is something intoxicating coming from Dable, who prides himself as an offensive guy and a quarterback fixer."
Comparisons to Other Teams
The conversation includes comparisons to other NFL teams, particularly the Pittsburgh Steelers, to contextualize the Giants' strategy within the broader league dynamics.
Summary of Key Points
The episode concludes with a recap of the Giants' quarterback dilemma, management decisions, and the uncertain future of the franchise. The hosts express cautious optimism but remain largely critical of the current strategies employed by the Giants' leadership.
Don LaGreca [42:02]: "So what would you do then if you're... What could they have done better than this?"
Alan Hahn [43:35]: "You can't stop my drive."
Upcoming Topics
As the episode wraps up, the hosts hint at upcoming discussions on other sports topics, including baseball and the Yankees, signaling a transition to broader sports coverage.
Alan Hahn [01:03]: "Here we go on a Wednesday in New York City with Don Lagreca and Peter Rosenberg back with us. I'm Alan Hahn. How we doing, boys?"
Peter Rosenberg [05:07]: "I just want to say, yes, I'm sort of laughing at you, but more so relating to you just because I've been there."
Don LaGreca [19:42]: "I agree. Then they fire them or give them an extension."
Peter Rosenberg [21:30]: "It totally is. But you have to agree, for some reason, it looks a lot jankier to have Wilson and Winston than just to have gotten one of them."
Don LaGreca [35:00]: "The whole clown show has been going on now for over a decade... It's an absolute mess."
The episode provides a comprehensive analysis of the New York Giants' current quarterback strategy, scrutinizing management decisions and their impact on team performance and fan engagement. While acknowledging the complexities of the NFL landscape, the hosts remain critical of the Giants' approach, questioning its efficacy in fostering a competitive and sustainable team framework.
Note: Advertisements, promotional segments, and non-content sections have been excluded from this summary to focus solely on the substantive discussions about the Giants' quarterback situation.