Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 1: Giants Super Bowl Chances

Date: February 10, 2026
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg

Episode Overview

This high-energy episode centers on a spirited debate: Which New York team is most likely to win the next championship? The trio dives deep into the Giants' Super Bowl prospects following John Harbaugh’s hire, compares the championship outlook for the Knicks, Yankees, Islanders, and Mets, and explores fans’ persistent hope—and skepticism—regarding New York sports. In classic Don, Hahn & Rosenberg fashion, the banter overflows with wit, friendly jabs, and a segue into the agony and glory of making musical “best of” lists.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Cuddle, Marry, Trash: Who’s Next to Win a New York Championship?

[02:18-12:46]

• The hosts riff off the game "Cuddle, Marry, Trash,” ranking the Knicks, Yankees, and Giants in terms of who’s closest to winning a title.

• The debate is sparked by Dave Rothenberg’s surprising pick of the Giants as his “marry”—the team most likely to bring New York its next championship, despite recent struggles.

  Key arguments:

  • The Giants:
    • Newfound optimism thanks to new head coach John Harbaugh and young QB Jackson Dart.
    • “If you’ve got the quarterback and the coach, then I think you'd be red hot.” – Alan Hahn [03:20]
    • The Giants have proven they “occasionally get it right,” referencing past Super Bowl wins even amid years of dysfunction.
    • Vegas' over/under moved from 4 wins to 8.5 with Harbaugh—“that’s a major, major piece to land.” – Don La Greca [08:45]
  • The Yankees:
    • Always talented, judged by high standards—haven’t won since 2009, but regularly make deep runs.
    • “The Yankees have a really good roster. We know they're always going to be there every year and I've seen them win before.” – Alan Hahn [13:42]
  • The Knicks:
    • Consistent heartbreak, but a strong roster this year and the East is wide open.
    • “The Knicks could arguably be the favorite in the east right now…Why would they not be the most likely? Except for the fact that we just think they're the Knicks, they won't win.” – Peter Rosenberg [13:13]
  • Wildcard: Islanders & Mets:
    • The Isles—with elite goalie Sorokin and rising stars—could be surprising contenders: “They have a goalie, which is all you need most of the time.” – Alan Hahn [16:23]
    • Mets praised for not “running it back,” making bold stylistic changes after a mediocre season.

2. The Impact of John Harbaugh & Giants Outlook

[03:19-07:25 | 08:45-12:46]

• Harbaugh’s arrival is seen as transformative. The team’s leadership is trusted, despite years of dysfunction.
• Peter remains the group’s Giants skeptic: “The quarterback…still a lot remains to be seen. I maintain that. And that's the biggest piece.” [07:32]
• Contrasts in fan perspective—reminded by past Giants playoff runs, but wary that “you still are pieces away from being that kind of team.” – Don [06:00]
• There’s consensus: expecting a Giants Super Bowl in five years isn’t “preposterous,” provided the QB pans out.

3. History, Hope, and New York Sports' Burdens

[12:46–17:09 | 24:40–27:53]

• Decades-long championship droughts haunt most New York teams, affecting fans’ hope and pundits’ predictions.
• For the Yankees, “2009 feels like 1909. Right. Because they're supposed to win more often.” – Don [26:18]
• The Mets and Islanders, while not favorites, are never out of the conversation—especially with baseball’s unpredictability.
• “Baseball is the one sport…there's too many variables…if you have that kind of talent, there's a chance in baseball.” – Alan [26:59]

4. Extended Game: “Cuddle, Marry, Trash... Side Piece?”

[17:09–22:00]

• The hosts joke about adding more categories to the Cuddle, Marry, Trash game (“cheat with,” “side piece,” etc.), showing their irreverent, humorous style.
• Alan: “We gotta reinvent a different game... would the Islanders be the cheat with?” [17:09]
• A tongue-in-cheek debate, hinting at fans’ secret (or not-so-secret) soft spots for certain NY teams.

5. Listener Calls & Alternate Perspectives

[28:21–33:28]

• Danny from Long Island defends the Knicks as likeliest to win a title, citing their playoff proximity and questioning Giants optimism: “Let’s have a successful second season before we start paying them in.” [29:17]
• The hosts clarify that the real question is about a five-year window, not immediate results: “I think people are misunderstanding the game.” – Don [30:13]
• The conversation emphasizes that with the Giants, “it’s not supposed to (take a while) ... they're going to be better. How good, how soon? That remains to be seen.” – Alan [32:26]

6. Banter Detour: Assembling The Top 5 Rock Songs of All Time

[21:18–48:55]

• The episode shifts in its latter half to playful, heated debate: what are the “top five rock songs of all time?” This absorbs fans and hosts alike.
• Don sets the criteria: No repeat artists, must be universally recognized and influential.
• The discussion touches on Guns N’ Roses (“Sweet Child O’ Mine,” “Welcome to the Jungle”), Nirvana, The Beatles, Eagles, Rolling Stones, and more.
• Memorable moment: “If an alien lands and says, what's rock sound like? That's definitely a song you could play.” – Peter, on “Welcome to the Jungle” [38:30]
• Spirited bickering over which songs “count,” when rock “died,” how older songs age, and whether “In Da Club” belongs in the hip-hop version.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Giants' Super Bowl Prospects & John Harbaugh

• Alan: “If we fast forward five years from now, like, what are you doing? You got the best coach available. You got a coach with a resume. You got a coach that has a ring on his finger. You got a coach that's done nothing but win. And you have a young quarterback that everybody's excited about.” [03:34]
• Don: “They do eventually go, I don't know how many rotations of the earth it takes or whatever, but at some point... They trip into one.” [05:10]
• Peter: “The quarterback... still a lot remains to be seen. I maintain that. And that's the biggest piece.” [07:32]
• Alan: On Vegas moving the Giants' over/under to 8.5: “So they're saying that John Harbaugh at minimum is worth four wins. So that's a major, major piece to land.” [08:45]

Cuddle, Marry, Trash Game & NY Sports Frustration

• Don (on Yankees): “If I played cuddle marriage I should play right now. I would have the Yankees as the team I married... I probably would cuddle the Giants and trash the Knicks. Only because... history and the fact that there are clearly better teams than the Knicks out West.” [11:04]
• Peter: “I just feel like to just go with the Yankees is lazy... It's sort of like Don's argument about when people just say the jets are going to lose because they're the Jets.” [12:46]
• Alan: “We're not saying the Yankees just because of the Yankees. We're saying the Yankees because looking at their roster, they have one of the most talented teams in the sport.” [13:30]
• Caller Danny (Long Island): “Let’s have a successful second season before we start paying them in.” [29:17]

Top Five Rock Songs Banter

• Don: “One rule that I gave myself for the list. No repeat bands. I want five songs from five different bands or people.” [38:16]
• Peter: “If an alien lands and says, what's rock sound like? That's definitely a song you could play.” [38:30]
• Alan: “You've got to back it with relevance, facts. Like, why is this one of the greatest songs of all time? And it's got to be song that everybody knows, everybody has an opinion of. It's been used in movies, it's been used in commercials. Its relevancy cannot be questioned.” [39:16]
• Peter (on Guns N’ Roses): “Paradise City is definitely a stripper song.” [41:25]
• Don (on Nirvana): “There's no way Guns N' Roses is making my top five. Nowhere near ahead of Nirvana. You can't do that.” [43:19]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:18] — Jump-off: Cuddle, Marry, Trash for NY Sports Titles
• [03:19] — Case for the Giants post-Harbaugh
• [06:00] — Giants’ current roster needs and realistic optimism
• [08:45] — Vegas odds and Harbaugh’s immediate impact
• [12:46] — “It’s lazy to pick the Yankees?” and franchise histories
• [16:23] — Islanders and Mets enter the conversation
• [21:18] — Upcoming “Top 5 Rock Songs of All Time” bit
• [24:40] — Why championship droughts feel infinite for NY teams
• [28:21] — Caller Danny challenges Giants optimism
• [32:26] — The “five-year” question and coaching change impact
• [38:09] — Debating criteria for top rock songs; Guns N’ Roses debate
• [43:19] — Guns N’ Roses, Nirvana, and what constitutes a "rock song"
• [47:14] — The peculiar science of “In Da Club” as a birthday anthem

Tone & Style

• Conversational, irreverent, and passionate.
• Hosts freely challenge each other, embrace “fan logic,” and encourage spirited disagreement from listeners.
• The show mixes serious sports analysis with lighter, cultural debates. Banter and absurd “what if” scenarios are encouraged.
• Listeners are actively involved—on-air calls help anchor and diversify the discussion.

Summary Takeaway

Hour 1 of this episode is a must-listen for NY sports fans balancing skepticism and hope. The arrival of John Harbaugh and Jackson Dart has injected real excitement into Giants fandom, shifting perceptions overnight, though the hosts wisely urge caution. The “Cuddle, Marry, Trash” game provides a fun but thoughtful structure for comparing fan fortunes across baseball, basketball, football, and hockey, with digressions into musical taste that spark almost as much passion as sports. Through it all, the Don, Hahn & Rosenberg trio models the essence of New York fandom: never certain, never satisfied, always loud, and joyously opinionated.