Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 1: NFL Week 1

Date: September 5, 2025
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
Theme: Kicking off the NFL season with a review of Eagles vs. Cowboys, spirited debates about "compromised" wins, New York football outlook, and sports etiquette controversies.

Episode Overview

The first hour of this Football Friday opens the NFL season with the trio dissecting the previous night’s Eagles-Cowboys game, engaging in classic New York sparring over controversial plays (including a lengthy weather delay and spitting incident), and bemoaning the offensive futility of the city’s own Jets and Giants. The hosts mix their trademark camaraderie, humor, and heated (but good-natured) debates, all while tying it back to the looming Week 1 games and what they mean for New York sports fans.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Eagles vs. Cowboys – The Weather Delay Controversy

• Game Recap: Eagles beat Cowboys in a rain-soaked, delayed opener; Don Rosenberg claims three extra points for getting his pick right (00:52).
• Weather Delay Impact:
  • Both Alan and Peter argue the 30+ minute lightning delay in the second half “compromised” the game, affecting player energy and rhythm (02:00–03:31).
  • Don holds his ground that it only really affected the over/under and not the spread or his Cowboys pick:

    “It affected both teams equally. So…maybe the Cowboys would have won the game outright. It had no effect on the spread.” — Don Rosenberg (02:22)

  • Alan responds:

    “So much changed in the second half of that game. […] The players didn’t have the same energy.” — Alan Hahn (02:57)

  • Peter agrees it changed the experience:

    "It compromised the game entirely… It did compromise the game.” — Peter Rosenberg (04:29–05:11)

  • Don’s conclusion for Giants fans: Don’t expect Dallas to be bad this year — "Dallas looked functional… That’s just not on the level of the defending super bowl champions." (07:11–08:04)

2. Quality of the Season Opener

• Peter relates his disappointment:

  "As God is my witness, the second my feet went up and I hit play, Mike Tirico tells me the game has stopped." — Peter Rosenberg (06:10)

• All agree: September football is messy; lack of preseason means first weeks are rarely sharp (06:45).

3. Eagles' Dominance and Dallas Takeaways

• Alan emphasizes the one-sidedness of the first half:

  “The Eagle offense was unstoppable. Then the delay, then they punted, then they didn’t score. … The Eagles were knife through butter." — Alan Hahn (08:04)

• Don: Dallas’s defense is just not in the Eagles’ league, but offense showed real potential; Giants will need to be ready (10:24).

4. Celebration & Sportsmanship: Spitting, Taunting, & NFL Rules

• Heated chat about Carter’s ejection for spitting and Dak’s retaliation:

  “Spitting on somebody is inexcusable. […] Dak Prescott did not try to spit on Carter… But that does not excuse Carter for what he did.” — Don Rosenberg (15:17)

• Alan: Spitting is a “death sentence” in the NFL (15:25)
• Don on taunting:

  "Either accept it all or get rid of it all. […] I’d be just as irritated if the entire defense runs for a picture at the end of the end zone the same way I would one guy standing over me after a tackle. But one’s illegal and one’s celebrated." (17:37)

• Peter: Turnover celebrations “getting a bit much” but doesn't want to sound like "get off my lawn" (14:11)

5. Local Football: The Jets & Giants – Offensive Woes & Season Outlook

• Don and Alan agree: You have to score to matter in the modern NFL – defense alone won’t cut it (18:29–19:53).
• Alan skeptical about Jets offense:

  “How do they average more than 17 points a game? How do they get over 20 points a game? … Aaron Rodgers.” — Alan Hahn (21:08)

• Peter calls out lack of receiving depth for the Jets:

  “There’s not a lot of help in that receiver core to get attention away from Garrett Wilson.” (21:30)

• Alan compares Jets receiver need to the Eagles model:

  “…He has to find the A.J. brown to the Devontae Smith, because Garrett Wilson is Devonta Smith, right?” (21:47)

• Bemoaning “unwatchable” offenses:

  “Can we just get from one of these teams to a watchable offensive product? … The football in this town, guys, you know, every week … Can you please not make the jets and the Giants games miserable?” — Peter Rosenberg (22:40)

• Fun stats: Last time Jets were a top-10 offense was 2008 (with Brett Favre); illustrates the extent of offensive drought (24:55–25:22).

6. Andrew Thomas’ Injury & Team Depth

• Don defends Andrew Thomas’ cautious approach with his injury—better to be conservative early in the season:

  “Sometimes you gotta do the prudent thing to do for the long haul.” — Don Rosenberg (36:55)

• Alan: “If it’s gonna take you another week, you take the next week.” (37:53)
• Depth discussion: James Hudson likely to step in if Thomas is out (39:13–39:28).

7. Meta: Announcer Lineups, TV Scheduling, and New York Football TV Realities

• Discussion about the odd overlapping of Jets and Giants games and unusual network assignments in today’s NFL TV schedules; more annoying now because often both teams aren’t worth watching (32:09–32:39).
• Classic banter over colleague Michael K’s love/hate attitude toward Peter (34:18–35:21).

8. Callers and Listener Moments

• Max from Nebraska: Calls in to joke about the "second spitter," referencing Seinfeld, in context of the Carter/Dak spit incident (42:03).
• They reflect on whether we really needed slow-mo replays of the spitting, and how desensitized viewers have become (42:30–45:29).
• Dave from Elizabeth: Praises an ESPN watch party and gives a shout-out to Carmelo Anthony’s Hall of Fame induction (46:06–47:13).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Weather Delay Debate:
  • “The fact that you had a delay of that long to me compromised the end of the game and compromised the result. You won. You get it. But I don’t like it.” — Alan Hahn (03:10)
• On New York Fans’ Desperation:
  • “Neither of these teams is winning the super bowl, but man, the football in this town, guys… Can you please not make the Jets and the Giants games miserable?” — Peter Rosenberg (22:40)
• Jets’ Offensive Drought:
  • “The last time [Jets] were top 10 was that great 98 season … They were fifth.” — Alan Hahn (25:00)
• On NFL Celebrations:
  • “Either accept it all or get rid of it all. But this like, because I. All I know is I’d be just as irritated if the entire defense runs for a picture at the end of the end zone the same way I would one guy standing over me after a tackle. But one’s illegal and one’s celebrated.” — Don Rosenberg (17:37)
• Carmelo Anthony's Legacy:
  • “One of the best small forwards, in my opinion, will be immortalized…Carmelo Anthony…He deserves his flowers.” — Dave from Elizabeth (46:11)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Debate over Eagles/Cowboys and weather delay: 00:52 – 08:44, recurring through 13:34
• Spitting & taunting incidents/rules talk: 14:11 – 18:29, 41:32 – 45:29
• Jets & Giants offensive struggles: 18:29 – 26:47
• Offensive futility stats/NY hopelessness: 24:04 – 25:22
• Andrew Thomas injury & Giants OL depth: 36:09 – 39:44
• Meta-TV scheduling & local TV logistics: 31:41 – 32:39
• Listener calls and New York sports culture: 41:26 – 47:13

Overall Tone & Style

The conversation mixes exasperated New York sports fandom (“just give us a competent offense!”) with classic sports radio bickering, candid self-deprecation, and moments of nostalgia for better football days. Banter is fast-paced, playful, and relatable to any long-suffering fan.

Summary prepared to help listeners catch all the vital analysis, heated takes, and behind-the-scenes flavor from the Don, Hahn & Rosenberg Hour 1 NFL Kickoff.