Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 1: Soto IL, Lawrence Trade Request, Drop Madness

Date: April 6, 2026
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
Special Guest: Jordan Raanan (ESPN Giants Reporter), Chris Carlin

Overview

The Hour 1 episode dives into breaking and developing New York sports news, focusing on the Mets’ Juan Soto landing on the injured list (IL), the New York Giants’ star defender Dexter Lawrence requesting a trade, and the highly anticipated “Drop Madness” radio soundbite competition. The hosts blend sharp analysis, humor, and their trademark banter, making for a lively rundown of the day’s stories with plenty of passionate opinions and quotable moments.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Juan Soto and Lindor Injuries – Mets News

Timestamps: 01:20–03:16

• Breaking: Juan Soto is placed on IL. The Mets adjust upcoming game times due to cold weather.
• The hosts note the Mets’ offense kept rolling, scoring big even without Soto, beating the "not very good" Giants for a 6–4 season start.
• Discussion on Lindor’s struggles (.140 BA after hamate surgery):
  • Hahn: “It's early in the season. Right. And he's coming back from the hamate bone surgery, so he's got that to deal with as well.” (03:16)
• Rosenberg jokes about Lindor’s inability to hit even with Soto gone.

2. Dexter Lawrence Trade Request – Giants Fiasco

Timestamps: 03:16–22:40

Initial Reactions

• Nickname “Sexy Dexy” gets playful ribbing (03:32–03:58).

• Don’s perspective: If a player wants out, let him go—no need to “beg” (04:41):

  “If you don't want to play for me, goodbye now. I'm not going to sit there and beg you to stay.” (04:41, Don)

• Alan Hahn pushes back, arguing for context:

  “But what if it's him saying, I don't want to be here if you don't want to pay me what I'm worth in the market for what I do for you.” (05:16)

NFL Business & Cap Realities

• Debates the balance between cap management and player value:
  • Don: “What you are worth is depending on how much money is under the cap… It's not the Giants disrespecting their defensive player.” (10:02)
  • Alan: “It's business…I'm not yet out of my prime… I'm not anywhere near one of the highest paid players at my position anymore.” (10:02)
• Rosenberg highlights the modern era of player empowerment but admits it can be “irritating” (11:22).

Jordan Raanan Interview – Inside the Giants Situation

Timestamps: 12:34–22:40

• Raanan’s scoop: Lawrence will skip the offseason program; he wants a new deal or to be traded. (12:51)
• The Giants made offseason plans assuming Lawrence would stay. DC Denard Wilson is a “big fan,” John Harbaugh called Lawrence the “middle stone” of the defense (13:41).
• Lawrence’s frustrations are part on-the-field, part seeing friends (Leonard Williams, Saquon Barkley) leave and succeed elsewhere (14:24):

  “The frustration of losing has worn on Dexter Lawrence… His closest friends … got traded. Experienced success elsewhere. New deals. More money. They won Super Bowls.” (14:24, Raanan)

• Is it about money or winning? Both—Don is amused/frustrated that “all the frustration goes away when I get paid.” (16:08)
• Raanan: “Guaranteeing him money, I think, is going to be the key here…$0 guaranteed right now. That’s what he wants changed.” (21:58)
• Business bottom line: Giants’ concern is committing financially after a “down” year, even though cap-wise it wouldn’t hamper them immediately (18:44–19:52).
• On Lawrence's leverage:

  “If you don't have Dexter Lawrence... you're adding rookie players… question marks. They're not Dexter Lawrence year one for sure.” (20:32, Raanan)

• Prediction: Raanan predicts a deal gets done in May, with an extension likely resolving the issue (20:42).

Notable Quotes

• Don: “It's just frustrating, man.” (09:55)
• Alan: “If he was a player of value, they find a way… You find a way to pay your left tackle. You find a way to pay important players who have holdouts.” (11:46)
• Jordan Raanan: “If they do it and… adjust his contract, the likelihood is they can make the cap hit lower this year… so it's not going to keep you from adding guys.” (18:44)
• Rosenberg: “This is the era we live in…” (11:13)

3. Drop Madness Finals – Radio Bit Showdown

Timestamps: 23:41–44:41

• Final Matchup: Don’s “25 a month” vs. Chris Carlin’s infamous “choking” drop.
• Voting expands to Instagram and YouTube after complaints about Twitter exclusivity.
• Carlin joins to “preemptively claim his crown,” boasts about steamrolling the competition (37:37).

  “[This drop] has destroyed the whole La Greca family… If I’m going to nearly die on the air, at the very least I can wipe out a family in the process.” (38:07, Carlin)

• Comedy Gold:
  • Rosenberg to Carlin: “Well, listen, the proof is in the pudding, and we know you love pudding.” (41:09)
  • Carlin recounts his on-air near-choke: “There’s a little PTSD to it… as this was happening, … they just looked at me like, ‘What’s happening? Are you dying?’” (39:36)
• Don’s son Marco gets referenced for future radio takeovers in jest.

4. Upcoming: Knicks, Islanders, UConn–Michigan Championship

Timestamps: 23:29–53:29

NBA Playoff Race & Knicks Outlook

• Knicks look to avoid the 4th seed and a bad matchup with the Hawks; they've beaten bad teams, but the league’s tanking hurts playoff seeding integrity.
• Alan Hahn rants: “The league is a joke. Friday night was a joke. Like what they're doing with these games and these teams.” (33:32)
• Scheduling quirks: NBA now schedules games against the NCAA championship, which is a development since 2011 (31:16).

NCAA Men’s Basketball Final: UConn vs. Michigan

• UConn’s ability to flip a switch in March noted; never lost in a championship game.
• Michigan described as the “Monstars”—a team “trying to do what the Fab Five couldn’t do: finish the job.” (49:26)
• Rosenberg quips about “raised courts” and how it always reminds him of the Kevin Ware injury (51:49).
• Don marvels at how the title game’s scale has grown: “30 years ago they were playing this game at the Meadowlands. Now it’s Lucas Oil Stadium… in front of 80,000 people.” (52:36)

Islanders Coach Firing

• Brief mention of Islanders firing Patrick Wa with four games left—Don says it was “probably the right thing to do.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Don (on player respect): “If you don't want to play for me, goodbye now. I'm not going to sit there and beg you to stay.” (04:41)
• Alan (on cap management vs. loyalty): “You find a way to pay important players who have holdouts.” (11:46)
• Rosenberg (on Drop Madness): “Well, listen, the proof is in the pudding, and we know you love pudding.” (41:09)
• Carlin (on his drop): “If I’m going to nearly die on the air, at the very least I can wipe out a family in the process.” (38:07)
• Raanan (on Dexter Lawrence): “He has $0 guaranteed. So guaranteeing him money, I think, is going to be the key here…” (21:58)
• Don (on Knicks/league integrity): “The league is a joke. Friday night was a joke.” (33:32)
• Alan (on UConn’s run): “UConn is a brand…there’s a lot of destiny about this team…” (49:26)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:20 – Juan Soto IL news, Mets offense discussion
• 03:16 – Dexter Lawrence trade demand, nickname debate ("Sexy Dexy")
• 04:41 – Don’s stance on players who want to leave
• 10:02 – Cap realities and emotional frustration
• 12:34 – Jordan Raanan joins: inside the Giants and Lawrence’s mood
• 16:08 – Is it about money or losing?
• 18:44 – Cap strategies with Lawrence’s contract (Raanan)
• 20:42 – Prediction on outcome for Lawrence–Giants dispute (Raanan)
• 23:41 – Drop Madness finals preview
• 37:37 – Chris Carlin claims victory in Drop Madness
• 41:09 – Banter and jokes about the infamous drop
• 49:03 – UConn–Michigan NCAA title game preview; Knicks playoff implications
• 52:36 – Nostalgia for NCAA title venues and spectacle

Tone and Language

• The show blends passionate, playful banter (“This isn’t North Dakota, this is New York”), sarcasm, and strong opinions.
• Lots of local New York sports flavor, inside jokes, and zingers.
• Participants take clear but respectful sides in debates, especially about the business of pro sports and the frustration of fandom.

Summary

Hour 1 is a classic Don, Hahn & Rosenberg session: real-time reactions to breaking NY sports news, the drama of player contracts, playoff intrigue, and the lighter side of radio with Drop Madness. Expert guest Jordan Raanan delivers inside knowledge on the Giants’ internal strife, while Chris Carlin injects humor and self-deprecating wit into the show’s signature soundbite contest. For fans, the episode is a fast-paced blend of analysis, exasperation, loyalty, and laughs—a full sampling of New York sports talk radio at its best.