Hour 1: The Garden is Different

Summary

Don, Hahn & Rosenberg Podcast Summary Episode: Hour 1: The Garden is Different Release Date: March 5, 2025

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1. Transition to a New Studio Location

Timestamp: 00:45 – 08:13

In the opening segment of "The Garden is Different," hosts Don LaGreca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg delve into the emotional and logistical aspects of relocating their podcast studio. The discussion begins with the affirmation that today marks their final day in the current studio, symbolizing the end of an era and the beginning of a new chapter.

• Don LaGreca shares his sentimental attachment to Tupen Studio, where the team had been for over a decade:

  “This will be my third move since being here. Yeah, it was very emotional leaving Tupen. We had been there since our infancy.”

• Peter Rosenberg reflects on the practical benefits of the West End location despite its lackluster neighborhood amenities:

  “That was actually better from a broadcast standpoint. Not great for the neighborhood because there wasn’t real much going on. But as far as neighborhood, the neighborhood was great.”

The team recounts their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, noting how the move to 147 Columbus delayed their physical presence until after the lockdowns eased. Don LaGreca optimistically looks forward to the future:

“I’m looking forward to the new place. I’m looking forward to working around people. We haven’t worked around people in a long time.” (07:10)

2. Nostalgia and Social Dynamics in the Studio

Timestamp: 08:13 – 16:20

The hosts reminisce about the camaraderie and daily interactions they once enjoyed with their colleagues, highlighting the loss of spontaneous conversations and socializing due to prolonged separation from the sales staff.

• Don LaGreca expresses his eagerness to reconnect with the sales team:

  “Pre meetings during breaks… Just getting out during a commercial break saying, hey, can you guys run some ideas? Let’s chat.” (04:19)

• Peter Rosenberg laments the absence of daily interactions and shares humorous anecdotes about office antics:

  “I'll be lying on the television screen licking it like it's ice cream.” (02:34)

The conversation shifts to fond memories of colleagues like Steve Hart, emphasizing how informal interactions enriched their work environment. The nostalgia is palpable as they discuss the quirky and endearing behaviors that made the studio feel like a second home.

3. In-Depth Analysis of the New York Knicks' Performance

Timestamp: 08:33 – 23:06

A substantial portion of the episode is dedicated to analyzing the New York Knicks' recent performance, particularly their loss to Golden State. The hosts debate the team's strengths, weaknesses, and future prospects as they navigate the stretch run towards the playoffs.

• Don LaGreca initially maintains optimism about the Knicks' talent:

  “I had the audacity to have some type of optimism.” (10:24)

• Peter Rosenberg challenges Don’s optimism, arguing that despite the talent, the team hasn’t consistently performed:

  “It’s coming into the playoffs as the three seed and you’re not going to be able to prove anybody wrong until you get to the playoffs.” (15:26)

• A heated discussion ensues over the impact of missing key players like Julius Randle (“Cat”) and how their absence affected the team's dynamics:

  “They were doing fine. They couldn’t make it three. But you know, again, the shots that. The three pointer, that was a strength from the first half of the season in the second half so far has not been a consistent enough thing.” (19:43)

Notable Quote:

Don LaGreca: "Don, you gotta be better. But you know, there’s nothing, no vibe in the building." (18:10)

The hosts dissect specific moments from the Knicks' game against Golden State, critiquing defensive lapses and the inability to contain Steph Curry, who dramatically altered the game's outcome in the second half.

4. The Unique Atmosphere of Madison Square Garden

Timestamp: 30:01 – 37:13

A central theme of the episode revolves around the iconic Madison Square Garden (MSG) and its unparalleled ambiance compared to other modern arenas. The hosts emphasize how MSG's rich history and intimate design contribute to its unique character.

• Peter Rosenberg highlights the historical significance and emotional weight of MSG:

  “When you walk down on the field, that’s where Babe Ruth played. That’s where Joe DiMaggio played. It’s special.” (35:11)

• Don LaGreca underscores the enduring legacy of MSG, portraying it as a living, breathing entity intertwined with countless historic sports moments:

  “It was like the last building that is breathing. Does that make sense when you hear something like that?” (38:26)

The discussion extends to comparing MSG with other legendary venues like Lambeau Field, Wrigley Field, and Fenway Park, asserting that MSG holds a distinct place in sports culture due to its storied past and the palpable energy that emanates during events.

Notable Quote:

Peter Rosenberg: “You can't name me another arena standing right now in North America that has the same vibe as Madison Square Garden.” (37:14)

5. Light-Hearted Banter and Personal Stories

Timestamp: 17:36 – 30:10

Interspersed with serious analysis, the hosts engage in playful conversations about everyday topics, showcasing their chemistry and rapport.

• A humorous exchange about office snacks leads to anecdotes about Steve Hart and the infamous "taste of Steve Hart’s nuts," blending workplace humor with personal stories.

• The conversation veers into shared experiences at other iconic venues, with Peter Rosenberg recounting events like Jim Abbott's no-hitter at Yankee Stadium and Ryan Reynolds sharing his memorable moments at Fenway Park, including a heartfelt story about losing a beach ball and receiving unexpected kindness from fellow fans.

Notable Quote:

Ryan Reynolds: “Every time I bump into someone with a pig, it's like, how do they do that without turning into bacon yet?” (29:30)

6. Reflections on Legendary Sports Moments and Venues

Timestamp: 35:11 – 48:43

The hosts continue their exploration of historic sports venues, drawing parallels between MSG and other iconic locations like Lambeau Field and Yankee Stadium. They debate whether modern renovations can capture the spirit of their predecessors, ultimately concluding that the original structures possess an irreplaceable charm.

• Don LaGreca contends that MSG retains its magic despite renovations:

  “The buzz stayed. You didn’t lose it.” (37:06)

• Peter Rosenberg compares the acoustics and fan proximity of MSG to older arenas, emphasizing that modern venues often prioritize luxury over atmosphere:

  “Most of these places are all just thinking about luxury suites. It doesn’t have the same vibe.” (36:32)

Notable Quote:

Don LaGreca: “It's different. Until you're in the building and I’ve had people, I’ve sat there next to other sideline reporters and they all say the same thing. It just sounds different here.” (34:39)

7. Closing Remarks and Final Reflections

Timestamp: 48:43 – End

As the episode winds down, the hosts wrap up their discussions with final thoughts on the unique attributes of MSG and other legendary sports venues. They express a deep appreciation for the history and atmosphere that these places embody, recognizing that no modern arena can fully replicate the essence of their storied predecessors.

• Don LaGreca muses on the enduring legacy of venues like MSG:

  “It’s the world’s most famous arena. But you can’t name me another arena standing right now in North America that has the same vibe as Madison Square Garden.” (37:14)

• Peter Rosenberg and Ryan Reynolds add their insights, reinforcing the idea that the character and history of these venues make them irreplaceable landmarks in the sports world.

Notable Quote:

Ryan Reynolds: “But if you do, you could do a top five of the way you described it earlier, Alan, was the Garden is a character.” (46:11)

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Conclusion

"Hour 1: The Garden is Different" offers listeners a rich blend of sports analysis, nostalgic reflections, and engaging banter. Don, Hahn, and Rosenberg provide a comprehensive look at their studio's transition, the current state of the New York Knicks, and the unparalleled legacy of Madison Square Garden. Through insightful commentary and personal anecdotes, the episode captures the essence of New York sports culture, making it a must-listen for fans eager to understand the deep-rooted connections between historic venues and their beloved teams.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Don LaGreca: "This is our final day here in this current studio. Monday. We christen a brand new spanking new studio downtown." (00:45)

• Don LaGreca: "I’m looking forward to the new place. I’m looking forward to working around people." (04:16)

• Peter Rosenberg: "I’m sick and tired of people half listening. Seriously." (09:00)

• Don LaGreca: "It sometimes... If you’re not up for it, and the Knicks just weren’t up for it." (39:05)

• Peter Rosenberg: "You can't name me another arena standing right now in North America that has the same vibe as Madison Square Garden." (37:14)

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This detailed summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and moments from the podcast episode, providing a comprehensive overview for those who haven't listened while highlighting the hosts' dynamic interactions and expert analysis.

Transcript

[Ryan Reynolds]

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[Don LaGreca]

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[Ryan Reynolds]

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[Don LaGreca]

But that's weird.

[Ryan Reynolds]

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[Don LaGreca]

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[Peter Rosenberg]

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[Don LaGreca]

Month Required intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See full [e-mail] done.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'll be lick television screen licking it like it's ice cream.

[Don LaGreca]

Ha. Oh, the type of music I listen to would make you cry. And Rosenberg, I expect to be called ball coach.

[Peter Rosenberg]

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

[Don LaGreca]

This is Don Han and Rosenberg on 8 80, ESPN and the ESPN New York app. What do you want to call this? Move out day. How do you like how do we refer to this? With Don Lagreque, Peter Rosenberg. I'm Alan Hahn and it's for. For without getting into too much detail of explaining why today would be the day. It's just that today is our final day here in this current studio. Monday. We we christen a brand new spanking new studio downtown.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Long time coming.

[Don LaGreca]

Is there motion here? How are we feeling about this?

[Peter Rosenberg]

This will be my third move since being here. Yeah, it was very emotional leaving Tupan. We had been there since our infancy. I was there for a dozen years right above Madison Square Garden. Great spot. I cried my eyes out. I didn't want to leave that place. Did you really moved to West End and that was fine.

[Don LaGreca]

Not a bad spot.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That was actually better from a broadcast standpoint. Not great for the neighborhood because there wasn't real much going on. There wasn't any food options or anything. But as far as neighborhood, the neighborhood was great. It was just very quiet. There wasn't a lot of restaurants, There was a lot of vibe around. But the studios were amazing. We had extra ones and that was terrific. The move to where we are now, which I guess we can fully disclose, 147columbus. Never we moved during COVID So we never actually got here when we first moved here. I remember doing games here off the monitor during COVID and all that and it was a while, it was like a year and a half before we actually set foot in here on the Michael K. Show. So leaving here, to me, I got nothing, man. Good riddance. I don't feel like I won't go.

[Ryan Reynolds]

As far as good riddance.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Really?

[Ryan Reynolds]

No, only because I think this is a cool building to be in.

[Don LaGreca]

It's a great spot. Lincoln Center.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It's very New York. It's very New York. It's Lincoln Center. It's the ABC News building. Like, when you walk by, you saw up until right now, the local ABC News room right there in Columbus. You could hope to run into a Liz Cho or a Tamron Hall. The things you dream about. More likely Lee Goldberg. But still, you try to.

[Peter Rosenberg]

A lot of Lee. Lee was out and about.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I guess in that sense, I think it's a bummer because while I'm excited for the new place we're going, it's not going to be shared with lots of other cool things going on. This building is cool for me, obviously, and I know I'm going to get no sympathy here. When I started this job at espn, one of the things that made it so appealing is it's in the neighborhood that I work in. I mean, that I live in. And then even when we moved from West End, we stayed in the neighborhood that I live in.

[Don LaGreca]

And now you're a commuter.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Now I'm getting on the subway.

[Don LaGreca]

You're a real commuter.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I'll be on the subway every day going back downtown to the same neighborhood that I had to go to for 16 years at Hot 97. And they finally moved away from. And now I'm going right back. Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in. So I've really.

[Don LaGreca]

You're really letting everybody know your deal. I mean, you're gonna have some. Yeah, I'm just saying now, Richard told everybody what subway you take.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah. I mean, I can be found. But listen, when you're a good person, you operate in a good way. You know, I'm not scared. I'm not scared to run into the people. But no, I don't have tons of emotions today either. I'm looking forward to the new place. I'm looking forward to working around people. We haven't worked around people in a long time.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's the thing, is that we've been separated from our sales staff.

[Don LaGreca]

True.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm ready.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Don, we've always known. Don, we've known. You've always been eager to spend more time with the sales staff. You've always said that.

[Don LaGreca]

Pre meetings during breaks.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah. Just getting out during a commercial break saying, hey, can you guys run some ideas? Let's chat.

[Don LaGreca]

I mean, flesh. Have some conversations.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Obviously you're being sarcastic just a bit. And I'm not saying you're wrong. But it's nice to socialize with other people in the. When you have a whole staff of people, but yet you see the same two people every day.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It's weird.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's odd.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I'll be honest. The one thing I miss about having an office is the taste of Steve Hart's nuts. Because we used to go to Steve's desk. I wasn't ready for that. I really wasn't ready for that. We used to go to Steve's desk on every day. No, they had to get that.

[Don LaGreca]

That got done.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's not phrasing. That's just awkward.

[Don LaGreca]

That had to have gotten dumb.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Wait, did I Don. Did or did you not go to Steve Hart's desk and eat nuts every day?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And were they his?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, but you threw taste in, which changed the whole thing. He just had this Costco vat of Planter's peanut, which. And she might have bought.

[Don LaGreca]

If it's that big. I've seen those. He could have bought that in 04 somewhere.

[Ryan Reynolds]

04. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And when I first. Before I started doing kickboxing or anything, my first step towards trying to do anything cardio wise was get my steps. So during commercial breaks, I just wander around the world, and I'd see Steve, and I'd see Ebony and I'd see Dawn, and I'd see people that we worked with at the traffic department. I miss socializing.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Which one of them fed you nuts? Steve.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But it came at a price. Let's be honest. We love Steve, but there's a story.

[Ryan Reynolds]

To be told every time.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Every scoop had a story.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Every.

[Don LaGreca]

Commercial tagline.

[Ryan Reynolds]

By the way, Kirkland nuts.

[Don LaGreca]

Every scoop has a story.

[Ryan Reynolds]

By the way. Sometimes I think they were Kirkland nuts, planters or Kirkland. And you're totally right. You knew you were gonna get a scoop of nuts, but you also knew he was gonna tell you something horrible that happened.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It was always horrible, and it was always the worst.

[Ryan Reynolds]

But by the way, do you realize.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That he came out to dinner a couple of weeks ago? That dinner that I had over at Tommy's. Steve Job.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Do you know this conversation that we're saying? Mm. When I gave the made up version of what Steve would be talking about, that was the thing that Marco overheard.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And I. When I told you, he's not paying attention. He's got my phone say something was wrong with the dog and his ears perked up.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah. But anyways, so it'll be interesting to have people to eat nuts with. And I've seen a kitchen and coffee and so there's some exciting things going on.

[Don LaGreca]

As long as they have microphones that work and a chair to sit in.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, half of that might be working.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I'm told that is likely, but not 100%.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, for everybody. You know, Monday will be an interesting day. You definitely want to tune in Monday.

[Peter Rosenberg]

To see if we're there.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah. For me, the only emotion I have about this building is that this is where we started.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

And so 20 years from now, when we're doing our 20 year anniversary, you know, this little studio, it'll be like a footnote.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It'll be like an interesting footnote, by the way.

[Don LaGreca]

It'll be a trivia question.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It'll be a trivia question. Where do the show start?

[Peter Rosenberg]

But you know what's interesting about that? I don't know if Peter feels this way. Cause Peter doesn't go all the way back to Tupan.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I don't.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But really, all of my memories on the air kind of feel like the same studio, even though it wasn't the same studio. Like, our studios haven't changed all that.

[Don LaGreca]

Much, probably because of the backdrop you were in for so long.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You're on the air, we're all sitting in kind of the same place with the same kind of computer screens in front of us. So my memories of the three studios all kind of meld together. It's the memories outside the studios in the building.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, going from Tupen to when we were at on West End, that felt like going from an old school studio to like this unbelievable wonder of technology. Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That is true.

[Don LaGreca]

And then coming here was almost like the same. Just the same studio. Just moved it down the block. I'm looking forward to whatever comes next.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Whatever comes next. Steve Hart is texting us.

[Don LaGreca]

Oh, you gotta. You're chuckling.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah. No, I don't think he loved. I don't think he loved our description.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't think we can say it.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, we can't say it.

[Don LaGreca]

I'm not happy about.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, he just every.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Would you say every scoop had a.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Price or has a story you skewed? Negative. Every scoop had a story. Right.

[Don LaGreca]

Every kiss begins with K. The best threesome I've ever heard. Saturday.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Excuse me.

[Don LaGreca]

Physical stuff you do in your mouth.

[Ryan Reynolds]

They're all good.

[Don LaGreca]

It is. Oh, wow.

[Peter Rosenberg]

See, this is what happens on the next lose. Yeah, the cat doesn't play.

[Don LaGreca]

Nobody wants to get into it. You know what I want to do Before I even discuss last night's loss, I'm going right to a call.

[Ryan Reynolds]

All Right.

[Don LaGreca]

Because. Because I see a call that I feel like. You know what? It. This does need to be discussed. Hector in Queens. Come on, Hector.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know, Alan, you know, I preface this by saying, you know, you're my guy, so, you know, I just want to mess around. All right, you did tell me, you did say earlier that this was the best team you've seen in your life. Was that the right take? I don't really remember the take. But you said that, right? The most talented Nick team.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Since.

[Don LaGreca]

Since the seventies. He said.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He said. He said this is the best he's seen in his life. No, no, no, no. That's not what he said. He said it's the best in talent. We don't know how good it's going to be. It's only March. That's what Dave Rothenberg misunderstand. No, no, no. I'm going to defend my guy. I'll let you finish, but I'm going to defend my guy. I'm sick and tired of people half listening. Seriously. Seriously. No, if he. How would you say it's the best knick team since 73. We haven't even started the playoffs yet. They get bounced in the first round. He's saying from a talent standpoint, from a cohesion watching this team, it's the best he's seen since 73. But obviously it's a work in progress. How could it not be? It's March 5th. They also haven't played as a whole team. Kat didn't play last night. We're going to rip him for losing to Golden State, who's a really good team that obviously had a chip on their shoulder on national television, Madison Square Garden, and no Cat, who arguably is the best player on the team. So let's kill the Knicks. I'm sorry, the floor is yours, Alan. I'm not killing the Knicks. I'm not killing you. Killing my guy because they're not living up to the killer.

[Don LaGreca]

I had. I had the audacity to have some type of optimism.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm just going to mess with you a little bit. Say that.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, I know you did.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm just going to mess with him a little bit. I don't like.

[Ryan Reynolds]

All right, talkie talky. No, we're good.

[Don LaGreca]

No, we're.

[Ryan Reynolds]

No more talking.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm good with Hector.

[Don LaGreca]

I'm fine.

[Ryan Reynolds]

No, I'm fine with him.

[Don LaGreca]

I knew this was coming, like. And I've. And I've been not bracing for it, but I've been, like, preparing for it, because, you know, I will Admit that I'm having a crisis in confidence right now in that belief because they are being challenged now. Over the weekend, I felt a lot better about it because a toughness did emerge against two really good, two good teams, two hard playing teams over the weekend, on the road, no less. But last night, what I saw in the second half was disturbing because it was a team that you could see there was not a lot of. There was not a lot of want, you know what I mean? There was just not a lot of want in them in the second half. And all it took was Steph Curry to just make a couple of shots. He had a terrible first half and the Knicks had a 10 point lead. And I thought, like, all right, they're in control of this thing. They're not playing great, but they're in control. And Curry's dealing with his sword knee. Any other building guys, he's not playing in this game. He played the night before in Charlotte, which is home to him. So that game's personal. He's playing in that game, but he's got a sore knee. And there were people before the game, they're like, you know, he's game time decision, you know, Curry might not play. I'm like that. He's playing. It's his only visit to the building. He's playing.

[Ryan Reynolds]

You nailed that.

[Don LaGreca]

Anytime I say that to people in the NBA, you know what they do? Oh, you New Yorkers and this whole Mecca thing. Oh, you guys think it's, oh, he's gotta play, it's in the Mecca, he's gotta play. And you go on and on like as if I'm making this up, as if, no, no, the stars don't really love playing in this building. And in a minute we'll have it for you. But Steph Curry, after the game, basically, you know, basically explained it the way. Exactly. I explained it that you don't want to miss this game. And so when you get to the third quarter and the Knicks come out flat and they did, you could see it, they had nothing. For whatever reason, they just didn't have it. He makes like two shots and in a blink he's got 14 points in the quarter. And in a blink, the 10 point lead is now a deficit.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's it.

[Don LaGreca]

And you just, and you say to yourself, now they've got to not only try to win the game and get their energy back, they got to also try to turn the water off on Steph Curry, which is, you know, we've been trying to do that the whole league's been trying to do that for the better part of 15 years. So that's what happened. It was ugly. Tom Thibodeau was not happy after the game. Said we had to find a way to win that game. We didn't.

[Ryan Reynolds]

He's never happy.

[Don LaGreca]

Now you're going to see the problem I have with it. Is this your lone home game for a while now you go on a 12 day road trip, playing five games out west now, a back to back Thursday, another national game, by the way, and then Friday, Lakers, Clippers, back to back. This was a game that you had in your pocket at halftime that you had to take home and put in your pocket and not piss away. And they did. And that's why you just. This is why when you watch this team and you see the talent they have and potential they have, you still watch them and just say to yourself, I just don't think they're there yet. That's all. It's not that they'll never get there, but I just don't see it enough out of them. Especially against teams without superstars and teams on national stage. And you know, when another superstar just gets it going, they have a hard time stopping them.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We're also in the dog days of a basketball season where quite frankly, and.

[Don LaGreca]

This is down the stretch now, Don, this is post All Star.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I understand it's go time, but. Yeah, go where?

[Don LaGreca]

See, that's the third seed.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They're going to do that.

[Don LaGreca]

Get right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But, but my point from what I'm saying, dog days is just get me to the damn playoffs. Because I don't think they, I don't think they're as good as Cleveland or Boston. They're not going to get the opportunity to prove that to the postseason anyway. I don't think they're falling out of the three seed. I guess they could, but I don't think you should be overly worried about that. Yeah, it's just every, every box they need to check will not be checked in the final 21 games of the season. It'll be checked in the postseason. That's what I mean about dog days. Because there, there's not a lot left for them to prove. They can't catch Boston or Cleveland. If they do beat Boston or Cleveland, it's gonna be so late in the season it'll be. Well, those teams don't care about it anyway. And it's not gonna be enough to swing the 07 you have against Boston, Cleveland and Oklahoma City. So you don't have anything in the next 21 games to prove that you're on Boston and Cleveland's level until you have to face them in the postseason. That's my point. So obviously that's got to be a part of frustration for them because even if they beat Golden State, what necessarily does that prove? They're the Golden State is not Boston. It's not Cleveland.

[Don LaGreca]

You're stacking wins is what I'm.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But you're also playing without Cat. You found out that day.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That there was a death in his girlfriend's family and now he had to go away. You don't think that affects the team? You take away one of their best players under those types of circumstances. I'm not trying to make excuses, but guys, if this team is full bore, playing at full strength and they lose that game, you're going to look at it a little bit differently than you should looking at it last night. Now let's see what happens. Let's see if they get mauled on this road trip and it looks like they're never able to gain any traction, I'll be proven wrong otherwise. I think they're going into the playoffs as the three seed and you're not going to be able to prove anybody wrong until you get to the playoffs.

[Don LaGreca]

And the playoff matchups, of course, is everything that you have to watch as well, because the second round right now sets up for you to play Boston. And we've talked about this already, this whole notion of you want to get to the final four, but getting to the final Four means knocking off the.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Defending champ and there's nothing between now and the end of the season to change that.

[Don LaGreca]

That's going to change the mind. Right. It does look like the top three are locked in.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Don LaGreca]

It doesn't seem like there's any other option really. Unless again, the Knicks have the Knicks got through the toughest part of their schedule. There was a point where they had the hardest strength of schedule remaining in the NBA. Now they're down to like 14th. So they have played the toughest part. They still have some tough games coming up, of course, but also they're relative. When you think about when they play some of these tough teams, playing the Cavs twice in April, they're not going to matter.

[Peter Rosenberg]

How many games aren't going to matter? Just off the top of your head, I don't know if you've done the math yet. How many of these last 21 are they going to win?

[Don LaGreca]

How many of the last 21?

[Peter Rosenberg]

21 games left? They're 40 and 21.

[Don LaGreca]

All right, bear with me here. We can go through it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So you play. Say play.

[Don LaGreca]

So you got here the winnable game, the ones that you. Because they're very good against teams under.500, right? Yes. Sacramento has been in a mess. All right, that's on this road trip. Portland's been playing a lot better, even though they have a poor record. But they're a tough team. They play Golden State again to end the trip. They got Miami when they come back, San Antonio without Wembley, Wembanyama, the Hornets, they smoked them. The Wizards, they smoke them. Right. There's a. What do I got there?

[Peter Rosenberg]

About four or five right now.

[Don LaGreca]

Okay. I'm assuming Dallas with no. 1. That's five at home. Sixers again, no MV, Atlanta by then, Atlanta probably trying to get a play in Phoenix. Garbage. And then the Nets on the last day of the season when the Nets aren't going to want that game. It's in Brooklyn.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right, so that's nine. That's nine of the teams that they should be able to easily beat.

[Don LaGreca]

And that's 21. We're not even. We're not even halfway there yet. Yeah, 50 wins is the. Is the probability. And they probably three actually remains the probability.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right. And they're probably going to. And they may win as many as 55 games having played pretty much all season without Mitchell Robinson.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah. And they're still only playing 15 minutes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So I'm just trying to defend your point from a talent standpoint. That's why you were talking about since 1973 now. I don't think they're winning a championship. I think that's what a lot of Nick fans are coming to grips with right now.

[Don LaGreca]

Not this year.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And that's why they might be killing him. Like Hector might be sitting there. Hector was probably a guy at the beginning of the season was saying, we're going to the conference final at least. And now he's looking at a possible second round exit and he's upset. But I don't know how upset you really could be considering you had to play without your bet, your A plus defender. And we haven't even gotten to the point where we know they're not going to win. That's the thing that's disappointing is how poorly they played against the Cavaliers and the Celtics this year. But the playoffs, I would think the game is going to be different, which probably plays into the Knicks hands a little bit. So I'm not going to sit here and beat up on this team. We had the meeting earlier today yeah. And I'm like, I can't beat up on this team. I can't.

[Don LaGreca]

They play without Cat and they didn't play well in the second half. They were doing fine. They couldn't make it three. But you know, again, the shots that. The three pointer, that was a strength from the first half of the season in the second half so far has not been a consistent enough thing. It has gone away. Their three point defense has been a major problem. They've had communication issues defensively. That happened last night at key moments. I mean, how do you lose Steph Curry? How do you like the one guy you don't want to lose and he had two wide open, nobody on him. Threes. How does that even happen? So that's the stuff that they keep. They use the phrase clean up. They got to clean it up. But you're so late in the season how if you can't clean it up by now, then what are we doing?

[Ryan Reynolds]

It's a bad second half against a really good team. 9 and 1 with Jimmy Butler without exactly there. It's a new version of this team. And by the way, by the way, thank God for the Jimmy Butler deal because now that we lost the Dallas storyline, at least we have a Golden State storyline.

[Don LaGreca]

And the Lakers, well, that is the a storyline. Laker Luca thing that just keeps that. But we're going to see them Thursday night. Another nationally that those two guys, man, that's a show.

[Ryan Reynolds]

No, no, but that's a given to me.

[Don LaGreca]

It's.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Who are they going to play again? Let's, let's. I want to have some fun out there.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, well, because I'm worried.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Oklahoma City and Denver is always Denver. Right. But this, if you get really good Golden State one more time. My point being, listen, you do it without Cat. It's not a great night. I don't think this is a day though when the people who are like downplaying the Knicks get to spike the football and say, see this team's garbage. Yeah, they lost to a very hot warriors team. It's a bad second half. It happens. It's a long year.

[Don LaGreca]

No, I will, like I said, I will take a step back from that statement I made. But that when I made the statement, their offense was if not one, I think two in the league. It was what they were doing scoring 117 points a game and high percentage shooting efficiency. All the things that they were doing offensively. As I said, we have never seen anything like that in history. Now, since then, of course, the broadcaster Jinx kicks in and the offense hasn't been the same since the All Star break. They haven't scored a lot of points for whatever reason. So. Do I have to eat a little crow right now? Probably, but you know, like, we'll see where it goes. But yes. Not having Carlton Towns is.

[Ryan Reynolds]

That's a big one.

[Don LaGreca]

Obviously.

[Ryan Reynolds]

That's a big one. It affects you, I think.

[Don LaGreca]

Moose in New Jersey. Hey, Moose.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Hey, Alan, how's it going? Don, Peter. How you guys doing today? What's up, baby? So I just have a couple of points about the game last night, if you could bear with me. The first is Bridges looked incredible guarding Curry in the first half.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Curry couldn't find air to breathe.

[Don LaGreca]

Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He was all over him. And then halftime happens and we come.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Out playing like we got rocks in our shoes.

[Don LaGreca]

Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And, and Bridges can't, can't stick to him anymore.

[Don LaGreca]

There's double. He was running off two screens now. They were, they were like he, he wasn't just running off one screen anymore.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So that was the adjustment.

[Don LaGreca]

They were running him off screen and he was non stop. He was constant motion and it really like he did the third quarter, it was a one point game. He went to the bench and their bench came in and Buddy healed. You talk about they couldn't guard him. Buddy Heald destroyed the Nick bench. The Nick bench did not have a great game. You know, Deuce McBride not great. Like those are the guys you rely on in those bench moments. And Heald kind of took the game at that point. And then Jimmy Butler, you know, started doing what Jimmy Butler does in the painted area, drawing fouls like it just. It was not the second half. You said it. It's probably the best way to describe it. Most they just look like halftime came. They went in a locker room and you know, sometimes when you, you have energy, then you sit on the couch for a minute, then it's like you got to get up and do something. And you get up and you're like, oh my God, my legs feel heavy all of a sudden. Like it's just whatever it was, they could not turn it back on in the second half. And it cost them. It cost them a game that felt like a winnable game.

[Alan Hahn]

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[Don LaGreca]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Don LaGreca]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. All right, Peter, go ahead.

[Ryan Reynolds]

That's very.

[Don LaGreca]

This is a thumbs up. Thumbs down.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Oh, thumbs up. I mean, if you're. If you're a psycho, it's a thumbs down. But I knew this was right. I knew this was. I would have known.

[Don LaGreca]

You know, this is my wheelhouse.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Oh, my God. I knew.

[Don LaGreca]

That's the fact.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, really?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah. I knew this was your wheelhouse. Yeah. Dos Effects is unfairly sort of seen as a gimmicky group because of their style on this song and a bunch of their songs.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah. Hey, homeboy, I went to the corner.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Store had quarters in my pocket.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah. Not that.

[Ryan Reynolds]

These guys have several good albums and like a lot of great songs and they kind of like. I feel like you talked about the other day, brand newbie and being underrated. I think Das Effects is definitively underrated.

[Don LaGreca]

Incredibly talented. Don, you will enjoy it for this reason. If we could even that song they Want effects in the song. All they have mixed into the lyrics is taglines from shows and commercials that we grew up on.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Which is exactly why people underrate them. Because it was like sort of a goofy thing to do.

[Don LaGreca]

But it's.

[Ryan Reynolds]

But it was. They didn't do it on every song.

[Don LaGreca]

No, no. Just.

[Ryan Reynolds]

They did it here and there and that song a lot.

[Don LaGreca]

This one for sure. Yeah.

[Ryan Reynolds]

They want to fix the whole song.

[Don LaGreca]

And it's. But it's hilarious because there's. There's just certain, you know. More pork sausages, mom, please. You know what I mean? Right.

[Ryan Reynolds]

By the way, most of the ones they reference on the song, I swear to you, I only know from that song. What's no more pork sausages mom from.

[Don LaGreca]

Again, it was a commercial for whatever sausage. Just random sausage brand that. Like a breakfast sausage.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And she's making the park sausage and.

[Don LaGreca]

The kids are at the table.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Park sausages, please. Wow. How do I know? I. And I only know from dossier.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Listen.

[Don LaGreca]

Comes right up a decade.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Park.

[Don LaGreca]

It's park sausage.

[Ryan Reynolds]

More park sausages.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, Park.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah. Also pork sausage. Unless it's.

[Don LaGreca]

I guess so.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Unless you're told.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But that has to be identified at this time. Nobody ever thought of, like, healthy sauces.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah. About that day.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Turkey sausages were trying to thin the herd back in the day.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Give him as much sausage as you can.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I could just imagine telling my father like in 1979 that there's a turkey sausage. He'd throw you out of the house.

[Don LaGreca]

Turkey bacon.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Meanwhile, after a couple of triple bypasses, that's all he was eating was turkey sausage.

[Ryan Reynolds]

By the way, I'll tell you this right now.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Turkey sausage greater than turkey bacon.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, yeah. Every time.

[Ryan Reynolds]

100% turkey bacon is a huge step down from regular bacon.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Whereas a well prepared turkey sausage isn't.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Necessarily a step down at all.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You may not notice.

[Don LaGreca]

Do not notice. Why? Seasoning. Yeah, you guys season it.

[Ryan Reynolds]

There's just something about turkey bacon. It's so like, it's hard to make turkey bacon. Well.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, the presentation kind of takes it.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah. It's not right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's not. Something's not wrong.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Although think about how repulsive the presentation for regular bacon is. But we accept it as delicious because we know what the result is. But when you look at raw bacon, it's hideous.

[Don LaGreca]

It's hideous. But when you start to sizzle it with.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Oh, that smell kicks in. Oh, my God.

[Don LaGreca]

Walk in the kitchen, everybody comes down.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Do you guys know this? That my. No, you don't. My dad, the bodega in my neighborhood on the corner, you know, they make a lot of bacon, like, a lot of BLTs. And for some reason, it cracked me up that my dad regularly refers to it as the bacon store. I'm like, no, no, dad, it's a bodega. They just. There's no such thing as a bacon store.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There should be.

[Don LaGreca]

There should be. Very. Well, you know what that would do.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Well, just all bacon. Different kinds of bacon. Although the more I learned about it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Wasn'T that what, like, Satcherelles basically was in the Sopranos?

[Ryan Reynolds]

It actually was. That is what Satchells was. Although the more I know about pigs, the more I feel I shouldn't be eating bacon. But so damn delicious.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, that's. That's God's mean trick is, like, everything that tastes fabulous is bad for you.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I mean, like, the pigs as animals.

[Don LaGreca]

I know.

[Ryan Reynolds]

They're, like, such sweet animals and smart animals, and they're just so delicious.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

That's what Furious Style said. Right? I don't dig on the swine.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right. You can't see Charlotte's Web and have pork after.

[Ryan Reynolds]

No, but that's not real. And I'm saying, even in real life, I have friends with pigs. It's a good drop. I didn't think about friend with pigs. I have friends with pigs. I have a couple of friends. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Where they live on a farm or something.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Alexa Bliss famously had a pig who passed away. Liv Morgan has a pig.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Ryan Reynolds]

People love their pigs. Pigs live in the house.

[Don LaGreca]

If Stephanie could, she'd have a pig.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Would. She loves.

[Don LaGreca]

I swear, loves pigs. Loves pigs. She has wanted.

[Peter Rosenberg]

She slopped the hogs every now and then.

[Don LaGreca]

There you go. Like, she.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Well done, sir.

[Don LaGreca]

She has had this fixation, and one of Zach's ex girlfriends had. They had a pig in the backyard, and they went away, and they asked Zach to just take care of it. And Stephanie would go. She couldn't wait to do it. It was like her little fixation.

[Ryan Reynolds]

People love pigs.

[Don LaGreca]

And I'm like, we're never. No. Never gonna do that.

[Ryan Reynolds]

You guys have enough space for a pig?

[Don LaGreca]

Oh, yeah. But no, not gonna happen.

[Peter Rosenberg]

One of the more underrated films from Michael J. Fox is Doc Hollywood. And that was the theme of that movie.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Great movie. Oh, yeah. There's a pig in Doc Hollywood.

[Don LaGreca]

I love that movie.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Because he needed to get the car fixed, and he was gonna sell the pig to.

[Ryan Reynolds]

You know what? I don't know if I've ever seen Doc.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He couldn't do it Now Next thing you know, he's walking the pig.

[Don LaGreca]

Every.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Do I have to watch Doc, Holly?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I think you do.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I love.

[Don LaGreca]

It's good.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I love Michael J. Fox.

[Peter Rosenberg]

If you love Michael J.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Fox, how do you not see Doc Hollywood?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It's when he was scorching hot that he got this.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Because it's.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's a movie that's. It's right in his wheelhouse. He's a star. Made for him. Movie.

[Don LaGreca]

The character is literally every character he's ever played.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Right.

[Don LaGreca]

It's the same character, but it's him. And if you, like just watching him do stuff, like, it's. It's perfect. It's not like, you know, the story's not going to draw you in. You know how it's going to end. But still, it's. You know who else. Woody Harrelson's in that. Yeah, right.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Harrelson vehicle.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, he's in it.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah. I got to go back to that. I feel. I feel bad that I haven't seen I love J. I love Michael J. Fox too much to not have seen Doc.

[Don LaGreca]

It's definitely worth your time. So Steph Curry, because we don't know how many more times he has. Right. Like, he's getting. It's late in his career. And so every time he appears at Madison Square Garden, it's always like, all right, you know, put. Put on another show. Put on another show. He did again. The second half was all third quarter, but, you know, he did hit the shimmy a couple of times. He did do the night. Night on one, wide open, three pointers, kind of set.

[Ryan Reynolds]

As he should.

[Don LaGreca]

It is amazing how the Garden starts out as all Knick fans, and if. If the opposing superstar starts to do something and the home team just doesn't have it, then it becomes all right. Well, at least we get to watch this guy perform.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It's the nature of the superstar. It doesn't really matter where you are. If you're playing someone of that level, I think they have to be kind of like a Hall of Fame level player.

[Don LaGreca]

Oh, yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Or.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Or you think, like. Cause I could see it happen. I could even. But even, like, right now, I could see it happening. If John Morant was going off, I could see by the end, people are.

[Don LaGreca]

Going, anytime at the Garden. It's just the way it is with basketball. But, Don, you were saying it when we were talking before the show, like, it's uncanny how guys come in here and it's just, oh, no, I have to play, but I have to put.

[Peter Rosenberg]

On a show, there's a song. The nature of the superstar doesn't matter who you are. He was, he was singing. He was. There was something going on.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Me when I said that, yeah, it was nature of the superstar. You know, I stumbled into something.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. He never, you know, anyway, I brought it up.

[Don LaGreca]

Dropping bars.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't know if. I don't know if there's an apples to apples comparison. When the Knicks are on national television against certain teams at the Garden, they're taking on the team they're playing, and then the guard almost becomes anti Garden, like you said. All of a sudden those, those tourists and there's a lot of them in the building. Oh, this is a story. Curry's going off. I'm going to start cheering for him. And that's something the Knicks have to deal with. I don't know if there's a comp. Because you could say, well, maybe Yankee Stadium. Yankee Stadium. But like nationally televised game. But it's not the same stadium. They just built it in 2009. I mean, the garden's been up for over 50 years. So. So to a lot of these ball players, they don't know that there was another Garden. This is the oldest building. This is the quintessential basketball building. You know, Hockey night in Canada, in Toronto. But that building's less than 30 years old. It's not the old, it's not the Maple Leaf Garden.

[Don LaGreca]

Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's a little different.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know, football, I don't know. I don't. Soldier Field, they redid that. There isn't a comp in the NFL, but Madison Square Garden, national television. Kobe ate it up. Jordan ate it up. LeBron eats it up. Curry eats it up. So this is not your average. What's, what's the warriors record? Right. They're not, they're, they're good. Not great.

[Don LaGreca]

They're well over 500.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Right.

[Don LaGreca]

But they're not 34 and 28.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, they're 34.

[Don LaGreca]

Climbing their way.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Climbing their way. But this is not the golden. This is not the traveling circus they were when they're winning 73 games or whatever. But, you know, it's an important game for them. Warriors are a national team. But, you know, Curry's still Curry. And coming into the Garden, he's going to. He is going to puff himself up.

[Don LaGreca]

Which gets your attention. And I think that's also part of it. It. Right. Because they're good. So, you know, everybody's kind of lit. There's a little bit of a buzz. There always is. A buzz now in that building. And so, you know, again, anytime I bring this up, there's a lot of times that people around the country will push back on me. Oh, you guys and the Mecca, give me a break, you know. You know, playing in LA at Staples center, that's big. You. Come on, they're still that birdie five years old.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, but they do that though.

[Don LaGreca]

They'll. They'll give you this whole thing about how it's not. You guys make more of it than it really is. And it's like until you're in the building and I've had people, I've sat there next to other sideline reporters and they all say the same thing. It just sounds different here. It's just different. They all say it's different here.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I gotta. And I get a chance. It's part of my ritual in preparing to do a Ranger game is go over, talk to the out of town announcers, you know, and they all talk about how they love calling a game at the Garden because it means something. And the reason for that and Yankee Stadium was like this too, until they built the new place.

[Don LaGreca]

I agree.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Is hey, when you walk down on the field, that's where Babe Ruth played. That's where Joe DiMaggio played, that's where Mickey Mantle played. It's special. But when you move, you know, down the block a little, I'm sorry, it's not going to hit the same Madison Square Garden again. It's not the old place.

[Don LaGreca]

But look up at the ceiling.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But it was.

[Don LaGreca]

How many legends looked at the ceiling?

[Peter Rosenberg]

That same ceiling. Yeah, exactly. You know, the spoked roof. And it opened in February of 68.

[Don LaGreca]

Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So the building's 57 years old.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It is forever.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So to a 20, 20 something that this is where Ewing play. This is where Jordan scored the double.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Nickel 20 something to a 50 something.

[Don LaGreca]

Where Willis Reed walked.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Everything that anyone knows.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Reggie showed the choke sign to Spike like it means to these players at me. And you're right.

[Don LaGreca]

Sinatra saying there.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Exactly. This is this. This was Ali Frazier.

[Don LaGreca]

Yes.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Fought here.

[Don LaGreca]

Yes. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right. I mean that's the concerts. This is where Billy Joel had a residency. It's hard. And again, it's not that conceit. Like the caller had all you big market guy. I'm sorry, crypto staples. It's not the same. Yeah, LA is iconic. If they were still playing at the Great Western Forum, then maybe you'd have a kick coming. All right. Although I don't know if that building was ever as classic as Madison Square Garden was go to old Chicago Stadium. The ghosts in that building where hockey players had to climb stairs in their skates to get to the ice.

[Don LaGreca]

Boston Garden.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, Boston Garden with a neutral zone. Peter was smaller than every other place in the league. Cause they couldn't fit regulation ice in the old building.

[Don LaGreca]

Which I love that because you could.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Build your team around specific to the ring. So all these buildings are all generic now. Believe me, I've been to all of them. They're all big behemoths that don't hold the sound as well. That's why Little Caesars arena in Detroit and the Bell center in Montreal are still special, because they built it like an old building where it really holds the sound and the fans are on top of the ice in the court.

[Don LaGreca]

That's special.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But most of these places are all just thinking about luxury suites. It doesn't have the same vibe. Garden, they did a great thing in the reimagining because they were able to get the best of both worlds. They redid the building, but they still kept the ambiance of the place.

[Don LaGreca]

The buzz stayed. You didn't lose it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The world's most famous arena is corny. I get it. Because when you come up with your own nickname, it's not special. Okay.

[Don LaGreca]

Been saying that forever.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But it is. You can't name me another arena standing right now in North America that has the same vibe as Madison Square Garden. You can't. And especially in basketball. Basketball. So when these guys come here, I'm sorry, it's going to be a negative to the Knicks. It just is.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It's so true. Well, and there's no. When you're in the building, you can feel why, like, this feels different than any other building you go to. Sorry. It does.

[Don LaGreca]

No, you're absolutely right. Now, here's Steph Curry himself after the game talking about exactly this. Listen to what he says about the building. This Madison Square Garden, it speaks for itself.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This is a place that brings, just.

[Don LaGreca]

Naturally has great, unique, authentic basketball energy. And like, the fans are unreal, like the who's who of celebrity row and all that, but just everybody's anticipating great basketball.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And from my first game here in.

[Don LaGreca]

College to now, like, it's always delivered.

[Alan Hahn]

So.

[Don LaGreca]

And for us on the Western Conference, we only get one chance here and try to make the most of it.

[Ryan Reynolds]

That's it.

[Don LaGreca]

131 in his career, including his one appearance when he played for Davidson, he played at the Garden and won that game, too. So he's lost one game in that one game, guys. He had 54 points, so he still put on a show.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Crazy.

[Don LaGreca]

But with the score tied, Raymond Felton blocked, famously blocked his shot, and the Knicks held on to win the game. It's the only time he's lost. And that's like 2013. We're going back to that far, that long ago. So, you know, if he says it's special. I remember my favorite quote of all the players that would talk about the Garden was when Kobe said, it's the last building that is breathing. Does that make sense when you hear something like that? He felt like it's like the last breathing, like living breathing.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It's its own character in the story, is the building. Yeah, there aren't a lot of that.

[Don LaGreca]

And I just think you got that last night. And what Don's saying is true. It sometimes. And if you're not up for it, and the Knicks just weren't up for it, because I've seen them come out on the road where they're flat, but the. You know, but nothing. There's nothing, no vibe in the building. So you could just get through it, and then you get yourself going. But when you have the other team come out and they just start feeling it and that buzz starts to happen, it's. It can work against you. And it did not make excuses. Nick's gotta be better. But it did. It did happen last.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I used to joke, like, when the Knicks and Rangers are bad. MSG was probably hoping they could interview the building, like, you know what I'm saying? Because no matter how bad it gets, you can sell. Hey, it's happening at Madison Square Garden.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, that's what they would do, you know, because there was a time it was like Steph Curry and the warriors coming in. And then after that, Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers. And then after that, like, you wouldn't even tell. You wouldn't even talk about your own team. You would just talk about who's coming in next.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But. But coming into the Garden, you know, the Garden can still be a star to a lot of people. Obviously, you can't be bad forever. But really, all these buildings are gone now, man. Think of all the great, like, Chicago Stadium still there. Baseball's done a pretty decent job. Fenway park still around. Wrigley Field is still around. Not like those teams.

[Don LaGreca]

Dodger Stadium still has a. Like, Even though, like. Right. It's still a vibe. Dodger Stadium.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Dodger Stadium still has a vibe. It opened in 62. Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

It has to be, by the way.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's not that old compared to Wrigley and Fenway, but still does have a vibe.

[Don LaGreca]

Pretty freaking old.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And also the Dodgers play there and.

[Don LaGreca]

They had some big moments in it.

[Ryan Reynolds]

But I mean, it's odd. Sometimes we get caught up in the New York bias when we act like other places don't have a vibe. It's just that the MSG one's very special. But like you go to a, you go to a game at Crypto on a Sunday and to see the Lakers, it feels like a thing there.

[Don LaGreca]

It's no doubt I've been in that building like that.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And, and obviously Boston has its feel. Even a whiteout game in Miami has its feel.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like they are playing.

[Ryan Reynolds]

They may be gone at halftime until two minutes left in the third, but it feels like something in the fourth quarter.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Here's the, here's the difference. I'm sorry, I'm sure there's no vibe when the Clippers play there.

[Don LaGreca]

That's fair.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Right. Where's their Nick is a vibe every year.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Don LaGreca]

It doesn't matter what they're playing.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Rangers, you know, concerts.

[Don LaGreca]

No, that's the circus.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like back in the day when the, when the elephants were allowed in and.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I lost their Monday, it's going to.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Be St. John's now sold out their last three games of Madison. I'm sorry.

[Don LaGreca]

And they're going to next year.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Still resonates no matter what's going on in it.

[Don LaGreca]

All right, we'll get Marty calls. 800 now with 93776 Peter all right, guys.

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[Don LaGreca]

Don Hahn and Rosenberg Podcast.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Don LaGreca]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. So the Road to the Big Game is Now open through March 30th at the Paley Museum in Midtown Manhattan. You can come see the Vince Lombardi Trophy from the New York Giants, all 58 championship rings, Super bowl three tickets signed by Joe Namath, artifacts from Eli Manning, Phil Sims and Tom Brady, unforgettable commercials, photo opportunities and a celebration of the black heroes of football's biggest game. Find the contest tile on the ESPN New York app for your chance to win tickets. Fans of all ages are welcome and free for Paley members and kids under 12. Visit paleymuseum.org for tickets and information. So we were just talking about this, Don. I'm just curious, you know, because we were on the topic of the Garden and the buzz and the history, blah blah blah. It is the one one issue that like, I can't get over yet is the times I have been at the at Yankee Stadium since they built the new one, it doesn't feel the same. And I know it's never going to feel the same. I know they tried to replicate it as best they could. It still does have the look. You'd have the facade. Like it still has all the things that the other stadium had, Monument park. And yes, it's updated. The seats are better. Everything like is better. But I don't know. I know we all want the comfy seats and we want the suites and we want better access and easier ways to get to your seats and more concessions. I get all that. But there is something about an old school building that just, it feels different. And I just don't know even with a World Series in that building if it just is ever going to have that same feeling that the old one had.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's just not as loud. It doesn't sound Yankee Stadium, right?

[Don LaGreca]

The complaints last year and they were blaming the broadcast, I believe it was tnt. Did the American League tbs. Yeah, and tbs. And it was, it felt like they muted the crowd because everybody, I remember asking like those in the building, is it loud? Oh, it's crazy loud in here. And on TV it didn't. But then when the Mets were playing in the nlcs, Citi Field sounded like a party. It sounded incredible. Was that just Strictly the way the broadcast did it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It might have been, but. But I've even heard Michael talk about that the new place doesn't seem to hold the sound. And what I was explaining about the. The Bell center and Little Caesars in Detroit, in Montreal, like the. I think one of the best arenas is the Bell center. And they. And they had. They had to come up. And it's been open since 96.

[Don LaGreca]

Yep.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The Montreal Forum was a classic place. Now it's never going to be like.

[Don LaGreca]

But it was a shoebox.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But what they did, it holds 21,000 people. And they built it, like, straight up.

[Don LaGreca]

Yep.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So if you're the last. In the last row, you feel like you can. You're. You're over the ice. And so Little Caesars in Detroit, they wanted to build it the exact same way. So you feel like you're in the Bell Center. So it holds the sound, and it's incredible. But it's not going to be like the old place. It's just circumstances.

[Don LaGreca]

Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You want to go with that. More luxury boxes. And what are luxury boxes? Boxes, Alan? They're. They're enclosed in glass a lot of times. That's why football. I. I never look at. I never include football in this conversation. Even though Lambeau is.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Historically, you have to, though, don't you?

[Peter Rosenberg]

But. But it's hard because it's. It's. It's once a week you're gonna go anyway.

[Don LaGreca]

But what they don't go.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You. Sometimes you go to these buildings because you want to see the build like Lambeau still has.

[Ryan Reynolds]

That's what I mean.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Forever.

[Ryan Reynolds]

But if you do it. If you were to do a top five, and obviously coming up, we have a great top five. That's not related to. But if you were to do a top five of the way you described it earlier, Alan, was the Garden is a character.

[Don LaGreca]

So the breathe. So the buildings that are still breathing.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Breathing. So the buildings that are like a character that are breathing. If you were to do that across all the major sports, that would be quite a list. And if you do that, Lambeau's obviously on that list. It's making that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But the reason Lambeau resonates is because of all the winning Vince Lombardi did there. Right.

[Ryan Reynolds]

That's not it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Because they're all new except Soldier Field.

[Ryan Reynolds]

But also. Hold on, I gotta push back a little bit. It's also like the Garden. Lambeau is because of the feel of the place. Like the Garden is the Garden because It sits at 34th and 7th. Right. It's literally right there. And the way it feels inside. I've never been. I've never been to Lambeau, but from what I've heard about it, the fact that it's sitting in the middle of a neighborhood and it's benches and it's. So I'd be curious, Don, if you do that list, though, is Yankee Stadium. Is current Yankee Stadium making. It's not making that list.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And also, it's not just about the winning, because let's be honest, there hasn't been a lot of winning at the Garden.

[Ryan Reynolds]

No, it's not just they haven't won.

[Peter Rosenberg]

A ton of championships there. The Celtics won a bunch of championships at Boston Gardens. It wasn't like the Bruins did, but it was an historic building, even when the Bruins played it. So it's not just about the winning. And you're right, Lambeau special. But if they ever redid it. Listen, if they ever did, the NFL, I don't think Green Bay would have a team. Right. It's just the circumstance of the history.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Well, so field has lost its thing.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, because they completely. The team never seems to win. But another one that you didn't seem to win, like, yeah, Chicago Stadium because of the Bulls. But even for the Blackhawks, Blackhawks didn't win a ton. But that building, it was loud and it was old and it had a personality.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Spitballing off the top of your head without a proper list. The things that hit my brain immediately as stadiums with their own personality, msg, Wrigley Field, Lambeau, are the first three.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That pop into my head.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, Fenway for sure.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Just because of the uniqueness of the Green Monster where it's also located. Have you ever been to Fenway?

[Ryan Reynolds]

I've been to Fenway.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know, I don't know.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Don't you remember the story about when I was a little kid and I went to Fenway as a child? This is when I was a Red Sox fan because I'm a baseball fraud and I was in the bleachers. And this is one of the most famous Rosenberg stories. But Don and I have now known each other so long, he doesn't remember it anymore. And you don't know it yet. And they're hitting a beach ball around as they're want to do, particularly at Fenway. Back in the day, that was a big thing. And the beach ball's going around and it comes to us and I get excited, I jump up and I hit the beach ball. The beach ball flies and falls right in between, not down to where like the stairs are. But into this in between, no man's land.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's gone.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Oh, I get rid of the ball.

[Don LaGreca]

Did you get food?

[Ryan Reynolds]

The entire bleacher stands up and starts pointing at me and going, you, you, you, you, you. I break down and start weeping. At which point the Boston fans started feeling bad. And then one by one, different Red Sox fans start sending me ice cream cones.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Aw.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It was such an up and down of. One of the first true sports memories of my life was me weeping after losing a beach ball at Fenway Park.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The Boston fans are strange at Fenway. Like, they want to be mean, but they just don't have it in them. Like. Like they were mean to you? No, they don't get them ice cream. I'll never forget one of the second time I was there was the day that Jim Abbott pitched the no hitter for the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. They announced it at Fenway, and everybody got up and cheered. I'm like, you hate the Yankees. But they understood. He's got one hand. It's pretty remarkable. So they want to be evil, but no how. Hold on. They can't. They don't have it.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So I've been. There are three historic moments for me at Fenway. Number one, of course, the beach ball. Number two. I was at the. I was at the Zimmer game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Okay.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's not nothing.

[Ryan Reynolds]

That's not nothing.

[Don LaGreca]

That is not nothing.

[Ryan Reynolds]

No. I. Both of you perked up when I said that. That's a hell of a game to be at. It was insane. I was in the bleachers for that, too. It was wild. And I. I went to. You may recall this, Don. I went to Boston for Jeters. Last game in Boston.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Okay.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Which was one of the most ridiculous and interesting experiences of all time because they treated him like absolute gold. I have the shirt. They sold a Derek Cheater shirt. I have it in storage.

[Don LaGreca]

I remember that was such a controversy up there.

[Ryan Reynolds]

They treated him like absolute gold.

[Don LaGreca]

I remember this because I spent a lot of time in Boston because of hockey with my son. So I'd listen to EIi all the time. EEi all the time. And I remember the calls about that and the shirts and the whole.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Like, crazy. The reason I love that they did it is because when you do nothing but win and own someone for a long time, you can be really nice. And by the time that happened. What was that, 2014 now?

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah. They'd already.

[Ryan Reynolds]

How many World Series have they won recently? Like, who cares?

[Peter Rosenberg]

We'll give you a cake.

[Ryan Reynolds]

We'll give you whatever you want.

[Don LaGreca]

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

[Ryan Reynolds]

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[Don LaGreca]

To pass the baton.

[Ryan Reynolds]

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