Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – "Hour 1: The Rant Nobody Heard"
Date: November 20, 2025
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
Platform: ESPN New York
Episode Overview
This lively, wide-ranging episode finds Don, Hahn & Rosenberg diving into the perennial debate over holiday decorations, the blurred lines between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the commercialization of the season. Alongside their trademark banter, the trio reflects on the rhythms of holiday sports broadcasting, the fate of struggling NFL teams, and even the oddities of fast-food advertising—culminating in the comedic saga of “the rant nobody heard.” As always, the show delivers sports talk interlaced with authentic New York flavor and pop culture nods.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Holiday Decor: When Is it Too Soon? (00:54–07:30)
- Travel & Seasonal Disconnect: Peter details his whirlwind travel between DC, Tampa, and Fort Lauderdale, noting the surprising lack of holiday décor in hotels.
“Nothing. Not even the hotels... That’s hard to believe, but I’m good with that.” – Don (01:26–01:51)
- The Early Decoration Debate: Peter rails against decorating before Thanksgiving, calling it “garbage” to start just after Halloween. Alan admits he’s come around to appreciating an extended festive season.
“If I gotta celebrate it for two months, then what are we doing?” – Peter (01:54) “I believe that the window between Thanksgiving and Christmas is too short.” – Alan (02:12)
- Thanksgiving’s Identity Crisis: Alan and Don suggest Thanksgiving now merely serves as “the new Christmas Eve.” Peter holds firm: Black Friday is when the holidays officially start.
2. Callers: ‘Merry Thanksgivingween’ and the Fall Decor Wars (07:51–13:15)
- “Merry Thanksgivingween”: Steve in the car introduces the tongue-in-cheek concept blending fall holidays, describing a viral cartoon and his own family’s adaptation.
- Emily’s Hot Take: Emily insists anyone leaving up Halloween décor after November 1 must be “exiled,” and argues fall/Turkey décor gets a much longer run than Christmas décor.
“Anyone who leaves any Halloween decor up after November 1st needs to be exiled.” – Emily (10:51)
- Urban vs. Suburban Decorations: Alan learns that suburbanites sometimes put real bales of hay outside their homes for fall.
“People are putting out bales of hay?” – Alan (12:28)
3. Holiday Work & Sports Radio Traditions (13:27–16:36)
- Black Friday Broadcasting: The hosts reminisce about paying their dues by working Black Fridays earlier in their careers—considered a prestigious day because “everybody’s in the car.”
“Don remembers the days that we used to be kind of guilted into working on Black Friday.” – Alan (14:19)
- Radio Pecking Order: Discussion of which hosts traditionally fill which slots on holidays and what marks “making it.”
4. The Rant Nobody Heard (15:35–19:16)
- Technical Meltdown: Peter recounts delivering a passionate rant (“Old man yelling at a cloud”—Don), only to discover he was disconnected; the “YouTube crowd saw, but radio listeners did not.”
“I had a rant and I thought it was a damn good one that no one heard.” – Peter (17:40) “Just old man yelling at a cloud.” – Don (16:15)
- Retail & Corporatism: Peter’s missing rant called out corporate America for pushing holidays earlier to extract more consumer money.
“At this rate, we’re going to be celebrating the holidays after Labor Day because it’s all corporate. That’s why!” – Peter (16:36)
- Meta Moment: The gang breaks the fourth wall, reflecting on hosting while zoning out, and missing golden content due to tech errors.
5. NFL “Must-Win” Games, The State of NY Football, and the AFC/NFC Races (17:58–24:46)
- Thursday Night Football Preview: Briefly discuss Bills vs. Texans and which teams face "must-win" scenarios as playoff races heat up.
- Defining “Must Win”: They search for a term less severe than “must win” (Code Red? Code Yellow?).
- Parity in the League: Conversation about how parity gives more teams hope—except, sadly, New York:
“Unfortunately, neither New York team...” – Don (18:25)
- Giants Lament: If only the Giants had squeaked out a few more wins!
6. QB Fascination: Shador Sanders & Deshaun Watson (29:15–41:51)
- Scouting Shador Sanders: Alan admits to watching Browns games just to see if backup QB Shador Sanders can surprise everyone—rooted in his previous draft analysis.
“I want to be right... He’s got the mental capacity, the pedigree, and the accuracy.” – Alan (30:19)
- The Redemption Story: The crew debates whether Sanders could have a “Tom Brady” style rise as the long-lost Browns savior.
“It potentially could be bigger than Tom Brady.” – Peter (33:20, in full hyperbole mode)
- Deshaun Watson’s Fall: The hosts dissect Watson’s massive guaranteed contract, off-field baggage, and stalled career.
“He’s made a ton of money... How can you be sad when you, you know, $50 million a year in your pocket—but everything that he’s worked for, he can’t do.” – Don (36:02)
- Respect vs. Wealth: A recurring theme—would any amount of money make up for being a pariah in one’s chosen career?
“Multiply your earnings by 10. But... Nobody thinks you’re any good. Nobody thinks you’re any kind of quality. You’re a pariah. I wouldn’t want to live that way.” – Peter (38:04)
7. Pop Culture, Nostalgia, and the Subway NIL Moment (42:12–50:31)
- Rap Memories: Rolling references to “This year, Halloween fell on the weekend”—a nod to the Geto Boys’ “Mind Playing Tricks on Me.”
- Top Commercial Characters: Off the NFL and onto a pop culture sidebar—ranking the best-known commercial personalities (Jake from State Farm, Jared, Flo from Progressive, etc.).
- Zach Han’s Subway NIL Deal: Alan’s son scores a Subway commercial (on TikTok—not TV), inspiring both pride and jokes about unfortunate past spokesmen.
“He’s already made more with his athletic career than you did.” – Peter (45:18)
- Brand Redemption: The silver lining—brands can bounce back from the worst PR.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Holiday Decor Overlap:
“Thanksgiving is the new Christmas Eve, just a month earlier.” – Don (04:23) -
On Fall Décor
“People are putting out bales of hay?” – Alan (12:28) -
On Early Holiday Creep:
“At this rate, we’re going to be celebrating the holidays after Labor Day because it’s all corporate... march with me, Peter!” – Peter (16:36, summarizing the “lost” rant) -
On Hosting Duties:
“Don’s a big wig. I’m not even a wig.” – Don (15:10)
“That was a long time ago. You made the team.” – Alan (15:20) -
On Missed Content:
“The people on YouTube saw me... when I was done, dead silence. And I was like, well, see you.” – Peter (15:47) -
On Redemption & Respect:
“How do you want to be rich and have no respect?” – Alan (37:48) -
On Commercial Characters:
“Jared takes the cake because he became so famous from a commercial only. And he who shall not be named at a place we do adore.” – Alan (48:28)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- Holiday Decor & When to Start: 00:54–07:30
- Merry Thanksgivingween & Callers: 07:51–13:15
- Holiday Sports Radio Work: 13:27–16:36
- “The Rant Nobody Heard” & Tech Failure: 15:35–19:16
- NFL Must-Win Conversation: 17:58–24:46
- Browns QB Deep Dive: 29:15–41:51
- Pop Culture Sidebar & Subway NIL: 42:12–50:31
Tone & Language
True to form, the show is fast-paced, witty, and playful, with hosts cracking jokes, poking fun at each other, and weaving between sports, pop culture, and NYC references. They don’t shy from irreverence or nostalgia, and there’s a clear sense of camaraderie—along with honest, occasionally poignant reflections on sports, careers, and life.
For New Listeners
This hour delivers the quintessential Don, Hahn & Rosenberg blend: passionate (and at times absurd) debates about the culture of sports and holidays, authentic local flavor, and a comedy of broadcast errors that, rather than derailing things, gives the show its unique voice. If you haven’t listened, you’ll come away understanding both why these three are staples of New York radio and that, sometimes, the most memorable content is what no one actually hears.