Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 1: The Start of March & Drop Madness

Date: March 19, 2026

Episode Overview

This kickoff “Hour 1” episode sets the tone for March Madness with the ESPN New York trio—Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg—streaming live on radio and YouTube. Amid the buzz of NCAA Tournament upsets and “Drop Madness” (their annual contest of the show’s best sound bites), they reminisce, debate, and riff about New York sports, food outings, legendary broadcaster farewells, and their signature banter. If you love sports, inside jokes, and off-the-cuff energy, this is classic DHR.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. March Madness Begins: The Magic of the Tournament

• Quick Updates: The hosts keep a live eye on the early NCAA games, focusing on possible upsets (e.g., Siena vs. Duke, High Point vs. Wisconsin).
• The Allure of the First Round:
  • Don Hahn stresses how the first two days of the tournament are a “sports fan’s dream”—full of unpredictability, communal excitement, and the possibility that giants will fall.
  • Peter Rosenberg: “Thursday and Friday are so special because you really don’t have to know anything...it’s a sports fan’s dream just to see these games and these upsets.” (35:58)
• Upset Rules:
  • Don only starts rooting in earnest for a major upset after the under-16 timeout in the second half.
    • “In the first half, it’s a good time...the check-in for me is the under-16 timeout in the second half. If [a big underdog] is still close then, that’s when I really start to lean in a little bit.” (24:15)
• Comparison to the Super Bowl Event:
  • Alan draws parallels between March Madness’s communal pull and the Super Bowl’s broad appeal, suggesting the early rounds are even more universally engaging than championship games (35:58 to 36:45).

2. Drop Madness: The Show’s Signature Soundbite Tournament

• Early Announcements:
  • The group decides to reveal the "Drop Madness" bracket at 3:20 PM instead of the traditional 4:20 slot (01:40–02:14).
  • Peter Rosenberg: “Now you got me. Now I’m in.” (01:25)
• Tournament Region Breakdowns:
  • Flubs Region, Funny Region, Troubling Region, and the Nether Region are previewed, with detailed seed matchups.
  • Don Hahn lauds the soundbite “25amonth” as a worthy 1-seed (18:11–18:33), predicting big blowouts in early voting.
  • Multiple matchups have heavy inside-joke value—listeners are encouraged to vote via Twitter/X.
• Soundbite Humor:
  • The hosts relive classic flubs, with Don mocking the use of “X” instead of “Twitter”: “Don’t ever trust anyone who says X unless they have to for some sort of legal reason.” (18:11)

3. Food Outing Recap: Station Brotherhood

• Don and Alan reminisce about a legendary station remote and meal, humble-bragging about the experience and busting Peter for missing out and eating “everything.”
• Alan Hahn: “I'm not trying to rub it in your face when I tell you, you missed the best food remote in the history of the station.” (02:17–02:32)

4. The 9-9-9 Challenge: Hot Dogs, Beers, and Boasting

• They debate whether anyone could finish the “9 hot dogs, 9 beers, 9 innings” stadium challenge.
• Peter Rosenberg: “I love the idea. I couldn't do it. I think I could probably do the hot dogs. I couldn't do the beer.” (04:05)
• Chatter about logistics (are beers full-sized? Will they be warm by the ninth inning?) delivers classic, animated DHR back-and-forth; Anthony Pusick clarifies the Phillies’ version is mini portions (05:11).

5. Farewell Howie Rose: A Loyal New York Sports Voice

• The hosts respond to the announcement that Mets broadcaster Howie Rose will retire after this season.
• Peter’s Tribute: “He means so much to me, just as a Met fan and as a hockey fan...I've always felt a kinship with him because then I started to do that, you know, doing the Jets and the Rangers. And he...he was a big help to me...” (09:33–11:10)
• Emotional memories are shared—particularly Peter’s story of Howie’s kind mentorship after Peter was berated on social media for an on-air slip.
  • Peter Rosenberg: “...he calmed me down, made me feel good, and I was able to get over it...that talked me off the ledge a little bit.” (12:06–13:07)
• Discussion contextualizes Howie’s place among retiring NY sports giants—John Sterling, Sam Rosen, and now Rose—a "changing of the guard" (14:01).

6. Live Bracket Updates & Tournament Drama

• Real-time reactions to Siena’s surprising lead over Duke and High Point’s upset of Wisconsin carry throughout the hour.
  • Don Hahn (play-by-play as High Point closes in on the upset): “So I walk around with this High Point keychain to this day...it looks like High Point’s gonna hold on for the first 12:5 upset potentially of this tournament.” (44:54–47:12)
• Excitement and confusion over live TV time delays and clock adjustments elicit classic banter.
  • “They’re making this out to be the World Baseball Classic here. Like, what’s going on here? Do we know now it’s 1.8 again?” (46:23)

Tournament Nostalgia

• Recap of famous buzzer-beaters (Christian Laettner, Villanova/UNC, Tate George) underscore why this moment of the sports calendar is magical.
  • Peter Rosenberg: “The Laettner play to me is one of the greatest, if not the greatest play that I saw live to end the game.” (48:46–49:02)

7. Sports Format Brainstorm: Can the NBA or NHL Replicate the Drama?

• The guys pitch an idea: all NBA or NHL playoff games played back-to-back in one day, a la March Madness.
  • Peter Rosenberg: “Wouldn’t it be awesome...if the NHL or NBA did this—just for day one of the playoffs, every game is played and you have it from the afternoon until late at night?” (37:17)
  • All agree it would drum up outsized interest, rivaling the NCAA’s unique first-round buzz.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On rooting for upsets:
  • Don Hahn: “The check in for me is the under-16 timeout in the second half...if they’re still close then, that’s when I really start to lean in.” (24:15)
• On Howie Rose’s mentorship:
  • Peter Rosenberg: “He calmed me down, made me feel good, and I was able to get over it. But like, I’ll never forget that.” (12:06)
• On March Madness’ broad appeal:
  • Don Hahn: “Thursday and Friday are so special because you really don’t have to know anything...just to see these games and these upsets.” (35:58)
• On the “Drop Madness” bracket reveal:
  • Don Hahn: “Let’s get to it, guys. We start off...in the flubs region...” (18:03)
• On classic NCAA buzzer-beaters:
  • Peter Rosenberg: “The Laettner play to me is one of the greatest, if not the greatest play that I saw live to end the game.” (48:46)
• Joking about “X” vs “Twitter”:
  • Don Hahn: “Don’t ever trust anyone who says X unless they have to for some sort of legal reason.” (18:11)

Segment Timestamps

• [00:47] Official Episode Kickoff (“The boys are back!”)
• [01:25] Drop Madness timing debate & bracket reveal decision
• [03:17] Introduction of the 9-9-9 Challenge
• [08:50] Howie Rose’s retirement—legacy and personal stories
• [17:28] Drop Madness bracket/seed announcement and banter
• [23:19] Early feedback and live voting updates begin
• [24:15] Don’s “big upset” rooting rule explained
• [35:58] First round interest vs. championship (“Super Bowl” comparison)
• [37:17] Imagining new playoff tournament formats
• [44:54] High Point–Wisconsin ending and live soundtrack
• [48:46] Best-ending moments in NCAA Tournament history

Tone & Vibe

The show keeps up its trademark balance of quick wit, spirited debate, generous ribbing, and heartfelt sports fan energy. Don, Alan, and Peter trade the microphone comfortably, blending nostalgia, current events, sports wisdom, and the inimitable details of New York fan life.

Useful For…

• Understanding both the gravity and humor of March for NY sports media and fans
• Appreciating legendary NY broadcasters’ impact
• Getting insider flavor about sports traditions and show in-jokes
• Enjoying the live-wire reaction to bracket-busting upsets—without knowing every roster

For more “Drop Madness” results and inside jokes, vote at @DHRonESPN on Twitter.

End of Summary – Don, Hahn & Rosenberg, Hour 1, March 19, 2026