Hour 2: Booger McFarland & Talk About It

Summary

Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 2: Booger McFarland & Talk About It

Original Airdate: October 21, 2025
Hosts: Don La Greca, Peter Rosenberg
Featured Guest: Booger McFarland
Note: Alan Hahn is off this episode; he’ll return for Knicks season opener.

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Episode Overview

Hour 2 dives deep into the current state of New York football—both Jets and Giants—with ESPN’s Booger McFarland, including leadership, coaching breakdowns, and front office decisions. The hosts also debate the perennial kicker conundrum, discuss standards for Giants coach Brian Daboll, and reflect on key moments of football heartbreak. In the latter segment, Peter leads a “Talk About It Tuesday” on Netflix’s “Monster: Ed Gein,” followed by a candid discussion about passport mishaps and a fun debate about Billy Joel vs. Bruce Springsteen. Listener calls round out the show with more football table talk.

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Key Interview: Booger McFarland on NY Football Woes

Segment Start: 00:33

1. Owners & Quarterback Mess in New York

Woody Johnson Comments, Aaron Glenn & Coaching Turmoil

• Rosenberg brings up Woody Johnson’s blunt remarks that “they don’t have a quarterback,” asking Booger if that undermines coaching confidence.
• Booger’s Response (01:50): “Sometimes owners say things that you really can't understand…see Jerry Jones for an example of that.”
  • Stresses that private owner-coach conversations matter more than PR.
  • Cautions not to overreact to public statements; “the owner says things in the public that sometimes we don’t understand.”

2. Justin Fields: Jets’ Responsibility for His Regression?

• Don asks about Justin Fields’ descent into “worst QB in the NFL” status, and what role the Jets play in it.
• Booger’s Nuance (02:50):
  • Classifies QBs into three: those you win because of, win with, or win around (“if everything is perfect”).
  • “[Fields] falls into that category at the very end—if everything else is perfect…they have a skill set you can win around.” (03:00)
  • Asserts Jets lack the talent or experience to maximize Fields, paralleling Chicago’s previous struggle.
  • “If you put Justin Fields in the [Eagles] offense…looks very similar to Hurts. But because you don’t have that great talent... Justin can’t be that.” (03:30)
  • “At 0–7, I don't think they can take the time to figure that out.” (04:00)

3. Giants Collapse Against Broncos—Who’s to Blame?

• Rosenberg: “Let’s get to the misery of the Giants…how’d they blow that game?”
• Booger’s Breakdown (04:41):
  • Pins loss on a late-game defensive coaching failure: “You’ve invested in…[four first-rounders]. I’m not blitzing, I’m not dropping eight, I’m rushing four and I’m gonna play some form of coverage on the back end…Instead…the Giants went to three-man rush, they blitzed and got away from being who they are. That’s a coaching fault.” (04:55–05:40)
  • Emphasizes that HC and DC have to own those late-game decisions: “What I cannot excuse…is when we get to that 38 or 40 seconds…and somehow that turned into rush three, blitz on one…and Bo Nix, who struggled all game, drives them down the field, kicks the winning field goal—that's directly on the heads of the head coach and the defensive coordinator.” (05:50–06:23)

4. Roster Holes: The Persistent Kicker Debate

• Don: “How…this deep into the season, another year…do you not have a field goal kicker?”
• Booger’s Rant (06:49):
  • “You're talking to the wrong guy. I’m not a fan of kickers. All they do is sit around, make a lot of money…play Scrabble all day, then come out to practice.” (07:02)
  • Don: “But you do realize you need a good one if you’re going to win games.”
  • Booger: “It shouldn’t be hard to find a good one. Bring in five or six, let them kick till their leg falls off—whoever makes the most.”
  • On kicker-coach trust: “Sean Payton had Will Lutz down in New Orleans, he brought him over [to Denver]. He trusts him…That relationship matters…you’ve gotta find a kicker you trust.” (07:16–08:13)
  • On kickers’ lack of “swag,” relates to evaluating their eyes on TV to predict success.

5. Punters vs. Kickers

• Briefly, Booger lumps punters with kickers: “They’re kind of the same…Punters can affect the scoreboard, so they’re really useless.” (09:38)
  • Rosenberg counters: punters change field position and can set up safeties. Booger: “I still have to do something…in the end, he didn’t really do a lot for me.” (09:54–10:05)

6. Giants Loss vs. Commanders Loss: What Hurts More?

• Peter: Worse to be a Commanders fan (blown out by Dallas) or Giants fan (blown lead)?
• **Booger is emphatic: “100%, it's the Giants…when you’re the Giants and give up 33 points in the fourth quarter, that's heartbreaking.” (10:15–10:32)
  • “If you notice what Brian Burns said walking into the locker room, he said ‘three-man rush.’ Because he knows…and I know…they had that game.”
  • Reflects on how one loss can fundamentally change narratives about the coach and the future.

7. Daboll, Development vs. Game Management

• Don explores conflict for Giants: If Daboll has found and developed Jackson Dart (rookie QB), but keeps blowing big games, is he truly the long-term coach?
• Booger’s Perspective (12:28):
  • “I honestly think that the better Jackson Dart looks, the better chance [Daboll] has of coming back...If this regime identified, drafted, developed the quarterback and…everybody feels like you have your quarterback of the future, he's got to get credit for that.”
  • Don pushes: Can you be a great QB developer, but not a good in-game coach?
  • Booger’s reply: “He just beat Philadelphia the week before…I’m the guy that says if he won the game, I’m gonna give him credit for winning the game. If he lost, then he gotta wear it…We have to be consistent in what we do, especially when that is your forte.” (13:56)

8. What Record Saves Daboll’s Job?

• Peter: “What does Daboll have to do, record-wise, to protect his job going into next year over these next 10 games?”
• Booger’s Benchmark (15:53):
  • “If they get to eight wins with a rookie quarterback…maybe even five out of ten [back half]…if the quarterback looks like a bona fide #1 guy, I think you bring him back…Give he and Joe Shane two-year extensions.” (16:04–17:47)
  • Explains how rookie QB contracts can drive team-building strategy.
  • “You build a team, you take advantage of the rookie quarterback…do everything people do when they have a starter/star on a rookie deal.”

9. Wrap-Up & Kicker Banter

• Closing banter about Booger’s distaste for kickers; gift ideas for him (Ali Haji-Sheikh highlights, Chip Lohmiller jersey). (17:54–18:04)

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“Talk About It Tuesday”: Netflix’s "Monster: Ed Gein", Passport Woes, and Music Debates

Segment Start: 24:46

1. True Crime Dramas: Entertainment vs. Accuracy

• Peter’s Rant (25:12):

  • Rails against Netflix’s "Monster: Ed Gein" for being “gross and horrible…completely made up.”
  • Critiques creator Ryan Murphy for repeated artistic license: “It’s almost, like, shocking that it’s legal that you can say something is based on a real person and give their name…for some historical accuracy, it doesn’t matter at all. He just keeps making these specials. And because we are just freaks as a society, we keep gobbling them up.” (27:16)
  • Questions the over-emphasis on gay/trans themes in all stories, suggests it can be counterproductive for representation: “Every story…I gotta tell you, he’s out here making gay people look nuts over and over again. What kind of representation is this?” (29:08)

• Don’s Point (27:53):

  • Draws a parallel with Oliver Stone’s “JFK,” pointing out how fictionalized fact can become accepted history.

2. Travel Woes: The Passport Card Fiasco

• Don shares his futile attempt to travel with just a passport card—not valid for flights to Canada. (29:42–35:07)
  • Don: “I listen to people, I made the mistake of listening to people, Peter.” (31:36)
  • Retells a New York/Toronto trip where he lost his passport, only for it to be returned: “I wanted to kiss the guy. You know where they found it? In the concourse of the arena.” (33:33–33:45)
  • Discussion on cab fare inflation to JFK: “Now it’s like $100…If I take an UberX…117 at this moment. UberBlack, 156.” (36:11–36:43)

3. Knicks & Giannis Rumor

• Peter tees up Brian Windhorst’s revelation: “The Knicks were in position to get Giannis…and they didn’t get him either because they didn’t offer enough, or because they believe in this team.” (36:52)
  • Don hints he’ll address it more on the next episode, especially with the Knicks’ season starting.

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Fun & Culture: Billy Joel vs. Bruce Springsteen

Segment Start: 39:42

1. Musical Identities

• Don and Peter discuss their music preferences:
  • Don: “I appreciate [Springsteen] being a guy from Jersey, but that’s one of his songs I like…but I’m more of a Billy Joel guy.”
  • Peter: “It is more like Long Island girl, you know, drunk, sing along dumb than Springsteen…But I say that as someone who loves Billy Joel. Springsteen has a little more grit.”
• Rapid rundown of favorite Billy Joel albums/songs:
  • Agreeing that 52nd St. and The Stranger are peak Joel.
  • Peter: “Billy Joel’s biggest hits often irritate me…Piano Man, fine, whatever, I don’t really feel like hearing it very often. Uptown Girl, forget about it, I’ll go to the bathroom.” (41:28)

2. Listener Calls: Danny (Long Island) on Billy Joel’s Lyrical Storytelling

• Danny: “Between Down Easter Alexa, Allentown, Good Night Saigon…he made a song about the Vietnam War that will just drive you to tears…He did his homework.” (44:49–45:11)
  • Don: “If you look at the video, he’s got veterans on stage…He did the work, which I appreciate.”

3. Football Table Talk: The “Jaden Daniels” Question

• Danny: “Is Jaden Daniels at table one anymore?” (46:19)
• Peter: Stresses availability as key; “I guess I’d have to drop him off.”
• Don brings up Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts; Peter concurs Hurts still deserves a top seat (“He’s up to 1500 yards, 11 TDs, 1 INT…I feel good about Hurts sitting there.”). (47:14–48:02)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Booger McFarland:

  • “Stats are like bikinis. They show some things, not all things.” (16:09)
  • “Kickers…most of them don’t even look like football players. Some have no swag. I play a game…look at the kicker’s eyes and see if he’ll make it or not.” (08:35–09:24)
  • “The owner says things in public that sometimes we don’t understand. Again, just see Jerry Jones.” (01:50)
  • “We can start to have these macro conversations…Instead, we’re still in the micro because he lost the game.” (11:00)

• Don La Greca:

  • On the Giants: “If you need a game like that to expose [Daboll] and make the change, could that be a positive in the long run?” (12:02)
  • “Great quarterback play in a loss.” (20:13–20:35)

• Peter Rosenberg:

  • On Netflix’s “Ed Gein”: “Not only are you watching filth, it’s completely inaccurate filth.” (27:16)
  • “Billy Joel’s biggest hits often irritate me…Piano Man? Fine, whatever. Uptown Girl—forget about it, I’ll go to the bathroom.” (41:28)
  • On Brian Windhorst Giannis rumor: “How does that make you feel? The Knicks might’ve had Giannis and didn’t even try?” (37:34)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:33: Booger McFarland joins: Jets’ leadership/quarterback woes
• 04:41: Giants’ heartbreaking loss to Broncos: coaching/late-game breakdown
• 06:49: Roster management: why no reliable kicker?
• 10:08: Giants vs. Commanders: which loss is more devastating?
• 12:02: Is exposing possible flaws in Daboll actually beneficial for the Giants?
• 15:43: How many wins saves Daboll’s job? Rookie QB impact on expectations
• 24:46: “Talk About It Tuesday”—Netflix “Monster: Ed Gein”
• 29:42: Don's passport card disaster story
• 36:52: Knicks-Giannis rumor teed up for next episode
• 39:42: Billy Joel vs. Bruce Springsteen debate
• 44:49: Danny’s call—Billy Joel’s songwriting and football banter

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Tone & Style

• Conversational, irreverent, and occasionally self-deprecating.
• Don and Peter riff, joke, and challenge each other; Booger is candid, analytical, and injects humor.
• Shows a blend of deep sports analysis, pop culture chat, relatable “life goes wrong” stories, and listener banter.

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For Listeners Who Missed It

This episode breaks down the good, bad, and ugly facing NY football teams with classic candor—an especially sharp and funny Booger McFarland segment provides must-hear nuance for anyone invested in the Jets, Giants, or the ongoing debate about what makes a truly great NFL head coach. Outside sports, Tuesday’s episode also delivers spirited rants about true crime television, travel mishaps, and why Billy Joel still rules. Listeners get a full spectrum: hard-hitting sports takes, heartfelt rants, and classic New York talk radio spirit.

Transcript

[Don LaGreca]

When did making plans get this complicated? It's time to streamline with WhatsApp, the secure messaging app that brings the whole group together.

[Booger McFarland]

Use polls to settle dinner plans. Send event invites and pin messages so no one forgets. Mom 60th and never miss a meme or milestone. All protected with end to end encryption.

[Don LaGreca]

It's time for WhatsApp message privately with everyone.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Learn [e-mail] this is the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Don LaGreca]

That sounds like heaven to me.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Listen live weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app, and your smart speakers, the Jetship. I mean, it was never up, but it's somehow still going down. You know how you, no matter how you cut it, it's not what you want. Peter Rosenberg, Don legreca Allen off. He'll be back tomorrow, of course, for the start of the Knicks season. So we'll look forward to seeing Alan and talking all things Knicks tomorrow. Plus a bunch of special guests when we hang out at Stout. And one guest we have here every week is our guy, Booger McFarlane. Booger, what's up? It's Peter and Don. How are you, bud?

[Booger McFarland]

What's up, man? How we doing?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I mean, listen, I. Everyone's got football problems this week. You know what I mean? The, the, I got problems. A commander's fan. Giants certainly have problems. And we'll start with the jets because that's where we've been. I don't know if you heard the stuff from Woody Johnson earlier, but basically he basically said they don't have a quarterback. And I'm just curious how you view comments like that and how Aaron Glenn might feel about having his owner come out and say, oh, I support Aaron Glenn. By the way, though, we don't have a quarterback.

[Booger McFarland]

Well, sometimes owners say things that you really can't understand. Cjerry Jones for an example of that. I think you got to listen to them. You got to hear them. I think if you're Aaron Glenn, hopefully you've had conversations with Woody in private that you guys understand what the plan is, what page you're on and you can conduct your business from there. I don't think Aaron Glenn is listening to public comments from Woody in trying to decipher like the head coach and the owner should have direct line of communication. So hopefully they do. And so I don't really make much to do about nothing. The owner says things in the public that sometimes we don't understand. Again, just see Jerry Jones.

[Don LaGreca]

What's happened to Justin Fields. I never thought he was a great quarterback booger, but I thought that there was something there. He won four games in Pittsburgh out of six starts. You know, he had moments in Chicago. How much are the jets responsible for Justin Fields possibly being the worst quarterback in the NFL right now?

[Booger McFarland]

Well, I think what's happening is you have quarterbacks who, who you win because of. You have quarterbacks you can win with and you have quarterbacks that you kind of have to bring along if everything is kind of perfect. They can, they, they have a skill set that you can win around. And I think Justin falls into that category at the very end. So if everything else is perfect, mean he's got great weapons on the offense, he's got a really good defense. I'll give you a prime example. If you put Justin Fields in the Philadelphia Eagles offense, I think the offense looks very similar to that of Justin. Hurt hurts.

[Don LaGreca]

Jalen hurts.

[Booger McFarland]

Should I say. I think it look very, it looks very similar because you're going to get a lot of RPOs and he's going to run the football. It's going to be a running based offense. He can throw the deep ball to AJ and to Devonte. But because you don't have that great talent the way the Eagles do, Justin can't be that. And so I just think, I don't know if he's broken. I just think the jets aren't in a place and they aren't talented enough, nor are they experienced enough to take advantage of what he does offer. And I think that's kind of been the issue at a couple of places. Chicago was that place. I think if you look at Justin in Pittsburgh, to your point at 4 and 2, Pittsburgh figured out how to use in the win. His jets just haven't yet. Unfortunately, at 0 and 7, I don't think they can take the time to figure that out.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right, let's, let's look at the other side. We've, we've focused on the misery that is the jets for long enough. Let's get to the misery of the Giants. How just, first of all, just what were your thoughts as a football fan taking in that loss and how the Giants found a way to blow that game on Sunday?

[Booger McFarland]

Well, I think they found a way to blow it just because they didn't, they didn't stick to who they were. And here's what I mean by that. Let's just forget everything about all of that until we get to the very last drive. All right, let's forget the interception by, by, by Jackson dart. Let's forget all those different things. Let's go to the last drive of the game. Bo Nicks has the ball, giants have a two point lead and I think it's 40, 38 or 40 seconds left and the Broncos got no timeouts at that point. You, you've invested in Abdul Carter, Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeau. I'm not blitzing, I'm not dropping eight, I'm rushing four and I'm going to play some form of coverage on the back end, keeping the ball in front of me and I'm going to rush four people and I'm going to lean on those first round picks. Instead, the Giants went to three man rush. They blitzed and they got away from being who they are. And to me that's a coaching fault. That is the defensive coordinator's fault and that's the head coach's fault because the head coach listened to the calls on the headset from the defensive coordinator. And I think at the end of the day I can excuse the interception from Dart. He's a rookie. I can excuse some of the plays that happen. What I cannot excuse is when we get to that 38 or 40 seconds left in the game and we come back from a timeout and you guys are huddled up on the headset. All right guys, what are we going to do? And somehow that turned into rush three, blitz on one, and Bo Nix, who struggled all game, drives him down the field, kicks the winning field goal that's directly on the head coach and the defensive coordinator.

[Don LaGreca]

And that's what we were talking about yesterday and how coaching has to be involved in something like that. Now let's look at the general manager and I think there has been some good in Joe Shane. Jackson darts here because of Joe Shane. This pass rush for the most part is here because of Joe Shane. But Booger explained to me how this deep in the season, another year of this where you don't have a field goal kicker.

[Booger McFarland]

Yeah, see, I'm, I'm. You're talking to the wrong guy. I'm not, I'm not a fan of kickers. All they do is, it's all they do is sit around, make a lot of money. They play Scrabble, they play word puzzles all day and they come out to practice.

[Don LaGreca]

Right. But, but you do realize you need a good one if you're going to win games. It sucks that they actually decide games. You guys break your ass and then these kickers trot on there and miss field goals for you. But as a general Manager, you still have to have a good one because they can win or lose you games.

[Booger McFarland]

I'm saying it shouldn't be hard to find a good one. Like, I mean, just bring in five or six, let them kick to the leg falls off, see who makes the most. Like, like, like this isn't that hard, but. And I think the most important thing with a kicker is trust. Let's just look at Sean Payton. I think Will Lutz is the kicker for the Broncos. Sean Payton had Will Lutz down in New Orleans. He brought him over. He trust him. They, they're familiar with, familiar with each other. There's a comfort level. Sean knows that he can count on Will nine times out of 10. Doesn't mean he's gonna be perfect. But Sean realizes he can count on Will. That relationship matters. I think you gotta find a kicker like that. Harbaugh had that relationship with Justin Tucker for years until he just decided he needed to get massages. But other than that, like, you gotta find a kicker that you trust and you have a great relationship with. So to your point, yeah, you got to have one, but man, you got one job. Put the ball through the yellow pipes. Like it shouldn't be that hard.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I would love to be the, the kicker on a booger McFarlane team.

[Don LaGreca]

Seems like there's a lot of, there's a lot of players that Greg Buttle felt that way too. Can you, would you, would you be good with? I know it's football, but if you just. We did away with extra points. Everybody goes for two and just get, get, get rid of this whole idea of kick and field goals.

[Booger McFarland]

Now we're changing the game and, and we've already changed the game enough with the dynamic kickoff. We moved extra points back to 33 yards. Like, I get it. I. Let's stop changing the game so much. So no, I, I do not want to get, get away from kickers. Kickers are still a part of the game. I just don't like them. Most of them don't even look like football players. Like, they, you know, some of them and some of them have no swag whatsoever. I play a game on Saturdays because I cover college football for espn. So I play a game on Saturdays as I'm watching these games and, and there's a kick of any consequence. I play a game, look at the kicker's eyes and see, see, see if you think he's gonna make it or not. And it's usually about 85 whether or not you can look because they're always going to show the kicker. They're always going to show the kicker warming up and then you get that one obligatory shot of his face and I can tell you make a miss based on his face.

[Danny]

Wow.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Now you guys didn't feel the same way about punters, right? Are punters are different than kickers.

[Booger McFarland]

They're kind of the same.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Similar. All right, all right. Similar to Stanford.

[Booger McFarland]

Because here's the thing about punters. Punters can affect the scoreboard. So like they're really useless.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, I mean listen, a punter sets you up and drop something at the half, you know, half yard line where you can get a safety that can lead to points and change. Flip a game around.

[Booger McFarland]

But, but I still have to do something. My point being he's, he's not defecting the scoreboard directly. He can put at the one yard line. I still got to make a tackle for loss to get the safety. So in the end he didn't really do a lot for me.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Now what was the worst loss for you?

[Don LaGreca]

The.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The Commanders getting blown out by the Cowboys or the Giants blowing a lead like they did to the Broncos?

[Booger McFarland]

What's worse, 100%, it's the Giants. The commanders quarterback gets hurt. We were really never in the game. We had two guys running, running to each other on CD Lamb long long. CD Lambs long touchdown. Like it's just not our day. Like you can chalk that up and you, you can go up, you can go back to the facility and all as well. When we just keep it moving. When you're the Giants and you give up 33 points in the fourth quarter, like that's heartbreaking. That's why Brian Burns struck the way he did. If you notice what he said walking into the locker room, he said three man rush. Because he knows and I know and I know that he knows that they had that game. And it's amazing the difference in mindset. You win that game and now we can actually start having a conversation.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh yeah, it's a season.

[Booger McFarland]

Whether the, whether the Giants can be a playoffs team. Like we can actually start to have the conversation about whether or not Brian Dall is deserving of another year right now. And that's a far cry from when you and I started these interviews, right? And now Brian Davos starts to say, okay, I've won three out of four with this rookie quarterback. We're going to get better and better and better. And Joe Shane starts to figure it out and now you got a rookie quarterback. And so now we're starting to think next year we Got Jackson Dart on the rookie deal. Are we, are we keeping Thibodeau? We trading? Like we can start to start to have these macro conversations instead. We're still in the micro because he lost the game. And somehow, some way, it wouldn't surprise me, even though I'm not a fan of it, it wouldn't surprise me that when, when we look back on this two, three months from now, if this is the game that we look back on and say, man, what would have happened had he won that Bronco game? Would he still be here? Because this is the type of game that kind of hangs over a coach's head.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, go ahead, Don.

[Don LaGreca]

I was going to say that's what I was trying to split as a positive, as a Giant fan yesterday. Booger is that if he is the wrong guy but he wins this game and he hangs around and dart wins him some games, you're going to have to give him an extension at the end of the year. You're going to let him walk. He's in his last year of his contract. So if he's the wrong guy and you need a game like that to expose it and make the change, could that end up being a positive in the long run for the team?

[Booger McFarland]

No, because I think that if you, if you look at the last, last month like Jackson Darts is starting, he looks the part, right? Like everybody's talking like, man, that guy. Like the Giants have their guy. There's a reason he looks the part. Joe Shane, Brian D identified him. They've coached him up since otas. He's starting to play. They're calling the right plays for him. So everything that he, how he's looking, you have to attribute that to Brian dbo. So you got to give him credit. You can't give him credit for the losses and then not give him credit for the young quarterback looking the way he looks. And so I honestly think, I honestly think that the better Jackson Dart looks, the better chance he has of coming back. Because if you're an owner and this regime identified the quarterback, they drafted the quarterback, they developed a quarterback and then less than a year, everybody universally in America feels like you have your quarterback of the future.

[Don LaGreca]

He's got to get credit for that vine. But can't both be true that you could be a quarterback whisperer and you could develop a quarterback but still not be a great game day coach, maybe not be a coach that can win you a big game. I got to give me two completely different skill sets and if I'm going to turn the corner, Yes, I need the quarterback, but I'm also going to need a coach that can win those types of games.

[Booger McFarland]

I mean, he just beat Philadelphia the week before. Right. Or two weeks ago. So I would consider that a big game.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah. Contributed to that.

[Booger McFarland]

Well, guess what? Every team contributes. Bill Belichick said more games are lost than one. So let's not go through that whole deal. Like we either have to give the coach credit or we don't. Like, we can't pick and choose what credit he gets. So I, I'm gonna be the guy that says if he won the game, I'm gonna give him credit for winning the game. If he lost it, then he gotta wear it. If the quarterback develops, he gets credit for that. If the quarterback struggles, he gets credit for that also. So we have to be consistent in what we do, especially when that is your forte. Prime example, the Jets. There's no reason for the jets playing for a defensive head coach not to be able to play defense. That's on Aaron Glenn. That's why 07 looks, looks, looks bad. Because the defense with Quinn and Williams and Sauce Garden and those guys aren't playing up to the level with the defensive head coach. He's not an offensive guy. So do I give him a little brace with Justin Fields? Sure, I give him a little grace. But I think we all went into the season realized that Tyrod Taylor or Justin Fields aren't the long term answer. Now as far as the Giants are concerned, I think the Giants have something that's hard to get in this league and that they believe every Sunday when you show up every Sunday that you know you can win. I don't think every team in the league has that every week. There's probably 12 to 15 teams that have that every Sunday. They know if they play their best, they have a chance to win.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And I gotta say, watching them week to week and not even being a fan, I feel they can play with everybody, which is a, you know, that is a promising sign. The question is, is Dable the guy to get them over the top? So let me ask you, being that this game was as bad as it was and I mean, you know, Booger, the back page of the New York Post, All Caps worst loss ever. You know, you could feel the pain in this market when it happened.

[Don LaGreca]

What record?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Let's say if we were to break it down simply, what does Dable have to do record wise, you think, to protect his job going into next year, over these next 10 years.

[Booger McFarland]

Where are we at right now? Where Are we at right now.

[Danny]

2.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And 5 through 7 with two really tough loss. Could easily be 4 and 3, but he's 2 and 5.

[Booger McFarland]

2 and 5. I think if they get to, if they get this eight wins with a rookie quarterback. If they get the eight so they got 10 left. So if he can win six out of 10, maybe five, six out of 10 for sure. Maybe even five out of 10 with, with a rookie quarterback because oftentimes numbers lie. You know I'll often say this thing. Stats are like bikinis. They show some things, not all things. So you're going to have to watch the quarterback play and you got to watch the team play. Don't just look at the record at the end but to your point the record does, does matter. I think you've got to win maybe 5, 6 would help. If the quarterback looks like he is a bona fide number one guy, I think you bring him back to give him a. You give he and Joe Shane two year extensions because bringing him back as a lame duck guy, that doesn't work. I think you give him two year extensions and you give them two years to develop the quarterback because that would put, that would put Jackson Dart at the end of year three and usually at the end of year three you know what happens? You start to extend the quarterback. That way you can get the benefits of the last two years and instead of a, instead of a five year extension it becomes a seven year deal and you can spread the big money out. Usually like if you go back and look at all the quarterbacks on the rookie deals they got extended after year three. So I would bring him back on a two year deal, line him up with Jackson Dart. You build a team, you take advantage of the rookie quarterback and for the next two years you go all in players, receivers, you get neighbors back. You figure out what to do with Thibodeau, whether you bring him back and trade him at the deadline. Like all you do everything that, that the people do when they have a quarterback who's a starter and a star on a rookie deal.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Hey Booger, tremendous stuff man. Thank you so much buddy.

[Booger McFarland]

All good. Y' all have a good one fellas.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Talk to you next week.

[Don LaGreca]

He's good Booger for Christmas I'll get him. Ali Hazy chic highlight on dvd.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, I'm getting, I'm already getting the authentic number eight Chip Low Miller jersey.

[Don LaGreca]

There you go. See that's. I think he would really enjoy that because he really did not, he did not have much love for kickers. I listen I know you guys work so hard and then let's face it, a non football player comes out and decides the game. It's really tough. Now there are a lot of reasons why people buy at Ramsey Mazda.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Go ahead, tell me some.

[Don LaGreca]

It's their selection, it's their customer service and it's their savings. Get 1.9% financing on a new Mazda 2025 CX50 or lease for $219 for 36 months. Start shopping now at Ramsey Mazda dot com. Choose wisely. Choose Ramsey Mazda. Call 833-853-2970 for lease details. VIN is 5N 39055 MSRP 32,004 55 0. Security deposit APR $17.48 per $1,000 financed ends 1031 25. But you know what's tough Peter though is that I will give the coach credit. I'll give Dable credit for developing and finding Jackson Dart. But does that make him a good coach? And I'm now going to extend him only to find out that he developed a quarterback but. But can't coach a big game. Can't find a way to win a big game. Then, then I'm like Buffalo Light, right? I got the quarterback, but do I have the coach that can lead me to the promised land? I'm sorry. There's more to the job, Peter, than developing a good quarterback. You got to be able to make good game time decisions. There's other areas of the field that have to be concentrated on. It can't just be all, oh, he develops a quarterback and he gets a contract extension.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I know, that's it. I know. Well, but I think, I think in the end Booger landed on what makes sense. If he developed the quarterback and he can get you eight wins with the rookie quarterback. Well, now we're having a conversation.

[Don LaGreca]

I gotta, I gotta tell you something, Peter.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Go ahead, say it. They're never getting eight.

[Don LaGreca]

If they get to six, if they're six and four in the last 10 games, then he deserves a contract. Okay, because then you're gonna be, you're gonna be beating some good teams, right? There's no Sweet Sisters of the Poor left on their schedule.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They got the Raiders.

[Don LaGreca]

That's it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Are they?

[Don LaGreca]

That means you beat Detroit. That means you beat Chicago. That means you beat San Francisco, right? So you beat Philadelphia again, you beat Dallas. You, maybe you beat Washington. If he goes 6 and 4, well that's a different story. Now you're winning games, Peter. But developing a quarterback can't just be the only thing on your resume, as important as that is, it can't be the only thing that keeps your job. Otherwise you're going to see a lot more of what you saw on Sunday. Great quarterback play in a loss.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I think the answer is he has to do both. You have to see that the quarterback is that good and then he has to find a way to win. And you may, you may be right, Don. Six and four may be close to impossible given the schedule they have, but he's going to have to get there. And I think he would understand that. I mean, you know what, as a wise man once said, how many chances you get?

[Don LaGreca]

So even five, go seven and 10. Four more wins than you had last year. Develop the quarterback, then we can have a conversation. But if they end up losing out, but the quarterback balls, but they keep making mistakes and wasting timeouts and, you know, blowing leads in the second half, then listen, do I think they can lose every game and the quarterback play well? No, I think they're going to win some games if the quarterback plays well. The first three quarters of that game still happened, but coaching is just as important as good quarterback play is. And I don't know if they got the coach.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I was desperately looking for the right drop for this situation, but I didn't know where.

[Don LaGreca]

Where it is, what happened.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't know how it's listed. It's the Don 6 and 1 drop. That's whenever we're starting to add up games, losses and wins. I, I always want to play. And then add 10. 60 then divided by 4.

[Don LaGreca]

12.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, 20. No. The Yankees have played seven double headers this year. Don and Peter, that's 14 games. What do you think their record is?

[Don LaGreca]

6 and 1. It's the conviction. But you understood where my logic was.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, no, you're right. You're still saying what could you be the right thing? You're just answering the wrong question.

[Don LaGreca]

The problem is it's not bad math, it's bad listening.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Exactly. That just wasn't. He said. What was the record? Over 14 games. You gave the record in seven series. But it's the conviction of six and one, which does not add up to 14, no matter how you cut it. That's amazing. This message is sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp therapists have helped over 5 million people worldwide on their mental health journeys. Moments in therapy, like the right question, a safe space to cry or a small win can change lives. This World Mental Health Day, we're celebrating the therapists who've helped millions of people take a step forward. If you're ready to find the right therapist for you, BetterHelp can help you start that journey. Our listeners get 10% off their first month. Just call pound 250 and say the keyword timeout. That's keyword timeout. After calling pound250. The holidays have arrived at the Home Depot and we're here to help bring the excitement with with decor for every.

[Don LaGreca]

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[Peter Rosenberg]

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[Don LaGreca]

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[Peter Rosenberg]

Whatever your style, find the right pieces at the right prices this holiday season at the Home Depot.

[Booger McFarland]

This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Listening to this podcast, smart move. Being financially savvy.

[Don LaGreca]

Smart move.

[Booger McFarland]

Another smart move. Having State Farm help you create a competitive price when you choose to bundle home and auto bundling. Just another way to save with a personal price plan like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts and savings and eligibility vary by state.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast. I didn't listen to anything you just said. Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. Sometimes you just can't take it anymore. This is let's talk about It Tuesday with Don Hahn and Rosenberg sponsored by BetterHelp. I mean, I truly am a lunatic. The hang up on this idiot is really as aggressive as very can be.

[Don LaGreca]

In that moment it made sense. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

If you heard the call, you'd understand where I was coming from.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Welcome to talk about it Tuesday. Don Hahn and Rosenberg, ESPN New York. Either listening to us on the ESPN New York app, perhaps it's 880, or you're watching us on YouTube on the ESPN New York YouTube channel. Don in Toronto. I'm here in the studio, Don. You want to set things off or you want me to?

[Don LaGreca]

No, why don't you go ahead?

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right, well, the first thing I want to talk about is not sports.

[Don LaGreca]

Related, but it's okay.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's. It needs it. We have some sports to get to in here as well. But I, I know a lot of people have been watching this Ed Gein monster on, on Netflix. And now Monster is a series of shows done by Ryan Murphy with a different subject matter each time. You know, like usually a murder of some sort. These are all horrible Grisly things.

[Don LaGreca]

This.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Don, I watched the show. Not only is it just ridiculous as it goes on to where by the end you're just like, you know, I'm, like, clutching my pearls. I'm like, I can't believe I'm watching this filth. It's just, like, truly gross and horrible. Not only that, you then find out it's, like, completely made up. I mean, there is so little resembling the facts of this guy's story.

[Booger McFarland]

Like the main.

[Peter Rosenberg]

One of the main subjects that they get into on this, that Ed Gein, this murderer, was also sort of obsessed with dressing up in women's clothing and all this sort of sexual stuff attached to it. When you then dig into it and hear from experts if you feel like doing this because you're curious, none of this is known about him. It's all just freaky ass Ryan Murphy making it up. Like, it's really, really weird and not accurate at all. And he has a history of doing this. He did this with the Dahmer one, too. Just completely adds stuff to the story. And Don, it's almost, like, shocking that it's legal that you can say something is based on a real person and give their name. And granted, I'm not sitting here worried about the reputation of a known murderer. Okay, I understand. But for some historical accuracy, it doesn't matter at all. He just keeps making these specials. And because we are just freaks as a society, we keep gobbling them up and wanting to watch about murderers, myself included. And not only are you watching filth, it's completely inaccurate. Filth.

[Don LaGreca]

Peter, I don't think you worry about the accuracy because of the reputation of the subject. You just want to know what's real and what's not. Because you're going to run around and tell people, I saw this story and it's true and all these things happen, and then lies are being told. You know what I was thinking of when you were saying this? What's that? The movie jfk, which I enjoy, but Oliver Stone took a lot of liberties in that movie. And it's really difficult to tell. All right, where was it? Theater. And where was it? Fact. It's an event that took place. But some of the. He took some liberties there, man. And now in the wash, you don't know what was real and what wasn't unless you do the work and who.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Wants to do the work, and no one's doing the work. And there's so much in here that's just so weird. And it starts out pretty good. And it gets you like, oh, wow, this guy's creepy. Oh, my God. This is the guy who Texas Chainsaw Massacre is based on. This is what Psycho's based on. I mean, this guy's like America's earliest imagination around psycho murderers is kind of based on this guy. But then the show about the guy is just complete to bring back Woody Johnson gobbledygook. It's nothing. It's crap. And this guy has made so many big things, it's crazy. And I guess you know what it is? I think it's just that people stylistically like Ryan Murphy, his style is interesting. Whether you watched the Versace one or American Horror Story or the Menendez brothers or Aaron Hernandez, all of these things have, like, things. Or Dahmer. They all have things about them that make you want to watch. But then as you keep watching, you're like, at some point you go, but this is made up, you know, And I. And I have to say I'm out of bounds for saying this because I'm not gay. If I'm gay, I don't know that I love Ryan Murphy. Turning every single story it seems into like, a gay or trans thing. Like, it's a little bit. I don't know if I'm the gay community, maybe I can put a call in. If they want advice from just a hetero Jew, I'm here to offer them that advice because I know Ryan Murphy's gay, and I know he's, you know, a beloved and appreciated film guy. But every story, I gotta tell you, he's out here making gay people look nuts over and over again. And I'm like, what kind of representation is this? So anyways, that's my talk about it. Ryan Murphy and the Ed Gein story, Don.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, I touched on it earlier in the show, and in case you're just joining us and didn't hear me completely complain about me missing my flight yesterday because I went and got my passport renewed, and I was told by people, get the card get because you. They're going to offer you. It's like, I think it was like, 50 bucks to renew the passport book and then an additional 10 bucks to get the card. And I'm thinking, oh, what's the card for? Oh, when you travel to Canada or you go to the Caribbean or you go down to Mexico, the card will get you there. You only would need the book for if you go to Ireland or, like, Peter did go to Perth. I'm like, great. Because most of my traveling outside the country is to Canada. I don't have to bring the book with me. I'll just stick the card in my wallet. Don't have to worry about forgetting it. Don't have to worry about losing it. Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right.

[Don LaGreca]

And everybody explained that to me. Went, got it renewed. I asked them about it, told them what I did.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Perfect.

[Don LaGreca]

Told him I needed it for all. Get the card. Perfect. All right. Get the card. So I stole away the book and I got the card, but it put it in my wallet. All right, I'm almost set to go. Go to my flight to Toronto. Can't get on the. Can't get on the plane. The people helping me are like, I don't understand what's going on here. I'm putting the numbers in. It should be working. A passport's a passport. They didn't know, couldn't go on the pole, had to cancel. And then I had to go this morning.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Come on, man.

[Don LaGreca]

And that was so irritating. But. And everybody that I told, like, I've told people when I got here to Toronto, talked to the guy at the front desk at the hotel, told him the story. Everybody's like, really? I didn't know that. So did they just not know, Peter.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't understand how that can be so.

[Don LaGreca]

So I. So I go to the website, which I should have done before I left. I should have just threw the damn book in my bag just to be.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Just to be safe.

[Don LaGreca]

But I thought, you know, I listen to people. I made the mistake of listening to people, Peter.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, you should.

[Don LaGreca]

And I looked on the website, and the website, you know, says land and sea and that it would not work for flights. Why that is, I don't know. So if I. If I go to the Bahamas on a boat, I'm good. But if I fly there, I can't. What's the difference, Peter?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Listen, Don, for me flying, I personally, I just bring the passport. I haven't even gotten the real id. And I probably should at some point. I guess we'll all have the real id. At some point, it won't matter. But until then, when we were, like, six months out, and they were saying, hey, starting in six months, you'll need a passport or real id. From that moment, I just went. When I travel, whether it's to Baltimore, I put my passport, my backpack, and.

[Don LaGreca]

That'S a good idea. But I always get so afraid, because it was in this city, Peter, in Toronto, this very city, where I Uber from the hotel to the arena, and I take out my phone to pay the Uber driver to go do the Ranger game. I go into the media room getting ready, and I. And whenever I'm In Canada, every 10 seconds, I'm. I'm opening the bag, making sure the passport's there. Like, I'm anal about. It's ridiculous. That's what I want. That's. No, you gotta.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You gotta let go of that part. Like, no one's stealing your passport.

[Don LaGreca]

You're fine. I go, it's not there. It's gone. What happened was when I took my phone out of my breast pocket for my suit to pay. That the Uber driver?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

My. My passport fell on the street.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No.

[Don LaGreca]

So it's gone. So it's before the game. It's like two hours before the game. Can't find. I go back because I don't know. I lost.

[Peter Rosenberg]

When was this?

[Don LaGreca]

This is about, like, five years ago.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, my goodness.

[Don LaGreca]

I go back to the hotel. Thought maybe I dropped it there. Can't find it. I'm Donald, sidekick to Michael K. Sorry. Somebody with the Maple Leafs says, we found your passport.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No.

[Don LaGreca]

I'm like, you got to be kidding me. My guy. I wanted to kiss the guy. You know where they found it? Where? In the Concord course of the arena. No, somebody found it in the concourse.

[Peter Rosenberg]

How did it end up in the concourse?

[Don LaGreca]

The only thing I can think of is that somebody must have found it on the street that was going to the game, went into the arena, couldn't find anybody of importance to give it to, and just threw it back on the ground.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But why would it have ended up there? Like, did you run up and down the steps or anything?

[Don LaGreca]

No, I did not. I. No. Must have fallen out. I was never in the concourse, so I don't know. Did it. Did it stick to somebody's foot? Did somebody grab it?

[Peter Rosenberg]

But guess what, Guess what? They returned it.

[Don LaGreca]

But it. But finally somebody found it and returned.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It.

[Don LaGreca]

So that now. Forget it, Peter. I. I every. I'm checking every two seconds. So that's why I wanted to use the card, because I wanted to get that out of my life.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Just so the passport card thing would be. If you're driving to Toronto.

[Don LaGreca]

Right. And see, that's what I got. I don't want to throw anybody on the bus.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's where.

[Don LaGreca]

If I got my. My passport renewed in Detroit, then maybe you don't have to explain it to me because Windsor's right across the river.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Don LaGreca]

And that people might be driving to Canada, but when I get it in Central Jersey, is there really. Am I going to be commuting constantly by car into Canada when I'm explaining. Yeah, I do. I'm going to be doing devil games this year. I'm going to be traveling to Canada. They think I'm getting on a bus to go. To go to Calgary.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's, it's, it's a bad job by someone, but.

[Don LaGreca]

And again, I don't want to throw these people under the bus, but so many people did not know this. There must have been some kind of breakdown in communication that the person that told me this must have truly believed that I can get on a plane with this card. And I was just. Peter, it's so stressful to travel to be begin with.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, when, when you, when you remember I told you my story of when I wanted to come home that time when Natalie was pregnant. I couldn't make it back. I booked a flight on the wrong day. They had told me they sent me new flights and it didn't say in bold print like, hey, by the way, this is for tomorrow.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So I just like, oh, that time's only an hour different. I'll take it. And I get there and they go, sorry, you're not on the flight today. It's a feeling when you're at the airport and you're told you simply cannot.

[Don LaGreca]

Go where you need to go.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You want to cry. You feel completely powerless. It's a brutal feeling.

[Don LaGreca]

And it's not like I can just go to the parking lot, get back into my car and drive home. Now it's, you know, $100 cab ride. What? Remember the days where I remember. I remember being in the city and seeing on the side of a cab in Manhattan.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. How much?

[Don LaGreca]

Like $50 to JFK. That's, that's over now.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh my God. 50.

[Don LaGreca]

It's, it's like now it's like a hundred.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, no, Don.

[Don LaGreca]

Let me tell you right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm gonna look right now just for fun. I'm going on Uber. If I were. My. My prediction is 160 if you go to.

[Don LaGreca]

If you. Right now. If you got a cab outside of the building you're in right now.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Jfk.

[Don LaGreca]

It's gonna cost you a hundred bucks.

[Peter Rosenberg]

If I take an Uber X. That's the cheapest one possible. 117 at this moment.

[Don LaGreca]

Oh my God.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You want an uber black. 156.

[Don LaGreca]

Forget it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's crazy time. Now listen, you want to get upset? Guys talking about a Tuesday.

[Don LaGreca]

Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I wonder if how Knicks fans feel about hearing this from Brian Windhorse.

[Don LaGreca]

Let me point out the bombshell report that our sham Sharania put out there.

[Booger McFarland]

A few weeks ago.

[Don LaGreca]

You know that Giannis basically said he wanted to be a Knick. Knicks been waiting for 15 years to get somebody to say they want to be a Nick. Nobody denied that report. Those talks happened. The Knicks were in position to get Giannis and they didn't get him either because they didn't offer enough, because they believe in this team, which is a totally acceptable answer. They may have the best team. If the Knicks could have had Giannis under a certain set of circumstances, but because of what they invested in this team and their belief in this team, and not necessarily in that order, it could be the belief first. If they don't have him.

[Peter Rosenberg]

How does that make you feel?

[Don LaGreca]

Don well, I got a lot to say about this and a lot to say about the Knicks, and I know we got the big show coming up tomorrow from Stout, but I've got a lot to say coming up.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right, so let's should we should talk about it further than is what you're saying.

[Don LaGreca]

That's what I'm saying.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right. That's Talk about it Tuesday. Sponsored by better help. Visit betterhelp.com timeout today for 10% off your first month of therapy, introducing Oakley Meta Vanguard, the new performance AI glasses designed for athletes with an action ready ultra wide camera, powerful open ear speakers and built in Meta AI that syncs with your Garmin devices for real time insights while you train. Take your performance to the next level with Oakley Meta Vanguard. Athletic intelligence is here. Learn more on meta meta.com whoever you're repping this season, carry the team like a pro with ultra durable officially licensed YETI drinkware. Whether it's the NFL, ncaa, mlb, NHL or mls, YETI has you covered with drinkware in all your favorite team colors. So if you're a serious fan, now's the time to get serious about your gear with officially licensed YETI drinkware built for the long haul. Find all the teams you root [e-mail] or a Yeti store near you. Talk about stepping up.

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[Peter Rosenberg]

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[Peter Rosenberg]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast. I didn't listen to anything you just said. Catch the show on Demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. Is this the Springsteen one?

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, I think it's on. What was the album in 84, the.

[Peter Rosenberg]

One before, you know, born USA. Oh, the. Born in the Sao.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, I believe it's on that album. Don't hold me to that. I'm not the biggest Springsteen guy. I mean, I appreciate him being a guy from Jersey, but that's one of the songs that I like.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I understand because I like. I like Springsteen the man and I enjoy some of his songs, but I'm not like a Springsteen guy.

[Don LaGreca]

I'm more of a Billy Joel guy.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That is surprising. I think personality wise people would think you'd be more Springsteen.

[Don LaGreca]

I know why you say that. Because I'm from Jersey?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, because.

[Don LaGreca]

Working class guy.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, working class guy. You know, Billy Joel. God bless him. God bless you. I'm much more of a Billy Joel guy. I celebrate his whole catalog, but it is more like Long Island Girl, you know, drunk, sing along dumb than Springsteen. And I say that as someone who loves Billy Joel. Springsteen has a little bit more like grit, if you will.

[Don LaGreca]

I. It's not a be of it about just the songs you have to tell me.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I love.

[Don LaGreca]

Not a fan of the. Of the vibe or whatever. It's just that I've just listened to the song. I like the songs. I like more Billy Joel songs than Bruce Springs.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Me too. Me too. Now listen, like I've said many times, Billy Joel's biggest hits often irritate me. Like, he is maybe the all time best example of why you hate an artist's biggest singles. I have almost no use for all of his biggest songs. Except for, you know, she's always a woman to me.

[Don LaGreca]

Right?

[Peter Rosenberg]

She's always a woman. Fantastic. But like Piano Man. Fine, whatever. I don't really feel like hearing it very often. Uptown Girl, forget about it. I'll go to the bathroom.

[Don LaGreca]

Most of the 80s, Billy, I can do without. That's why it was so funny to me in Stepbrothers when they say only 80s Joel. Because I'm not a big fan of the 80s Joel.

[Peter Rosenberg]

See, I have my moments that I enjoy from 80s Joel. But it would, it would surprise you. It's like.

[Don LaGreca]

And listen, I. I get it's. It's technically it's the 80s, but like Glass House is like 1980 that I love. But if you start getting into the.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Mid-80S Billy Joel, you've got no use.

[Don LaGreca]

See, even mid Uptown Girl.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, that's. That's just tough. So hold on let me real quick, because it's the end of the hour, for God's sake.

[Don LaGreca]

You don't know that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So, so, so to me, 52nd Street's his best album probably. And that's 78 and I love it.

[Don LaGreca]

I would, I, I, I would concur.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's, it's fantastic. 80s glass houses and no Glass Houses. He's still completely in the bag. You can't even count it. He's got. You May Be Right is on here. Don't ask me why. Still rock and roll.

[Don LaGreca]

Terrific.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Sleeping with the Television on. He's, he's rolling. Then, then. Songs in the Attic is, is a live album in 81. Nylon Curtain, 82. See, this still has 80s Joel that I enjoy.

[Don LaGreca]

Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's got Allentown. It's got Pressure, which is stupid, but I like it. Yeah, it's got Goodnight Saigon. She's right on time.

[Don LaGreca]

Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's not a great album, but it's got a couple.

[Don LaGreca]

So early 80s is the exception. Then you start getting into the middle.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Of the decade and by the way, you can look at the COVID of An Innocent man and say, I'm worried about where we're going here. Like, you can see the font, the look, and that's got the longest time, which is pretty cheesy. Tell her about it. Rough Uptown Girl. Okay, forget about it. And I will say, though, surprisingly, I like Keeping the Faith, which is silly also. And then 86 is the bridge. And the bridge is you get to that real mid-80s and he finds me again. Because I love Matter of Trust and Modern Woman. Don't Ask Me why, no pun intended. And then by storm front in 89, it feels like you're in a different era again already. Although we didn't Start the Fires, one of the great pieces of Drek ever recorded. I heard someone do a cover of it recently with like the Stories of Today.

[Don LaGreca]

Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And it actually was sort of fun to hear someone do a modern version version of it because it is a creative concept, but just as a song. Who wants to listen to it?

[Don LaGreca]

It's just in retro, like the Teller about it. And Uptown. No, I can't, I can't get on board with those songs. But you going through it, I, I kind of take back.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There's something.

[Don LaGreca]

It's just, it's all relative. Right. Like, like, like you said, 52nd street, the stranger, they. Those are just absolute amazing albums. And so there, there was a bit of a drop off, but still compared to the comparatively speaking, you know, to other music, it's still very good. There's still stuff there. Let's.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Let's talk to the people. You talk about Billy Joel, you talk about Long Island. How do you not talk to Danny? Hey, Danny.

[Danny]

Big Billy Joel man. I Danny semen concert about three times in the 70s. I'll tell you my favorite songs, though.

[Booger McFarland]

I'm a history buff.

[Danny]

Is that. I mean, between Daddy Sir Alexa, Allentown, Good Night Saigon.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Danny]

And even that history lesson. So, I mean, I mean, can anybody put a. I mean, he made a song about the Vietnam War, which will just drive you to tears Down Easter Alexa, about the Long island fishing industry. It's just a tremendous song about. Give it a boat. Can't think off a line, for God's sake.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, I mean. And he can even do it. What makes him special is he can even get into stuff, obviously, like, he wasn't in Vietnam. He does. He didn't come from a town in Pennsylvania, Steel town in Pennsylvania. But he knows how to do it. Yeah, it's what makes him special.

[Danny]

But he goes into the lyrics and he finds terms even in Down Easter Alexa, that are nautical.

[Don LaGreca]

He talked to people. That's why if you look at the video, he's got veterans on stage, like. So he did the work, which I. Which you appreciate.

[Danny]

Now I'm going to go with the let's talk about it something a little lighter than Peter's macabre Gay Death Bloodbath documentaries. By the way, Peter, one of the great documentary filmmakers of the. Of the 20th century who shall be nameless all she want me to say it made a documentary about a very famous New York City crime where he just left out things that he didn't. Didn't fit his agenda. So anytime you're watching anything, it's been done by somebody that, you know is. It had something to tell you. That's all I'm going to say.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, yeah, of course. Nothing's done from a neutral standpoint. It's just how far do you go in. In adding things that can be like artistic design?

[Don LaGreca]

Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's right.

[Danny]

Let's talk about something much lighter. We're eight weeks. Then I think it's time to reshuffle the tables. And is Jaden Daniels at table one anymore?

[Don LaGreca]

Peter?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, it's. It's. You have to include injury. And because of that, I can't, you know, this, this year. Well, if this is what the year turns out to be. He plays well, he gets hurt. He plays well, he gets hurt, he ends up with numbers that are not sexy at the end of the year, I guess I'd have to drop him off. Danny, what can I do?

[Booger McFarland]

And what do you do?

[Danny]

I agree with you because being available as part of. Is Joe Burrow now, you know, like the guys who shot. Say what you want about a Rod, he's always there. Mahomes, who, by the way, is not at a table. As I said in the beginning of season, he's on a dais by himself. That big throne, but that big throne, possibly, you know, a goblet.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He's right.

[Danny]

Two or three. Weight is just dealing with him alone.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. You're not.

[Don LaGreca]

He's hovering over everybody else.

[Danny]

Everybody else.

[Don LaGreca]

Peter, what do you do with Hertz? Because his Hertz at that table.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I know. Well, by the way. But I put him up at the. I put Hertz on the table.

[Don LaGreca]

You put Hertz and McDaniel, Hertz and Daniel up there. And I wonder if they right now, seven weeks in, whether that's. That's teetering. Now, listen, I don't want to kill a kid for getting hurt. He's still a great quarterback. But listen, when he's right, availability is a big key.

[Peter Rosenberg]

When he's played, he looks like the guy I expected him to be. But he also hasn't developed through the season the way he should because he's been hurt for half the year practically. So I do want to look at hurts numbers, though. I'm glad you brought that up. Hertz is up to 1500 yards, 11 touchdowns, one interception. Yeah, I feel good about hurts sitting there, buddy.

[Don LaGreca]

It just.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He put up what, over 303 touchdowns the other day.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, well, that was the big bounce back. Right. So it's there. It's definitely very fluid, but that's what makes these.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But remember, they don't. They don't. The Eagles have not had the same running attack this year that they've had. No, they have in previous years.

[Don LaGreca]

And that's changed things. But he's answering the bell, so that's good.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Let's see if we have time for one more call in this hour. Let's go to Javier and Queens. What's up, Javier?

[Danny]

What's up, my guys? Listen, I hope everything's okay with Alan, but this will be the second time.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, he's good. Alan's good. Doing family stuff.

[Don LaGreca]

It's all good. All right.

[Danny]

I'm glad to be on with the Wolf Pack with Don. With Don and. And Peter, the original.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's right, baby.

[Danny]

I hope we hear the Wolf Pack song later. But listen, guys, I was at the jets game, it was. The tailgate was Incredible. We were 20 deep. Shout out to tailgate the. You know, the fans are great. We had one guy who didn't even want to go into the stadium, and he was a Jets fan. He refused to go in. The rest of us did. We had a great time, but a lot of empty seats. Very, very, very disappointing. And I was thinking of this, right? I'm a Yankees fan, and I'm a Jets fan. I'm 44 years old. From a Yankees perspective, Bob Shepard and John Sterling were like the voice in my head, right? These are the voices I always heard. Say what you want about Sterling, but Bob Shepard was amazing, right? Like, I loved hearing his voice. The voice that I've heard my whole life for the jets has been Rich Samini. And he sounds like the downtrodden guy from the Simpsons, Gil, who's always down on his luck that what the jets have done to Rich Samini. Like, I. I'm speechless at the 07. Like, it was off. It was such a terrible game to watch, and I have no answers. And I've been doing a tailgate for eight years. This was the worst game that we know. It was in eight years that they haven't made the playoffs.

[Don LaGreca]

I want to extend a little bit more of that conversation that we just had when we come back, Peter, because there's. There's something. I wanted to get to it earlier in the show and yesterday, and I didn't get to do it. And we got to get into the Knicks stuff, too, because it's not what you want.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I know We. We teased it a bit.

[Don LaGreca]

We'll. We'll.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We'll get into it more because the. The feelings around the Knicks right now, with a season starting tomorrow that we all thought was gonna be the beginning of something special, yet not off to a great start. 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.