Don, Hahn & Rosenberg Podcast – Hour 2: Cunningham Injury & That Guy Thursday

Broadcast Date: March 19, 2026
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
Summary Prepared By: Expert Podcast Summarizer

Overview:

This hour balances dynamic NBA and NCAA March Madness coverage with signature New York sports banter. The breaking news of Cade Cunningham’s injury and its ripple effect on the NBA playoff landscape takes center stage, while live updates on NCAA Tournament action add excitement. The back half leans into the “That Guy Thursday” segment, where the hosts vent about pet peeves and sports quirks, capping the episode with classic camaraderie and sharp, witty exchanges.

Key Discussion Points

1. Health and Broadcasting Concerns

• Opening minutes feature Peter Rosenberg reflecting on recuperating from illness and his broadcasting obligations for the Devils. Discussion highlights the logistics of TV/radio fill-ins and Rosenberg’s dilemma about potentially spreading illness during team travel.
  • Notable Quote:
    • “I'm fine now and I'm working from home, but I'm still, I'm sure I'm contagious and I don't want to get everybody sick and I hate missing games.” – Peter Rosenberg (01:27)

2. March Madness Live Reactions

• The hosts provide live, passionate color commentary on High Point’s NCAA tournament composure (“they may mean business”), Siena’s surprising halftime lead over Duke, and other developing storylines.
  • Notable Quote:
    • “High Point is a team that...in the second half ended up down eight or nine multiple times and just kept fighting. They believed it the whole game.” – Co-host (04:04)
  • The group analyzes the ‘intangibles’—team composure, veteran leadership, and the psychology of underdogs.
  • Timestamps:
    • High Point's reaction: 03:08–04:41
    • Siena-Duke halftime: 05:25

3. Cade Cunningham’s Injury and NBA Playoff Impact

• Breaking news: Cade Cunningham, Pistons’ franchise cornerstone, has suffered a collapsed lung, out for at least two weeks. The hosts dissect the medical precedent (CJ McCollum comparisons), playoff timing, and competitive ramifications.
  • Notable Quotes:
    • “He has been diagnosed with a collapsed lung and he's expected to miss an extended period of time. That changes everything, does it not?” – Alan Hahn (05:25–08:21)
    • “The Pistons...they don't have him. He's their only real star. Like, he's everything for this team.” – Alan Hahn (07:29)
  • Analysis covers Boston’s improved title odds with Tatum’s return and the Knicks’ suddenly brighter path.
  • Timestamps:
    • Injury announcement and implications: 05:25–09:25
    • Celtics and Knicks playoff pathways: 08:26–10:25
    • Discussion on expectations and "underdog" pressure shifting: 10:24–12:53

4. Evaluating NBA Standings and Remaining Schedules

• In-depth, game-by-game breakdown of the Pistons, Celtics, and Knicks schedules, with emphasis on potential for late-season surges.
  • Notable Quotes:
    • “I'm thinking nine and three. Like, what do you have to do to make it real if you're the Knicks?” – Alan Hahn (12:53)
    • Comic riffing over “They play hard. They play good.” – Alan Hahn and co-hosts, mocking Alan’s phrasing (13:06–13:21)
  • Conversation pivots between analytic and playful, as they coin the current Knicks stretch as the “commode” or “seven-game bathroom break” — the opposite of a “gauntlet.”
  • Timestamps:
    • Knicks soft-schedule breakdown: 17:00–18:05
    • Joking about streak names: 17:17–17:33

5. Tanking Epidemic in the NBA

• Hosts vent about a recent wave of tanking, referencing back-to-back nights of “pathetic” performances, and promise to revisit solutions for competitive integrity.
  • Notable Quote:
    • “Last night is everything we were talking about with the tanking...they are going to show video of last night.” – Peter Rosenberg (16:14)
  • Timestamps:
    • Tanking debate: 16:14–16:37

6. “That Guy Thursday”: Airing Grievances

6.1 NHL Playoff Format Rant

• Don blasts NHL commissioner Gary Bettman’s defense of the current playoff format, which forces top conference teams to face off in early rounds.
  • Quote:
    • “This format sucks...Does it make sense that the second best team and the third best team in the conference are going to play in the first round and one of them is guaranteed to be out?” – Don (27:46–28:41)
    • "Take your bracket, roll it up, and stick it...where the sun doesn't shine." – Peter Rosenberg (32:32–32:58)
  • Alan and Peter chime in, agreeing that variety and rewarding regular season excellence beats repetitive, divisional battles.
  • Timestamps:
    • Don’s complaint and Bettman critique: 27:46–32:24

6.2 Calandra’s Pasta Story

• Alan and Peter recount a scene at a recent remote broadcast at Calandra’s—being served pasta “Lady and the Tramp-style,” only for their audio engineer Paul to help himself uninvited.
  • The segment overflows with inside jokes and playful shaming over sharing food in a tight workspace.
  • Quote:
    • “He just comes over with a fork and goes, I'm taking some...it was a very intimate setting.” – Co-host (38:06–39:11)
  • Includes extended shout-outs to station interns and staff for their help at the remote.
  • Timestamps:
    • Pasta story: 36:18–41:51

6.3 Sports Terminology: “Kickoff” vs “Tipoff”

• Alan nitpicks the use of “kick off” in a St. John’s basketball promo, preferring “tip off” for hoops.
  • The debate exposes generational and cultural differences in sports language, with Peter and others ribbing Alan for being overly pedantic.
  • Quote:
    • “We don't kick off basketball. We tip off basketball.” – Alan Hahn (45:52)
  • Timestamps:
    • Start: 45:23
    • Debate: 45:29–47:37

Memorable Exchanges and Comic Relief

• On Siena’s March Madness hopes:
  • “But it's. It's starting to get exciting, though. Starting to get a feel to it.” – Co-host, as Siena extends their lead (14:05)
  • “You have to have a sizable lead late to be one of these teams; you can't truly believe until it’s under five minutes, honestly.” – Co-host (14:03)
• On missing dunks and turning points:
  • “How do you miss two dunks?” – Co-host (14:47)
  • “The first one is straight up. Like, it’s just horrifying. Like you can’t have it happen.” – Co-host (15:03)
• House banter and self-awareness:
  • “I don’t want to know how the sausage is made, man. I just want to know it’s good.” – Alan Hahn wrapping up (51:26)
  • Various playful jabs at each other’s talents, quirks, or speech patterns—e.g. “He goes from Southern Han to caveman Han: ‘They play hard. They play good.’” (13:13)

Live Updates & Rapid Fire

• Frequent, in-the-moment updates on Siena-Duke and other live tournament action
• Quick pivots between NBA, NCAA, and NHL discussions, always with a New York focus
• Regular use of drops and inside jokes (“He can sniff out a drop!”)

Conclusion

The episode masterfully blends immediacy (live NCAA updates, breaking NBA news on Cunningham), sharp analysis (NBA/NHL mechanics), and irreverent comedy (food and language squabbles). This hour is an authentic slice of New York sports fandom—insightful, rowdy, and personal.

Quick Reference Timestamps

• Cade Cunningham injury & playoff impact: 05:25–12:53
• Knicks’ “commode” stretch explained: 17:17–18:05
• NBA tanking frustrations: 16:14–16:37
• That Guy Thursday – NHL Playoff format: 27:46–32:24
• That Guy Thursday – Calandra’s pasta story: 36:18–41:51
• Language debate: “kick off” v. “tip off”: 45:23–47:37

For New Listeners:

This summary captures both the expertise and entertainment of Don, Hahn & Rosenberg. Expect real-time sports updates, argument-laden analysis, and a tapestry of New York personalities—whether you’re here for the NBA playoff drama or just craving world-class sports talk radio with laughs.