Don, Hahn & Rosenberg — Hour 2: D&R Response & That Guy Thursday (March 12, 2026)
ESPN New York with Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg & Don La Greca

Episode Overview

Hour 2 of Don, Hahn & Rosenberg dives deep into the ongoing debate over the New York Jets’ direction: Should the team try to win with Geno Smith at quarterback or embrace the “tank” to secure a top draft pick? The hosts passionately discuss roster philosophy, fan engagement, culture building versus tanking, and respond to the morning show’s opposing views. “That Guy Thursday,” a recurring bit, playfully nominates certain colleagues as "that guy" for their football opinions. The episode wraps with reactions to local news, fan interactions, and a tribute to NYC news legend Ernie Anastas.

Main Topics & Discussion Points

1. Don La Greca is Back on Devils Play-by-Play (00:35–01:30)

• Don is back calling Devils games, after a break, and jokes about calling five games in five weeks—“It’s like an NFL team I’m covering.” (01:23)
• Quick betting banter on the low-scoring aspects of Devils vs. Flames.

2. Pete Carroll’s Take on Geno Smith & the Jets’ QB Situation (01:31–04:20)

• Alan reads Pete Carroll’s detailed reflections to Rich Cimini on Geno Smith:
  • “I think I see him differently than a lot of people see him. I love him and appreciate him differently...He's a phenomenal quarterback...It was all fitting exactly the right time.” (02:02)
  • On last season: “We didn't do well enough coaching…We should have had him better prepared for the things that happened…It was very, very disappointing for both of us.” (03:00)
• Carroll blames the Raiders’ failures last season on coaching, not Geno.
• Panel agrees Jets’ QB play last year was “brutal”—even average play would vastly improve the team. (04:21)

3. Geno Smith: Belief, Perception, and Can He Resurrect the Jets? (04:21–08:45)

• Don: Even “average” Geno would be an upgrade. Points to Geno’s two 4,000-yard seasons in the last four years, maturity, and resilience. (05:29)
• Alan: Debates whether Geno’s Seattle success was QB-driven or Carroll/system-driven.
• Don: NFL fans tend to credit the system or coach over the player until a big breakthrough, as with Sam Darnold and the Seahawks.
  • Memorable Geno quote: “They wrote me off. I ain’t write back.” (06:16)
  • “If Geno were able to get himself up and play well, maybe we’ll finally get a chance to throw the roses at the quarterback.” (06:56)

4. What Should the Jets Aim For: Culture or Lottery Pick? (10:00–12:24)

• Alan: Argues for the value in being competitive and “functional,” not just tanking for a draft pick.
• Don: “If I double my win total, it tells the rest of the NFL you’re moving in the right direction…Why am I going to want to play for the Jets that aren’t moving in the right direction?” (10:34)
• Contextualizes the rarity of first-round QBs working out: “Since 2010, three quarterbacks drafted in the first round are still playing with the team that drafted them—Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson.” (12:24)

5. Responding to “Tank” Advocates and the Fan Experience (13:00–19:20)

• Alan asks if it’s more valuable to improve/fight or chase the draft.
• Peter: Tanks rarely offer guaranteed solutions; fans deserve better than wasted seasons.
  • “There are loved ones, family members, who three years ago were here, who are not here anymore…They did not get to see their team do anything fun or special.” (14:44)
• Don: It’s demoralizing and “shocking” that ex-athlete Rick DiPietro would question the importance of doubling win totals. (15:58)
  • “Would [Rick] be willing to sit there, work his tail off…so they could go out and draft the next great player, long after you're gone?” (16:08)
• “You don’t do these things in a vacuum, guys. The wins mean what you’re doing is working.” (16:50)

6. Can You Judge Coaches While Tanking? (17:46–19:20)

• Peter: “How are we ever going to learn anything about your head coach if you're losing 15 games a year and everyone’s okay with it?” (17:46)
• Don: “If you don't have a general manager, you don't have a head coach, oh, but I might have Arch Manning…” (18:55)
• The “vicious cycle” of the Jets’ dysfunction—firing coaches, missing on draft picks, and cap space issues. (19:20)

7. Tanking vs. Building: Sourcing the Quarterback & Organizational Health (23:01–25:05)

• Don lists Super Bowl-winning QBs who weren’t top picks or the result of “tanking” (Mahomes, Brady, Wilson, Montana, Jackson, Hurts): “Explain to me the tank that worked.”
• “What you need is competent coaching and management. Doubling your win total, maybe I got a coach that can coach…then I'll find a way to get the quarterback.” (23:28)
• “You don’t do losing in a vacuum. You lose for reasons.” (23:45)
• Alan & Peter agree: Rebuilding through total tank is not proven to work; building competence offers more than “hope.”

Notable Quotes

• Don: “If you walked into an NFL boardroom and suggested, ‘Let’s tank,’ they’d drag you out by your hair.” (30:30)
• Peter: “Whether you call it tanking or not, setting up the team [for best draft] happens…But in March, to be saying, ‘Come September, we just want to lose’? These guys’ careers are limited. You might get three years in this league.” (32:00)
• Alan: “No franchise has had a longer playoff drought since the merger than the New York Jets…This is generationally bad football.” (38:23)

Callers & Fan Response

8. Callers Weigh in on Tanking & Ticket Prices (20:45–29:00, 45:17–50:41)

• Charlie in Allendale: “I just don’t know. We don’t know about the coach, don’t have a quarterback, don’t know the coordinators or GM. If you double your win total…then what?” (20:54)
  • Don: “Maybe you take picks and trade up. Maybe you get a star using your cap.” (21:31)
• Mike, a Jets season ticket holder (not even a Jet fan): Angry at rising prices, doesn’t want to pay for a tank: “You’re basically telling me, who’s spending all this money, that you’re just…throwing it in the fireplace.” (47:26)
• General consensus: Geno Smith signing is management trying to win—“If they had brought Justin Fields back, that would have been saying we're losing every game.” (50:13)

“That Guy Thursday” Segment (27:36–34:07)

• Panel nominates Rick, Dave, and Ty Butler as “that guy” for supporting the tank mentality.
  • Don: “How can you know that much football and be that dumb?...If you walked into a boardroom and said, ‘Let's tank,’ they’d drag you out by your hair.” (30:32)
• Peter clarifies: Once a season is lost, it’s normal to position for the draft, but purposefully tanking at the start is “basement podcast fan stuff.” (32:39)

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Don: “To have that kind of yo-yo opinion, you’d be laughed out of any legitimate football discussion with former players, GMs, executives, owners.” (31:14)
• Alan: “Sometimes you could just be bad and still find your way to the quarterback of the future. You don’t have to purposely lose.” (32:39)

Local News & Nostalgia (50:41–51:34)

• Brief tribute to Ernie Anastas, NYC news anchor, who passed away.
  • “Ernie Anastas…spent 11 years on WABC…If you hear the voice…face will [be familiar]…That’s a pretty sad day for sure.” (50:56)

Weather Banter & Show Promotion (42:46–43:58)

• Snow in NYC, joking about typical weather in March and recent unusual warm days. (42:46–43:58)
• Tomorrow’s live broadcast at Moynihan Train Hall before the St. John’s semifinal.

Knicks & Sports Quick Hits (51:48–52:18)

• Knicks beat the Jazz and face the Celtics, with playoff seeding implications.

Key Timestamps

• 00:35–01:30 — Don’s return to Devils broadcasting.
• 01:31–04:20 — Pete Carroll’s thoughts on Geno Smith.
• 10:34–13:12 — Don on building culture vs. tanking.
• 14:44 — Peter’s impassioned take on fan experience.
• 23:01–23:45 — “Tank” vs. “Build” Super Bowl QBs.
• 27:36–34:07 — “That Guy Thursday.”
• 32:39 — Alan: “You don’t have to purposely lose.”
• 38:23 — Alan on Jets’ record playoff drought.
• 45:17–50:41 — Callers on ticket prices and tanking.
• 50:41–51:34 — Tribute to Ernie Anastas.

Summary

Hour 2 is an impassioned, authentic reflection on football philosophy and fandom, blending locker room realism with front office pragmatism. The hosts are united: the evidence for purposeful tanking is thin, the scars from the Jets’ culture of losing are deep, and the city deserves better than hollow years spent chasing lottery-ticket quarterbacks. Multiple memorable quotes, jerseys in so many closets, and sympathy for the long-suffering NYC sports fan accent the show’s unique flavor. “That Guy Thursday” adds levity and candor, while Don and Peter anchor the conversation with hard-earned perspective—if you’re looking for an honest Jets therapy session, this is it.