Don, Hahn & Rosenberg — Hour 2: Fraud Alert Friday
ESPN New York | September 19, 2025
Episode Overview
On a warm late September Friday, Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg dive into another lively hour of New York sports conversation. The theme is “Fraud Alert Friday,” a recurring segment where the trio judges the "fandom fraudulence" of callers and listeners. This episode blends smart NFL hypotheticals, sharp baseball analysis, and an always-entertaining discussion of sports superstitions and unwritten fan rules — with plenty of banter, memorable New York nostalgia, and lots of fraud talk.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. NFL Hypotheticals: Giants, Bengals & Russell Wilson
- Giants QB Situation & Potential Russell Wilson Trade
- The crew role-plays a scenario where the Giants might pivot from Russell Wilson to Jackson Dart after a string of losses despite good offense:
- Rosenberg proposes: Would you trade Wilson to a team like the Bengals, if Cincinnati offered a pick while Burrow is injured?
- Don insists Wilson isn’t a mentor type, arguing: "Once you move to Dart, there's no going back. The door's closed." (02:34)
- They debate whether it's worth trading Wilson for a third or even a seventh-round pick, with Don playfully quipping: "You could give me a 21st 58th round pick… I'll take that." (03:21)
- The crew role-plays a scenario where the Giants might pivot from Russell Wilson to Jackson Dart after a string of losses despite good offense:
2. Miami Dolphins: Moral Victories & Quarterback Questions
- After a narrow loss to Buffalo, the crew discusses the state of the Dolphins:
- Don: “That's a perfect example of Tua... When he looks so good and then has a moment like that where it's a face palm.” (04:48)
- Both agree that while Miami played hard, questions linger about Tua’s future. Rosenberg notes: "That's an effort that'll win a decent amount of games... But I don't think they've got a quarterback.” (05:14)
- Conclusion: Miami is competitive but plagued by familiar QB uncertainties.
3. The ‘Little Mistakes’ That Define Losing Teams
- The guys break down how both Giants and Dolphins have talent, but keep making “that mistake a bad team makes” — turnovers, penalties, missed opportunities.
- Peter: “That’s what the NFL is… The little things – you just don’t know how to win games.” (06:38)
- This sets up a discussion on franchise culture and the process of learning to win.
4. NY Sports Fan Life: Multitasking & Overlapping Seasons
- Hahn and Don trade stories of juggling fandom as broadcasters:
- Don recalls calling hockey games while sneaking peeks at Yankees playoff games. (09:04)
- They reminisce about moments where Garden fans simultaneously celebrate Knicks and Giants successes, or Citi Field puts Knicks games on the jumbotron.
- Peter: “That’s what’s great about New York – we can be consumed by a team’s run, but other sports going on still kind of matter.” (10:01)
Notable Listener Calls & Fraud Friday Cases
5. Caller: Evaluating NFL Coaches (13:17)
- Mohammed from Long Island shifts the focus to coaching, asking how to evaluate new Jets coach Aaron Glenn.
- Don: “I need to see, on a weekly basis, a team that’s well-prepared and competitive... It’s about discipline, being competitive, and a good game plan in place — and you just get out-talented when you lose.” (14:05)
- Peter adds: “Don’t beat yourself. Play a clean game... I want to be able to say they didn’t lose because of the coach.” (15:30)
6. Caller: Mets Young Pitchers & Cowboys Defense (17:49)
- Reggie from Hoboken inquires about the Mets’ young pitchers making a name in the playoffs and whether the Cowboys’ defense improves with Bland’s return.
- Both hosts are optimistic about Cowboys’ defense with Bland, and Don points out, “That’s the next big story for the Mets if those three young arms shine.” (19:27)
- The ensuing banter tries (and fails) to generate a catchy nickname for the trio of Mets prospects.
Fraud Alert Friday [23:02 onward]
7. Opening the Segment
- “Are you a fraud?” Alan Hahn: “I have been a complete and utter fraud.” (22:51)
- Fraud Alert Friday is introduced as a mix of confession, trial, and New York sports therapy.
8. Fraud Case Highlights
a. How You Pick Your College Team
- Emailer: Became a Notre Dame fan as his high school had the same colors and fight song.
- Peter: “No fraud. You fall in love how you fall in love, whenever you become a fan. There’s nothing fraudulent about that... He’s gotta stick with it.” (27:03)
b. Mets Fan Buys a Red Sox Jersey (28:29)
- JP: Huge Mets fan, bought a Red Sox City Connect jersey on sale (no name on back). Fraud?
- Peter: Rules for jersey purchasing – “It is not fraudulent to buy a jersey of another team that’s not a rival… If you want to buy a jersey because you like it and it’s another league with no rivalry, I have zero issue.” (29:11)
c. Cowboys Jacket Curse (30:22)
- John from Glen Rock: Hardcore Giants fan keeps (and wears) a Cowboys jacket purchased with an ex, now claims it has “cursed” the Cowboys for decades. Should he keep it?
- Debate ensues; Don and Alan home in on the intent.
- Peter: “If he bought it to curse the Cowboys, then I probably would say no fraud... but he bought a Cowboys jacket because he thought it looked cool... then pivoted to the curse. So: fraud.” (34:17)
- The group concludes: buying enemy gear for aesthetics is a no-go; using the curse is just post hoc rationalization.
d. Wearing Local Team Gear After Moving (35:48)
- Emailer: Yankees fan living in Virginia, wears Nats gear at games, roots for them except vs. Yankees.
- Peter: “No fraud. A little odd, but whatever floats your boat… Just no division rivals, no Astros, Dodgers, or Mets.” (37:01)
- Alan adds the “jersey vs. T-shirt” nuance, arguing that jerseys imply a deeper level of fandom.
9. Host Self-Confessions: Jersey/Hat Crimes of the Past
- Peter gets ahead of listeners digging up an old photo: “I am wearing a Florida Marlins hat… at the time, I hadn’t completely formulated all my rules for being a fraud. It was 32 years ago.” (42:19)
- The group debates whether old gear or fashion trends (San Jose Sharks starter jackets, Red Sox hats) constitute “real” fandom betrayal if there was no rivalry at the time.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Russell Wilson trade speculation:
Don: "He's never really been that mentor type... Once you move to Dart, that's it. The door's closed." (02:34) -
On Dolphins’ QB conundrum:
Rosenberg: “That's an effort that'll win a decent amount of games to save jobs. But I don't think they've got a quarterback.” (05:14) -
On the little mistakes:
Peter: “That game was in question... But that's what the NFL is. There's a lot of these teams are not that far apart. But that's a mistake a bad team makes.” (05:52) -
On New York fans multitasking:
Don: "There's a lot going on instead of just check the jets score on a Sunday because they’re god awful again." (09:04) -
On ‘jersey fraud’ rules:
Peter: “No fraud, unless it’s a division rival… Nationals are okay.” (37:26)
Alan: “T-shirt over jersey. Jersey is a little too far.” (38:11) -
On retroactive fraud:
Rosenberg: "Obviously, that hat's long gone. I did break my own rule before I actually formulated the rule…" (42:39)
Don: “Do you think maybe this hat is the cause of the curse and that you need to destroy the hat?” (43:40)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Giants/Bengals hypothetical trade: (00:41–04:13)
- Dolphins-Bills recap, Tua debate: (04:13–05:51)
- NFL’s ‘little mistakes’ & winning teams: (06:23–06:58)
- NY sports multitasking / fan culture: (08:51–11:47)
- Caller: Aaron Glenn coaching report card: (13:17–17:24)
- Caller: Mets young pitchers & Cowboys defense: (17:49–20:23)
- Fraud Alert Friday starts: (22:47)
- Fraud: Picking a random college team: (27:03)
- Fraud: Buying another team's jersey: (28:29; 29:11)
- Cowboys jacket curse & fandom superstitions: (30:22–35:15)
- Wearing local gear after moving: (35:48–38:11)
- Host self-analysis & retroactive gear fraud: (41:01–46:26)
Tone & Style
- Conversational, playful, and peppered with classic New York sports banter.
- Hosts routinely challenge each other, but with affection and humor.
- Listeners/callers are treated as part of the sports “family” — the dialogue is interactive and inclusive.
- The “Fraud Alert” segment is judgmental but light-hearted, never mean-spirited.
Takeaway
This episode spotlights the quirks and passions of being a New York sports fan — from high-level football hypotheticals to the etiquette of jersey-wearing and the power of silly superstitions. The trio’s chemistry and ability to blend sports insight with fandom folklore makes “Fraud Alert Friday” a can’t-miss ritual, especially for anyone who’s ever wondered if they’re “doing fandom right.”