Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – "Fraud Alert Friday with Don"
Date: August 22, 2025
Hour 2 Summary
Overview
Hour two of Don, Hahn & Rosenberg delivers its signature energetic blend of New York sports banter, media meta-humor, and listener engagement, anchored by the weekly "Fraud Alert Friday" segment. The hosts—a rotating trio of Don La Greca (the returnee), Alan Hahn (Knicks broadcaster), and Peter Rosenberg (hip hop/WWE personality)—bounce across topics, from the woes of the Mets and pop-culture hot takes to earnest and hilarious debate about sports fandom "fraudulence." Notably, Don rejoins after vacation, bringing fresh energy to dissecting sports drama, listener dilemmas, and the upcoming Sasso Softball Classic.
Show Highlights & Key Points
Comic Openers, Pop-Culture & “Pitbull” Gags
[00:45–02:26]
- Peter puts on "Pitbull" glasses, launching off-the-cuff riffing about his resemblance to the musician ("I look like Pitbull.") and prompting jokes about Peter’s Paris trip and potential for a new single:
- “Maybe Pitbull in Paris?” — Peter (01:50)
- Hahn: “Is that Peter or Pitbull?” (01:31)
- Immediate pivot to current pop culture: Peter reacts to seeing Drake’s (controversial) interview with Bobby Althoff trending.
- “Why is Drake doing another interview with Bobby Altoff? ...He just cannot read the room.” — Peter (02:09)
Meta-Discourse: New York Sports Radio & Accents
[04:00–08:04]
- Mocking the “New York sports guy” persona with impressions of Mike Francesa, Gambo (John Gambadoro), and radio cliché voices.
- Extended riff on fake versus real New York accents in local commercials, specifically discussing the notorious “Don’t do New York dirty” sanitation ads.
- “That woman is definitely a three packs a day chick. Like, I feel terrible for her ... she probably should get her lungs checked.” — Peter [07:11]
- Alan drops that rapper Nems is indeed a real New Yorker on one ad voice (“That’s Nems, 100%. ...I know his voice well.” – Alan, 07:54)
Mets Meltdown: Pitching Analysis & Organizational Direction
[08:09–16:26]
-
Hahn delivers a deeply informed breakdown of the Mets’ pitching woes after their latest loss:
- Barely any starters can go 5+ innings; bullpen is overtaxed; David Peterson is only reliable, but not an ace (“They never can go five innings. Twice this season, a Mets starter has completed eight innings in a game. Both were David Peterson.” – Hahn, 09:46)
- Historical context: Mets’ tradition is built on strong starting rotations (Seaver, Gooden, etc.), now abandoned.
- Roster management: Senga’s injury and management issues; Mania’s struggles; converting Clay Holmes; the future rests on prospects like McLain, Sproat, and Jonah Tom.
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Bigger question to GM Stearns: Are the Mets shifting away from a pitching-first identity intentionally, waiting for prospects, or just stalling?
- “Are you purposely just going away from the tradition of the Mets and starting pitching being the strength ... or are you just buying time to get to where these three [youngsters] are ready?” — Hahn [13:23]
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Both Alan and Peter agree: fans have lost excitement for 2025, but these new arms provide a glimpse of hope.
- “All you’re thinking about at this moment ... what you’re really looking forward to is seeing McClain play. And do you have a future there?” – Peter [15:18]
Listener Calls: Mets Expectations & Fraudulent Fan Behavior
[16:34–19:46]
- Mohammed (caller): Wonders if re-signing Alonso instantly resets Mets fans’ expectations to “World Series or bust.”
- “The expectations after getting to the final four last year was to at least get back there again, 100% true.” – Hahn [17:21]
- Javier (caller): Self-confesses “fraudulent” behavior—attending Yankees/Red Sox only for a stadium giveaway, then leaving before first pitch.
- “Wait, you didn’t stay for the game? ... That’s fraudulent behavior!” – Alan [19:23]
- “I’m not a fraud. I promise. I’m just ... I got my bobblehead and left.” – Javier [18:43]
Don La Greca Returns: Vacation Notes & "Fraud Alert Friday"
[22:17–24:12]
- Don rejoins after vacation, comments on weather (“delicious!” – Don, 23:04), time off, and itching to discuss the Mets.
- “You never really fully unplug ... I’ve got lots of opinions itching because Nancy (wife) doesn’t care.” – Don [23:41]
- Quick takes on Giants’ QB prospect Jaxon Dart, preseason hype, and Yankee/Mets malaise:
- “If he was playing poorly, we’d be ripping him right? ... But if you remember, Daniel Jones’ debut ... so you need to see a lot more.” – Don [24:35]
Sasso Softball Classic
[26:40–29:28]
- Don plugs the annual event for charity/hometown tradition:
- “Tomorrow at 4:30, we’re going to have our Sasso Softball Classic ... It’s always a great turnout, always a lot of fun.” – Don [26:40]
- Alan/Don joke about who’s most likely to embarrass themselves in slow-pitch softball, referencing past strikeouts and athletic mishaps.
“Fraud Alert Friday” Listener Cases & Panel Judgments
(32:00–47:52)
A central feature—listeners write in with sports “fandom fraud” scenarios; the panel rules on their status.
Case 1: Can You Switch Allegiances if Your City Gets a Team?
[31:02–33:58]
- Listener (“D.”) wonders if supporting Lakers/Dodgers his whole life but switching to new Vegas teams is “fraudulent” since Vegas never had teams before.
- Don’s verdict (contrary to expectations): Fraud!
- “It’s still fraudulent behavior ... giving up on that just because there’s a team that represents your city ...” — Don [31:16]
- Peter/Alan push back, seeing it as situational if original fandom was casual.
- “It sounds like he’s a casual. So he’s a fraud, anyway.” — Don [33:58]
- Ultimately: If you were a diehard, you can’t just drop your team. But for casuals, the “fraud” label is clearer.
Case 2: Fandom-Imprinted by a Girlfriend, Then Moving On
[39:14–41:47]
- Listener rooted for the Sharks, adopted team of a college girlfriend, then after breakup switched to day-one Vegas Golden Knights fan.
- Don’s verdict: No fraud!
- “I’m going to assume that his affiliation with the Sharks was more of an affiliation with something else ... then his interest in the Sharks waned and he fell in love with hockey.” — Don [40:33]
- “The team was a conduit.” – Peter [41:05]
- Lively banter about “zipper key” relationships—rooting for a team to please a partner doesn’t dictate true sports loyalty.
Case 3: Commercial Acting “Fraud” – Don & Golf Clubs
[44:03–47:47]
- Chris from Brooklyn calls in to grill Don about appearing in a commercial holding a golf putter—despite being on record as anti-golf.
- “The point of it is I’m acting ... I just think holding the putter ... was putting me in character.” — Don [44:44]
- Panel ruling: No fraud, just good acting.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “That woman is definitely a three packs a day chick ... she probably should get her lungs checked.”
— Peter, riffing on New York sanitation commercials [07:11] - “You’re breathing oxygen into it and it’s not necessary. … This is not me saying I don’t care because I don’t know who these people are. I don’t care in a ‘Francesa’ way.”
— Hahn, on celebrity news blowing up social media [04:33] - “If you were a Die Hard fan, there’s no question (it’d be fraud).”
— Peter [33:33] - “Zip Key!” (aka “zipper key”)
— Don describes fandom-by-romance [41:41]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Drake/Bobby Althoff interview pop-culture digression: 02:08–03:16
- Mets starting pitching breakdown: 08:15–16:26
- Caller: Mets’ expectations, World Series chat: 16:34–18:17
- Don’s vacation/return: 22:17–24:12
- Sasso Softball Classic details: 26:40–29:28
- Fraud Alert Friday – Case 1 (Vegas fan switch): 31:02–33:58
- Fraud Alert Friday – Case 2 (Sharks-to-Knights): 39:14–41:47
- Fraud Alert Friday – Don's putter commercial ethics: 44:03–47:47
Tone & Style
The show blends authentic New York sports radio energy with meta-humor, quick pivots between pop culture and stats, and a blend of lighthearted ribbing and deep-dive analysis. The dynamic between Don, Alan, and Peter is playful, sometimes needling, but always carrying the weight of a shared sports-fan culture.
Takeaways for Non-Listeners
- The Mets’ collapse is blamed on a lack of pitching investment, but new young arms offer a sliver of hope.
- Sports “fraudulence” is less about technicalities and more about emotional loyalty and context—especially when new hometown teams and relationships test old allegiances.
- Listener interaction, both earnest and satirical, is central to the show’s appeal.
- Even hardened broadcasters have to act on camera sometimes—and that’s not “fraud.”