Don, Hahn & Rosenberg Podcast

Hour 2: Harbaugh Speaks & Let's Talk About It

Date: April 7, 2026
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg

Episode Overview

This episode brings the signature blend of New York sports expertise and offbeat camaraderie among Don, Hahn, and Rosenberg. The hour balances deep dives into the New York Giants’ current roster and contract situations, reflections on sports broadcasting prep, a hilarious debate over cake etiquette, and some heartfelt insights on women's sports at Madison Square Garden. Plus, the crew tackles two trivia challenges about the rarity of top draft picks leading teams to Super Bowl glory.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Sports Broadcaster’s Grind & Notebooks as Legacy

[01:13–09:58]

• Inside Hockey Broadcasting Prep:

  • Alan reflects on his meticulous note-taking for hockey broadcasts, especially after significant events like the New Jersey Devils firing their GM.
  • Both Alan and Don share the behind-the-scenes effort—“TV is. 80% of your prep. May never make it.” (Alan, 02:31)
  • Don notes: “You can’t predict what’s going to happen or what you’re going to need. So you just create as much information as you can.” (Don, 02:49)

• Legacy and Hoarding Notebooks:

  • The guys joke about whether family will ever value their piles of sports notes after they’re gone. “99% chance that the day after they put me in the ground, they’re gonna take all this stuff and throw it in.” (Alan, 04:11)
  • Touches a little on nostalgia: Alan keeps his father’s old Mets yearbooks, handwriting and all, as a tangible connection to the past.

• Memorable Moment:

  • The team humorously discusses the odds that anything you leave behind (notes, memorabilia) is cherished: “As time kept further, my dad passed. I kept some things ... But it’s getting sad. No, I'm starting. My thoughts are getting dark.” (Don, 08:21; Peter, 08:37)

2. Giants Talk: Harbaugh’s Messaging & Roster Scenarios

[10:05–20:11]

• John Harbaugh’s Approach (Coach Commentary Clips):

  • On Dexter Lawrence's future: “We want Dexter here, and I believe Dexter wants to be here ... but there’s business involved.” (Harbaugh audio, 10:29)
  • On Kayvon Thibodeaux’s trade-ability: “Everybody’s tradable. Everybody, even you’re tradable ... but it’s all about football.” (Harbaugh audio, 11:32)
  • Hosts compare Harbaugh’s evasive, “Bidenesque” press style: “He sounds exactly like Joe, especially when ... he doesn’t want to tell you anything. So he just starts talking in circles.” (Don, 11:09)

• Panel Reaction:

  • The team is skeptical about Thibodeaux’s place: “I didn't feel the same optimism about Thibodeau staying as I did Lawrence. Now, that should be the case because one is clearly better than the other...” (Alan, 12:27)
  • Don points out the tough economics—edge rushers are expensive, and giants might not pay Thibodeaux: “Nobody’s untradable. And everybody can be traded. Of course, especially when you’re going to be a free agent and we’re probably not going to pay you.” (Don, 13:24)

• NFL Players & Leverage:

  • Discussion on how NFL players like Lawrence use minicamp holdouts to gain leverage—often their only tool in contract disputes. “It’s the only lever you have to push or pull in this case; don’t be mad at the player.” (Don, 15:26; Alan, 15:33)

3. Giants Health & Draft Strategy: The Impact of Injuries

[15:33–20:11]

• Injury Updates Key to Draft Direction:

  • Harbaugh on Scat and Neighbors’ health: “Scat probably is going to be ahead of Malik ... Malik is going to be more toward in the training camp and closer to the season.” (Harbaugh, 15:38)
  • Alan raises the alarm: “Every time they bring up neighbors, I don't like it. It becomes more ... a conversation of him not being available at the start of the season." (16:01)

• Strategic Draft Moves:

  • The health of Neighbors could influence the Giants to trade down or up in the draft.
  • Don: “If John Harbaugh wants love, are you going to say, well, are you just going to take the chance that Tennessee might grab him at 4, or do you do something about it?” (19:29)

4. Trivia Time: The Value of Top-10 Picks

[20:11–24:02] and [46:43–52:30]

a. Running Backs - Drafted Top 10, Won Super Bowl With Drafting Team

• Question: “Can you name the last running back, top 10 pick, who won a Super Bowl with the team that drafted him?”
• Answer: Reggie Bush (Saints, drafted 2006, Super Bowl three years later).
  • “Reggie Bush. 2006, number two pick of the draft. Three years later.” (Don, 23:14)
• Connection: Jeremiah Love (current draft prospect for the Giants) is most compared to Bush—do you take the risk on a (rare) running back like that?

b. Quarterbacks - Top 10 Picks Leading Team to Super Bowl Since 2004

• Only two have won (Eli Manning, Mahomes); a handful have led a team there but lost (Burrow, Goff, Matt Ryan, Cam Newton).
• “The moral of the story is in the last 20, 21 years ... only two have won at least one Super Bowl.” (Don, 51:03)
• This trivia illustrates the incredible odds even for elite top-10 picks, prompting a thoughtful conversation about draft strategies and franchise fortunes.

5. Michael Kay & The Cake Debate

[29:00–36:14]

• The Calandras Cake Saga:

  • Rosenberg rants about Michael Kay taking home an entire giant Calandras cake instead of sharing: “Michael K. took home a cake that maybe served 25 people to his house.” (Peter, 30:03)
  • Even when it’s revealed the cake was technically ordered for Kay, Rosenberg invokes “moral precedent”—it should have been shared.

• Menu Hijinks:

  • Joking about Michael’s “childish” order (chicken tenders and chicken parm) from a classic Italian spot—“That’s like my ... that’s Ari Lippman ordering the hot dog from El Torito.” (Peter, 32:58)
  • Alan and Don speculate that Michael brought the cake to the Yankees’ stadium to share with his “real friends” among the sportswriters.

• Language Lighter Moment:

  • The group playfully roasts Alan for mispronouncing “gnocchi”—“You went silent G. But fulch.” (Peter, 34:02)

6. Heartfelt Reflection: Women’s Hockey’s Electric Moment at MSG

[36:20–43:07]

• A “Historic Night” for Women’s Pro Hockey:
  • Alan recounts bringing his daughter and her teammates to a PWHL game at Madison Square Garden—describing the sold-out crowd, thrilling atmosphere, and emotional impact.
    • “When I tell you that it was off the charts. It was one of those typical garden type moments ... halfway through the anthem ... she started feeling the energy of the crowd ... the place was up for grabs.” (Don, 37:05)
  • How symbolic it is for young girls to watch women’s pro sports and finally “dream of a reality that not too long ago didn’t exist.” (Don, 41:19)
  • Peter draws parallels to the impact of the WNBA and women’s boxing at MSG, highlighting the expanding horizons for female athletes and fans.
    • “You go to the Barclays center and you went, oh, I used to bring my sons, but now my daughters have a thing ... to start to dream of.” (Peter, 41:38)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Studying for Broadcasting:

  • “I study more now than I ever did in school. So you hate to study, this is not a problem.” (Don, 03:06)

• On Sports Memorabilia as Legacy:

  • “80% chance this ends up in a dumpster.” (Alan, 04:20)
  • “But you try, right? You try to leave some sort of a life.” (Alan, 08:02)

• On Player Leverage in NFL Contracts:

  • “NFL players ... all he has right now is the voice to complain about his contract, not show up to the minicam, not show up to all these optional stuff. That’s all he’s got.” (Peter, 14:32)

• On Top-10 Draft Bust Rate:

  • “Six out of 21 years ... does that tell you that taking the guy number one leads you to the promised land? No.” (Alan, 51:03)

• On the Power of Representation:

  • “These girls left that place dreaming of a possibility that ... not even that long ago ... girls could watch men play professional sports and go, that’s cool, but I can’t do that.” (Don, 39:48)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:13] - Alan on broadcasting prep & note-taking
• [04:11] - Discussing notebooks as legacy and “80% in the dumpster”
• [10:10] - Harbaugh speaks on Dexter Lawrence & Kayvon Thibodeaux
• [14:32] - Player contract leverage & NFL holdouts
• [16:01] - Giants injury updates and draft implications
• [20:11] - Trivia: Last top-10 RB champion (Reggie Bush)
• [29:00] - Michael Kay’s cake debate and food takes
• [36:20] - Heartfelt PWHL at MSG story
• [46:43] - Trivia: Top-10 QBs leading teams to the Super Bowl
• [51:03] - Revisiting value of draft picks; tanking & Super Bowl odds

Tone and Language

The discussion remains lively, irreverent, and full of inside jokes, with the hosts often razzing each other (and their ESPN colleagues) and switching naturally between serious sports analysis and comic tangents. Alan offers earnest, detailed accounts; Don provides veteran perspective; Rosenberg supplies both zingers and pop culture context.

Summary

This packed hour exemplifies why Don, Hahn & Rosenberg are fan favorites: expert local sports knowledge, nostalgia-tinged humor, and the ability to make both cake drama and women’s hockey sound like can't-miss New York stories. From the uncertain futures of Giants linchpins to a historic night at the Garden, the episode weaves serious sports strategy, media shop talk, and laughs into an engaging, entertaining listen.