Don, Hahn & Rosenberg Podcast
Hour 2: Jets Coaching Changes & NFL Binge
Date: January 26, 2026
Hosts: Alan Hahn & Peter Rosenberg
Don La Greca is traveling
Episode Overview
This episode explores the fallout and intrigue surrounding NFL head coaching and coordinator changes, with a particular focus on the Jets and Giants. Hahn and Rosenberg break down the weekend’s dramatic playoff games, reflect on memorable player moments (and mistakes), and debate the “sizzle” factor missing from the upcoming Super Bowl. The hosts also riff on football watching habits, NFL oddities, and the pop-culture circus that now surrounds big games.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Travel Woes and Royal Rumble Plans
- Alan kicks off with the chaotic travel weekend in the NY area, noting thousands of canceled flights.
- Peter shares his own interrupted travel plans, now heading straight to Saudi Arabia for WWE Royal Rumble (00:13).
- “The beautiful thing about the Royal Rumble is if you're like a lapsed fan... it's like the perfect jump back in... you could just throw it on and be immediately drawn back again.” – Peter Rosenberg (02:41)
- Discussion about global WWE event timing logistics and TV audiences.
2. NFL Viewership Numbers & Game Ratings
- Alan: Curious how weather and snow trapped audiences might have supercharged AFC/NFC Championship viewership (04:11).
- Reflection on previous record-setting games for the Chiefs and Bills.
3. Calls and Debate: Is This Super Bowl Sizzling?
Caller Dre (Boise): Dispute over whether this Super Bowl matchup (Seahawks) carries "greatness" or marketable sizzle (05:06).
- Alan: Recognizes the Seahawks as a strong, well-coached team but questions if they have that next-level, dynasty-defining mystique.
- “This might be the beginning of it, who knows?... Now all of a sudden they're the team to beat in the NFC every year.” – Alan Hahn (05:33, 06:16)
- Dre: Argues for Seahawks’ “greatness,” especially special teams and defense; Alan nuances “great” vs “dynastic.”
- Peter: Jokes the NFL needs celebrity drama for sizzle; references lack of Cardi B at a Patriots game, calls for more off-field storylines like Taylor Swift’s (07:00).
4. Penalty Disasters & Redemption Stories
- Caller Justin (Massapequa): Debates the impact of a key Seahawks penalty—a potential game-losing mental error (08:19).
- Peter:
- “That is a life changing hour of that man's life... If you cost your team a trip to the Super Bowl... I’m just happy for the guy, it didn’t happen.” (10:17)
- Connects the anxiety of NFL pressure to special teams blunders, referencing Xavier Smith’s punt return calamity for the Rams (11:14).
- Alan:
- Compares physical mistakes (slipping) vs. mental errors (taunting) and the crushing pressure on players (11:48).
- Accountability on the sideline is praised.
5. Jets & Giants Coaching Changes: Searching for Leadership
- Giants:
- Hire Dinar Wilson as Defensive Coordinator, noted for Harbaugh ties and prior Titans stint.
- The rationale is a “Harbaugh blessing” makes any hire look strong (13:31).
- Jets:
- Struggling to fill DC spot, unclear if dysfunction or genuine reboot (14:11).
- Defensive staff has been purged – Alan frames it as accountability, not chaos:
- “This does not look like dysfunction. This looks like a head coach... saying, no, we got to be better and I got to bring in better, more experienced coaches.” – Alan Hahn (16:37)
DC Search: Wink Martindale vs. Jim Leonard
- Rich Cimini (clip, 19:26):
- Jim Leonard is a rising candidate with player/respect credentials, previously DC at Wisconsin and former Jet.
- Wink Martindale is the favorite: veteran, Giants success, big personality.
- “Not an attractive position” due to hot seat, uncertainty, and defensive head coach possibly limiting autonomy (20:44).
- Peter:
- Raises value of an up-and-comer (Leonard, age 43) vs. a “retread” (Wink).
- Alan:
- Jets desperately need competence and experience:
- “Last year that looked like a franchise that nobody knew what the hell they were doing except for special teams... The Jets desperately need people that know what they're doing.” (22:00, 23:00)
- Jets desperately need competence and experience:
6. NFL Binge & Game Reactions
Football Rituals & Humor (24:11–26:24)
- Peter: Football “binges”; nostalgic riffing on watching games in one’s underwear pre-kids.
- Alan: Wrestling with home/family life logistics.
- Classic banter about comfort, aging out of certain rituals—“Once you hit about 40, just clean it up. You can't.” (26:07)
Game Breakdowns
-
AFC Championship: Patriots v. Broncos
- Patriots capitalize on a Broncos error; defensive play highlighted (28:24).
- Patriots’ playoff offense among lowest point totals for a Super Bowl team since 1979 (28:49).
- Weather and officiating criticisms aired (“official admitted he blew the whistle too soon”) (27:49).
-
NFC Championship: Seahawks v. Rams
- Recap of pivotal special teams mistake by Xavier Smith—see quote above (29:32).
- Matthew Stafford’s supportive post-game words:
- “I told him I loved him... it doesn’t change how I feel about the human being, the player. I love the guy. I trust him.” (30:09)
- Alan reminds: “You can't chase seven points that were gifted. You just can't” (31:01)
Super Bowl Preview—Lack of Sizzle?
- Both teams (Patriots, Seahawks) were 60-1 preseason, making this “one of the most improbable Super Bowls of all time.” (32:08)
- Hosts recall forgotten World Series with similar lack of “sizzle” (Rangers-Diamondbacks, 2023) (33:13).
Coaching Carousel
- Chargers hire Mike McDaniel as OC (via quirky social media); Mike jokes about vaping rumors (34:10).
7. Super Bowl & Pro Bowl Oddities
- Noted: Shador Sanders named a Pro Bowl quarterback due to depth-chart attrition, sparking incredulity (36:46).
- Alan:
- “That was once a thing in the NFL to be a Pro Bowler... now, not sure how you justify that.” (37:09)
- Jokes about how deep the list went of unavailable QBs (37:56).
8. Pop Culture, Celebrity & Sports Watching
Calls: Pop Culture and Football Fandom
- Caller Rob (Jupiter): Chides Peter over “football fraud” for being more interested in Cardi B’s potential TV time at the Super Bowl than the game itself (43:43).
- Peter: Candid admission:
- “I’m not a big Super Bowl guy. I think the Super Bowl generally sucks... If you don’t have a vested interest, I go into it expecting... a whatever game.” (44:52)
- Discusses how for many fans, the spectacle sometimes outweighs the actual football.
- Peter: Candid admission:
- Alan and Peter agree: outside the core fanbases, the Super Bowl is often more social event and spectacle than best-game-of-the-year (46:09).
9. Miscellaneous Sports Updates
- NBA: Game times moved due to weather; quirky box scores, near-empty arenas in Charlotte due to rescheduling (40:46).
- NHL: Rangers vs Bruins promoted for later that evening (39:26).
- Sponsorships: Lighthearted mentions of whiskey, gaming sponsors.
- Music Corner: Alan touts Harry Connick Jr. and Michael Bublé’s roles in popularizing vocal jazz standards (39:11).
10. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “That is a life changing hour of that man's life... If you cost your team a trip to the Super Bowl... I’m just happy for the guy, it didn’t happen.” – Peter Rosenberg, discussing player mistakes (10:17)
- “I’m not a big Super Bowl guy. I think the Super Bowl generally sucks... If you don’t have a vested interest... it really kind of a joke.” – Peter Rosenberg (44:52)
- “You can't chase seven points that were gifted. You just can't.” – Alan Hahn on NFL playoff margins (31:01)
- “The Jets desperately need people that know what they're doing. Because last year that looked like a franchise that nobody knew what the hell they were doing except for special teams.” – Alan Hahn (23:00)
- “Celebrating the stop to the point that you no longer had it—stop. That's keeping it real goes wrong.” – Alan Hahn (12:32)
Timestamps for Major Segments
- Travel & Royal Rumble chatter: 00:13–03:58
- NFL ratings & sizzle call: 04:01–07:35
- Super Bowl “greatness” debate and penalty talk: 05:06–11:11
- Xavier Smith/Rams special teams fallout: 11:14–12:29
- Giants DC hire, Jets staff overhaul: 13:31–17:18
- Jets DC search (Cimini): 19:26–22:00
- NFL “binge” lifestyle/banter: 24:11–26:24
- Patriots-Broncos, Seahawks-Rams recaps: 26:24–31:48
- Super Bowl lack of sizzle, betting odds: 32:07–33:13
- Mike McDaniel to Chargers, vaping gag: 34:10–34:58
- Shador Sanders/Pro Bowl commentary: 36:46–37:23
- Pop-culture/football call-in (Cardi B, Super Bowl skepticism): 43:43–46:09
- NBA/NHL/weather updates: 39:26–41:19
Tone & Style
The conversation swings between deeply knowledgeable, New York sports-centric criticism, wisecracking banter, and pop-culture irreverence—especially Rosenberg’s comedic riffs and Alan’s insider explanations. Caller interactions bring in passionate, sometimes goofy perspectives. Hahn is the classic reporter and analyst, Rosenberg the unpredictable, self-deprecating fan with industry experience.
For Listeners Who Missed It
This episode is a snapshot of New York sports radio at its best: heavy with inside-baseball on coaching searches, but never dull, thanks to playful ribbing, pop culture digressions, and cathartic dissection of the gut-wrenching, heartwarming, or just bizarre realities of NFL life.
The major NFL playoff narratives, the Jets and Giants coaching sagas, and the culture of football fandom all get their due—along with a unique, self-aware look at how sports, stars, and spectacle intertwine.