Don, Hahn & Rosenberg: Hour 2 – “Jets & That Guy Thursday” (October 23, 2025)
Episode Overview
This episode of the Don, Hahn & Rosenberg show dives deep into the state of New York sports — with a layered look at the New York Jets’ ongoing quarterback drama, a passionate discussion on the recent NBA gambling scandal, and the quirks of sports fandom. “That Guy Thursday” makes its return, spotlighting the “hypocrisy police” attacking sports media over gambling ads. Listeners join the lively conversation with plenty of laughs and sharp-edged takes.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Opening Banter & Music Memories (00:56–03:38)
- Personal Histories with Music
- Rosenberg recalls his father’s strict music tastes: “My father did not allow rock music… [he] hated the Beatles and Elvis. Despised the both of them.” (02:11, Rosenberg)
- Gentle, conservative tunes (“America”, Air Supply) dominated family car rides.
- Quick shift to Don and Peter joking about the odd mix of genres, with Don playfully incredulous Air Supply “doesn’t compute at all.” (02:03)
2. Devils Talk & The Aggressive Goal Horn (03:38–05:15)
- Devils Goal Celebrations
- Debating if the Devils’ goal horn is “too much.” Peter: “The horn is aggressive. No, they got to bring it down.” (03:59)
- Don jokes, “The new sound of the Devils… is sitting to my right. All you’re doing is drowning out the new sound.” (04:02)
- Players’ recent performances, scoring streaks, and Alan’s voice battles as he calls games.
3. Coach Talk, Parental Involvement & Youth Sports (05:15–06:05)
- Parenting and Coaching Commentary
- Peter ribs Alan about being too involved in youth baseball: “Respectfully there, Joe Tori. Fill out the lineup card and call it a day.” (05:36)
- Alan is advised to rest his voice, after a streak of broadcasts and family coaching.
4. Hockey Bets & “Ice Picks” Segment (06:12–08:09)
- Betting on Rangers vs. Sharks
- Peter: “I’d sprinkle it on the Sharks tonight because the Rangers can’t win at home… Not winning the second half of that, but give me the Sharks tonight.” (06:16)
- “Ice Picks” becomes a running gag, riffing on sportsbook prop bets and video tributes for brief stint players.
5. The “Let’s Go!” Phenomenon (09:45–11:00)
- Catchphrase Ubiquity
- “Let’s go!” is dissected as the modern, universal sports celebration phrase.
- Don: “That’s been a celebration in the NHL game that Zach and I play for a very long time.” (10:15)
- Peter: “McAfee loves a let’s go.” (10:08)
6. Chaos Over Peanut Butter & Jelly Preferences (11:19–14:14)
- PB&J: A Heated Debate
- The crew roast Dave Rothenberg’s disastrous sandwich-making seen on social media.
- Don: “If you put [peanut butter] in the refrigerator, you should be arrested.” (12:34)
- Rosenberg: “Natural peanut butter… it’s a Yankee jersey with the name on it.” (12:59)
- Arguments boil over Skippy vs. natural, with laughs and pointed personal attacks.
7. Jets Owner Woody Johnson’s Comments & The Quarterback Controversy (14:14–23:51)
- Woody Johnson Calls Out the QB—Should He Have?
- Don reads Woody Johnson’s recent comments: “If we could just complete a pass, it would look good. If you look at any head coach with a quarterback like that, you’re going to see similar results.” (14:41)
- Rosenberg: “Should he have said it? Absolutely not.” (15:02)
- Peter: “[Woody Johnson] brings the noise. He had no problem with noise. He just wanted it to come from him and not somebody else.” (18:03)
- Aaron Glenn Forced Into Awkward Defenses
- Aaron Glenn’s press responses appear evasive and defensive regarding the owner’s critique. (15:33–16:39)
- Don: “It’s awkward because it’s your owner… His owner put him in the seat.” (16:59–17:05)
- Segment culminates with a “who’s on first” exchange about who the starting QB will be. (19:05–19:33)
- The Inescapable Dysfunction
- Consideration of backup Tyrod Taylor’s injury woes and futility of trying to spark fan interest or confidence.
- Rosenberg: “So the easy answer would be, I’ll have Taylor start. Since my boss told me. Something’s wrong with me if I start Fields, but Taylor’s got a bad knee…” (20:33–21:13)
- Don: “It’s not a decision between, like… the guy that throws ducks or the guy that if we hit him once, he’s probably going to end up crawling off the field.” (21:43)
- The crew riff on the circus of QB options, joking alternatives (Ryan Tannehill, Colt McCoy, Josh Johnson, etc.).
Notable Quote:
- Rosenberg: “You’re never gonna win with [Woody Johnson] as the owner. Just can’t do it… He thinks he knows and he doesn’t.” (23:15–23:53)
- Don: “The problem with Woody is his brain gets in the way… It’s like the Wizard of Oz, for God’s sake.” (24:38–24:40)
8. That Guy Thursday: “Hypocrisy Police” & Sports Gambling Scandals (28:02–36:46)
- NBA Gambling Scandal and Response
- Don calls out critics conflating illegal gambling by players/coaches with legal sponsorship:
“Why do people all of a sudden come out of the woodwork and say, well, the legalized gambit, once legal, one's illegal. Illegal gambling was brought up… What does that have to do with legalized gambling? Nothing.” (29:10) - Peter’s self-awareness on sports betting: “It’s kept sports radio alive. I don’t know, frankly, if I’d be sitting here with a job had FanDuel not come along…” (30:35)
- Don calls out critics conflating illegal gambling by players/coaches with legal sponsorship:
- Rules & Accountability
- The group draws clear lines between legal and illegal gambling, promoting the importance of rules and enforcement.
- Don: “When it’s legalized, it means what—legal. That means there are rules… there are people that try to get around them. That’s why there’s the FBI, Homeland Security…” (31:48)
- On whether gambling apps fuel scandals: “If gambling was not legalized, this still would have happened.” (32:43)
- Discussion on player contracts, enforcement, and potential league-level changes.
Memorable Moment:
- Don (on Shoeless Joe): “Shoeless Joe beholden to DraftKings? What was his app?” (34:49)
9. Callers and the Cultural Impact of Legal Gambling (42:40–51:12)
- Listener “Griff” Praises Don’s ‘Undefeated’ Broadcasting Record vs. Jets Woes
- Light-hearted back-and forth about Don’s winning streak (43:06) and Knicks vs. Jets futility.
- Gambling in the NBA: Chauncey Billups Fallout
- Griff: “The more crazier thing is Chauncey Billups, a head coach of an NBA team involved in this. It’s not a good look for the NBA.” (44:50)
- Rosenberg and Don clarify allegations: the investigation centers more on a poker scam with some tenuous NBA links, not on Billups fixing games (45:07–46:32).
- Listener “Dave” on Gambling Normalization
- Dave argues, “Because it’s legal, people now feel more casual and more comfortable participating.” (49:06)
- Don: “Gambling didn’t suddenly join sports five years ago… That doesn’t mean this is new.” (48:14)
- The crew agree the topic has become part of mainstream sports discussion, but highlight personal and professional responsibility.
Notable Exchange:
- Don: “It is still… a major story. And it’s not just NBA… the other leagues right now must be having meetings saying, ‘We got to make sure this doesn’t happen [here].’” (51:11)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
| Time | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|-----------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:11 | Rosenberg | “He hated the Beatles and Elvis. Despised the both of them.” | | 03:59 | Peter | “The horn is aggressive. No, they got to bring it down.” | | 12:34 | Don Hahn | “If you put [peanut butter] in the refrigerator, you should be arrested.” | | 14:41 | Don Hahn (reading Johnson) | “If we could just complete a pass, it would look good…” | | 15:02 | Rosenberg | “Should he have said it? Absolutely not.” | | 18:03 | Peter | “Woody Johnson brings the noise. He just wanted to have it come from him...” | | 23:15–23:53| Rosenberg | “You’re never gonna win with him as the owner… He thinks he knows and he doesn’t.” | | 24:40 | Don Hahn | “The problem with Woody is his brain gets in the way… It’s like the Wizard of Oz…” | | 29:10 | Don Hahn | “Illegal gambling was brought up… What does that have to do with legalized gambling? Nothing.” | | 30:35 | Peter | “It’s kept sports radio alive. I don’t know, frankly, if I’d be sitting here with a job had FanDuel not come along…” | | 31:48 | Don Hahn | “When it’s legalized, it means what—legal. That means there are rules…” | | 34:49 | Don Hahn | “Shoeless Joe beholden to DraftKings? What was his app?” |
Important Segment Timestamps
- 00:56 – Rosenberg’s musical upbringing and country crossover
- 03:38 – Devils’ goal horn debate
- 05:15 – Alan’s parental coaching & voice fatigue
- 06:12 – “Ice Picks” NHL betting segment
- 09:45 – “Let’s Go!” as a rallying cry
- 11:19 – PB&J sandwich showdown
- 14:14 – Woody Johnson’s QB comments dissected; Aaron Glenn’s awkward presser
- 19:05 – QB carousel and the “who’s on first” routine
- 21:43 – The futility of Jets’ QB options
- 23:15 – Chronic dysfunction under Woody Johnson
- 28:02 – “That Guy Thursday”: gambling hypocrisy police
- 32:43 – Legal vs. illegal gambling, player responsibility, historical analogies
- 42:40 – Callers: Undefeated Don, Chauncey Billups scandal, gambling normalization
Tone & Style
The episode’s tone is irreverent, rapid-fire, and authentic — packed with ribbing, pop-culture zingers, blunt New York sports realism, and some serious moments about the impact of gambling on modern sports. The hosts maintain their signature mix of sharp insight, gallows humor, and relatable frustration.
Summary for Non-Listeners
This episode encapsulates the maddening state of the Jets (ownership dysfunction, QB futility, and media chaos), the challenges presented by legalized sports gambling (and the attendant “gotcha” culture’s attacks on sports media), and the lighter side of sports life (from family stories to sandwich wars). If you want to understand why New York sports fans have trust issues or why sports radio still matters, this hour is a microcosm of the whole wild, messy scene.