Hour 2: Knicks Next Season Expectations

Summary

Don, Hahn & Rosenberg Podcast

Hour 2: Knicks Next Season Expectations

Date: June 16, 2026
Panel: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg | ESPN New York

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Episode Overview

This hour dives deep into Knicks fandom in the afterglow of the team’s first championship in 53 years, exploring how fans feel about the triumph, expectations for the future, and the broader experience of being a New York sports fan. The episode balances humor, personal stories, and real passion, as callers and hosts debate whether the euphoria of a long-awaited title lingers or if fans will soon go back to agonizing over wins and losses.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Knicks’ Championship: Euphoria versus Expectations

• Celebration Aftermath: All agree the city is in full celebration mode after the Knicks’ long-awaited title, with parade talk and fans savoring every moment.
• Debate on Next Year’s Pressure:
  • Peter Rosenberg’s View: For him and many fans, the title "can't be taken away"—even if the Knicks stumble next season.
    • “For it to really take any of the shine off, they would have to completely implode.” (15:54, Peter)
  • Don La Greca’s View: While joy is real, he predicts fan expectations will ramp up quickly, and disappointment will return if the team struggles next season—euphoria fades, “you get back to being a fan again.” (21:53, Don)
  • Caller Perspectives:
    • Some callers side with Peter, happy to soak in the celebration even if next year disappoints.
    • Others echo Han and Don’s caution—New York fans are never truly satisfied for long.

2. Validation and Haters: Does the Championship “Count”?

• Concerns About “Easy Paths” & Validation:
  • The debate broaches “validation anxiety”—do fans care if outsiders nitpick the Knicks’ path to a title?
  • Michael Rosenberg: Cites personal experiences from other sports when detractors tried to diminish championships due to shortened seasons, “easy” playoff runs, etc.
    • “When the Devils won their first Stanley Cup, it was in a 48-game season. People were telling me it shouldn’t count.” (18:50, Michael)
• Peter’s Pushback: Insists true fans shouldn't care what others say, arguing, “I don’t care what anyone says about what this Knicks team is later at all. Like, if I’m a Knicks fan, this is it.” (20:08, Peter)
• Alan Hahn’s Caution: Warns that validation still matters to many, and nitpicking will happen regardless—a recurring theme in NY sports talk.

3. What is the “Right” Post-Championship Mindset?

• Enjoy the Moment or Move On?
  • Debate breaks out over whether to simply enjoy the championship or prepare for old anxieties to resurface.
  • Caller Angelo: Urges the hosts to “just enjoy the ride, have the parade and stop worrying about, like, what some Celtic fan says or a Net fan says.” (33:17, Angelo)
  • Host Agreement: Most agree there’s an initial grace period of celebration, but that New York’s competitive nature inevitably leads back to scrutiny and high expectations.
• Fan Generational Divide
  • Peter notes that younger fans may care less about rival fans’ opinions or old rivalries—a shift from earlier NY sports culture. (28:18, Peter)
• The Unique Weight of History
  • Multiple speakers bring up how 53 years without a title makes this championship exceptionally meaningful.
  • Peter: “The 53 makes this whole thing hit different.” (21:53)

4. Knicks Next Season: Will They Sustain Success?

• Scenarios for 2027:
  • Several callers propose possible outcomes—will the Knicks flame out as a high seed or quietly make another deep playoff run?
  • Alan Hahn: “Once you win a championship ... you just need to get in and once we get in and we’re healthy, then we know we can go on a run.” (13:06, Alan)
  • Peter & Michael: Argue about whether disappointment after a title year is different or somehow “softer”; Michael maintains fandom always returns to agonizing over results.

5. Knicks Culture: Team Chemistry and Likeability

• Discussion on the Knicks’ camaraderie, player personalities ("no one with a punchable face"), and relatability.
• Peter’s “Fraud” Call on Mitchell Robinson:
  • Joking about Robinson’s “country” image, Peter says, “We’ve heard all the talk about Mr. Country... this guy was singing every word to Usher.” (09:11, Peter)
  • The point: these are multidimensional, fun players with great chemistry.

6. The Mount Rushmore of 21st Century NY Athletes

• Side debate: How do you build a true Mount Rushmore of recent NY sports greats given the championship droughts?
• Consensus leans toward names like Eli Manning, Henrik Lundqvist, and now Jalen Brunson, but the list is slim compared to rivals like Boston.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “They would have to be so epically bad next year for it to tarnish, Don. They would have to go 20 and 62.”
  – Peter Rosenberg (15:54)

• “You get back to being a fan again. The euphoria fades and now a new year starts.”
  – Michael Rosenberg (21:53)

• “The 53 [years] makes this whole thing hit different… this is a different animal than almost any championship we’ve seen here.”
  – Peter Rosenberg (21:53)

• “You’ll always look back fondly at ’26, but then living in 27, 28…”
  – Michael Rosenberg (21:53)

• “[Mitchell Robinson] was singing every word to ‘You Got It Bad’ by Usher. He was dancing in the club to hip-hop… I have a big fraud call.”
  – Peter Rosenberg (09:11)

• Caller Angelo on Fandom:
  “Can we just enjoy the ride, have the parade and stop worrying about… what some Celtic fan says or a Net fan says?” (33:17)

• Caller Blanderson:
  “If they don’t [win again], I’m not going to be mad… you’re always going to be disappointed [about not repeating], but mad or angry? After what happened this year? Just because it’s been so long—not me.” (39:04)

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Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:50] – Start of main discussion: Knicks euphoria, Mount Rushmore, and callers sharing feelings
• [06:31] – Don: Impact of athletes without championships (Lundqvist example)
• [08:21] – Knicks team chemistry talks; player personalities
• [09:04-09:47] – Peter’s “fraud” joke about Mitchell Robinson’s musical taste
• [12:11-15:17] – Caller Evan/Hooper poses “what's next?” scenarios; Alan Hahn and Michael debate season expectations
• [15:54-16:45] – Debate: Will fan pressure return next year if Knicks stumble?
• [18:50-20:08] – Michael compares historical NY teams facing diminished titles; Peter counters with “who cares?”
• [21:53] – Euphoria vs. expectations, Peter and Michael fleshing out fan psychology
• [28:41-29:21] – Generational shift in how fans perceive legitimacy and rival trash talk
• [31:57-32:23] – Fan Jacob: “I’m good with that, just because I’m a Mets and Jets fan too”
• [33:17] – Angelo: “Can we just enjoy the ride…?”; hosts reflect
• [39:00-39:50] – Blanderson: “I waited 38 years for this…mad or angry? I don’t see how…”

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Tone & Style

The conversation is passionate, humorous, and often self-deprecating—very New York. The hosts and callers move fluidly between celebration, philosophical debate, and nostalgia, balancing hard-core sports angst with plenty of laughs about what it really means to root for New York teams. The recurring riff is whether New York’s “never satisfied” sports culture will eventually override the current joy, or if the 2026 championship is truly “untouchable.”

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Final Thoughts

This episode perfectly encapsulates the essence of New York fanhood: joy tinged with skepticism, endless debate, and a refusal to settle—even after the ultimate prize. The hosts and fans wrestle openly with whether to bask in a historic moment or prepare themselves emotionally for the inevitable return to anxiety and nitpicking. All agree on one thing—the 2026 Knicks championship is special, and no one, not even the city’s most committed sports cynics, can take that away.

Transcript

[ESPN Announcer]

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[Don Hahn]

This is the Don Hahn and Rosenberg Podcast.

[Michael Rosenberg]

That sounds like heaven to me.

[Don Hahn]

Listen live weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers.

[Michael Rosenberg]

Game time is brought to you by Tullamore. Do Irish Whiskey because when it's game time guys, it's telling time. I like that it's Tony time. The Mets continue their series with the Reds coverage immediately following us on 880 at 630 and the Yankees start a series with the White hot white socks. Yeah at 7:05 Tullamore Dew. The original triple distilled, triple blended and triple cast matured Irish Whiskey. Be sure to grab a Tullamore Dew or try the new Tullamore Dew honey, during today's action. Glasses up to enjoying Tullamore Dew responsibly. A lot to get to today.

[Caller Danny]

What the hell is Peter doing? Was he just vacuuming?

[Michael Rosenberg]

Is he in?

[Commercial Voice]

That was special. That's really.

[Michael Rosenberg]

What was that Peter?

[Caller Danny]

Sorry, were you Swiffering? What was going on there?

[Michael Rosenberg]

I

[Peter]

my back has been hurting me and during the break I grabbed what I thought was a sealed pack. We're working from home today, the whole New Jersey travel situation, World Cup. So I grabbed what I thought was a sealed pack of frozen peas to put on my neck.

[Caller Danny]

Oh no.

[Peter]

And threw frozen peas all over the floor. So I was just vacuuming up the frozen peas. That's what you heard there. Apologies for that.

[Michael Rosenberg]

Not what you expect to see for the YouTube viewers.

[Caller Hooper]

That's the bonus.

[Peter]

That's why you got got to be on that ESPN New York YouTube page.

[Caller Danny]

You never know what you're going to see.

[Michael Rosenberg]

Sure the comments are going to be grand. For sure. If you're just joining us, we got lots, lots to get to. We got talk about a Tuesday coming up at 4:30 enn's coming up at 6. Brandon Sorsby could be taken in the supplemental draft. Would the jets be interested? We'll get into that as well. But right now we're trying to build a 21st century Mount Rushmore of New York athletes. 21st century means 2001 to today, so that excludes a lot of great athletes. And obviously this is the Genesis of this is Brunson and his performance. But who else do you put on that list? 1-800-919-3776. Let's go back to the busy phones and let's talk to. How about Danny on Long Island? You're on ESPN New York.

[Caller Danny]

What's up, Danny?

Oh, boys, what a ride it was. You know, you're just coming down off the adrenaline. You sit down, you realize that the nick run absorbed 75 of the Mets first games that no one cared. Get to the television last night after the adrenaline rush, you're going to sit down and try to watch the baseball. And they're down nine, nothing in the second inning.

[Michael Rosenberg]

So you're like a sports lewd. Yeah, exactly.

[Caller Danny]

Like, what am I supposed to do now? Can we just go right to minicamp? Can we get to September, please? You know what? You know the problem with this list? And it's not a problem, but it's, you know, it's a very limited time frame. Like if you told me, if you put Henrik Lundquist on the list right now. Fine, whatever. If you tell me Henrik Lundquist is On the list 15 years from now, when Marco's doing this, then the Rangers have had a horrendous century because he didn't even win a championship. So in a very. If you go back 50 years, is Brunson on the list or is Clyde Frazier on the list? Because so we haven't had that much to really dig into here as far as championships or great players. Eli, obviously is there. You want to put Henrick on the list. Yeah. You want to go back 50 years? He might be third on the list.

[Michael Rosenberg]

Well, I mean, obviously you add years, Danny, there's going to be more players added, but it's still. You're talking about a quarter century of time. A lot's happened in 25 years with the nine teams.

[Caller Danny]

Think about Boston, though. Think about if Boston said for the first, for the last 26 years they were going to do their Mount Rushmore. Think how much more meat they got on those bones than we do. We've had some great athletes and some great, but some very few great moments.

[Peter]

Well, you know, I would push back, though. I mean, with Boston, you're really talking about the addition of Brady. That's really the biggest thing. Otherwise, I don't know. You're having. Maybe you're having a bird conversation, a big poppy conversation.

[Caller Danny]

You mean this Central one?

The Red Sox have won. Every one of their teams has won.

[Michael Rosenberg]

But Danny, on the other players, though, on the flip Side, how you doing this in Cleveland? It's LeBron James. What? Like four pictures of LeBron James. Like, you know, there's other cities that have nothing.

[Caller Danny]

Johnny Manziel.

[Michael Rosenberg]

Yeah, that's what I'm saying, right?

[Caller Evan]

What do you mean?

[Michael Rosenberg]

Baker Mayfield?

[Caller Danny]

Yeah, you know, just going.

I'm just looking at the. Quickly going over the stats. You know, when I, you know, I'm old enough to remember my dad talking about Mantle and DiMaggio. DiMaggio is almost like mythical because it all happened in the 40s and he did miss three years for the war. But when you look at Mantle's meat and potato years, from 55 to the 60s, he had a lot of injuries. He was a lot better than Joe DiMaggio. I know some 100 year old guy from Brooklyn's going to call up and start screaming at me. But if you look at Mantle's best years, he was really unbelievable. But Joe DiMaggio did miss three years for the war, which you have to take that into consideration.

[Michael Rosenberg]

Think about this, Danny. Never mind the fact there's anybody alive that saw him and thank you for the phone call. It's all stats. None of these games were on television when he played. And if they were, there were a few. At the end of his career, Mantle got to play on tv, people got to see him. I think a little bit more on a national basis just because of the advent of television and all that. But, God, talk about a downer from Danny. It's 25 years. A lot's happened. And also Lundqvist, I understand everything's about the ring and the championships. When a guy takes a franchise that was nowhere, counting the lockout guys, the Rangers missed the playoffs eight straight years, seven straight while they were playing. Then they come out of the lockout and then all of a sudden they become a perennial playoff team. They win the President's Trophy, they go to a Stanley Cup Final. I know he didn't win, but he did everything. But there's got to be something that. All right, it may not be a championship, but when you take a franchise that was nowhere, put them on your shoulders and make them relevant again, doesn't that count for something?

[Peter]

It has to.

[Michael Rosenberg]

In some ways, it might be even better than a ring. You know, I just think that that's a pretty rare feat. To take an original six franchise, a popular franchise that's dead, and revive it and make it important again and make it relevant again. I think there's something to that. Let's stick on Long island. Go to Don on Long island, you're on espn. Gentlemen, how you doing? Good.

[Caller Don]

First time caller.

[Michael Rosenberg]

Oh, cool.

[Caller Danny]

Love it.

[Caller Don]

I want to swing off of the Mount Rushmore thing for a minute and go back to what Peter was talking about with the Brunson party. I experienced something like that back in January. The Garden of Dreams foundation had a thing at the theater at the Garden called Nick's under the Lights. And it was basically a big meet and greet. And people were. People were in the, you know, in the theater, down on the floor. And when the team all came in, it was. It was overwhelming. I mean, it was kind of scary, to tell you the truth. But. But just to back up what Peter said, everybody, Coach Brown, Blunt Bridges, everybody was just relentlessly nice. They're just so accommodating of everybody. They must have taken hundreds of selfies that night, and the smiles did not leave their. Their faces. And it was at a time when things were weird, when they were talking about trading cat and there was that uncertainty there. But they were great. And like Peter said, the normal people like me, it's just an overwhelming thing.

[Michael Rosenberg]

Well, awesome niceness is something that this team has in spades.

[ESPN Announcer]

Right?

[Michael Rosenberg]

Like, you'd be hard pressed to find a team that just as universally liked each. Like, what player would you hate? What players got a punchable face? What player is a punk? What player has some sort of controversy around that? Like, that's pretty rare, man.

[Caller Danny]

Yeah, they have.

They have.

Again, you could see how they are with each other. They rip on each other and all that stuff like that. That's like. That's a kind of group where you just like, oh, man, I'd love to hang out in that environment because it's probably hilarious. It's probably fun. Like, it's. That's kind of what you see with them. And you don't have those. Like, the one guy that kind of is brooding, keeps to himself, whatever, that, you know, Mitchell Robinson is maybe the one guy that is sort of a little different than everybody else.

[Peter]

How about this, though? I have a big fraud call for Mitchell Robinson.

[Caller Danny]

Fraud?

[Caller Hooper]

Yeah.

[Peter]

Big fraud.

[ESPN Announcer]

Wow.

[Peter]

Big fraud. Yep. We've heard all the talk about Mr. Country, and I don't, you know, we don't see eye to eye. This guy was singing every word till you got it bad by Usher. He was dancing in the club to hip hop, singing the words I saw. I'm not saying he doesn't like his country, but I think the gap between him and the other guys may have been slightly exaggerated.

[Michael Rosenberg]

I think that's. Honestly, I Don't think it makes him a fraud. It makes him more well rounded. He likes country, obviously. He likes the style of country with the pickup truck and everything like that, but he's. He's into a lot of different stuff, man.

[Caller Hooper]

That's right.

[Commercial Voice]

He caught a snake in San Antonio.

[Peter]

Caught a snake, See?

[Caller Evan]

Yep.

[Caller Jacob]

Two snakes during the playoff run.

[Peter]

I'm gonna. I'm gonna tell you, I have a big shocking take here about Mitch and Cat. Very tall, very. Like, there was a moment at the bar where I was like, I got to get out of here because one of these guys is, like, in front of me and there's another guy next to me, and you start to feel like a child who's trapped. Yeah. Like, this is it. I need to move here.

[Caller Danny]

Like.

[Michael Rosenberg]

Like, when I was driving, I was stuck in that traffic coming back from Long island on Friday, and I'm on the Cross Bronx, and I've got a semi in front of me, a semi to the side of me and a semi behind me.

[Caller Danny]

Yeah.

[Michael Rosenberg]

It felt like I was completely boxed in and I didn't know what was in front of me, behind me. That's probably what you felt. Although I will.

[Peter]

It is crazy, though, because to be next to Brunson, like, Brunson really does seem, you know, you know, obviously he's taller than me, which doesn't say much, but, like, not really. Like, he's. He is not in the same stratosphere as his teammates in every. Josh Hart is in the stratosphere. Jalen Brunson is not in the stratosphere, but height wise.

[Michael Rosenberg]

But you can. You can in everyday life, meet people and see people that are Brunson's height all the time.

[Caller Danny]

Yep.

[Michael Rosenberg]

And the other guys, not so much. But you know, who's a nice guy, a likable guy, doesn't have a punchable face.

[Commercial Voice]

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[Caller Evan]

Love it.

[Michael Rosenberg]

Evan in Connecticut, you're on Donhand Rosenberg.

[Caller Hooper]

Hey guys, how are you?

[Michael Rosenberg]

Hey.

[Caller Hooper]

So Alan, kind of piggyback. I'm going to change it up a little bit. Piggyback off of what you were saying to Greeny about how fans should react to this championship. Should we think about, you know, repeating or just be content? I want to counter something and I felt this right off the bat. After the Giants won Super bowl in 07, they followed it up being the number one seed in NSC East.

[Caller Evan]

Right.

[Caller Hooper]

And we all felt good about them, but yet they got bounced. I think it was a division round, so they gave us nothing to really be happy for. And it felt like it was a one off or it was anomaly. So I'm going to say is this Knicks team, what's it, What's a better outcome or what's a more likely outcome? The Knicks are the number one seed in the east this coming season. But get bounced within the first two rounds or the Knicks are no worse than the third seed and make it to the finals.

[Caller Danny]

Yeah, I would probably go to you. Yeah, I'm thinking like a top four seed but can still make a run because I just don't. I think what they learned is the regular season is not as much of a priority. Once you, once you win a championship. Like you look at those Golden State teams, once they did that 73 win thing, then they realized like, yeah, we just need to get in the postseason. Like we don't need to win 70, like we don't need to do that. We just need to get in. And once we get in and we're healthy, then we know we can go on a run. So that feels a little more likely than number one seed and bounced early. Those number one seed bounced early. Things are for like the, the teams that are trying to prove something and they really put a lot of stock into the regular season. I'm not saying load, manage and all that crap. I'm just saying I just don't know if you're going to get that kind of empty the tank run out of this group. They're, they're 29, 30 years old now. They're not going to do that.

[Michael Rosenberg]

But you don't want to also stray from what made you different than everybody else. And that is, yes, taking every game seriously.

[Caller Danny]

I think yeah, I'm trying to be careful with how I put it. I'm just, I'm. I'm not suggesting they're going to load manage. I'm just saying he asked me, he gave me two scenarios and I just feel like they'll just be that team that's just good. And then you get in the postseason and you don't want to play.

[Michael Rosenberg]

There are going to be people. I'm just warning Nick fans, they probably feel it already. If they pay attention to social media, pay attention to the haters. And I'm not saying the players do, but fans certainly do. Of all, they got lucky. Look, they didn't have to play anybody. If they played the Thunder instead of the spurs, they never would have. What yada, yada. Not following it up is going to feel like that. That kind of gives fuel to the haters.

[Caller Don]

Save.

[Michael Rosenberg]

Told you now. Now you got now Boston got better. Like if they get bounced early up

[Caller Danny]

though, like in all honesty, like when you say not, we always do this on the show, what does it look like? Because The Knicks won 70 and in 71 they lost to Lu Alcindor and Oscar Robertson. And it was like, you know, if there was radio shows and social media back then, you'd say that's it. They're not beating that team. That Bucks team is going to win a bunch of championships and then it's ready to. They were back.

[Michael Rosenberg]

No, but again, it's going to be ebbs and flows. If they get bounced in the first round next year, there's going to be haters. They come back and win the championship game, then you stick it to the haters. It's very fluid. It's interesting what the caller just said. When the Giants won their first super bowl with eli, they went 12 and four. I think they went like three more games than they did the year before. Then they get bounced to the division around by Philadelphia. He never mentioned that. Maybe one of the reasons they got bounced is Plexigo Burris shot him.

[Caller Danny]

Shot himself. Yeah.

[Michael Rosenberg]

You know, maybe if he didn't shoot himself, they would have won another Super Bowl. I don't know. So you said, what does it look like? You know, and then turn around two years after that and they win another Super Bowl.

[Peter]

Can I just say, though, I don't this is like the second time the last couple days has come up that Don in particular has brought up this idea of like things that could happen that fans are going to be thinking about or could take away. Maybe I am overly caught up in the moment. I'm not buying any of it. Like, I really. They would have to be so epically bad next year for it to tarnish, Don. They would have to go 20 and 62. And like, if they had a mediocre year next year and they disappointed, they won 48 games and snuck into the playoffs. And one, they would have Don Allen. For me, for it to really, like, take any of the shine off, they would have to completely implode. Anything short of that, to me, people are still going to be celebrating this, I don't think. I don't think people are going to feel intense pressure next year for this team.

[Michael Rosenberg]

Well, I think it just gets kind of back to. You want to follow it up, right? And you'll be disappointed if you don't.

[Peter]

But, like, disappointed relative to what? Disappointed to what you felt the year before.

[Michael Rosenberg]

Well, I'm gonna. I'm gonna give you an example. All right, Gilberto, in the truck. You're on ESPN New York. What's your issue, man?

[Caller Evan]

Take me to give that example, Don. I applaud you, Don. Thank you so much. Han, Peter, God bless you guys. Hope the families are good on you. Exceptional, man. I told you a few days, I think, last week, and I'm gonna. I'm gonna give you your flowers again. You were exceptional, not only doing the broadcast of the final game and all the games, but on get up. You represented us, man. You represented us true New Yorkers like Don Dunn. Okay, stop. We were tired of hearing the what ifs, what if this, what if that. Like Michael said, we played whoever was in front of us. It's not our fault if you couldn't keep them healthy. So we don't care. You know what I'm saying? They're trying to take away from our shine, man. We waited 53 years. Well, that the competition by 283 points.

[Michael Rosenberg]

And that's what I'm bringing up. That's why I'm bringing you up. Because you're worried about the nitpicking. Well, what do you think is going to happen to the nitpicking if they get bounced in the second round next year? It's going to add fuel to that and it's going to tick you off. That's all I'm saying.

[Caller Evan]

Next year.

[Peter]

I don't buy it.

[Caller Evan]

I say next year. I honestly think we're going to be right back and be worse this year. Okay? I'm not. They already have the formula. Everybody else is going to start copying the next formula, you know what I'm saying? Especially with a guard that says that has a never die attitude. You know what I'm saying?

[Michael Rosenberg]

Oh, listen there. I think that's two separate conversations. I think they're a very good team. You're probably not going to have to worry about it. Whether they can be able to repeat or not, that's another conversation. But Peter, I'm just talking from experience. When the Devils won their first Stanley cup, it was in a 48 game season. People were telling me it shouldn't count. It was only half a season though. And then they missed the playoffs the next year. And then what do you think?

[Caller Angelo]

I heard.

[Peter]

I hear you, but that's frustrated me. But that's vastly different. Doing it in the bubble, doing it in a 48.

[Michael Rosenberg]

I'll give you another example.

[Peter]

It's not the same thing.

[Michael Rosenberg]

I know a lot of Cowboy fans, a lot of Jet fans, all you know, the Buffalo was better. Norwood missed a field goal, you got lucky. And then the Giants don't make the playoffs the next year. What do you think they're saying to me, oh, you didn't make. You didn't even follow it up. Like, so it's not even about lockouts or bubbles. It's just that Allen, are you.

[Peter]

I feel like you're. I feel like Allen is closer to me and tell me if I'm wrong.

[Caller Evan]

I.

[Peter]

And maybe this makes me a snowflake wuss. Listen, it's all on the table, obviously. Just listen to Twitter. I. My terps won in 2002. It is 2026. I swear to God, when the tournament comes up, I go, oh man, it'd be cool if the Terps made a run. If they don't though, that 02, that was something else.

[Michael Rosenberg]

Nobody's taking it away.

[Caller Evan]

No, no.

[Peter]

But what I mean is in the next year, Maryland went to the tournament. They won by a thriller in the first round. And I don't think they made it out of the second. They didn't make it to the second weekend and I moved on because I was still relishing the year before. I guess it's just the kind of fan you are. I don't care what anyone says about what this Knicks team is later at all. Like, if I'm a Knicks fan, this is it.

[Michael Rosenberg]

I doubt very seriously. And Alan, you're a lot closer to it than me. I just know living in New York and being in New York sports radio that next year it's going to be a different year and there's going to be disappointments. And if you think they get bounced in the first round or blow a 3:1 series lead in the second round, that everybody's going to call and say, I don't care, we won the championship last year, then that's not New York.

[Peter]

I think the pundits, I think the pundits would talk about it. This would be a great conversation. We can hear from Knicks fans all day. I think true blue Knicks fans, while they might be like, aw shucks, I do not think they're gonna be like Yankee fans calling us saying do it again. I do not see it. Well, then what are we saying?

[Michael Rosenberg]

One thing they say, but fans aren't gonna kill it. In 1987 when the Mets missed the playoffs, I was mad. They had won this, my first ever World Series the year before. I was still mad. Okay, you're still gonna be a fan. You're still gonna live and die with the team. It's not a get out of jail free card forever. You'll go back and remember it. But it's not there when mistakes are made and there'll still be people complaining about stuff if they start making mistakes. Not being a Yankee fan, nobody's saying a championship's guaranteed, but you get back to being a fan again. The euphoria fades and now a new year starts. You'll always look back finally at 26, but then living in 27, 28.

[Peter]

I don't know this, maybe I'm wrong. To me, the 53 makes this whole thing hit different. I just, It's a different animal. I mean, don relative 69 to 86 is a friggin joke. It's nothing, okay? I mean, Tom Seaver was still in the league. It didn't matter.

[Michael Rosenberg]

It was my first World Series that I remembered. It could have been a thousand years, it could have been 10. I was 18 years old. I know, the first one that I remember in my lifetime, I was, I was 1 in 69.

[Peter]

But the euphoria, we can move on. I want to keep beating a dead horse. But the, the euphoria, actually I shouldn't bring that up given the last week in the city. But the Euphrates euphoria, in this particular feeling, even if you're a 14 year old fan, the 53 years is factoring in to the way the 14 year old is accepting this championship because it's built in to what is happening. What I'm trying to say is this thing that's happening in the city this week, and I know I've only been here for 20 years, but I really don't think I'm out of school and saying this is, this is a different animal than almost any championship we've seen here. I was here for 07, I was here for nine Yankees, I was here for 11. I've been here for some, some championships. This thing is really different and I really think the holdover of it, of course they're going to get back to being fans. Of course they'll want to win more but I just don't see there being like people complaining that they couldn't do it in back to back years. I don't see that taking much shine off of 2020. I'm just saying that's my opinion.

[Michael Rosenberg]

You'll be mad if they don't. That's all I'm saying.

[Peter]

Well yeah, you'll be mad if your team doesn't do good things all the time for sure. I just don't see it taking, taking any shine away. Oh, I thought you got if the Sixers fans next year like the Sixers beat the Knicks in the second round and then they start being like puffing up their chest as they then go lose to Boston and don't make it again, that they're going to be able to hold it over the Knicks when the Knicks are coming off their championship last year. Can't happen.

[Commercial Voice]

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[Don Hahn]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Peter]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Don Hahn]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. Sometimes you just can't take it anymore. This is let's Talk About It Tuesday with Don Hahn and Rosenberg.

[Peter]

Well, I'll talk about this. First of all, we finally have a goal in at at at what was known as MetLife Stadium, aka New York New Jersey Stadium in the World cup where France now goes up 1 nil. As Alan Hahn would say on Senegal, I believe it's Mbappe who gets the goal here. And now we actually have a goal on the board for the what, 80,000 in attendance. Guys, it is pretty nuts. I drove past the link the other day. There is no signage that it's Lincoln Financial Field at the moment?

[Michael Rosenberg]

No. Because if you are not a sponsor of the World cup, you cannot have your name on the building. You can't do anything that isn't already sponsored by the World Cup. So MetLife's not a sponsor. It's New York, New Jersey Stadium. If Lincoln Financial's not a sponsor, it becomes. What do they call it? Philadelphia Stadium, I guess.

[Peter]

What do they call it? I didn't see. Maybe it said Philadelphia, I forget. But it was bizarre. So I guess they'll let the stadiums take the money that they make on whatever for using the building, concessions, etc. But then if you want anything else, you're paying. If you want your name to be promoted, you're paying.

[Michael Rosenberg]

Right. So what do you want to talk about, Peter? Well, talk about.

[Peter]

Well, listen, this is going to be controversial. I don't want to cause any problems, but.

[Michael Rosenberg]

You may.

[Peter]

But I may. I just realized. Oh, my.

[ESPN Announcer]

Was that.

[Peter]

No, it didn't count, did it? No, sorry. I thought Senegal scored. Locked in, as you can tell. Now, I was going to say the argument Don and I are having about whether or not Knicks fans, like, there have been a couple of different things that have come up. I heard Dave Rothenberg bring something up, and now I've heard Don bring a couple of things up that, like, you know, if you're a Knicks fan, you don't want to be able to have anyone say it's not legit, or people may come at you if next year they were to get bounced in the second round, you know, what are people going to say? And it reminds me of the same sort of arguments we had about the Yankees and Mets rivalry and the Subway Series. And I think what I'm talking about here is, because it is talk about it Tuesday is I truly believe this is one of those things that is, like, a bit of a disconnect for certain sports fans. It's like, what I'm trying to say, Don, I feel like you and Michael still often give sports takes as if you're like a fifth grader who's fighting with other kids who are, like, gonna come and yell in your face. It's like you were scarred by these moments as kids about what happens when your team doesn't do anything. Whereas as an adult, like, I don't even think about caring about what another fan base would say about my championship.

[Michael Rosenberg]

Because you didn't grow up in a town that had multiple teams. So if you grew up in New York, as a Met fan, you had to deal with Yankee fans and vice versa. Jets and Giants, certainly Rangers and, and, and Islanders and Devils, especially Islanders growing up, you know, because they were, they were in the same division. Like so that, that's different every. I'm sure everybody was a Commander's fan.

[Caller Angelo]

Yeah, yeah.

[Caller Evan]

No, no.

[Michael Rosenberg]

I mean Cowboy fans and all that.

[Caller Angelo]

There's.

[Peter]

Obviously it depends on the era of the team because as you know, as you're experiencing with Marco right now, when you're in an era where the team and the sports not good, everyone takes to the other, to the best team. So there are always kids who were talking trash. But yes, most people at the time when the, when the Redskins were good were Redskin fans.

[Caller Jacob]

Right.

[Peter]

But I just don't know that I think it's like as relevant a conversation anymore. I don't. I think, I think it's changed. I just. Based on the conversations I always have that when Anthony and Jacob sort of weigh in, they're solid generation younger than both of us. It doesn't seem like the same bitterness still exists that existed in you and Michael's day and Allen's, but I'm just

[Michael Rosenberg]

feeding off the fans who are calling and tweeting that it seems to bother them that there are people out there that think that they. The Knicks had an easy road. If you are someone that's bothered about what other people think, then losing next year is probably going to bother you that you didn't back it up with another championship. If you're a fan like you that you don't care what other people think, then it's not going to bother you. Right. I was bothered by the Ranger fans getting in my face saying your first cup is illegitimate because it was only a 48 game season. That bothered me. So when the Devils didn't make the playoffs the next year, it killed me and that those guys were able to double down on that take. If I was somebody that didn't care, well, then it wouldn't bother me.

[Peter]

Yeah, I guess, I guess I'd be interested to hear from people about like really how many people are concerned but would actually care.

[Michael Rosenberg]

But leave that aside for a second.

[Peter]

Go ahead.

[Michael Rosenberg]

I'm just telling you as somebody that has seen multiple championships. When the Giants won the Super bowl in 86 the next year the. The Monday night opener was Giants Bears in Chicago. Bears had won the championship at 85. Giants have won the championship at 86. They're playing in Chicago. Giants got beat up bad in that game. I was ticked. It bothered me because I'm a fan. The 86 was over 87. I wanted to back it up. I wanted to beat the Bears, and they didn't. And it bothered me. Okay. All I'm saying is, as a fan, at some point you'll click back into being a fan. Now, the Knicks are no longer a joke, but it'll still bother you if they don't win. Like, if you think that this is euphoria, that next year when you lose, like, I don't care we won the championship in 26, I think it does begin to fade. And then eventually the 25, 26 season is going to click in and you're going to want to be victorious and you'll be. And you'll be ticked off if they're not. And if they lose in the first round to an inferior team, you're going to be upset. That's my overall point, is that at some point you'll always look at 26 and it'll be fond and it'll be special.

[Peter]

How about this? How about this?

[Michael Rosenberg]

But you'll still. You'll still live and die with the team.

[Peter]

How about this, though? Could you be less upset than you've ever been about any other season? Because I would say you will be. You will be less. If the Knicks disappoint next year, you will be less upset than every other season you've ever had as a Knicks fan.

[Michael Rosenberg]

I'm just telling you, I wasn't.

[Peter]

You weren't less upset.

[Michael Rosenberg]

I was really upset because I. I wanted to follow it up. They built it up. It was Bears, Giants. Who's better, the. The 85 Bears or the 86 Giants? They built up in on national television. I thought it was awful that they lost that game and got beat up on top of it. Like, it still bothered me. I just. That that's how it clicked back in for me, you know, like I said, I've got the Giants super bowl on dvr. Do you think I'm not embarrassed by this team right now and how they played? You know, eventually, you know, you get back into it. You're a fan, right? You want to follow it up?

[Peter]

No. It's interesting, I guess. Interesting. I'm sure every fan sees it differently. Jacob, what do you feel? What's the level you think of, like, hardcor ness you'll have next year about the Knicks doing it again?

[Caller Jacob]

If the Knicks do fall short, whether it's the first round or, you know, second round, I'm not going to. I'm not going to be upset. Of course I'm going To be disappointed because of course you want to see a team win, you want to see them get to the championship. But the fact that they broke a 53 year curse this year,

[Michael Rosenberg]

I think

[Caller Jacob]

I'm good with that just because I'm a Mets and jets fan too. So I haven't seen much winning myself.

[Peter]

Right.

[Caller Jacob]

So the fact that the Knicks delivered

[Michael Rosenberg]

on that, I can only speak myself. I just think that having seen multiple championships, it does kind of kick in the next season. It's like we get back to work, just like the players. Right. Well, the players will definitely do that, you know, and. But angel in the car wants to kill me on this take. You're on esp.

[Caller Angelo]

Thank you.

[Peter]

I appreciate it.

[Caller Angelo]

Hey, door, it's Angelo. What's up, guys? Hey, Peter, you're spot on. Boy, I tell you. You know what? In this situation, I also don't think. Don, I'm disappointed because it's not the time. I mean, they haven't even, they haven't even washed the jerseys yet from winning. And you're talking about people being disappointed. I mean, this is one of the greatest championships in a long, long time here. And it's the ent. I don't care what a Celtic fan says or a net fan says. I mean, I mean, of course we want our team to win, but for crying out loud, can we like, just enjoy the ride, have the parade and stop worrying about, like, what some.

[Michael Rosenberg]

No, I just, I just took a call from a guy. Why are they nitpicking a champ? I'm just, I'm just, I am just reacting to how some Nick fans are. I don't think you should. I'm not defending their, their thinking of it. It's stupid. You want a title. Who cares what other people think? Some people do.

[Caller Angelo]

Well, that's the, that's, that's what I'm saying. But you're making the argument here on Talking Tuesday about, about, and even given somebody like that credibility, you should be telling those people to, you know, sit back, relax, enjoy the parade, enjoy the summer, and then, you know, potentially worry about it. And I'll tell you right now, most Knicks fans, I would believe this is exaggeration to make a point, but if they went like, you know, 2 and 20, I don't think, obviously you want your team to win, and I don't want to overstate it, but boy, oh, boy, you know, there's a couple years

[Caller Blanderson]

grace period here, at the very least

[Caller Angelo]

of enjoying the championship.

[Michael Rosenberg]

All I'm doing.

[Caller Angelo]

But I think you're way off base.

[Caller Danny]

Yeah, I'm with you 100%.

[Caller Angelo]

Right, man.

[Peter]

I'm with you with. Also to the point that, like, for the next. For the first 30 games next year, if you're the kind of average Knicks fan like most people are, you're not some rich person with season tickets. You're a regular fan who goes to a couple games a year. That first game that you go to is a complete celebration of the championship from last year.

[Michael Rosenberg]

It's a regular season game.

[Peter]

I'm wearing my. I'm wearing my championship shirt. I'm getting drunk at MSG because we're champions. I don't think if you lose to the Bucks 110 to 89, you're like,

[Michael Rosenberg]

oh, my God, all of you know I'm getting beat up here. It was Alan Hahn a couple of weeks ago who said he hopes it's the Thunder and not the spurs because he doesn't want to hear people say that they didn't beat the best team in the NBA to win the championship. So don't make it seem like I'm on island by myself, man. I mean, we've been taking phone calls of people that are worried about what other people think they shouldn't.

[Caller Evan]

I'm not.

[Peter]

Okay, okay. I wasn't clear. I wasn't with the caller. I wasn't clear that you felt that way, that they shouldn't, because that is

[Michael Rosenberg]

just all I'm saying. Like, who gives a damn?

[Caller Don]

But.

[Michael Rosenberg]

But it's how I feel. I'm just giving you my personal experience as somebody that has seen multiple championships. I'm not saying I'm right or wrong. I'm just telling you how I felt when the Giants lost to the Bears on opening day at 86. I was ticked off.

[Peter]

Well, I could, by the way.

[Michael Rosenberg]

Maybe I'm wrong to feel that way.

[Peter]

No, Football opening day, though, is a different sort of animal. I do get it in football. You play 16 of them a year at that time, I hear. It's been so long for me, Don, listen, I'm still practically rejoicing for the Commanders making the championship game two years ago, and we lost in horrible fashion to our bitter division rival. And I'm still like, well, two years ago is pretty good.

[Michael Rosenberg]

You were too young to remember, but the Redskins first Super bowl came in a nine game season.

[Peter]

I know. Oh, I know.

[Michael Rosenberg]

And you don't think that there were people that were like, oh, let's see if you can win in a 16 game season, and then you didn't win the next year.

[Peter]

Right.

[Michael Rosenberg]

Although you lost to the Raider, by the way.

[Peter]

You got close though. Lost to the Dolphins.

[Michael Rosenberg]

Dolphins. Right. So. But hey, I get it. The thing I'd rather defend in this talk about it Tuesday, go ahead. Is that for me, the next season it clicked back in and I was focused on the next season. It was great that we won, but you know, I still lived and died with the team. I did not take a season off. John Madden said something when the Giants won the Super Bowl. He's like, as somebody that won the super bowl, you almost feel like you should be the super bowl champion, should take the next year off. Like that should be part of winning the championship. You don't have to play the next. You know what you know, because he

[Peter]

knew get to have it all year

[Michael Rosenberg]

that once, once they start training, it's back on again. And you know damn well it's gonna be for the players.

[Peter]

I know.

[Michael Rosenberg]

And listen, Ken Danico, I talked to him about it when the Devils missed the playoffs the next year. He had won a cup, his first Stanley Cup. He's got the ring. And when they got beat by Ottawa at the end of the regular season and missed the playoffs, he's on his bench crying that well, that's because he wanted to defend it.

[Peter]

Well, we got a break. That's talk about it Tuesday on this beautiful Tuesday evening. But I will say that's why you have to have such incredible I hate their guts but GD it if I don't respect the Patriots. That's what makes them so incredible to year after year they just kept coming back to compete and never take a year off is pretty crazy.

[Michael Rosenberg]

A dynasty when nobody thought a dynasty could happen again.

[Don Hahn]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg Podcast.

[Peter]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Don Hahn]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

[Michael Rosenberg]

Names in golf are taking center stage at Shinnecock hills. Join Team ESPN New York and Michelob Ultra tomorrow, Wednesday, June 17th again. That's tomorrow from noon until 2pm at Birdie's Ale House in Southampton. Michelob Ultra will be on site with swag samples and giveaways. So come out and join Team ESPN New York and Michelob Ultra as we kick off the third major of the year. That's tomorrow, Wednesday, June 17th from noon to 2pm at Birdie's Ale House, 801 County Road in Southampton. Don on a Rosenberg at all 6:30. Then it's Mets baseball. 1-800-919-3776 is the number to call. I cut him off earlier yesterday. I feel bad. So the floor is yours. Blanderson.

[Caller Hooper]

Hooper.

[Michael Rosenberg]

How are you, man?

[Caller Blanderson]

Yeah, how are you guys? Yeah, I was gonna, I was gonna say Don, if you hadn't said anything. It was like the elephant in the room. I mean, I got some shoddy treatment there.

[Michael Rosenberg]

Well, it wasn't you.

[Caller Danny]

It just.

[Michael Rosenberg]

I'm a moron. I thought it was the end of the show. I went to a doctor today and they drew blood from me. And the guy taking the blood was. What happened to you at the end of the show? Why did you think he was over at 6:00'?

[Peter]

Clock?

[Michael Rosenberg]

So it had nothing to do with you, man.

[Peter]

Yeah, don't. Come on, Blanderson. I mean, listen, it was my little camper.

[Caller Blanderson]

I sent the rest of my, for the rest of my birthday thinking I had done something wrong.

[Peter]

No, never.

[Michael Rosenberg]

Happy birthday, by the way.

[Caller Blanderson]

But listen, two things. Number one in terms of the conversation that you and, and Peter are having right now, I'm more with Peter. I waited 38 years for this. Listen, would I like them to win again next year or win a couple? Sure. But if they don't, I'm not, I'm not going to be mad. You know, we have this one. It can't be taken away. I think, I think I agree with what Jacob said, but what Jacob said was he wouldn't be upset, he'd be disappointed. And I think that that's a real distinction between those two words. You know, you're always going to be disappointed if they don't follow it up with anything but mad or angry. I don't see how you could be mad or angry after what happened this year. Just because it's been so long.

[Michael Rosenberg]

I, I, so I get it. I'm just telling you how I felt and I, I was probably with you after the championship and then your life gets in the way, man, and you kind of just kick back to normal. The team will always. They're no longer an embarrassment anymore. You know, you're never going to feel that, right?

[Caller Blanderson]

Exactly.

[Michael Rosenberg]

There's always going to be proud of it. But you know, but fans, we'll see. I think I will be proven right. There'll be some moment next year. We're going to take a bunch of phone calls and I'm going to turn to you guys. I'm going to go see. See what I told you. Well, phone calls. I know that's of course going to happen because there are fans out there that are like me.

[Peter]

Yeah, but Don, you're a psycho.

[Michael Rosenberg]

You Just psycho.

[Peter]

You just told us yesterday, if you missed a free throw, you couldn't even get dapped up by anyone on your team because you'd be too angry at yourself. You may be an unusual cat,

[Caller Evan]

all

[Michael Rosenberg]

right, but don't make it seem like that I'm the only weirdo. Al, do you think there's gonna be some point where we're gonna get complaint phone calls about the Knicks and how they're playing?

[Caller Danny]

Of course you will. Because right now, everybody, like, again, I'm not. I can't even get in that headspace because I'm still, like, sort of enjoying this. So it's easy right now to say, in December and January, I won't care if, you know, they're. They're 12 and 15. Right, right. But you will. Of course you will. It's. But. But it's. That's not a right now conversation. That's it. I guess that's the problem when, like, I'm. It's. You've waited such a long time. I'm not ready to think about next year. I want to sit in this. I want to float on this float for as long as I can until I have to get off the literal float a new or the figure, you know, like. Like, you know, the float on a pool. Like, I just want to lay in this thing and float in the pool for as long as I'm allowed to before I know I got to get out and get ready for winter. That's all. That's where I am.

Just.

[Michael Rosenberg]

I was just reacting to. I was just reacting to the fans who were like, why are people nitpicking our championship? Don't care about those people.

[Caller Danny]

Yeah.

[Michael Rosenberg]

You even said, I hope it's the Thunder and not the Spur, because I don't want to hear from people saying, we had an easier path. Like, it was on your mind, too, man.

[Caller Danny]

It's the whole. Whole validation thing.

[Commercial Voice]

Right.

[Michael Rosenberg]

But you're the only person that validate yourself.

[Peter]

Yeah, I have a podcast about this. Exactly.

[Caller Danny]

But that's how. That's how it is. It's just. That's how it is right now. And, you know, look, the Knicks won the NBA cup, and people were laughing because it's like, it's the only championship you'll ever win.

[Caller Evan]

Right?

[Caller Danny]

Like, it becomes that.

[Michael Rosenberg]

I'm telling you, I'm begging the Knicks raise both of them. Oh, okay.

[Peter]

You have to.

[Caller Danny]

Now you do it defiantly.

[Caller Don]

Just, Just.

[Michael Rosenberg]

Just to stick it to Wemby.

[Caller Blanderson]

Right?

[Michael Rosenberg]

He'll turn on Sports Cent like those sops raise both banners, right?

[Caller Danny]

Hey, Wemby, by the way, by the way, we're six and two against you this year.

[Peter]

No, by the way, they really should do it now, now that they beat them. And now that Wemby was such a. You know what? During it, now is all the more reason they should do it.

[Don Hahn]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Peter]

I don't want to know how the

[Don Hahn]

sausage is made, man.

[Caller Danny]

I just want to know it's good.

[Don Hahn]

Hear more of Don Allen and Peter weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app, and your smart speakers.