Hour 2: Knicks, NFL Binge & Baseball

Summary

Don, Hahn & Rosenberg Podcast Summary: Hour 2 - Knicks, NFL Binge & Baseball

Release Date: June 2, 2025

In this engaging and in-depth episode of the Don, Hahn & Rosenberg podcast, hosts Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg delve into a variety of sports topics, primarily focusing on the New York Knicks, the NFL landscape, and recent developments in Major League Baseball. The conversation is marked by insightful analyses, spirited debates, and notable listener interactions, providing a comprehensive overview for both avid fans and casual listeners.

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I. Knicks Post-Mortem and Future Prospects

The episode kicks off with a thorough examination of the New York Knicks' recent season and their performance trajectory.

• Don Hahn sets the stage by reflecting on the Knicks' journey:
  "[00:44] Don Hahn: ...instead of previewing a game seven, we're talking about Knicks post mortem and what needs to be done."

• Alan Hahn underscores the significance of the Knicks' current run and the potential to attract key players:
  "[01:30] Alan Hahn: ...you can help them, I can put them over the top... That's generally what happens."

• Don Hahn comments on the transformation of the Knicks' reputation, highlighting the leadership of Leon Rose and the commitment of players like Julius Randle Brunson:
  "[02:32] Don Hahn: ...now you've changed that image. I think that that's hard to do."

The hosts discuss the financial and strategic challenges the Knicks face in the offseason, particularly concerning the second apron hard cap and the necessity for players to take pay cuts to maintain flexibility. Alan Hahn emphasizes the delicate balance required to make effective trades without exceeding salary caps:
"[03:26] Alan Hahn: ...but the wrong moves could put them over it. And that means you're locked in on certain way."

II. Listener Interactions: Evaluating the Knicks' Future Moves

Listeners actively participate in the discussion, providing valuable perspectives on the Knicks' roster and strategy.

• A caller expresses frustration over the Knicks' reliance on key players like Kemba Walker and Karl-Anthony Towns, advocating for increased facilitation:
  "[08:15] Caller: ...I wish we could just take everything he is and take just 10% of who he is to be more of a facilitator."

• Alan Hahn acknowledges the need for trust in the team's management and the importance of not making hasty decisions:
  "[09:20] Alan Hahn: ...there's a lot of things that you can look out for, but I guarantee you they're going to look at all of it."

• Don Hahn likens team building to playing Jenga, emphasizing the fragile nature of roster adjustments:
  "[10:10] Alan Hahn: ...team building is like playing Jenga. That wrong piece comes out, the whole thing comes down."

III. NFL Binge: Quarterback Dynamics and Team Strategies

Transitioning to American football, the hosts explore the evolving quarterback landscape, particularly focusing on emerging talents and managerial decisions.

• Spike offers a bold suggestion on acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo for the Knicks, showcasing the intersection of NBA and NFL discussions:
  "[11:30] Spike: ...if Giannis wants to come to the Knicks, I know he has a place in the city and he's going to take his brother with him."

• The conversation shifts to the Cleveland Browns and their quarterback situation, with Alan Hahn expressing skepticism about the media's focus:
  "[31:10] Don Hahn: ...why are we spending so much time talking about the Cleveland Browns quarterback?"

• Peter Rosenberg highlights the challenges faced by quarterbacks like Shador Sanders, discussing the impact of Deion Sanders and the complexities of team dynamics:
  "[36:39] Don Hahn: He did drop for a reason."

IV. Baseball Update: Yankees and Mets

The podcast delves into the current state of Major League Baseball, providing updates on the Yankees and Mets' performances.

• Don Hahn reflects on the Yankees' recent performance in the World Series, critiquing their bullpen and overall strategy:
  "[43:35] Don Hahn: ...the bullpen not being great. Leiter had been really good. Wasn't very good in that game either."

• Alan Hahn discusses the Mets' ascent to first place and their competition with the Phillies, highlighting key victories:
  "[45:09] Don Hahn: ...the Mets have Mercedes Benz moved back into first place."

• The hosts analyze Aaron Judge's outstanding season, debating his potential MVP candidacy and the implications for the Yankees' championship aspirations:
  "[52:21] Don Hahn: ...he's the best player in baseball. I, I need a ring. Like, how much more can he impress you?"

V. Behind the Scenes: Host Banter and Personal Anecdotes

Interspersed throughout the episode are light-hearted exchanges and personal stories, enriching the conversational tone.

• Don Hahn, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg engage in playful banter about listening to postgame shows and managing their podcast dynamics, adding a relatable layer to the discussion.

• A memorable moment includes Don Hahn discussing the accidental dropping of his phone during a call:
  "[12:58] Don Hahn: I'm going to kill somebody."
  This leads to a humorous and thoughtful conversation about managing on-air mistakes and maintaining professionalism.

• The hosts also share anecdotes about recommending movies to each other and reflecting on past experiences with sports fandom, such as John McEnroe's antics:
  "[21:11] Don Hahn: I watched it once, and I'd like, this is really good. And it's time. Because it's the Giants."

VI. Conclusion and Looking Ahead

As the episode wraps up, the hosts preview upcoming topics and events, including the postseason implications for the Yankees and Mets, and teasing future discussions on the Knicks and NFL.

• Don Hahn emphasizes the continuous need for the Knicks to build upon their current success:
  "[49:56] Don Hahn: ...when we get back to the Knicks, that's the problem with losing late in the playoffs is getting back next season."

• Alan Hahn and Peter Rosenberg agree on the importance of maintaining momentum and addressing key weaknesses to secure future championships:
  "[52:46] Don Hahn: ...What are you going to do if you get back there and who you face it and are you clearly better than who you might face?"

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This episode of Don, Hahn & Rosenberg offers a multifaceted exploration of major sports narratives, enriched by the hosts' deep knowledge and engaging interactions. Whether dissecting the Knicks' strategic moves, analyzing the NFL's quarterback evolutions, or debating baseball's star performances, listeners are provided with a nuanced and entertaining perspective on the current sports landscape.

Transcript

[Don Hahn]

For the team ready to conquer the grandest stage, immortality awaits moments of sweat and sacrifice towards the composition of champions. An unforgettable journey is nearing its finale.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Four more wins to take home the trophy.

[Don Hahn]

The NBA finals presented by YouTube TV begin June 5th on ABC.

[Podcast Announcer]

This is the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Don Hahn]

That sounds like heaven to me.

[Podcast Announcer]

Listen live weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 880 ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers 400 one.

[Don Hahn]

Of the big city. Don on Rosenberg on a tough Monday. Instead of previewing a game seven, we're talking about Knicks post mortem and what needs to be done. But the great thing is you're in a position to tweak how many seasons have come to an end. We're like, gotta blow it up. Another season of being non competitive. It's, it's. I know it doesn't feel this way now, but it's fun to be in this position of knowing we are a tweak here, a tweak there. Away from really doing something special here at Chelsea. We're thinking about, you know, who's going to run this team, who the coach is going to be. Nevermind getting a Batman or Robin. We're just trying to get anybody. And now they've made it to the destination and now I think they're close, Alan. They're close.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. Like I said, I think this is the type of run that you're curious now to see around the league. Are there players who. Look at them and the celebrations and 7th Avenue being closed and the energy behind it and all the stuff that comes with it. Are there guys that are watching that from afar and saying, I want to be part of that. I think I can help them, I can put them over the top, you know, like that's what you're always waiting for is like who's, who's the one that watched along the way and then is saying to his agent, find a way to get me to New York, I can help them. Like that. That's, that's generally what happens. A lot of times you get that one player that just, it all clicks and that's, you know, so that's what this offseason is going to be about. That's the challenge of taking that next step. That's where they are right now because.

[Don Hahn]

They, all the players talk. And so you're watching games on tnt, you're seeing how electric the building is, but the players are mentioning how great it is to play there and how amazing the fans are.

[Alan Hahn]

You see all of it on Social.

[Don Hahn]

Media and there's a lot of celebrities. And, hey, there's a lot of players that don't want any part of it, but there's a lot of players that are like, I want to be the guy that slays the dragon. I want to be there when this finally hits. And that was a lot of heavy lifting. I know you said the easy part is to go from irrelevant to relevant, to go from bad to good, but for this Knicks team, it wasn't just trying to become a good team. It was trying to become. Try to wipe away the reputation of what this team likes to do. Nobody wants to play there. The owner's a mess. Uh, it. You just don't. You don't want to go there and fail. And I didn't know if anybody was able to change that. So Leon Rose, Tibbs, Brunson. But Brunson takes a discount to stay here. Like, so now you've changed that image. I think that that's. That's a. That's hard to do.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I wonder how much even is possible if Brunson doesn't take the pay cut.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, that's this. You're going to see the effects of it now, this off season and especially the next offseason. That's the part that he is. You're going to see the impact of him helping out. But you still have to make very careful decisions. You have to. The second apron is a hard cap. Basically, they are under it. They could still stay under it, but the wrong moves could put them over it. And that means you're locked in on certain way. You can make trades. You have no way of moving draft picks. You can't do anything, can't sign veteran minimums. You can't do any of it like it really does. It operates like a hard cap. No one wants to deal with it. So you have to stay. Tough decisions. You have to stay under. Under that second apron so that you still have flexibility, which could mean tough decisions on certain players and taking a risk or a chance on another player, and maybe even a player saying, all right, I'll play ball. Brunson took less. I'll take a little less, too. Like, you need all of that to happen. It's not easy to do. No, it's not. But I'm curious. The Yankees season ended in the World Series in with a game that when you left, you had the same feeling. You disgusted as a Yankee fan, the way that game ended, the way that game was played, the fact that you blew a lead, the errors, the miscues, the problems that were all along a problem for you, that the Dodgers exposed on the biggest stage. It was embarrassing. And so you come out of that World Series, your first one in 14 years, and you were, as a Yankee fan, you were pissed and you all over. I remember the calls. Boone's gotta go. Cashman's gotta go. This, this roster is just. They're a mess. They have no fundamentals, they don't play the game the right way. All the stuff that gets you mad, and you forget the fact that, oh, by the way, they were in the World Series. But that's the problem with the way a season ends. And so it's the same thing right now. I just think this week, especially today, is like getting over the frustration of this. Watching the Finals, seeing what the Pacers do. I mean, what's better if the Thunder eviscerate the Pacers or if the Pacers actually make it a tough series to show they're a lot better than maybe anybody thought they were? Because the Thunder look indomitable. So I don't know which one, as a Knick fan, you'd rather see. We could talk about that later in the week, but I just feel like it's easy right now to flip out and want to take a torch to this thing. But you gotta realize that this has been the most success this franchise has seen in a long time. And it's not a one off. It's in the midst of something now. It's just watching the next step, the build to get to a point where you can get back to this stage and this time get to the finals and try to win a championship.

[Don Hahn]

It's all about stages. And that's why I kind of cringe a little. It's not that it's inaccurate. I still cringe at the calling it a run, because to me, like, calling it a run makes it seem like it was kind of fluid.

[Alan Hahn]

It's three rounds, it's a month and a half.

[Don Hahn]

But a run kind of suggests, like, unexpected, and I guess it was somewhat unexpected to go as far as to beat Boston in the second round. But it does suggest that you weren't expected or you overachieved. They were a three seed in the Eastern Conference. They won 51 games.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't agree with that connotation, though. I just think run means a thing that happens when you're around in the postseason for a long time.

[Alan Hahn]

Eighteen games, that's a run.

[Don Hahn]

That's why I'm not that bothered by it. But I always felt like when you say a team went on a run, it was like that. There was unexpected, there was like a twinge of miracle. I didn't find that.

[Alan Hahn]

Did they go on a toot? Was it a toot?

[Don Hahn]

Yeah. I don't know what you want to call it, but again, maybe it's just the local news of the miracle run for the next.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, I'm not putting a miracle in front of it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, but it was a run.

[Don Hahn]

Listen, it was a. They'll be playing basketball until the end of May.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, but how does that sound? Think about what you just said.

[Alan Hahn]

Run. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Or as Don just phrased, playing basketball. Playing basketball until the end of May.

[Alan Hahn]

Until May 31st.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, it sounds better.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah. Well, what fits better on a T shirt, right?

[Alan Hahn]

Exactly.

[Don Hahn]

Steve and New Fairfield, you're on. Don Hahn and Rose Rosenberg.

[Caller]

Hey, what's up, boys? How are you?

[Alan Hahn]

Good.

[Don Hahn]

How are you?

[Caller]

Good. Trying to check myself, try to stay grounded here. I mean, damn, we're in the Final four. And it's not that long ago where Frank Milaquina, we were waiting to be something and Tim Hardaway Jr. Was our best player. So I'm trying to keep that in mind.

[Alan Hahn]

You're far from Frank Neelakina coming into the game to get a stop on Trae Young. And all he had to do was force him left and he forced him right. Think about how. Think about it. That's how far you've come.

[Caller]

Your honor. Now, however I do, keeping that in mind, I don't think we're just tweaks away from the next step. There's a reason why. I mean, I think Al, you'd be the first one to. Well, all he is, you know, what the New York fan is. And Nick fans are pretty knowledgeable. Why is it you'd be hard pressed to find a Knicks fan that loves or even really likes Bridges or Towns? And they were monster moves. And what about culpability? I mean, Jalen, I love. Jalen's a man, but I mean it. Who takes a little bit of culpability. Did you not think, especially Al, that Towns and Jalen, when they got the. That would be better in the pick and roll? That would be.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm really surprised that that never developed. You're right.

[Caller]

I'm sorry. But I just wish Jalen also not wish. Wish. Jalen is everything. He's a heart soul. He's the captain. I think he. That's a mentality too often, though, that he has to be the man. And I wish we could just take everything he is and take just 10% of who he is to be more of a facilitator. Facilitator. Bridges was never really comfortable and you could see it.

[Alan Hahn]

There was a lot of adjusting that was being done. I mean, I don't know if he went through it when he got here last year and that was something as well. Then he got hurt. But it. You're right. You're right on all accounts. No, you're right on account. Maybe it's more trust, maybe it's better rhythm, more time together. I. There's. There's a lot of things that you can look out, but I guarantee you they're going to look at all of it. They are.

[Caller]

Yeah. I think big considerations seem to be done. And I have to trust Leon. I think we all have to. He's done a hell of a job. So I think we have to trust him in this off season to see.

[Don Hahn]

Where this goes and think about how long it was that you couldn't say that, that you trusted the regime, trusted the brain trust of that they're going to make the right decisions. So we've come a long way with this team. And now it, now, now's the hard part of just trying to. To get over that. Right.

[Alan Hahn]

And figure out, don't make the wrong move that sets you back the Jenga piece. I'm telling you, I always think of it, but team building is like playing Jenga. That wrong piece comes out, the whole thing comes down.

[Don Hahn]

Comes right down. Spike and St. Pete, you're on. Don Hanna, Rosenberg.

[Spike]

You guys, an apology for Friday. I'll let that go. I dropped the phone and I pressed the wrong button.

[Don Hahn]

It's all good.

[Spike]

I know, I know. Listen, here's the. Here's the deal. If Giannis wants to come to the Knicks, I know he has a place in the city and he's going to take his brother with him. That's admirable. You take him, you bring Bobby Portis, who's a UFA over, you give them Bridges and Cat, and you get Kelly Oubre, you figure out a way to fix the bench because he's a beast off the bench and he's a good defender. And I think you put yourself in contention and the last thing is this. Not much voice left. I wasn't disappointed because the whole station putting Todd Butler on after the games was great. It just was. It was just wonderful. And I can't thank you guys enough. Alan, take yourself a rest. If I could send you on a two week trip to wind down, I will do it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I just can't take five for you.

[Alan Hahn]

Nope. Not doing it.

[Don Hahn]

No.

[Spike]

Allen was brilliant with Wally and Wally, man. What did he go off on Halliburton? If you could explain that. If someone didn't hear it, boy. And when Halliburton thought he was getting the most valuable player, how did you like that?

[Alan Hahn]

That was a bad look.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, that was cool.

[Spike]

See? How come you were right, Alan? You told me he said half court offense. You didn't tell me he was going to score 39 points. They had no answer for him. What do you think about Portis and Giannis? If Giannis wants to come for Kat and Bridges?

[Alan Hahn]

It's a lot of. It's a lot of money. Guys are going to have to take discounts. Like, it's. It's just very difficult to do now in today's NBA 10 years ago, real easy. Today is extremely difficult to do.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't know if I'm willing to do that much. And like, I'm not trying to recreate Milwaukee east, by the way. They didn't. I mean, there's things that are great. They didn't win a title last year, I think putting Giannis here and finding a way to make it work with what they have.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And it's nice that Don was so nice because the other day when.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

When Spike accidentally called, it was this.

[Don Hahn]

Something just happened that's going to make my brain explode. Something just happened. I'm going to kill somebody. I was. I didn't take it well, but it was in the moment. But I thought about it and he DMed me and told me he dropped his phone and I pictured all this happening and I'm like, that's not somebody that. That should be treated that way.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, you went. You went a little. You went a little hard, but something just happened.

[Don Hahn]

I'm going to kill somebody.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Strong. Strong.

[Don Hahn]

I don't play that again. It makes me uncomfortable.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You want to banish it? You want.

[Don Hahn]

I would like to banish it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Do you think we should choose? Do you think we're all allowed to get. To get rid of them drops a year?

[Don Hahn]

Yes. And I would like that to be mine.

[Alan Hahn]

Really?

[Peter Rosenberg]

2. 2 for 365 day period that you can say, I want it out, but here.

[Alan Hahn]

So it's like we just go Hunger Games. Like we just had to find the ones that we just want to kill.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right. And you got to trust that you won't have a worse one, because once it's done, it's done.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, that's right.

[Don Hahn]

But however I would like to have it be in some insurance policy. You got to get somebody on the show to agree, at least one person, because it might be something epic that we just don't want to damage the show by losing. That's like, what if I were to say I want my one? I would never would. But what if I were to say I want my one to be. He was a Raven, though. He's a Charger. Oh, man, it's a clap.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That changes. That changes history.

[Alan Hahn]

You should do good.

[Don Hahn]

You should have veto power on it. Right, But I. All he needed was one of the three of us to agree. All right, so do I have that? Do we agree that I can get rid of? I want to kill somebody.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I need to think about it.

[Don Hahn]

All right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm not just going to blindly accept it. Alan, you agree, right? We got to discuss it.

[Alan Hahn]

That's got to be under discussion. Yeah, we have to bring it to the tribunal.

[Don Hahn]

You declare and then you get the rest.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, no, I do declare. And I want to think about it and spend a little. We'll discuss.

[Don Hahn]

But I'm glad that Spike brought up Tom.

[Alan Hahn]

Hang on.

[Don Hahn]

And Pat, because I, I, so I watched the game and it didn't end that late, but it was a Saturday. I was shot. There was a lot of baseball, a lot of stuff going on, so I, I, I went to bed.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, no. Post game, huh?

[Don Hahn]

I'm sorry. I, I listen, I gave you more love in the post game than you think. Peter watched the second of any of your post games. Zero.

[Peter Rosenberg]

How freaking.

[Don Hahn]

But am I right?

[Alan Hahn]

Accurate. No, no. Just say how.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, that layout.

[Alan Hahn]

It's better you just lay out on that one. No chance. So that is a second.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, no more than a second more.

[Alan Hahn]

You flipped over to msg.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes, I did. That did happen. Now, now, listen, it's a tough spot. It's a tough spot because you.

[Alan Hahn]

Background noise.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, you guys know I'm very honest about this. You know, Allen doesn't jump in here and all of a sudden is going up against, like, the NBA TV whatever. He's going up against my favorite studio show of all time. You know what I mean? Like, it's. Well, hold on. I'm not allowed to have interest before I meet Alan Hahn? My whole life has to be waiting to meet Alan. No, it's Don. Am I, have I. How many years have I been talking about my love of inside?

[Don Hahn]

Listen, everybody loves the inside.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, who doesn't?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Do I love Alan more than inside?

[Don Hahn]

I don't know.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It depends on the day.

[Don Hahn]

Knowing you, it depends on the day.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It depends on the world.

[Alan Hahn]

You can watch me and inside, but.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So anyway, I don't love you that much, buddy. That might ruin things.

[Don Hahn]

Alexa, playing New York Knicks on Sirius xm caught the end of Pat's postgame, which is never easy. That's a tough. But then I was. I did not realize, I did not look at John Winthrop's schedule, that Ty Butler was going to come on after. And he did do a terrific job and great job by the fans. I mean, this is like midnight Saturday on a show that I don't even know people knew was on, getting calls from Nick fans. And listen, Ty's a Laker fan. He's not a Nick fan, but he's a basketball guy.

[Alan Hahn]

Basketball guy.

[Don Hahn]

And he did a terrific job because those aren't easy shows.

[Alan Hahn]

I've called in. I've called in on my. When I drive home and chat.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He's very. He's very good.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So you know how we feel about him.

[Alan Hahn]

Don turns off msg, turns on.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What's worse? So what's worse?

[Alan Hahn]

So he still paid attention to a post game show. It's just not mine.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, hold on. Me, who just lets the TV keep going and is halfway paying attention.

[Alan Hahn]

Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Don. Who goes, I'm in the mood for some post game. Hmm. I'm going to turn this one off.

[Don Hahn]

Let me.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What can I go find and choose? Glenn, not.

[Don Hahn]

That's not how it went. Turn TV off, turn the election. My decision was tough.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I think I even went to the.

[Alan Hahn]

He even went.

[Don Hahn]

I'm going to bed.

[Alan Hahn]

All the way to asking Alexa.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

Specifically.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He might have even asked AI. Hey, Chat, can you recommend other. Can you recommend post game for me?

[Don Hahn]

All right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That doesn't feature Alan Hahn.

[Don Hahn]

I'm in bed. I put on channel seven for the message because you passed out on the couch again. And I went upstairs, lights off, fans on. I'm ready to just. I'm out. Because, listen, you know, I got up really early on Friday.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Sure.

[Don Hahn]

All right. And then had the full day. I was beat the other day, so. But as I was sleeping, like in the darkness before I fell asleep, it was just easy to just go, alexa, play New York Knicks on Series X. Yeah. To catch the end of Pat's postgame.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Sure.

[Don Hahn]

It wasn't like, turn the light on, turn the TV on, you know, sit up. Like, it was just. It was just an easy thing to do. We have that technology now.

[Alan Hahn]

So you're saying that Pat o' Keefe put you to sleep?

[Don Hahn]

Is that what you're saying no, because if you listen. Because you're not even listening to me, which makes me sick that I listened to Ty after Pat. So if Pat put me to sleep, I wouldn't have heard Ty. Get over yourself. I watched more MSG than anybody else on this floor, Cap. Yeah, and you're getting.

[Alan Hahn]

You're getting on me.

[Don Hahn]

I didn't say how much I watched. Confident that it was more than anybody else on the.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Let's just all agree. Let's just wrap it up and I'll agree with this.

[Spike]

And I know Zach Zarba, he was the crew chief. He's a Brooklyn guy, used to call games at the Jewish center on Eastern Parkway.

[Don Hahn]

And he got a reprieve because Alan wasn't able to sit.

[Alan Hahn]

I couldn't get Zara get this.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Couldn't get the Zarba confirmation.

[Alan Hahn]

We got off the air. I went out to the court but they were already going through the whole warm up thing. That wasn't the time for me to run out. Zach, Zach, hang on a second before you.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I got something.

[Alan Hahn]

Before you tip the ball.

[Don Hahn]

Spike's got a reprieve until he may be like November. Who's not the next time you're going to see him. And by that time I might be done.

[Alan Hahn]

Never know. Might see him around New York.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, by the way, let's be honest. Let's be honest though. Spike. Spike checks out. Spike checks out post basketball. We'll hear from him every once in a while. But his real season is.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh yeah.

[Don Hahn]

He's like the IRA of Staten island for football, right? Is that what you're saying? Gives you more than I do.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Much, much better caller than really been checked out.

[Don Hahn]

I'm not. I'm not grad the call. Just saying it's. I think Spike does like the Yankees. I think he does follow.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He's more divert. Ira is literally. If you. If you say Jet three times like Candyman, he appears but. But Spike, Candyman, Beetlejuice, whichever you prefer. But with the case of Spike, he's got other interests. You know that's true.

[Alan Hahn]

Test it out. Tease Justin Fields. Something that happened with Justin Fields in a minute.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Listen, we got coming up we had such a weird fallout with ir and then who ran into him? You?

[Don Hahn]

Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And you like couldn't get a clear answer on what happened. Right? He said it was just schedule, but we didn't buy it.

[Don Hahn]

I didn't buy it. No.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So at the end of the case.

[Alan Hahn]

He called our show.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He still called your show. He left us.

[Don Hahn]

There was an There was an incident.

[Alan Hahn]

I remember, but I cleared it up.

[Don Hahn]

And everything's fine now.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's good now.

[Don Hahn]

It's easy to reconcile with callers because they want to continue to call. So I got that on, by the way.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So. So meanwhile, the other day at our event, I ran into a buddy of mine. My friend Barry Schwartz came by. Barry Schwartz is the same man whose father is a huge Michael K. Fan. Had given me a baseball literally two years ago to get sucked by K. It's been sitting. I'm such a piece of garbage. It sat in my house. Now I think it's moved somewhere else. I got to get it back. It's been moving around. It never made it to the station because I'm a bad guy. I admit it. And Michael then, remember, he texted me last week, and he's like, peter, I'm on my flight back from France, and I just met a very peculiar man who says his son, Disco Vietnam, is your friend. And I said. And he said I was supposed to sign a baseball for him. I said, all of that is a fact. That did happen. This same friend of mine came to our event last week, and I was talking to him about the great people who come to all of our live events, and he recommended a movie. Have you heard of this movie called Big Fan, starring Patton Oswald?

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

Tremendous.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Never seen it.

[Don Hahn]

Super Giant Fan. Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. Never so good.

[Don Hahn]

It is really good. So underrated.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And by the way, who's the.

[Alan Hahn]

The. The radio guy is.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's. What's this? I recognize his voice from. From the thing. I'm only halfway through the movie, so don't tell me what happened, but I will tell you in my first 45 minutes or so watching it, I see why Barry recommended feels very on the nose.

[Don Hahn]

Very. And you know who the Philly fan is, right? Have you got to that point? Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So I hear the Philly fan, it's Michael Rapport. That's what I thought it was. Who's also a psychopath, much like the film. A different kind of Philly fanatic, if you will.

[Don Hahn]

Right, right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But, yeah, it's a very good film.

[Don Hahn]

I'm surprised it didn't get a lot of love. It's when I. I'm surprised you both knew it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I didn't remember.

[Alan Hahn]

I knew it.

[Don Hahn]

I saw it once, and I'd like, this is really good. And it's time. Because it's the Giants. And.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And this is not to be confused with the Wesley Snipes vehicle, the Fan. The Fan.

[Alan Hahn]

Right.

[Don Hahn]

With Robert De Niro.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Now tell me when these guys pitched this movie they didn't have in multiple meetings, people go, wasn't there already a movie like this? And they went, no, no, no, no, no. That was the fan. This is big fan and big difference.

[Don Hahn]

And we put big in. You see, it's really about the sports radio call in culture.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But that's the thing that, that is what makes it difference because the Snipes movie is about just a fan who stalks an athlete. This ties more into the callers.

[Alan Hahn]

The callers each other, market to market.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

Calling other markets of your rival team.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Which by the way, is. That was that. That used to be a big thing.

[Alan Hahn]

That was a thing.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, yeah, that was a big thing. And the other thing in that movie, that's just weird. I don't know if anybody really does it, but did you know that they went to the home games and just went to the parking lot tailgating, just listened to the game. They couldn't get into the game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That had to happen during the, like the, the absolute sellout days, I would think.

[Don Hahn]

Pre psl. Yeah, sure.

[Alan Hahn]

And. And also, you know, again, secondary market ticket thing. And, and no social media.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Because now if you're desperate to go by kickoff, you could probably buy a.

[Don Hahn]

Ticket in the building. No, that's a very underrated movie. I'm surprised.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm excited to finish it tonight. Anthony. I'd like you to watch it. I think maybe more than anyone, this film may resonate with you.

[Don Hahn]

Yes. I think as just a fan, as a producer, I think is everything. It will come full circle for you.

[Peter Rosenberg]

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[Podcast Announcer]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Podcast Announcer]

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

[Don Hahn]

Oh yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like you dream about. And these days you're probably getting close to dreaming about the NFL because no more basketball to dream about. Basketball is dead here, guys.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, it's not dead. Well, but it's football.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But it's football. They're playing football.

[Alan Hahn]

Playing ball.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So we're going to fill you in on all things foosball as we speak with the NFL binge. Did you guys. You guys hear about Saquon's dream coming.

[Don Hahn]

True or being on Good Morning America?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, being on the COVID of Mad of Madden.

[Alan Hahn]

You see the photo shoot. Like, does his split jump over someone?

[Don Hahn]

Gain like an extra three yards? Let's relax.

[Alan Hahn]

Very impressive.

[Don Hahn]

I'm better. I'm sorry.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, I'm out. I'm out on him. I'm fully out now. Say holy out. Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

He's such a nice kid. But I'm.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He was. No, he was nice.

[Alan Hahn]

Why aren't you.

[Don Hahn]

I'm not out. I'm Good.

[Alan Hahn]

All right. Yeah, that's different. Yeah, I'm good. Is much different than I'm out.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I guess you're right.

[Don Hahn]

I can't be out. I can't completely.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I guess I'm good, but I'm good. But I'm telling you right now, when you're in a meaningful game against the Eagles and he, he, he just is destroying you and then does the little runner, little kid run around celebration, there is something about it that's just. You just want to.

[Alan Hahn]

Nope.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It is.

[Don Hahn]

It's tough.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And also like when you see people put on the Eagle green, it's just different.

[Alan Hahn]

Remember, it hits so different now, again, you're not a Giant fan, but for. From a Giant perspective. And Don, I wonder if you feel this way. He didn't leave you. This isn't LeBron leaving Cleveland.

[Don Hahn]

He did turn down a contract earlier, but you know, again, he's not a villain.

[Alan Hahn]

It had turned out the contract earlier because he knew he'd get. He'd be able to do better.

[Don Hahn]

But again, I can have family members go to the Eagles and it's a. It's an issue.

[Alan Hahn]

That bad, huh?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, listen, wait.

[Alan Hahn]

If Marco ends up being a football star and the Eagles draft, it still.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Wouldn'T be his top.

[Alan Hahn]

Are you like, I don't care. You're not like, I'm still rooting against you?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, he'd root for him. He's not Dave Roth.

[Alan Hahn]

You'd be the biggest Eagles fan of the world.

[Don Hahn]

But I'm saying. But Marco's beyond family member. That's different. He's my son.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, that's a family member.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, yes, but.

[Don Hahn]

But it's not a cousin, but you know. Yeah, that's right.

[Alan Hahn]

You know, if.

[Don Hahn]

If I had a cousin that joined the Eagles would be like, listen, I hope you don't break your leg. But you know what?

[Alan Hahn]

But if you did and it's against.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The Giants, I'm good, right? I'm good.

[Don Hahn]

It was rough. But you know what? We'll move on.

[Alan Hahn]

All right.

[Don Hahn]

Giants will be back. That's the one thing. Might take a while. You always find their way back.

[Alan Hahn]

They always find their way back. It's true.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Do you think Dave Rothenberg and Dan Grass are pantsless as Jannik sinner just won his fourth round matchup in straight sets.

[Alan Hahn]

Who?

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's right.

[Don Hahn]

Well, it's one of the weird things about this radio station and life in general. But I'll tie it to the radio station.

[Alan Hahn]

Please do.

[Don Hahn]

How big of fans Dan and Dave are in tennis like they love him. I mean, you know how hard it is to find a radio station where you got two tennis die hards. And that's like the fan had Russo all those years.

[Alan Hahn]

That was it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I like to. And I like tennis. I like. I go to the U.S. open. Go to the U.S. open every year. I've been to the French. I enjoy me some tennis. It's on. I'll watch. These guys are. They would do. They would. They would request to do a tennis show.

[Don Hahn]

Dan has done tennis shows for serious.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Damn right he has. Although I do wish that as a radio station, I do wish we did something with the U.S. open. I don't know what it would be.

[Don Hahn]

What would you like to do?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't know. Just feels like a missed opportunity. It's such a cool event in our backyard.

[Don Hahn]

It is. We've.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It is an awesome event.

[Don Hahn]

In the 20.

[Alan Hahn]

Used to have four years. Patrick McEnroe used to do stuff.

[Don Hahn]

Sure, he did. Back in the day, I did shows with John McEnroe. I've told you those.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, yeah, that's right. Taking us. Taking his socks off.

[Don Hahn]

No pants.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Did the show. No pants.

[Don Hahn]

Well, he got. They got wet. Oh, great guy, though.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Anyways, let's move on.

[Alan Hahn]

This is the NFL bench now.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We gotta.

[Alan Hahn]

We gotta pin that story.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, okay.

[Alan Hahn]

Put a pin in that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Put it. Put a pin in the pants list. McEnroe. We'll get back to that. Pantsless Mike Tannenbaum was on unsportsmanlike this morning.

[Don Hahn]

You gotta be kidding me.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And he talked about the Browns quarterback situation.

[H]

I think in my opinion that the Jacksonville Jaguars will be a top five pick next year, which means Cleveland will have a top five pick. Best case scenario for them is Dylan Gabriel Shador Sanders is their quarterback now they're sitting there with the top five pick and they could trade it. They could take the best on quarterback and job one this year is to let Shador and Dillon battle out. I think Shador wins that. And let's see what we have in Shador. And then I either keep Flacco or Pickett as the backup and then trade the other guy.

[Alan Hahn]

You see how it's flipped going into the draft. If his name wasn't Sanders, you know, he wouldn't be a first round. All this stuff. And now all of a sudden everyone is rooting for Sanders to win the job in Cleveland.

[Don Hahn]

Well, because people are terrible underdog. But I. I got it. I gotta question our company and.

[Peter Rosenberg]

God, no.

[Alan Hahn]

Easy on Mike too.

[Don Hahn]

Why are we spending so much time talking about the Cleveland Browns quarterback?

[Alan Hahn]

Because it's not about the Browns. It's about Shador Sanders.

[Don Hahn]

But who does anyone care?

[Alan Hahn]

It's Sanders.

[Don Hahn]

He was a 5th round pick.

[Alan Hahn]

Right? But it's.

[Don Hahn]

Can I watch the kid play? Like I'm not son. Then he starts doing something. It's still beyond son. And every team passed on.

[Alan Hahn]

Have you seen the clicks? Have you seen the views?

[Don Hahn]

I don't know. I don't know. They obviously ESPN is doing it for a reason. I don't get it. All right. It's not like there's nothing going on. All right? And I just don't understand that's going on.

[Alan Hahn]

The guy that I don't sat. Do you for two days before he was drafted.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, good.

[Alan Hahn]

The son of a legend.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And listen, I'm interested. I'm interested in this.

[Don Hahn]

I'm interested. If he can play, I'll. I'll watch him play.

[Alan Hahn]

Did I not tell you before this process began that I believed he.

[Don Hahn]

I'm preoccupied with sports. I'm sorry.

[Alan Hahn]

All right. Other things I get. You have anything else to do for me though? Was I not saying this before the draft? I think this guy can play. I think this guy has chance to have a good pro career. And now that after we got through the draft and all the pomp and circumstance, now he lands in a place and now everybody's rooting for it to happen because it's a great story.

[Don Hahn]

Now I'm going to tell you something. Here's the angle.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right.

[Don Hahn]

You want to hear the angle?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I love the angle.

[Don Hahn]

Everybody loves football, but I think everybody that loves football wouldn't mind every once in a while make the league look bad. Shador Sanders becoming a great player just makes everybody look like Fox. I'd love it. And it is something to root for, right? Oh, that is makes all these pompous GMs who think they know it all. Listen, you screwed this up. Like I don't care about him. The per. I don't know him and I don't watch Colorado football.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You don't?

[Don Hahn]

No, I did. But there is a. There is something intriguing that if he ends up becoming the next Patrick Mahomes to have an entire league have egg on their face. Even the Browns.

[Alan Hahn]

So now you're understanding where I'm coming from.

[Don Hahn]

Yes. But I still don't understand why right after, right in the middle of everything that's going on.

[Alan Hahn]

Because of everything you just said.

[Don Hahn]

I know, but it was dramatic.

[Alan Hahn]

He sat for two days and now it's like prove them wrong. People love that story, and it starts here.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right, let's hear from Tannenbaum on what. What should be happening in Pittsburgh with the quarterback situation.

[H]

I think a new name we should really start talking about is Will Howard. Like, is there something about the Steelers that they think about Will Howard, who, but for a pretty bad workout at the combine, may have been a top three round pick, but the Steelers have made a lot more decisions than bad ones, guys. And if you look at Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and the years of continuity they've had in those respective offenses, as great as Aaron Rodgers once was, he's going to be 42 in December. Like, are we better off with a young Will Howard that has everything in front of him that'll be chopping at the bit? Like, so to me, the Aaron Rodgers saying, like, what are we really getting now at the end of the day?

[Alan Hahn]

And then there's the Kirk Cousins of it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All.

[Alan Hahn]

Right. That's the other thing is, well, maybe they'll just fall back on Kirk Cousins, who they could have been. They could have brought him in weeks ago. Right, right. They didn't have to wait this out. And so it's very bizarre what's going on in Pittsburgh.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Kirk's a rap in Atlanta. Right.

[Alan Hahn]

I mean, he knows it. Right. He doesn't want to be there. So he's the second guy, and they don't want to pay him to be the second guy. That much money.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I know that he, like, apparently now is hot garbage in half a year just happened with Kirk, but wouldn't you think that would be among the most appealing options for Pittsburgh?

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, that's why, if they haven't done it yet, it tells you that they're not interested either. Because you know what?

[Peter Rosenberg]

You get weird, man. Football is when you.

[Alan Hahn]

When you fall off in the NFL, you're out. Like, you're done. The fall off is quick, and when it happens, that's it. And everyone gives up on you, isn't it?

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's almost odd, like, no one's able to see a quarterback and go, I still feel like we could get something there.

[Alan Hahn]

Joe Flacco is that guy. Joe Flacco was the guy that fell off in Baltimore. Finally, they had enough. Lamar Jackson takes over, and then he's just gotten all these, like, little jobs and it's like.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Isn't it weird, though, Don?

[Alan Hahn]

He's the guy that you and he.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Was never good in the first place.

[Alan Hahn]

I mean, he's good.

[Don Hahn]

No, I won a Super Bowl.

[Alan Hahn]

He won a Super Bowl.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You want to make the list. I know you want to make the list of people who were not very good at what you bowl. They exist. You already did it. Exactly. So isn't it weird, though, that there'll be a guy like Flacco who is never very good and people are happy to keep trotting him out, but then there are ones who were really good five minutes ago and they are done and they cannot sniff the league again.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, it's odd.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I find that you can make a list of that too, Don. Guys who literally fell off a cliff over the course of six games and then you never really saw them again in a real way.

[Alan Hahn]

Let's. There are guys that just hang around. Tyrod Taylor's another great example of a.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Guy that but again, was never. Was never great, but just.

[Alan Hahn]

Just always sticks around.

[Peter Rosenberg]

By the way, I bet he'll stick around till he's 40.

[Alan Hahn]

Is there a young quarterback now that you're like, that's. That's the next. Was Sam Darnold like the next guy that's just going to be. All the time.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He may have crossed into actually good and more like Geno Smith. Just a guy now. I doubt we could be a guy. Yeah, we'll see. Is he a guy to be a guy or not to be a guy? Also kind of goes back to our topic earlier. Deion Sanders says he was, quote, hurt by reports going back to Shador for a moment that said his son Shador Sanders was unprepared during pre draft meetings with NFL teams. But he also isn't buying the validity of these reports either, which is interesting.

[Don Hahn]

He did drop for a reason.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

So there has to be something to it, right?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, he went on Asante Samuels podcast.

[Alan Hahn]

He wants to say. He won't say it.

[Spike]

It.

[Alan Hahn]

But he knows that teams. The, the, the. I mean, the worst kept secret was there were a lot of teams that were hesitant to deal with what comes with bringing in Shador Sanders. That goes beyond Shador. It goes. It's the Deion Sanders of it all. It's having Dion commenting on everything and reacting to things and who want like, the kid is good, but he's not good enough for me to put up with that. If I don't play him right away, if our offensive line isn't good, if the system isn't right. I got to deal with this guy and his million of followers and his. And his, his show on. What is it on Tubi? He's got a show.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, sure.

[Alan Hahn]

Like, like he's always going to be saying Things from Colorado. And nobody wants to deal with it. That's a reality.

[Don Hahn]

Wants to deal with it because he may not be good enough to deal with it. If he ends up being great, you can deal all that stuff and your need of a quarterback. All right, I get that for the first round, maybe the second round, but third round, fourth round, like, at what point he's just like, I'm sorry, there's value there. I gotta live with this.

[Alan Hahn]

It got ridiculous. And then the reaction in the war room is still that. That'll last forever. When they draft them, the guys, the scouts sitting front and center when the camera's on and they announce the pick and how they all just look. Is it bemused?

[Peter Rosenberg]

The right word can be bemused.

[Don Hahn]

And that's why all 32 teams take the hit, not just Cleveland. Cleveland or Cleveland isn't exempt because they took him. They took him in the fifth round and had that reaction when they took him.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Don Hahn]

You can't almost like they were forced to come, by the way, to take them.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They can't celebrate even if they get it right. Don't act like you don't have to. Don't say, I told you so.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, if he's, like, killing it, we knew we should. No. Your owner.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I've never seen anyone drafted on the following Wednesday before. I mean, if Growing Pains is airing, you waited too long to draft someone.

[Alan Hahn]

One.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, it's. That's not good.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right, guys. Caleb Williams has finally responded to what is being talked about from Seth Wickersham's upcoming book, American Kings, a biography of the quarterback, thank God, where it revealed that Caleb Williams and his father had considered ways for him to avoid being drafted by the Bears. Williams said that the book's excerpts have been a distraction over the past two weeks, so we wanted to address it publicly for the first time. He did not deny his initial skepticism of the Bears, their track record for developing franchise quarterbacks, but went on to say that after he visited the Bears In April of 2024, his desire to come to Chicago was strengthened. Quote, I wanted to come here and be the guy and be a part of the reason why the Bears could turn this thing around.

[Don Hahn]

Damage control.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, you know what, though?

[Don Hahn]

But you got to do it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And by the way. And that's.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, his father's literally quoted.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But let's get. Let's at least give him credit for acknowledging it and then just saying, hey, I changed my mind, as opposed to pulling some weird football. We're just going to talk about football. We're going to focus on. I agree you got to say still.

[Don Hahn]

Damage control but it's he's doing something well.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But when damage happens, what do you do?

[Don Hahn]

Control it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's exactly right. That'll do it for the NFL binge on this Monday, June 2nd. We're closer guys starting next week. Maybe we count down the weeks till week one.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, but you know what, we've got two first place baseball teams. Want to touch on that?

[Alan Hahn]

Let's go.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Love touching.

[Don Hahn]

And also get back to the Knicks. Do we have to and dive into that? Yes we do. Up until 7 o' clock and then we got I guess a Dan Grass of vehicle up until first pitch of Mets and sure do here on 880 ESPN New York and the ESPN New York app Pizza.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, let me talk to you guys for a second. FanDuel is the best place to find all your favorite player props for the NBA Finals. Now starting up this week, you can make the smarter play with new performance trends. You want to check a player's consistency during the playoffs or maybe they've been flirting with a potential triple double. Get the latest stats right inside the app and see who's heating up and who's on fire. And after the tip off, boom. You can combine live prop bets into a same game parlay for a chance to win big. If you don't already have FanDuel, it's not too late to get in on the action. You'll get started with $200 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins. So just visit FanDuel.com Peter to join today, make every moment more with FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA 21 and over in fizzly present New York first online real money wager only $5 first deposit required. Bonus issues now withdrawable bonus bets which expire seven days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See [e-mail] for help with the gambling problem. Call 877-8-HOPE and wire text open y467369.

[Podcast Announcer]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg Podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Podcast Announcer]

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

[Don Hahn]

That's Fans, get ready to roll with DP and Rothenberg for the third annual pregame party. It happens on Thursday, June 12th. Come join Rick, Dave and their live at Publicans in Manhasset from 6 to 10am for the ultimate Pregame Party. Then ride the train with them from Manhassett station to Citi Field. The fun keeps going in lot e, starting at 11:30, right up to first pitch when the Mets take on the Nationals. It's all brought to you by Yingling. Traditional lager Legends stand the test of time and Tullamore due because when it's game time, it's Tully time. Before we get back to the Knicks, just interesting weekend for both the Mets and the Yankees. You know, first, you know, the Mets Sweep the Rockies 9 and 50. I mean, give me a break. That's a minor league team. And the Mets did exactly what they had to do, and they swept the Rockies. And with the Phillies struggling against the brewers, the Mets have Mercedes Benz moved back into first place. The Yankees are in first place comfortably. Whether it's the Blue Jays, the Red Sox, the Rays, it just seems like there's a collection of teams that get hot to go to second place. But Yankees still very comfortable. But they did lose two out of three to the Dodgers. And we talked on Friday, Allen, about that being kind of like a measuring stick thing. And even though they salvaged the game on ESPN last night, blown out on Saturday, Judge was phenomenal. But overall, you know, they still lost two out of three. And then after losing four out of five of the World Series. Yeah, it's, it's still a thing.

[Alan Hahn]

It's very much a thing. It's very much a thing. You can't. Like these are the little moments. Freed having his worst outing of the season on Friday doesn't set a great tone, but I'm not going to overreact to that. No, there's a million reasons you could point to that was, you know, that that ended up being probably a, a pretty epic game between two of the superstars and Ohtani and Judge just having it out. I love how Judge leads it off and Ohtani answers like, how great was that? Just great theater. But the. Will Warren Start the 10 runs and 2 innings you.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Not what you want.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, clearly. Right. But it, it's. That's the stuff that kind of worries you. That's what bothers you. You know, the bullpen not being great. Leiter had been really good. Wasn't very good in that game either.

[Don Hahn]

Right.

[Alan Hahn]

But that by then it didn't matter. But it's just the fact that it tacked it on the numbers. What scares you when you put up 18, like the whole bull, the bullpen, the pitching staff, everybody. You own that. That was to me, the, the, the ugly underbelly of the Yankees kind of revealing itself a little bit again. Against the Dodgers and the Dodgers having that sense of ownership. So getting Yamamoto yesterday was, I think it was critical.

[Don Hahn]

I thought it was important.

[Alan Hahn]

I really think like Ben Rice's home run was a statement. That thing was a bomb. I think that without Sunday against their, their guy, those first two games, you had to feel like crap. If you're a Yankees fan, if you're the Yankees, like, we just, we just can't beat this team. They own us. That Sunday game I thought was a critical win. No, it was very important.

[Don Hahn]

It was good to get. But you still lost the series.

[Alan Hahn]

Yes, but Don, I'm telling you too, you could lose that series the same way as far as, you know, two to one. But if the, if the game Sunday was actually played Saturday and Saturdays was Sunday, if you're walking out of that series with the 18 to 2 blowout like you, like the off day is misery. Getting that last game back against their best guy as the last memory is very important.

[Don Hahn]

But the interesting thing is like with the Mets, all right, they're supposed to be the Rockies, but they did get back first place. They're in a battle with Philadelphia and it looks like it's a two team race because the Braves haven't gotten off the mat. They're under.500.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

You know, the Mets have a one game lead on Philly. It's the Mets and the Phillies. And I think the Mets are going to be a comfortable wild card team, but they're still battling for the division. The Yankees still having a five and a half game lead over Toronto and Toronto's only three games above.500. So I think the Yankees are in good shape. So nothing during the regular season, barring some sort of a collapse, it's gonna get you worried about making the playoffs?

[Alan Hahn]

Well, no, not making the playoffs. Right. Detroit's really good.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, Detroit's good. Not a patsy. The Central is not a patsy. That's why when the Yankees start that series against Cleveland, it'll be interesting because they're not the patsies they were before. The Detroit's a legit team now and obviously those wild card teams, not that the Yankees are going to have to worry about it, but you know, Cleveland could be a wild card team, Minnesota could be a wild card team, Kansas City could be a wild card team. So they're not the patsies they used to be, but still the Yankees, I think comfortably are in position to win the division. But the questions are going to have to get answered in the postseason.

[Alan Hahn]

What are the questions? If you have like as We're.

[Don Hahn]

Well, I shouldn't say post season. I should say World Series. But still taking on Detroit in a best of 7 series. Apple is not a fait accompli.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, pitching matchup is the biggest concern. I mean, Luis Healy, you know, getting him back is going to be important. Pretty, pretty. Will Warren tip your cap? He has had good moments and all that stuff, but you need with. With Radon pitching as well as he has. Freed's been very good up until Friday. Friday's the one off. I'm not. I'm not looking at that. It's, I think, you know, bad game, bad sign. That's a bad game. I don't care. But you still, you know, you need heel. You need them.

[Don Hahn]

You'll get heel back. And then you should be okay if you've got three legit starters, best of five and in the best of seven series.

[Alan Hahn]

That.

[Don Hahn]

The point is, is that we were told, and it's true, the American League's not great, but Detroit seems to be very good.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

And, you know, we'll see come playoffs. It might not be again. I want to take anything away from what the Yankees did last year. They beat playoff teams in Cleveland and Kansas City, but those were looked upon as teams they're supposed to win. Now you might have to face a Detroit team that's like, looks like they're pretty legit. And then once you get to the World Series, you know, you'll see the National League's clearly better than the American League. Now, the Yankees did take two out of three from the Mets at Yankee Stadium. It dropped two out of three against the Dodgers. Again, just regular season games. Not getting crazy.

[Alan Hahn]

Okay.

[Don Hahn]

But if the ultimate goal is the World Series, you might have a stumbling block you didn't think you were going to have in Detroit when the season started. Figure they were just going to cruise to the World Series, and I guess it was just a reminder that the Dodgers aren't going anywhere.

[Alan Hahn]

But, Don, what is if? Because as we get closer to now we're in June, we get closer to July. It's all right. Start assessing your roster. What moves can you make? What are the biggest concerns about the Yankees? Well, bottom of the order.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

Bullpen's been good.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah. I'm kind of curious to see Devin Williams.

[Alan Hahn]

Like, if anything positive came out of the weekend, other than Judge and maybe even Rice.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

Is that Devin Williams looks like he might start to. He might be getting it back.

[Don Hahn]

He got got out of that double play. Otherwise, the inning could have been even worse. On Saturday. Does he eventually get his Sunday position back? Look good on Sunday? I'm, you know, Goldschmidt's been good.

[Alan Hahn]

Yep.

[Don Hahn]

But he's gonna be 38 in September. Is that gonna hold up? You know, the Grisham move. Like there's little thing. I think they're good. I think they're fine. And now it's gotta be a weakness.

[Alan Hahn]

What's the weakness? What is it? What's the concern? To me it's, it's. It's just your starting pitching has been good, as you said. Can it hold up? You got three. You got two guys for sure that you feel like you can depend on. What's he'll gonna look like when he comes back?

[Don Hahn]

Right. It might take some time, but if he's anything like he was in his rookie year, you. You're. You're in great shape.

[Alan Hahn]

You hope so.

[Don Hahn]

Starting pitching I think is great. I think the bullpen is going to be fine. Is there another.

[Alan Hahn]

You're always going to tweak a bullpen.

[Don Hahn]

Judge is having another incredible year. Yeah, but is it the circular lineup that you had back in the old days where there was just didn't seem to be any weakness. The bottom of the order. But I don't think they're going to get tested until you get to the playoffs. So. And I think they're going, you know, for, for everything that they're going through, they're still going to win their division. I don't think any. I don't think Toronto, Tampa or Boston.

[Alan Hahn]

14 games over. 500 already.

[Don Hahn]

And so it'll be an interesting summer of just nitpicking because you're evaluating them. Are they a legit championship team? It was always what are you going to do in the playoffs now? They finally got over the hump. They got through the playoffs, lost in the World Series to. I think. But much to Yankee fan chagrin, the Dodgers were better. Yes, I know they had the bad fifth inning. Nestor gave up the home run in game one to Freeman. They were the better team.

[Alan Hahn]

Freeman was also on one in that like you, like there was no matter who. Like once that series ended, you realize that Freeman was just on another level.

[Don Hahn]

And when we get back to the Knicks, that's the problem with losing late in the playoffs is getting back next season. It's. You're twiddling your thumb is because you can't answer the bell until you're in the position to get beyond what you did the year before. So nothing the Knicks accomplish in the regular season first round Second round until they get back to the conference final and get over it. Can you feel like they've taken the next step? Yankees, same thing. They got to get back to the World Series and now win it. Now they're in a league where I don't think they have to worry too much about their division or too much about positioning. Does it matter if you're a one or a two seed? Who cares? But ultimately it's going to be all right. What are you going to do if you get back there and who you face it and are you clearly better than who you might face?

[Alan Hahn]

Is the bottom of the order strong enough to get you through? Because we see in the postseason with the Yankees, it's the runners left on base. It's the inability to get runners over.

[Don Hahn]

And having your big judge in. Judge.

[Alan Hahn]

Judge being frozen. Right.

[Don Hahn]

Because again these regular seasons, he, he's. Peter. He is.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, it's, it's insane.

[Don Hahn]

He's on another level.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, this.

[Alan Hahn]

Now he's going to win MVP again, right?

[Peter Rosenberg]

This, this year, this would be the craziest if, if he were. And for the sake of Yankee fans, I'll say heaven forbid to have another postseason like that where he's just not that guy.

[Alan Hahn]

He's got to have a year where even if they don't win the world.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, he has to have one.

[Alan Hahn]

He still has to have a playoff where.

[Peter Rosenberg]

How would he not be this year? He's batting.391. Guys. It's still, it's not, it's not.400 anymore.

[Don Hahn]

I can't believe.

[Alan Hahn]

It's not impressive.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I know.

[Don Hahn]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but having watched pretty much his entire career.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Is this a moment?

[Don Hahn]

Hold on.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, wait.

[Don Hahn]

Is that. I can understand a Yankee fan being like, okay, he's the best player in baseball. I get it. I, I need, I need a ring. Like, how much more can he impress you? What else? Hit 70 home runs. That 400. It's like, we know he's great, but it's just going to be in the back of your mind, like I always yell the Yankee fans, why don't you appreciate his greatness? But you went to the World Series last year. Now I can understand. It's like, is this going to lead to something here?

[Alan Hahn]

Ted Williams or.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Nah.

[Alan Hahn]

Right?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

Like, it's, it's, it's. Think of the, like all time greats on teams that never won champions.

[Don Hahn]

Now baseball is the one sport Barry Bonds, even with his cheating, never won, went to a World Series but didn't win. Unfortunately, when you're wearing the Yankee pinstripes, that's kind of what people expect, right, that you win the championship. But it's like, how much more can you impress someone?

[Alan Hahn]

How much more can you like, how.

[Don Hahn]

Much more gorgeous can you be? It's like the woman walks into the room and she's stunning. 50 times watching her walk into the room and say, hey, how you doing? Like, all right, I get you're gorgeous.

[Alan Hahn]

You got to bring more to the table.

[Don Hahn]

But at some point, you know, we going home.

[Alan Hahn]

It is if for him it's reached that point. It's where he's too great to not have a champion.

[Don Hahn]

I honestly, I can't think Bonds in his prime. But again, we know that was compromised. I don't know if I've ever seen a more complete baseball player than him. Ohtani is always going to get the.

[Alan Hahn]

Love because he also pitches Mike Trout before the injuries.

[Don Hahn]

But I got, I don't, I don't.

[Alan Hahn]

See Trout never made the playoffs.

[Don Hahn]

Trout may go down as the biggest wasted superstar in the history of sports. I mean, can anybody right now crazy this question we'll get back to and we could talk about it later. Before I break, ask yourself this question in your mind's eye as a baseball fan, how many at bats can you even imagine him watching him perform it? If he plays the Yankees or occasionally the Mets. But like, is there a moment with him striking out in the World Baseball Baseball Classic?

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

Like for all the greatness of every great athlete, how many in your mind's eye, Susan, can you think of those moments? Because he just, he's out in the west coast and he's on a lousy team.

[Podcast Announcer]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Alan Hahn]

I don't want to know how the sausage is made, but I just want to know. It's good.

[Podcast Announcer]

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.