← Don, Hahn & Rosenberg
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- [00:01]
Don Hahn
This episode is brought to you by Lifelock. Not everyone is careful with your personal information, which might explain why there's a victim of identity theft every five seconds in the U.S. fortunately, there's LifeLock. LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats to your identity. If your identity is stolen, a US based restoration specialist will fix it, guaranteed or your money back. Save up to 40% your first year by visiting lifelock.com podcast terms apply.
- [00:31]
Alan Rosenberg
This is the Don Hahn and Rosenberg Podcast.
- [00:35]
Peter Rosenberg
That sounds like heaven to me.
- [00:36]
Alan Rosenberg
Listen live weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers.
- [00:44]
Peter Rosenberg
402 in the big city down on Rosenberg. Take up until 6:30. Then it's Mets, Bucks, Pittsburgh, Pirates over at Citi Field. So go back to the Luca trade to the Lakers. Didn't make a lot of sense, right? Like why would you give up this great player? I don't know. Maybe, you know, contract seems a little lazy. Maybe they just didn't want to have to give a long term deal to a guy that didn't seem completely committed to basketball. But yeah, it doesn't make a lot of sense. Maybe the league made it happen. They wanted the Lakers back.
- [01:17]
Evan Cohen
Oh boy.
- [01:18]
Peter Rosenberg
And what did I say on the air? I said, you know what? I'll believe the conspiracy when the Mavericks land the first overall pick in the draft and they get Cooper flag. Now you got something, ladies and gentlemen. You know, have something because the Mavericks pulled off one of the great coups in the history of the draft lottery. Man, tell me this doesn't stink like bad fish.
- [01:42]
Chris Canty
I think it's hard to figure out there are a few different conspiracy theories that exist around it, right? Some involving the Mavs current ownership wanted to go to Las Vegas and get a casino and a team there. There's a. There's a lot of things at play here. I don't know what it is, but I know that it looks wild. It does an unexplainable trade.
- [02:06]
Evan Cohen
Like it's funny somebody this morning.
- [02:07]
Chris Canty
Now it just makes perfect sense, Alan.
- [02:09]
Evan Cohen
Like what are the odds and 1.8%. Yeah, there were people say like what are the odds that have a 1 8. If this by the way is an example of the NBA since they changed up the odds of the the lottery and how they are trying to deter tanking by what if you are the worst team, you no longer have the best chance. Now you have, you know, you're tied with two other teams for the best chance, but less odds. It has now turned Out. I think it's seven straight years now. The worst record did not win.
- [02:40]
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah.
- [02:40]
Evan Cohen
And it just continues to deter. Tanking. Right. That's one part of the story. But yeah, like, everybody, even LeBron James went to Twitter. Did you? Like, that's not helpful for the league.
- [02:51]
Chris Canty
No.
- [02:51]
Evan Cohen
When it's your biggest star puts a bunch of laughing emojis out on Twitter.
- [02:56]
Chris Canty
Well, he had said it on McAfee. You know, he had said something about thinking the draft lottery is rigged. And I have.
- [03:03]
Evan Cohen
Well, because you said a kid from Akron ends up in Cleveland, a kid from Chicago, Derrick Rose ends up in Chicago. Really? This is how we're doing it. When Banyama ends up on the spurs team. That was Tony Parker, used to, like, basically mentored him in France. Like, all these things give you that. Oh, really? How did that. Oh, how did Zion land in. In New Orleans after New Orleans couldn't keep a star? I went through this with you guys. I gave you the whole thing.
- [03:27]
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah.
- [03:27]
Evan Cohen
And you can. But I can tell you this, I promise you, because I always make jokes about it. I remember years ago, talking do the name drop, talking to David Stern. I was doing a story, and I wanted to interview him. I wanted to interview him about lottery system. And I said, you know, and we've got to talk about 1985, the frozen envelope, which, by the way, was the anniversary, so talk about timing. And I said to him, what went through your mind the moment you saw that the last envelope was going to be the Knicks and they were going to get Patrick Ewing? He said, oh. I said, oh, my God, they're going to wonder how I did it. And he laughed. And I just said, and now that's all we do. He. And he laughed. He's like, I know people run away with it, like, as if we really did rig it. He goes like. Like, we really put in the time to think about how can we do this? I could tell you the lottery system. And I love conspiracy theories. I love playing this game. So I do it tongue in cheek. But to be fair, I do want to say this just to be fair. The NBA has not only this system in place with Ernst and Young that works through. They. They're the ones that actually run the numbers. I've been invited. And other people are members of the media. You are in the back room. You are sequestered the entire time, and you can't come out until the lottery is revealed. But you are there. They have witnesses in the media watching the process.
- [05:02]
Chris Canty
And you wait for the smoke. And when the Smoke comes out pretty much.
- [05:05]
Evan Cohen
But you, you have to wait though in that room until they announce who won the lottery because they want to make sure that nothing leaks out. You don't tell anyone, but they want witnesses that don't work for the league that aren't part of the league. They want unbiased people. And so like I said, I've been invited to, to witness it myself. So as much as we want to have fun with it, it really is just mind blowing that this year of all years, it would be Dallas that would win. And it's one of those, I guarantee you Adam Silver had that same reaction. He must have gone, oh my God, they're going to say I did it. They're going to say this now and laugh.
- [05:43]
Peter Rosenberg
Now obviously it's sexy to say it has something to do with the Luger trade or as you were saying, Peter, the potential move to Vegas, which inevitably is going to happen, whether it's a move or expansion.
- [05:53]
Evan Cohen
Well, they're not moving. It'll be an expansion.
- [05:54]
Peter Rosenberg
But the sexy, the non sexy, but the best for the league is how you want to tank. You want to embarrass yourself. Guess what? You're not going to get the first pick. Oh yeah, I think that one makes the most sense because I think it's the most productive because it hurts the league that these teams are throwing away games. It's bad enough with the regular season, the NBA is and have teams just battling for that first pick and then not get them. So you can think, oh, poor Utah, you know, not getting the pick. But you know what? I don't feel bad for teams that don't know what they're doing. I don't feel bad for teams that lose constantly.
- [06:27]
Evan Cohen
I always, I always damaging for the league.
- [06:29]
Peter Rosenberg
I always bet the best thing get away with, forget the lottery. Give the team that, that has the best record of the non playoff teams the first pick. Because then what you, what you do is you're going to want to win. And what you're going to also do is you might make trades at the deadline to get better, to try to climb out of the basement to get to that point where maybe you can get the best pick. You should be battling for this. Why are we awarding franchises that lose on purpose? Why are we awarding franchises that don't know what they're doing and give and gift them sometime a Cooper flag or a LeBron James or a Connor McDavid. Now some drafts, it doesn't matter because there isn't a consensus number one pick or There isn't a needle mover. But in the years where there's a needle mover and you see teams embarrassing, it's like, why do I want to, why do I want you to go to an embarrassment that either lost on purpose or don't know what they're doing? Why should I gift them this way to kind of get up when I should be awarding the franchises that function, that know what they're doing?
- [07:35]
Evan Cohen
You know how I feel? I feel like even though the lottery is a great show, it's fun and the NFL should do it. The NFL. I don't know why the NFL doesn't have one, but. Okay. But I, I do feel it's, it's a bit antiquated and it's too random and it's still, in some ways rewards, it rewards tanking. But I, I again, I, I think it should be like playing like fantasy sports. I think everybody should have an allotted amount of money and you can spend it any way you want. You can spend it on one player, two players, three players, whatever you want to do with it. And it all has to do with who wants to play for you. So the players, instead of like, what you always hate, is how players don't have control of where they go and they can end up in a bad franchise and be lost forever.
- [08:22]
Peter Rosenberg
But.
- [08:22]
Evan Cohen
Right. But instead the player can decide, I'll take less to play there because that place they develop their players, well, it's a better chance for me. Maybe it's a city I want to live in. Maybe that's home. Maybe I don't want to be. Whatever it is, the fit could be better. And it forces a franchise to not be a joke. It forces a franchise to be good and want and be attractive. Because you know what? In Europe, they get it right. If you suck, you're relegated. That's a, I mean, that's a brutal place to be. Relegation, they don't want, they won't do that here because of obvious reasons. There's too much money involved, too much investment TV deals and everything else. But it doesn't mean that if you are a poorly run franchise, how does it cost you if you, if all I have to do is be really bad, be Owen, Owen 17, and I'll be able to get the best player in the draft. And that player can't tell me, oh, I'm not going there. No, you have no choice. I'm picking you. I have your rights. You're coming here?
- [09:20]
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah, it's. There's no perfect system, but I just Think tanking is the absolute worst.
- [09:25]
Chris Canty
Yeah, well, the Knicks and I do have a take on the lottery, but it's, it's my, let's talk about it Tuesday.
- [09:30]
Peter Rosenberg
So.
- [09:31]
Chris Canty
Okay, I'm going to sit on it.
- [09:32]
Peter Rosenberg
For that's coming up in a couple of minutes, so stay tuned for that. Jose in Brooklyn, you're on ESPN New York. How are you, buddy? Jose, come on. Hang in there, buddy. You're on cloud nine.
- [09:44]
Jose
Hello.
- [09:45]
Peter Rosenberg
There you go. There's bad reception on cloud nine. What's up?
- [09:48]
Jose
My apologies, man. Hello? Hello, Don Allen, Peter, Shout out to the company and I'm here. Like you said, I am on cloud nine on the, on the niche win. And I was actually at the 7th Ave. Plaza Plaza and pretty much stood for the whole game and throughout the whole time, I just said to myself, if this is a blowout by, by halftime, I'm just going to take the train ride home and just, you know, enjoy the rest of it. Enjoy the rest of the misery. Misery at home. But as the game kept going and kept going, we just had that feeling like this is looking more like game one and game two than it was game three. And but side note, as far as the Dallas and the whole conspiracy thing, I do agree with it and I think that it's a horrible look because to just give the team the number one overall pick when they pretty much, you know, co opted Lee, you know, tanked a couple years before for Blake Lively, it's something that still hasn't gotten over as a Nick fan, because that.
- [10:53]
Evan Cohen
Was our pick I would take for Blake Lively too, though.
- [10:58]
Jose
Oh, no, I know, I know, Alan. But you know, as a Nick fan, I'm still, I'm still never over it that that's supposed to be our pick. But as far as for the, for the, for the Knicks, the point that I wanted to bring up because the one thing is I don't want to be negative, but I do this feeling because I've always felt that Jaylen Brown was a, was pretty much more of a dog than, than Tatum, even though Tatum was more talented and you saw in yesterday's game. But when I look at Pritchard and I look at White and I look at all these pieces that Boston still has, there's a part of me that still fears that maybe Jaylen Brown could turn into like have a Jimmy Butler performance and kind of put this team on his back and kind of be a nightmare for us. So I would like to, you know, hear thoughts on possibly, you know, having the Knicks combat that to make sure that, you know, we try to end this in game five or. Or game six, because I would want to avoid a game seven at all possible cost. Thank you for your time, Alan.
- [11:58]
Evan Cohen
Thank you, Jose. The only thing to say there is who was the finals MVP last year? Who was the Eastern Conference finals MVP last year for the Celtics.
- [12:08]
Chris Canty
Yeah.
- [12:09]
Evan Cohen
Jaylen Brown was really their best player in their playoff run. So, like, any thought of, like, okay, Tatum's out. They can be had. There's nothing left. No, they are missing a critical piece. Yes. But to. To. To. To think that they're just going to roll over and die is crazy. Like, there's no. And you know, Missoula is maniacal. They're going to be. They're going to have all kind. He'll have all his. The different sayings and phrases and motivations and, you know, the darkness and all this other stuff that Missoula likes to do. All that stuff, all of it is going to be on the table for them to just look at it as. Win one home game. Have said that. That old. That Celtic pride. And you know, that's coming. That is going to be. I feel like game five will be an absolute brawl.
- [12:58]
Chris Canty
And you wonder. There could be the whole concept of the Celtics messing around and toying with teams that's so dead come Wednesday. You now have a group that sees it as the opposite. The entire world has said we. We are now the underdogs. And they still have everybody else. So now is everybody else 100% healthy? We can discuss that. But Jaylen Brown has an opportunity. I think we've always all felt that Jaylen Brown has a little bit of wanting to prove that he's the dude also. So as we saw with the Olympic team last year, etcetera, he's get. He gets overlooked at times. So, yeah, I think there's a chance. Jalen Brown has a chip on his shoulder and this whole team. And think about it, the crowd in Boston. Guys, we could talk about how great this Celtics Knicks base is, and it's fantastic. The Celtics base is nothing to mess around with either. And they're a team that believes they were going to win a championship. And now their team's back is against the wall. They'll be on fire. It'll be loud. The Knicks will have a battle on Wednesday. I cannot imagine they coast through the Celtics on Wednesday night.
- [14:08]
Evan Cohen
No, no, not at all. Knicks got to be ready for a fight.
- [14:11]
Peter Rosenberg
Oh, yeah. And then they. And I don't think anybody in that room is. Is. Is Daydreaming about the conference final. The fans might media. I get it. They've come too far, man.
- [14:22]
Evan Cohen
Jalen Brunson, I'm sorry for the delay. I keep cutting you off. Jalen Brunson took everybody off the court. Him after the game. Like they, like he was. He had told, get off the court. There's nothing to celebrate. Off the court. Off the court. His whole message was, get in a locker room. You know, we're not done. Let's not turn this into a party because there's still more work to be done. Like, he recognizes it. They all don't want to. You don't want to have that moment where it looks like you're relaxed or it looks like, okay, we got this. You don't want to have that moment until it's done. And that. I think they learned that with the Pistons. They've learned that in the past. They certainly learned that with the Pacers last year. So that. That's why their attitude has to stay that way. And it's. It's going to make this. I'm telling you that. What a compelling game that we're going to have Wednesday night. Absolutely. Compelling game in Boston. It might be like, think about the second round and how it's been where all the road teams are winning and, you know, the Denver, Oklahoma series should be more interesting than it is, but we'll see tonight. But, boy, that, that game Sunday afternoon was God awful. And then think about the basketball game.
- [15:31]
Chris Canty
What about this, though?
- [15:32]
Evan Cohen
But this, this series, this game Wednesday night, this might be the biggest, most compelling playoff game so far of the postseason.
- [15:40]
Chris Canty
Well, I think this, I don't think. I think yesterday was.
- [15:44]
Evan Cohen
I'm saying because you. Because the Celtics now are the defending champs, are on the brink.
- [15:48]
Chris Canty
Right. The only thing I'd argue against it being the most compelling is the fact that Tatum is not there. Like, I see what you're saying. Yes. It could end up being that.
- [15:55]
Evan Cohen
Well, because it's compelling if the, you know, the Celtics put up that fight and all that stuff.
- [15:59]
Chris Canty
Right.
- [16:00]
Evan Cohen
It just gets real.
- [16:01]
Chris Canty
But even if they. Here's the hard part. Even if the Celtics fight and find a way to win at home. Don, think about what it's going to be like on Friday night at msg.
- [16:12]
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah.
- [16:13]
Chris Canty
Coming back to the Garden. No. Tatum. Three, two, Knicks. Chance to close it out. And at that point, I'm good. The Knicks are now back to. Must win. You can't lose. You can't lose Friday.
- [16:25]
Evan Cohen
Yes.
- [16:26]
Chris Canty
So that would be insane.
- [16:28]
Evan Cohen
I'm good.
- [16:29]
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah. We just. You don't want. As great as it would be, 7th Avenue, all that stuff. You know what? You go to 7th Avenue Wednesday.
- [16:36]
Evan Cohen
You know what I want to do Friday night? I want to kick back, have a cold one, and watch the Yankees smack the Mets. That's what I wanted.
- [16:43]
Chris Canty
There you go.
- [16:44]
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah, I'm fun with that. Lying in Connecticut. You're on ESPN New York.
- [16:49]
Caller
Hey, guys. Totally over the moon right now. Don't want to damper the mood, but you guys made mention early about the narrative, the national narrative perpetuated by our good friend Brian Winhorse. And I wanted to get into another narrative, which I'm sure Alan caught it, but a lot of people may have missed in the post game interview. I don't know which reporter, but a reporter, I'm assuming on the Boston team, maybe a beat writer, asked Joe Mazzullo whether, and I quote, was there contact? Because there was some contact. End quote. And for that reporter to perpetuate this false narrative, first off, it's irresponsible. That person should identify themselves and apologize because there was no contact. He's insinuating there was a dirty play by the necks. OG didn't touch him. Mikhail Bridges got all ball on the poke out. All right, on the brown drive. And I'm just. I'm just. I'm tired of. The Knicks played well. They were going to win that game, to Don's point, okay? And for them to make these false narratives is just very unchampionship. Like, and I think it's a reflection of the arrogance of all the Bostonians. They should be ashamed of them.
- [18:00]
Chris Canty
All right, now, I got to tell you, like, you gotta calm down. That is not a regular narrative. I did not. Just because one person asked that. It's somehow a reflection. I gotta tell you. I know. I get it. New Yorkers. I know you guys hate Boston. I know you hate the Red Sox. I understand it. I hear you. There were some things being said yesterday. People tweeting that Tatum getting hurt was karmic for the way the Celtics play. Everyone's gotta calm down. The Celtics are not a dirty team. They're not. I get that they've been down, like, slightly arrogant. Let's not put them in the category of the most obnoxious teams in sports. That's not who they are. I'm sorry, who's the person on the Celtics right now? The active player that you go, oh, I just can't stand them. Who. Who is that?
- [18:47]
Peter Rosenberg
I don't know. They're not there. They're not there.
- [18:49]
Chris Canty
They're not there. But you're looking for stuff that's not there.
- [18:52]
Peter Rosenberg
It's ball. This happens in the playoffs all the time. You know, I'll tell you, we see in the NHL all the time. There'll be a dirty hit and, you know, one fan base will look at it like it's the worst thing that's ever happened.
- [19:02]
Evan Cohen
Domi Barkov situation really got ugly. They got an owner now, been suspended by the league. Yeah. You see that, Doc?
- [19:08]
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah. No, I didn't see that.
- [19:09]
Evan Cohen
The Panthers. One of the Panthers. A guy in the Panthers ownership.
- [19:12]
Chris Canty
How much does his name, last name hurt him?
- [19:15]
Evan Cohen
I. I don't. I couldn't pronounce it, if you ask.
- [19:18]
Chris Canty
No, Domi.
- [19:19]
Peter Rosenberg
Oh, well, I think that's kind of. He doesn't play like his dad.
- [19:23]
Evan Cohen
Yeah. Max Domi's more of a skilled player, but he does, you know, but hit on. On Barkov at the end of the game, it got like. It. It just. That gets people crazy because of the back and forth that happens. This stuff does happen in the playoff series when you're playing. You know, you have all these games and you're going to see them every single game. It's not like the regular season, but, man, it, it, it's. There's. It's not that, but it was the insinuation of was there contact on the play? I think as a reporter, when you're in that moment, you're asking every question possible, because where you're sitting in the building, maybe you get one or two replays, you're not sure what you saw, and you want to ask. Ask and be told no. It's better than not asking and find out that you should have asked. It's better to ask when, when you're a reporter, you ask and be told no. It's better.
- [20:11]
Peter Rosenberg
But in the eyes of the beholder, right? Like you just brought up the Florida Toronto series. You know, people in Toronto say, oh, I don't think it was that bad. And Florida's like, oh, Domi should be killed.
- [20:19]
Evan Cohen
Right?
- [20:20]
Peter Rosenberg
You know, in the town hall.
- [20:22]
Evan Cohen
Right?
- [20:23]
Peter Rosenberg
And I never. And God love him. When I first broke into sports radio was in 96. That's when I got the job of the fan. And that. The Jeffrey Mayer game. Oh, yeah, there were people and I was working the overnight calling saying, I brought out a ruler. I did. He wouldn't have caught the ball anyway. He didn't lean over the fence because there were Yankee fans and they didn't want to admit that he interfered with it, but you see it. You got the colored glasses of your favorite team and you look at it. So I'm sure in Boston, they're gonna try to find something, just like we try to find something here in New York. We're not above it. All right? All fans are gonna be the same. Okay? But, like, if, God forbid, Brunson went down and there was any kind of mild content, we would probably react the same way. Just the way things are in sports.
- [21:08]
Chris Canty
But I have prided myself on not being that guy when it's not there. When I hated Duke players, oh, I'm legitimate. They were legitimately dirty. I don't make it up for people when it's not there.
- [21:22]
Peter Rosenberg
I try. Even before I got into this business, I always try to look at it without being a fan. Because if you let your fandom in it, of course you're going to see it to that side, take the emotion out of it. It's very hard for people to do. And if you don't have a talk show and you're only around Nick fans or you're only around Celtic fans, you're going to rally around, whatever the consensus.
- [21:39]
Chris Canty
And by the way, and most, I just want to say I saw some unclassy things. 90% of Knicks fans were super classy. Respect to Tatum. I hate to see this, but the little ones out there who either said he deserved it in some way, or the people saying the way the Celtics play because they shoot three or three pointers. This isn't basketball. This is what you get. I mean, hey, it's worked out pretty well for him so far. In fact, it worked out for most of this series.
- [22:06]
Peter Rosenberg
So a major hip hop artist we're all fans of had that opinion, right?
- [22:10]
Chris Canty
It was not a good take. It was not a good take.
- [22:13]
Evan Cohen
Say his name.
- [22:14]
Chris Canty
No, I'm not. I've already been down that road before in my career. I'm gonna go ahead and lay off of it.
- [22:19]
Peter Rosenberg
Well, he tweeted it out.
- [22:20]
Chris Canty
He wanted it all. Listen, and if you want to go to war, you go ahead. I've done it before. It never went well for me. So I'll just say when I read it, I went. I almost typed it back, Al. And I went, you know what I'm gonna lay out?
- [22:30]
Peter Rosenberg
Well, I'm a rough. I'm saying you gotta do that. But we gotta show. I don't want to be scared of anybody.
- [22:35]
Chris Canty
Good for you.
- [22:36]
Peter Rosenberg
Well, now you got me wondering. Should I be scared?
- [22:39]
Chris Canty
Well, no, no, no. This kind of take it's nothing. Mine was grounded in something more, you know, more there. But I'm still not doing it again.
- [22:47]
Peter Rosenberg
I want to be able to get the tweet. I want to be able to read it. I want to get it as accurate as possible. But Alan had a little bit of a mishap on the train today and that has taken up like 400% of my feed.
- [22:57]
Evan Cohen
I'm really sorry.
- [22:58]
Peter Rosenberg
So. No, I'm really sorry.
- [23:00]
Evan Cohen
I feel bad to share my experience.
- [23:01]
Chris Canty
Chuck D. Okay.
- [23:03]
Peter Rosenberg
Tweeted out.
- [23:03]
Chris Canty
The great Chuck D, by the way, the soon to be Songwriters hall of Fame Chuck, now a Chuck D that.
- [23:09]
Peter Rosenberg
We had on Allen, a show that we did. You were filling in for K years ago. And Alan got Chuck on and he said he didn't mind the Celtics, he didn't hate the Celtics. And I called him a fraud.
- [23:21]
Evan Cohen
That is true. Really.
- [23:22]
Peter Rosenberg
And I survived. So maybe. So maybe I should be the guy.
- [23:25]
Chris Canty
The question's different. Yeah, go ahead.
- [23:26]
Peter Rosenberg
Chuck D said, karma for the seas. Unethical, unwatchable, Blanking brand of coward. Ball stacking players at the perimeter, attempting seven trays in a row. Hack a Mitch blank analytics. Mix it up and play damn basketball.
- [23:46]
Chris Canty
Unethical. Say whatever you want about it. You could say unwatchable. That's saying on what? I don't fully agree with that, but I can hear the argument. There's nothing they do that's unethical.
- [23:56]
Evan Cohen
Right?
- [23:56]
Chris Canty
That is the way they play basketball. They shoot a lot of threes. They live and die by it. That's how it goes.
- [24:01]
Peter Rosenberg
And he didn't be passed. He passed it over because he didn't write the lyrics. But I told you I had a problem. Why are you killing Elvis and John Wayne? They're no longer with us.
- [24:11]
Chris Canty
They had no way to defend themselves. What you're saying.
- [24:13]
Peter Rosenberg
But he said he didn't write the lyrics, so he kind of. I think he agreed with me. Right, Allen? Elvis was a hero to most. Elvis was the hero to most.
- [24:21]
Chris Canty
That's the remix version where they do it like three times. Very early 90s.
- [24:25]
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah. But the one I got is not the popular version.
- [24:30]
Chris Canty
No, no, no. It's very well known version. The one that goes Elvis and it brings it back. But that was like very like, you know, early 90s power mix, mega mix.
- [24:39]
Peter Rosenberg
All right.
- [24:42]
Alan Rosenberg
Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.
- [24:45]
Chris Canty
I didn't listen to anything you just said.
- [24:47]
Alan Rosenberg
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.
- [25:01]
Evan Cohen
This is.
- [25:02]
Alan Rosenberg
Let's talk about it Tuesday with Don Hahnen. Sponsored by BetterHelp.
- [25:11]
Chris Canty
All right, ladies and gentlemen, it is time to talk about it. Let's talk about it. Talk about it Tuesdays on Don Hahn and Rosenberg, brought to you by our dearest of friends at Better Help. Mental health is health, guys. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Now, something I need to talk about today is it's gonna go right up against something Allen said earlier. And I don't know how passionate Allen was about it, but he said something about, like, he was surprised. Well, I don't know. He was speaking more towards the literal existence of the lottery and, like, it being a fairness thing potentially, and that could be in the NFL. I'm not speaking about the existence of the actual lottery. I don't care one way or the other how they get to the decision on who picks where as a television vehicle. What the hell was that last night? I'm sorry. I know I work at ESPN and I love my job. I'm gonna be honest. What?
- [26:11]
Peter Rosenberg
What?
- [26:12]
Chris Canty
It was like this weird in between of like, Don. It kind of felt like the energy of the Heisman Trophy room. Like, it's like, subdued and quiet and there are people there, but they don't really know what they're cheering for. And like, it's not regular fans that are there who's able to be in the room for the draft lottery. It's like a bizarre feel period, because ultimately, it's a random picking of ping pong balls. It's not really. That's why Don, in the past, if you remember, it's always been awkward. They just didn't have the live audience always. They would just be standing in a studio. Yesterday, they had an audience, which was weird. But then I thought it couldn't get any worse. And I just wanted to get to our fantastic ESPN ABC coverage of the NBA. And they said, no, no, no. We have Cooper flag here. So now we can say the presumptive number one pick. It's not presumptive. He may be as close a thing as we've had since Shaquille O' Neal. It's a guarantee, 100% the number one overall pick. And Don, he couldn't. I get it. He's a kid. Couldn't answer a question, not a word to be said. You went to Duke, supposedly such a smart university. You think they tell you how to put together two sentences? He didn't answer anything. It was a complete and utter waste of time. I would have rather the camera been focused on Mike Breen, just staring into space, waiting for the game to start. That would have been better than seeing this no personality jabroni. Talk about God knows what. Take the draft lottery off tv, cut to Malika Andrews and Perk on set and tell me what happened. I don't need to see it.
- [27:54]
Peter Rosenberg
Well, because then people would claim impropriety. Oh, that's right. They do it anyway, Right, Exactly.
- [27:58]
Chris Canty
We still can't buy what happened. All right, that's it. I'm done.
- [28:03]
Evan Cohen
Can I tell you that?
- [28:04]
Chris Canty
Oh, yeah, go ahead.
- [28:07]
Evan Cohen
My experience was covering lots of lotteries because I. That means you covered a lot of bad teams.
- [28:12]
Peter Rosenberg
Right.
- [28:13]
Evan Cohen
Donnie Walsh once called it a convention of losers.
- [28:17]
Peter Rosenberg
That's.
- [28:17]
Evan Cohen
That's what the lottery night is. We all go, and it's all pomp and circumstance, and it's all this whole thing, and you look around and everybody's happy. And it's like, he would be grumbling. And that's what he said to me one day. It's a convention of losers. And you're just like, nobody wants to be here. The whole idea is to never be back here again.
- [28:37]
Chris Canty
He was comfortable being here, and he was comfortable there.
- [28:39]
Evan Cohen
And he's like. And there's certain. He goes. And there's certain teams that there's. It's almost like they have their own table. They have a reserve table because, you know, every year they're going to be here.
- [28:48]
Chris Canty
Oh, shout out to the Wizards.
- [28:50]
Evan Cohen
Exactly. So it's. But the show, they do sometimes have a little studio audience. I know we covered. They didn't. They always have people. I think the most bizarre thing, Peter, is everybody on the dais. Every team's got a rep. The saddest picture of all was when Clyde was there, when the Knicks had the worst record in the league and. And they lost. They. They finished. I guess they got the third pick that year. It was R.J. barrett. And the picture of Clyde, when they announced the Knicks had, you know, fallen out of whatever it was, his look of pain.
- [29:23]
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah.
- [29:24]
Evan Cohen
Became. Became a meme. Yeah. You know, like, that's the weird thing, is the people that they make sit there and have to smile, hoping they're good luck. And it's like. And if you're not, you are the picture of loss. It's. It is a very weird show. I agree with you. And then interviewing the kid like they did. It was. I did. Anybody that is the bona fide number one pick, they'll interview him. And it's the same old thing. Like, oh, well, you ever go to Texas? Do you like Dallas? You like? It's just so bizarre.
- [29:52]
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah, it's just an awkward.
- [29:53]
Evan Cohen
It is a weird show, but just remember that phrase. That is truly the convention of losers. Anybody there never wants to be there again.
- [30:02]
Peter Rosenberg
I've told this story a long time ago. I think Peter remembers it, that I got to go to Secaucus, and I hosted on ESPN radio the draft lottery for LeBron James.
- [30:16]
Chris Canty
Oh, yeah, I remember this.
- [30:18]
Peter Rosenberg
So I did my homework, and everybody knew LeBron James was going to be the pick, although James wasn't there. But, you know, Cleveland got it. Big deal. I do all the work. But the one thing I didn't do work on Allen was to know that Gordon Gund was blind. So they literally had me in a closet. The radio studio in Secaucus was like a closet. It could fit me and maybe a half of another person. So they bring Mr. Gund in for me to interview him. He just won the draft lottery, and I'm, like, on the air, and my back is to him because in order for me to talk on the microphone, I couldn't turn around. But I could tell through the reflection in the glass that they were bringing him in, putting it behind me, setting up a microphone, like a handheld microphone for me to do the interview with him. So I half turn around and I stick out my hand to shake his hand while I'm talking.
- [31:16]
Chris Canty
Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no and no.
- [31:20]
Peter Rosenberg
You thought it was bad at the Christmas party a few years ago.
- [31:22]
Evan Cohen
Edith.
- [31:23]
Chris Canty
With Edith, yeah.
- [31:25]
Peter Rosenberg
My hands are hanging out there for, like, a minute and a half. And I'm talking, and I'm thinking, well, it's kind of rude. Got my hand out here for a minute and a half. The guy's not shaking, and who else am I trying to shake hands with? He's the only other person in the room.
- [31:38]
Evan Cohen
Oh, my God.
- [31:40]
Peter Rosenberg
So now I situate. I'm able to finally turn complete because they helped the microphone, where I get an interview, and I could clearly see with the cane and the glide that he's. Please. Why?
- [31:50]
Evan Cohen
How'd you feel?
- [31:51]
Peter Rosenberg
Well, I'm very happy that there wasn't, like, a confrontation. Like, dude, man, why aren't you shaking my hand? But I was on the air, but it was just. It was. That's. That's my. My take from that draft. The big deal draft. But I didn't know. I'm sorry.
- [32:07]
Chris Canty
What are you gonna do?
- [32:08]
Peter Rosenberg
What are you gonna do?
- [32:09]
Evan Cohen
You didn't know.
- [32:09]
Peter Rosenberg
How are you supposed to know, I'm sorry.
- [32:11]
Evan Cohen
He's not wearing a sign outside of.
- [32:13]
Peter Rosenberg
Brad Daugherty and the shot that Jordan took. What did you know about the Cleveland Cavaliers before they drafted LeBron?
- [32:21]
Evan Cohen
Nothing.
- [32:21]
Peter Rosenberg
I just told you the two things. You remember, right?
- [32:23]
Evan Cohen
Mark Price, Craig, Brad.
- [32:25]
Peter Rosenberg
Brad Darby, who's now probably more well known in NASCAR circles than he is in the NBA.
- [32:30]
Evan Cohen
That is true.
- [32:31]
Chris Canty
That's crazy. He was the man.
- [32:33]
Peter Rosenberg
No, he was a real artist. No.
- [32:36]
Evan Cohen
Who?
- [32:36]
Chris Canty
Brad Daugherty?
- [32:37]
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah.
- [32:37]
Evan Cohen
Oh, yeah.
- [32:38]
Peter Rosenberg
Well, he said he was the man.
- [32:39]
Chris Canty
I'm like, no, no, I'm in the NBA. Like, he was a real player. He wasn't. He wasn't.
- [32:42]
Evan Cohen
Brad Daugherty.
- [32:45]
Chris Canty
Disrespect too soon?
- [32:46]
Peter Rosenberg
No. You have one. Alan, anything jingling and jangling in your pocket?
- [32:50]
Evan Cohen
Well, I mean, you guys know what I went through today, right? That's what I like to do, is you gotta hustle and do get up, but I like to get home, get a quick workout in, just refresh, and then go back in and do the show with you guys. And a lot of. I will always take the lirr back in instead of drive because it's just an easier way to go, easy way to prep. And it's very convenient for me the way it's set up with the timing of it all. It's perfect. And it's never. It's been flawless the whole time since we started the show until today. I woke up this morning, guys, you know, after a game like that last night and the energy in the. In the city and all that stuff. Yeah. You feel unstoppable. Had a great show this morning with J. Will and Udonis, Haslam and Greenie. And then I'm ready to go. Fired up, coming in, go to the train station, and the change is sitting there. I get up on the platform and I'm going, what's going on? Why are we. Why are we just sitting here? And I Look, maybe about 120, 130 yards away is a. Is it railroad crossing road that goes right by? And on it was a tractor trailer. Like a car. A car carrier tractor trailer.
- [34:06]
Peter Rosenberg
Oh, wow.
- [34:08]
Evan Cohen
Now, this is on a hill going up a hill over the tracks. Well, the front part of the. The tractor trailer got over the hill. The trailer itself was suspended in air because between the wheels, it hit the hill, and that was. It couldn't move. Stuck. So the train can't go anywhere?
- [34:34]
Peter Rosenberg
Nope.
- [34:35]
Evan Cohen
And right away, the, you know, MTA people show up and the police show up, and it just seemed to be more and more people Showing up and doing nothing. Just gathered around scratching their heads and staring at this trailer, not knowing, really, what can we do here. So it took an hour for that to finally be cleared. That hour was enough to have blown any chance for me to make it into work on time. And so, you know, we're all standing there, but the, the, you know, can we talk about it? Part of it to me is as I'm realizing that I'm not going to be able to spend the day with you guys after a night like that and sit together in the studio together and really have fun with this. It starts to rain.
- [35:21]
Chris Canty
Oh, boy.
- [35:22]
Evan Cohen
And as I'm turning to walk away in the distance down the platform, I hear a trumpet. There's a man who was waiting to get on the train who decided to grab a chair. Where he got the chair, I have no idea. But there's a chair now on the platform and this. And he's leaning against the train on the chair, playing a trumpet. First he played the national anthem. Oh, I kid you not. Well, Patriot, there was a man there wearing a Mets hat. Took it off, held it against his chest. I swear to God, this was all happening, okay? And then he starts playing his various songs that you might play with with the trumpet. And I found it all just so bizarre and so strange. And yet in a moment where I was really frustrated and I was looking down at these guys who probably themselves are frustrated, like, what the hell do we do here with this thing? Looking at a truck driver going, bud, you just ruined so many people's days. You know, like, think about the train that was stuck coming the other way, People trying to get home, whatever it is. This guy who thought he could get over this little hill with this gigantic truck on a very small road. He's the guy that everybody now is angry about. But because of the guy playing the trumpet, I started to laugh. I started to giggle. And I gotta admit, I gotta admit, it just. It took what would have been a frustrating, anxiety riddled moment and actually just made me laugh. So, you know, sometimes we say, you know, we gotta talk about it, and it's just something that pisses us off. This was something that really could have set me off. But, like, BetterHelp will tell you, just find.
- [37:01]
Chris Canty
Look at that.
- [37:02]
Evan Cohen
Find the happy.
- [37:03]
Chris Canty
Instead. You were saved by the trumpet. The name of your eighth book that was. Let's talk about it. Sponsored by BetterHelp Visit betterhelp.com timeout today for 10 off your first month of therapy. Good for the trumpet. Timmy. Timmy. Trumpet coming through.
- [37:19]
Evan Cohen
I was waiting for Narcos. It didn't happen.
- [37:21]
Peter Rosenberg
I was hoping for then that would have. That would have made a lot worse for Alan for sure.
- [37:26]
Alan Rosenberg
Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.
- [37:30]
Chris Canty
I didn't listen to anything you just said.
- [37:31]
Alan Rosenberg
Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.
- [37:39]
Peter Rosenberg
I like this. I mean, I know I'm a Met fan, so it brings back some pretty cool memories of 2022, but this does rock, doesn't it?
- [37:47]
Evan Cohen
It's a cool. It's got a trial, it's got a very triumphant feel to it and. And when Diaz comes out, it's awesome. My only complaint when I was on with Bart when this was all coming out, my only complaint was the dopey Mr. And Mrs. Met holding up the plastic trump. It's like, dude, it ruins the whole thing. It would be as if when they play Enter Sandman and out comes mo that all of a sudden we. We cut to some dopey mascot holding a plastic guitar and do an air guitar. Like, why do I need that? Just stick to. Just stick to the song and the image of the, you know, the. The matador coming out or the, you know, whatever you want to call it. Like that. That's. That's a better scene than now I got to see this big dopey baseball head guy playing a trumpet. Like, come on. Killing it.
- [38:33]
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah, I'm not a fan of Mr. Matt.
- [38:35]
Chris Canty
Yeah, you always had beef with Mr. Matt, am I right?
- [38:40]
Evan Cohen
Well, when he phrases strong, I wouldn't.
- [38:42]
Peter Rosenberg
Phrase it like not really a person.
- [38:44]
Chris Canty
Would you fight Mr. Matt?
- [38:46]
Peter Rosenberg
No, I can't confirm this, but it might not even be a male in there. You don't know?
- [38:55]
Chris Canty
No.
- [38:57]
Evan Cohen
What about Mrs. Met?
- [38:59]
Peter Rosenberg
Could be a guy. I don't know, whoever fits the suit. You would think it's a guy and a girl, but you don't know. I'm sure somebody sit there and have beef with somebody. I don't know who's under there. I just. The whole mascot thing, it's. Yeah, the kids like, it's not my. It's not my blade.
- [39:15]
Chris Canty
Well, why wait? Hold on, hold on. Matt, it's not for you. I mean, it's. I mean, Honestly, you're a 50 something year old man, but.
- [39:26]
Peter Rosenberg
But the mascot wasn't always for you. I came out of the womb with a beard and a bitter beard.
- [39:32]
Chris Canty
But when you were 10, you didn't.
- [39:33]
Peter Rosenberg
Like a mascot, didn't care for him.
- [39:35]
Chris Canty
Have you ever watched Benny the Bull? His Work.
- [39:37]
Evan Cohen
I. I hated them.
- [39:38]
Chris Canty
I loved Benny.
- [39:39]
Peter Rosenberg
I was not a fan of the Philadelphia or San Diego chicken. I just thought it was corn.
- [39:45]
Chris Canty
Come on. When the lady with the big boobs came out with the San Diego chicken.
- [39:48]
Peter Rosenberg
That'S not a mascot. That's just a lady with big boobs.
- [39:50]
Chris Canty
No, no, but with the San Diego chicken, and they would have the thing. It was. Come on.
- [39:54]
Evan Cohen
I don't know. Peter was looking at the chicken.
- [39:55]
Chris Canty
That was very end of the fight.
- [39:57]
Evan Cohen
Dom was looking at the lady.
- [39:58]
Peter Rosenberg
So what you're saying is it's possible that the woman with the big boobs was the very first furry.
- [40:06]
Chris Canty
And she wanted that chicken, as Ernie Anastas once famously said on tv.
- [40:13]
Peter Rosenberg
I wanted to bring this up quick. I know it's a nick day, but I did find this interesting that Rob Manfred announced that Shoeless Joe Jackson and Pete Rose have been reinstated into Major League Baseball. He says, obviously, a person no longer with us cannot be represented as a threat to the integrity of the game. Manford wrote petition Rose removal from the ban list. Moreover, it is hard to conceive of a penalty that has more deterrent effect than one that lasts a lifetime with no reprieve.
- [40:48]
Evan Cohen
This doesn't make sense.
- [40:49]
Peter Rosenberg
Well, listen, it makes sense to the sense. Well, it's a lifetime ban. He's no longer alive. But what exactly are you reinstating? Like, this is what bothers me about it. And with Pete Rose, Listen, he dug his own grave. He wasn't apologetic and all that. But I do feel bad. Shoeless Joe Jackson died in 1951. All right? So he's long gone. I'm sure his, his, his immediate family gone. So we're talking about, like, second and third generation people that can appreciate this. Shoeless Joe Jackson was banned because he took money from a gambler throwing the 1919 World Series. Eight players were thrown out of Major League Baseball, and Shoeless Joe Jackson was the most prominent one. Again, I understand why he was thrown out of Major League Baseball. And they were found. They weren't found guilty of it. Matter of fact, it was thrown out of court. But Kennesaw Mountain Land has still banned them, so there was no conviction. Alan. And then you look at it and listen. I'm a big fan of the movie Eight man out, which does a great job about this movie. Back in 1987, Shoeless Joe in the World Series, you know, batted almost like 350 in that world Series. His exact batting average in that World Series, as I, as I punch it up here, was.375 he was five. He was hit.12 hits, a home run, six RBI. So if he was throwing it, he did a bad job of throwing it. But my point is that when he died in 1951, nobody was reinstating him. And I don't know what exactly this does. I guess it could make them eligible for the hall of Fame now, I guess, but it just feels bad after these guys are long gone. Like, what exactly happened today other than just a. A photo op, a chance for an article, something that tries to make people feel good, but it just leaves me dead, man, That's. I don't feel like anything was accomplished today.
- [42:50]
Evan Cohen
Thank you, Don. I'm with you. This is such a random thing on a random day. Would you agree?
- [42:58]
Peter Rosenberg
Yes.
- [42:58]
Evan Cohen
Like the fact when, when I saw this breaking news on ESPN.com I was like, is today, like, a significant day? Am I missing something? Like, what was it about today that you'd want that you'd think, here's the. Here's the day. We're going to put out this press release because this isn't something. He woke up this morning, and we're going to do this today. This is planned. Right. So, like, what is the significance and the timing and everything else of it and to announce it the way you announce it and to explain it, of course, in the awkward way. So. Yeah. So a lifetime ban now is basically like, you are. They're taking it literally till death.
- [43:34]
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah.
- [43:35]
Evan Cohen
Like, you'll never see yourself in the hall of Fame, but it doesn't mean that you'll never be in the hall of Fame. So now it's more. The punishment is you'll never get the satisfaction of the speech and the induction and this pomp and circumstance. But it doesn't mean that we won't one day honor your legacy or your career.
- [43:55]
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah. And it just. And there's. Listen, I guess all the players, you know, Eddie Seacott and Buck Weaver and all the other guys that were part of that Black sox scandal in 1919 also will be reinstated. But these are the two big names. But the thing is, I always felt. Alan, is that what killed Pete was that Bart Giamatti died. I really believe if Bart Giamatti had survived, he would have reinstated Pete Rose a year later. But when he died, Faye Vincent came in, he wanted to honor his friend who gave him the lifetime ban. And then he just snowballed where nobody wanted to be the guy to let him back in. And now he's dead. So now we could just do it. And it just seems like.
- [44:33]
Evan Cohen
And it just erases something that's an annoying thing every year that everybody wants to write about. So now we eliminate it. Now we don't have to deal with that anymore. I guess I just want to know this quickly is like this is something that the Barry Bonds and all them are going to. This is, this is also a message to them, don't you think?
- [44:50]
Peter Rosenberg
I I think you'll be in the.
- [44:52]
Evan Cohen
Hall of Fame, but you won't see it.
- [44:53]
Peter Rosenberg
I think what you're would Rob Manfred's getting in front of is that and Peter and I have talked about this for years, time is going to come where people aren't going to care about steroids. We're like, why are these guys in? They're eventually going to get into the hall of Fame. So I just think they're trying to get out in front of it because again, the PD thing is going to age much different.
- [45:11]
Chris Canty
But again, you can vote for people with PEDs. They just won't get in.
- [45:14]
Peter Rosenberg
They won't get it. But.
- [45:14]
Chris Canty
But whereas Pete didn't have the option.
- [45:16]
Peter Rosenberg
Didn't have the option. But it does send a message like you'll start to see things kind of change as time goes on. Hey New York City soccer fans, the Hudson River Derby is coming to Queens. New York City FC takes on their rival, the New York Red Bulls at Citi field on Saturday, May 17th at 4:30 and could be you could be there for free. We're giving away two pairs of tickets to this massive matchup between the Boys in blue and their crosstown rivals. Get there early for Fan Fest with music and family fun for supporters of all ages. Don't miss your chance to be there. Enter now at espnnewyork.com or on the ESPN New York app. Just find the contest tab and submit your entries. Don't miss the action. Grab your seats now@ticketmaster.com NYC FC thanks.
- [46:04]
Alan Rosenberg
For listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.
- [46:07]
Evan Cohen
I don't want to know how the sausage is made, man. I just want to know. It's good.
- [46:10]
Alan Rosenberg
Hear more of Don, Alan and Peter weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers.