Hour 2: Knicks & The List

Summary

Don, Hahn & Rosenberg Podcast Summary Episode: Hour 2: Knicks & The List | Released April 30, 2025

Hosts:

• Don Hahn – ESPN New York and New Jersey legend
• Al Hahn – Long-time sportswriter and New York Knicks broadcaster
• Peter Rosenberg – Highly opinionated Hip Hop veteran and WWE personality

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1. Knicks' Current Performance and Trade Decisions

Discussion Highlights: The hosts delve into the New York Knicks' recent performance, particularly focusing on the impact of last year's trade involving center Isaiah Hartenstein. Al Hahn expresses the prevailing sentiment among Knicks fans, highlighting disappointment post-trade.

Notable Quotes:

• Al Hahn (01:03): "The feeling is going to be among this fan base, they had a better chance before the trade than they have after the trade that last year."
• Peter Rosenberg (01:13): "You can't kill the Knicks for that because they had to do something with Hartenstein being gone, right?"

Analysis: They discuss the necessity of the trade due to Hartenstein's departure and the resultant challenges in rebuilding the team's core. Al emphasizes the dilemma where fans feel the team's potential has diminished post-trade, even though the decision was unavoidable.

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2. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Future with Milwaukee

Discussion Highlights: The conversation shifts to Giannis Antetokounmpo's status with the Milwaukee Bucks, contemplating his potential departure and its implications for the NBA landscape.

Notable Quotes:

• Peter Rosenberg (02:20): "This will not take long before we find out what's going to happen with Giannis in Milwaukee."
• Al Hahn (02:16): "Would that have been enough to move the needle with Milwaukee?"

Analysis: The hosts speculate on Giannis's possible moves, discussing fan sentiments and the emotional aspects surrounding his tenure with the Bucks. They note Giannis's observable mood swings during games, which may indicate his readiness to move on.

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3. Coaching Decisions and Player Accountability

Discussion Highlights: A critical analysis of recent coaching decisions, particularly focusing on timeout usage in high-stakes games. The conversation highlights Josh Hart's performance and the broader implications of coaching strategies.

Notable Quotes:

• Peter Rosenberg (04:14): "He just wore it."
• Al Hahn (04:16): "But I think he was, because he knew that was coming and he was disappointed in himself."

Analysis: They debate the appropriateness of the coach's decision to use a timeout under pressure, considering the team's performance and the necessity to support key players. The hosts reflect on emotional accountability and strategic choices in critical game moments.

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4. Analysis of General Manager Strategies

Discussion Highlights: The hosts examine the role of general managers in assessing and managing team rosters. Emphasis is placed on making unbiased decisions to build a championship-contending team.

Notable Quotes:

• Peter Rosenberg (14:23): "The best ones will always honestly assess their roster without emotion and not worry like, well, I just traded for that guy or I just signed that guy."
• Al Hahn (15:10): "Don't be shocked."

Analysis: Al and Peter discuss the importance of transparent and unemotional decision-making in the front office. They critique past decisions, such as retaining Evan Fournier, and stress the need for adaptability and willingness to correct mistakes promptly to enhance team performance.

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5. "The List" Segment: Top New York Sports Brawls

Discussion Highlights: In a lively segment, the hosts compile and debate a list of the most memorable and intense brawls in New York sports history. This includes incidents from baseball, basketball, hockey, and football.

Notable Moments:

• Yankees vs. Orioles (May 19, 1998): Highlighted as a significant altercation featuring Darryl Strawberry chasing Roberto Benítez.
  • Al Hahn (27:31): "That was when fight was fighting, man."
• Knicks vs. Heat Fight Anniversary (April 30, 1998): Recalling the infamous brawl involving Rick Brunson and Alonzo Mourning.
  • Al Hahn (27:03): "The 98 Knicks Heat fight the 20th anniversary today."
• Mets vs. Reds (July 22, 1986): Noted for the altercation between Ray Knight and Eric Davis.
  • Al Hahn (31:34): "Vince Coleman slides hard into third base... Ray Knight just punches him."

Analysis: The segment provides nostalgic insights into some of the most heated moments in New York sports, emphasizing the intense rivalries and high emotions that define these events. The hosts share personal anecdotes and opinions on the impact these brawls had on the teams and their fan bases.

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6. Callers' Perspectives on the Knicks-Celtics Series

Discussion Highlights: Listeners' calls introduce varying perspectives on the New York Knicks' playoff series against the Boston Celtics. A prominent caller, Joey, expresses deep frustration with the team's lack of ambition and consistency.

Notable Quotes:

• Caller Joey (10:18): "This team doesn't care... I hope they woke up this morning and they realized that, damn, we could have done something nice last night for the damn city."
• Al Hahn (16:24): "Just win, just win the damn game. And then we can assess everything after the fact."

Analysis: Joey's passionate plea underscores a broader sentiment of disenchantment among fans regarding the Knicks' playoff strategies and commitment. The hosts acknowledge these frustrations, advocating for a focus on immediate game outcomes while recognizing the underlying desire for the team to perform with greater purpose and determination.

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7. Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up

Discussion Highlights: As the episode concludes, the hosts reiterate the importance of strategic decision-making and team focus. They emphasize the need for the Knicks to secure victories to build momentum and regain fan trust.

Notable Quotes:

• Al Hahn (43:18): "I have not enjoyed any of this. The only thing I enjoyed was getting the opportunity to call a game..."
• Peter Rosenberg (45:05): "Today's fan says if he's not getting it done, he's never getting it done."

Analysis: The hosts wrap up by highlighting key takeaways from their discussions, urging the Knicks to prioritize winning and making decisive moves that align with long-term success. They reflect on fan expectations and the evolving nature of sports fandom, stressing the necessity for the team to meet these demands through performance and effective management.

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Conclusion: In this episode of Don, Hahn & Rosenberg, the hosts provide an in-depth analysis of the New York Knicks' current standing, strategic decisions, and the broader implications for the team's future. Through engaging discussions, personal anecdotes, and listener interactions, they offer a comprehensive look into the challenges and expectations facing one of New York's most storied basketball franchises. Additionally, the "List" segment adds a nostalgic touch, celebrating iconic moments in New York sports history.

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Notable Timestamped Quotes:

• Degree Deodorant Commercial (00:00 - 00:30):
  • Don Hahn (00:00): "Degree heard us, admitted they messed up and brought the original Cool Rush scent back..."
• Knicks' Trade Impact (01:03):
  • Al Hahn (01:03): "They had a better chance before the trade..."
• Giannis' Mood (02:09):
  • Al Hahn (02:09): "This will not take long before we find out what's going to happen with Giannis in Milwaukee."
• Timeout Debate (04:14):
  • Al Hahn (04:14): "The missed opportunity for that exact reason."
• Best General Managers (14:23):
  • Peter Rosenberg (14:23): "...the best ones will always honestly assess their roster without emotion..."
• Top Brawls List (27:31):
  • Al Hahn (27:31): "Strawberry chasing Benitez was a classic."
• Callers' Frustration (10:18):
  • Caller Joey (10:18): "I'm just so disenfranchised with this team."

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For listeners who missed the episode, this summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights shared by Don Hahn, Al Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg, providing a comprehensive overview of the Knicks' challenges and memorable moments in New York sports.

Transcript

[Don Hahn]

Fellas, you know degree Cool Rush deodorant, right? Well, last year they changed the formula and guys were mad about it. One dude even started a petition. So guess what? Degree heard us, admitted they messed up and brought the original Cool Rush scent back exactly how it was. And it's in Walmart, Target and other stores now for under $4. So grab some and remember why its cool, crisp and fresh scent made it the number one men's antiperspirant for the last decade. Degree Cool Rush is back, and it smells like victory for all of us.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This is the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Al]

That sounds like heaven to me.

[Peter Rosenberg]

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

[Al]

4:00 in the big city. Don Hahn and Rosenberg on 880 ESPN New York. This is what stinks about the situation, Al.

[Don Hahn]

Which one? What situation?

[Al]

The Knicks is that whether it ends on Saturday at the Garden or it ends sometime next week against Boston, the feeling is going to be among this fan base, they had a better chance before the trade than they have after the trade that last year. They had a better chance. But you can't kill the Knicks for that because they had to do something with Hartenstein being gone, right?

[Peter Rosenberg]

And they'd have a center.

[Al]

They couldn't keep Hartenstein. So this got this all going. So don't you hate those dilemmas that. Where there's nobody to blame? Like if they, if they just decided we're getting rid of Hartenstein, we're not going to go there, we'll let them go. We could pay him, but we're not going to. Then you can kill Leon Rose and say, you know, maybe you shouldn't have done that, but they had to do something. But there's a legitimate belief in Nick Land that, you know what, you felt better about last year's team than you feel about this team. And that's not supposed to be what we thought at the beginning of the year.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's correct. And the also. The thing you can also do is the. Is the, the rearview mirror stuff, which drives you crazy, is to say, well, you should have kept your picks and not traded for bridges. And now you'd have all you'd need to get somebody like Giannis or kd or you could have been in a luca. Like people. People. There's always that. Because if you look, who knew in July that any of that stuff was going to be possible?

[Al]

I know, but those weren't anything. Right?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I try to explain to people, these are. These are picks that are like going to be in the 20s.

[Al]

So would that have been enough to move the needle with Milwaukee?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't know. I don't even know what we're going to find out pretty soon. This will not take long before we find out what's going to happen with Giannis in Milwaukee. But his mood at the end of that game, although it's was more than just about Halliburton's dad. He just seemed like he was feeling a certain way about it being over.

[Don Hahn]

Which is interesting because it sort of seems like at times he was the one who wanted it over. But.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, it's just. But it's. You do when you reach that point, that there is an emotion about it. Yeah, he was.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah. I mean, by the way, I would argue that, you know, he hasn't said anything yet.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Let's keep that in mind.

[Don Hahn]

He also sort of willed the end of this to happening. Right. Like, I feel like Budenholzer was the beginning of the end for this team.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And he took a short term deal. Remember that?

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, Took a short term deal. They ended up, of course, making a bunch of moves which broke up the core of this team. But I will tell you, during Kyle Kuzma, that trade.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yikes.

[Don Hahn]

During. During enn, though, we're going to play some of his audio talking about what happened with Halliburton's dad. It is some of the best audio. I don't know the last time I saw a player, by the way, not in his native language. We have to remember this is. English is a second language, right?

[Al]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

And to that, honestly, and like, give that much detail, he, like, he articulated.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Everything, thoughts, the story and his reasons why he reacted the way he did.

[Don Hahn]

Without ever being petty and ever and ever trying to escalate it further, but clearly defending himself.

[Al]

It's one of the.

[Don Hahn]

If you haven't heard it yet, it's coming up in the end. You're going to really enjoy it. It's fantastic stuff.

[Al]

Speaking of a mood, didn't sound like Tibbs was thrilled about being asked about the timeout.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No.

[Al]

And to me that's an admission of.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Him being wrong, which is why after. After talking through his teeth, he stopped and then finally said, coach's decision. He put it on himself. He just wore it.

[Don Hahn]

And you better.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He just wore. He had to.

[Al]

But I think he was, because I. He knew that was coming and he was disappointed in himself. It's.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Frustrated by it.

[Al]

Yeah, of course.

[Peter Rosenberg]

How would you feel? You know, like you think, put yourself in that Light.

[Al]

I think I would have called the time out, but. Yeah. You don't know.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, I got. I got two guys out that I'm gonna. I believe in. And I'm feeling like the way this game's gone, they have a whistle. For everything he did in this game, there's gonna be a whistle coming.

[Al]

I mean, he could say that I believe in. But it's almost like saying. But. But they screwed up. They didn't score.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Al]

And he doesn't want to do that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. You know, if Mikhail. What he did say was we had some good looks. That's what Josh Hart said, too.

[Al]

Well, the good looks is good swings like Boone, like. Oh, you could see. You could see this over 40, they're gonna break it, you know. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know, we had some good swings, so. Can't really knock him. Had some good swings, you know, good.

[Al]

Looks or good swings and, you know, good pitches that just didn't. They were unfortunately crushed 500ft. But other than that, it was a good pitch. Patty and Lodi, you're on espn, New York.

[Patty]

Fellas, fellas, fellas. How we doing today?

[Al]

Terrific.

[Patty]

Peter GP for life, brother.

[Don Hahn]

Ah, my guy. Thank you. I appreciate it.

[Al]

It's a bit much. What are you. What a mic.

[Don Hahn]

It's a wrestling.

[Al]

No word is like, come on, let's wrestling.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But the way he said it under his breath, it was great.

[Don Hahn]

You're a good man.

[Patty]

What do you talk about the final. I wasn't talking about the final few minutes last night because I don't understand why they didn't put Mitchell Robinson in instead of campaign.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Because.

[Patty]

Well, the Mitchell cat combination works good. In my opinion. Works great.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, it had pain in. Because you needed a guard because Brunson wasn't out there. Handle the basketball well.

[Patty]

No, we have Deuce, though. I thought. I thought Deuce could lose. Nikel can bring it up.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, well, you also. You also keep in mind, too, you need somebody that could score like he needed offense.

[Patty]

I'll take you. I'll take Alan. I will take you over. Over scoring, over campaign.

[Al]

The way he's going right now.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Damn.

[Patty]

The way it's been.

[Don Hahn]

What a. What a difference. A week.

[Al]

Wasn't he a hero? Just in this.

[Don Hahn]

It was a week ago.

[Patty]

Yeah, listen, I've never been on the campaign bandwagon from day one. Listen, pack up whoever we have to pack up for Giannis. I'll. I'll pick him up at the airport. I'll show up with a group. I'll bring it to a Greek diner, whatever.

[Lang]

You need.

[Patty]

What do you drive, Brunson? What happened?

[Al]

What do you drive, Patty?

[Patty]

I got a Honda hrv.

[Al]

He says you got to. Come on. You got to at least get a stretch for the guy. You can't pick him up at all.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Especially him. You see how big he is?

[Patty]

Hey, listen, I'll move the seats up. Listen, you might have to take the.

[Al]

Like a police academy. You might have to take the front seat on the Smiths.

[Patty]

Whatever it takes. Listen, do we need to sign Dennis to his brother? We'll sign him, too.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Is that how it's gonna have to work?

[Al]

Don't be shocked.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I mean, he was once a Nick, always a Nick.

[Patty]

Hey, whatever it takes. But now, fellas, I love you guys. We bet if we don't wrap it up. Oh, yeah, it's gonna be miserable. Shout out to my cousin who's getting married. And we have a dj. Not a band, Alan. Not a band. Band suck.

[Al]

Yeah, well, that's strong. Wait a minute.

[Don Hahn]

No, it's all right. It's.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Bands are good. Thank you, Pat.

[Don Hahn]

Thank you for listening.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Bands are good in certain situations, though.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah. But for a wedding, I'm telling you, Beach Bash.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Gotta have a band.

[Don Hahn]

Beach, you know, gotta have a band. We had that discussion yesterday, and that made sense. I always could. Listen, I'm a reasonable person. I might have a strong take. And if someone says, well, think about the setup of the Beach Bash, I go, you know what? You're right. We're outside. We're at the beach. The vibe is, it's not a party, it's a vibe. I'm down with it. But when it comes to the wedding and getting a party, it's funny you.

[Al]

Guys brought that up, because the Beach Bash is coming, and we need a band.

[Don Hahn]

We're bandless.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We need a new house band.

[Al]

We are going to. Anybody in a band, have a band that wants to play at the beach. Bass reach out to us. You probably do it on Twitter on the espn like we did when we.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Were asking you to do a theme for the show. We got a bunch of people that did that.

[Al]

And, you know, we want to be able to, you know, hear what you got going on, you know, send us something video. The Beach Bash video. We got the official date on the Beach Bash, because I know it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But it's June something.

[Al]

I think it's June 27th.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Sounds about right.

[Al]

So we've got, you know, we've got some time here, but not a lot of time. So if you're in a band, you know, a band that would want to play at the Beach Bash because we're going to really put together something that's really cool. It's going to be a battle of the band. ESPN New York.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I love this.

[Al]

Where these guys are going to fight for the right to play during our portion of the Beach Bash.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Hell yeah. So we're going to sit and watch as they perform and we're going to be like American Idol. Like old school American Idol. Like Simon Cowell, you know, yes, no.

[Al]

Maybe all that stuff.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right, Freddie? Like, like, just give me a, give me a. You know. Not for me, dog. That's a no for me.

[Al]

Because the way the Beach Bash is going to be, everybody's going to be at the Beach Bash. Rick and Dave are going to be there. Carlin, Bart K us. But the only shows that will be live from the Beach Bash will be Michael show and ours. So during Michael's show, these bands will play during the breaks and we will decide what band survives to play during our show.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I love this.

[Al]

So for two hours, you got a chance to audition and then the big four hour extravaganza, which is what it's all about.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You're on the air.

[Al]

You're on the air. Get airtime playing in front of all the fans.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Al]

So.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Okay.

[Al]

Do it, man.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right.

[Al]

Reach out to get this together. I want to get we. Because we want to pare it down the four and have those four compete. And then the winner not only. Listen, I don't want to make any promises, but this is not the only live event we have. We have this and the holiday.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We need a house band.

[Al]

And you might become our house band.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Love it.

[Al]

This could be your opportunity for big things. Big things. 1-800-919-3776. Let's go to Lang in Connecticut. You're on ESPN New York. Hey, Lang.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Lang.

[Joey]

You know, I, I told myself I have to save my voice for what, what's left of it and not call in today. But then just hearing, hearing you guys on the radio and the lack of despair from some of these fans calling in. Listen, it's game six. Both teams know what each other is going to do at this point. All right? It's no. There's no more X's and O's. There's no more matchups. There's no more. They should have done this, they should have done that. It's going to come down to one thing, all right? The desire to win. And this team needs to realize they have to come to a decision. Do they want to do something special, which, you know, the bar is low. Us Knick fans, we just want them to go into the second round. We want to beat the Pistons. And every time this team, you know, disappoints me, and I think that's going to be the bottom of the barrel and they're not going to disappoint me anymore.

[Al]

They do that.

[Joey]

And last night, I mean, I walked past 7th Avenue and I looked at it. It was desolate. And I just. I had a flash in my mind of what it could have been. And this team doesn't care. They don't get it. They don't get this cast of characters. They don't understand what they could do for this city by winning a playoff round, let alone a championship. So I'm just so disenfranchised with this team. I'm so content with them. I am so upset. And I hope. I know they have to turn the page. I know they have to have a short memory and they can't let this bog them down, but I hope they woke up this morning and they realized that, damn, we could have done something nice last night for the damn city. And we did it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm sure they did.

[Al]

Now, they. You could see the looks on their faces as they left the court.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Al]

The missed opportunity for that exact reason. They get it and they try and they. Believe me, they want to win this desperately.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Was he suggesting that they just sort of like, we're just. You know, if we win tonight, that's great. If not, no big deal?

[Al]

Sounds like it. I don't think that was the case. I think they understood it. You said it yourself. I'm sure that was a message. Hey, last year we had a chance to do it and we didn't. And they hear the New York Knicks have not won a series at home since 1999.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know how they know? You know how they know? Because one of their assistant. Actually, I'm sorry, their head coach and assistant coach, Rick Brunson, was a player on the team. Their head coach was an assistant coach on the last team to do it. So they don't have. It's not like all of them don't know. They know. So. Yes. It's not something that the players are completely oblivious of. Well aware of it.

[Al]

Yeah. So I always hate that. They don't care. They don't try. No, they care. It just the scary answer I said today.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What do you think they are?

[Al]

This is a team that. Did we overrate them? You know, are they. Bet. Are they not as Good. As we thought they were when we said, oh, they're winning five all, they're going to match up with Boston. I mean, they're going to be in a struggle with a six seat because I think they're a lot closer to the Pistons than they are to the, to the Celtics and the Cavaliers. And maybe at the end of the day, when this is all over, win or lose, we're going to find out that they weren't the elite team we thought they were.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And if that's the case. Right. What you said about being closer to teams like the Pistons than they are to teams like Boston and Cleveland. When you are assessing your team and the goal is to win a championship, don't you, at the end of every season then have to say to yourself, all right, well, if we're, if we're still not crossing the threshold into that level, then whatever we've got here, we can't just settle on it. Right. Am I wrong to say, like, I always think about, if I was a general manager, how would I run? You know, again, I've been around professional sports for 20 years, so I've met a lot of general managers, front office people, scouts. I've talked to them. I picked their brains about how they run their teams. There's people who do things, and I'm like, that's impressive. There's people that have told me things, and I'm like, wow, that's not really smart. So I've seen a lot of different things, and I put it all together, and the one thing that I always come up with is the best ones will always honestly assess their roster without emotion and not worry like, well, I just traded for that guy or I just signed that guy. Remember when Evan Fournier came in a couple of years ago and he was just not the right fit? And the coach, one year later was like, he doesn't fit. I'm benching him. Yeah, and you're smart. You let your coach do what he does. They knew, all right, well, that didn't work. Move on.

[Al]

And a lot of general managers sometimes don't let it happen. Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Sometimes you've got to just say, I don't like the way this looks. This. This mix isn't working right. We need to rethink this. It's going to be hard to do these things. It's going to look like we're, we're going crazy. But I need to find the right mix. I need to be maniacal about building a roster that when you see it on paper, you go yeah, that team can win a chip, that team can win a title.

[Al]

And that, that might be Bridges, right? It might be. Hey, I thought it was going to work. It didn't work. Now we got to move on from him and do something else rather than say, well, let's give it another year. It was, it was new for him. Now that's when all of a sudden now year one becomes a problem in year two. And now we've seen it many times in many sports where you hold on too long, you're stubborn, you don't want to admit you made a mistake. The best general managers are the ones that say, you know what, I screwed up. Let's correct it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yep.

[Al]

Immediately.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yep.

[Al]

Before it becomes a major problem. 1-800-919-3776 is the number. Let's go to Joey Montclair. You're on espn New York.

[Don Hahn]

Joey.

[Patty]

Gentlemen, great show as always. Multi time caller listening every day really quick just for the Knicks fans. I definitely want to get to the next round. I want to see how they do against the Celtics. But I also know the most likely outcome of that series. So the reality is instead of the next Nick game being game one, possible 25 point blowout to the Celtics, we're going to see a very competitive game six. Right. And I think we all know what's most likely going to happen against the Celtics. So let's enjoy this series. I wanted Knicks to win, but I'm kind of glad I'm going to see more competitive basketball from this team. Before we get into the juggernaut of the Celtics.

[Al]

I just think right now, and I mentioned it earlier in the show, joking around, not talking, talking about the Celtic, just, just focus on tomorrow. Just focus on the game tomorrow. You're in the playoffs. You know what? Rangers didn't make it. Devils got knocked out last night, Nets didn't make it. You know, you're alive, you're in control of the series. Up three games to two. Just win, just win the damn game. And then we can assess everything after the fact.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Anthony asked me a question in my ear. No, that's interesting because it's a good question.

[Don Hahn]

How close?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, no, you know, because I'm wearing headphones. I don't know if you can see that.

[Al]

I thought he ran.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, he didn't run. And the question is one that Nick fans should answer because he just said like, you know, I really, I'm enjoying watching them play competitive basketball. Are you really enjoying this series?

[Al]

I can't imagine you're.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I gotta be. I'M dead serious too. I'm dead serious. I have not enjoyed any of this. The only thing I enjoyed was getting the opportunity to call a game which was game three, which might have been the most entertaining game, the best game of the series. But the whole series itself has been nothing but like you're just frustrated most of this game.

[Al]

The only people that I think are having fun are Piston fans because their team won 14 games last money and now they're in the playoffs. They're, you know, they're playing on national television, their buildings full. They're playing relevant games. They've got a team that was a heavy favorite, remember, let's not forget a heavy favorite. And you got a home game to possibly force a game seven. If you're a Knick fan, what fun did you. Maybe you had fun in game one. You won by 11 and you got.

[Peter Rosenberg]

A 23 year old star who's, who's slowly growing into something that you feel like is one of these generational talents.

[Al]

I got to tell you, you know, they could be a problem soon.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Although I think they're. What they just did was introduce themselves and by the way put pressure on Trajan Langdon. Like I. But like this, this, you know, Isaiah Stewart and these you need to upgrade big time. Like you need to take that roster and now make it good because that kid Cunningham, he is, he's going to be the goods.

[Al]

We haven't thought about it because it was since game one. Like Stewart's not playing.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, again, he's physical and all that. So let's not get too crazy. Huge impactful player, but he's a guy that would be impactful but not to his, you know what I'm just saying would have made a difference in games. It's, it's more of though when you look at the roster, it's like that, that that team plays hard. Their veterans have pride. You know, getting shooter was a really smart move. But that kid's good enough now that you've got to start telling yourself we need to spend some money, upgrade and put a real team. That Pistons team should go nowhere now for the next couple years.

[Al]

They should always be just another pain in the butt in the Eastern Conference for the Knicks to have to worry about. Spike and St. Pete, you're on in New York. How are you Spike?

[Lang]

Good, good. This is great talk and a great job again. Let me first make a statement to the kids listening out there about making moves now and getting rid of the coach. Thibodeau's extension hasn't Even kicked in yet. So let's calm down. There's a mistake you make as a coach in the NBA. It played itself out perfectly last night. You don't want to end the game losing with a timeout in your pocket. Doc Rivers was in the same spot in his overtime game. I don't know if you guys were able to watch both. Well, what he did now, the extenuating circumstances in the Knicks game because Josh Hart was riding in pain there. Sure, you wanted to get him out. Sure you wanted your best players. Well, Doc Rivers had a choice to make. Also not the rising and pain star. But he chose to take the time out. And he got burned in the overtime because he wound up with the ball back. A chance to win the game with 1.4 seconds to go 94ft. That's why. Right? That's why you hold the timeout tippet off. He had to do it again. Would have somehow. You don't want to say a guy faking a heart attack or kicking over a beer. Come on. I mean, let's. Let's grow up here. Detroit has gotten great experience. The two veterans, the seasoned guys, Tobias Harrison and Tim Holloway Jr. Two nice guys. Local guys to some extent. You know, when this whole Detroit team really hits its stride, will be gone. Schroeder is a terrifically poised individual who's crippling you. But whoever just said it, Kate Cunningham. As I predicted, I'm not a genius. I'm not Nostradamus. But he's your number one pick. Has grown up right in front of us. Has grown up. The thing with Mitchell Robinson is he's throwing paper airplanes at the Bears basket on his free throws. Alan, you and I have talked about this for years. You can't have them on the court after 46 minutes. You can't. It's Hacker Mitch. But I still think the Knicks talent will overcome Jalen Brunson. It's getting worse and worse and worse. And he reverted back to game two. So we had three great games with him and two stinkers. Am I wrong?

[Al]

No, you're not wrong.

[Lang]

Okay. Let's go win it tomorrow.

[Don Hahn]

There you go. That's all.

[Al]

You can go win it. Survive in advance. That's what it's about. I was slightly distracted because Rick D. Pietro sent a text.

[Don Hahn]

Peter.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, boy.

[Don Hahn]

It's about me.

[Al]

No, he spared Peter.

[Don Hahn]

I'm gonna say. I'm not saying anything at this moment. What he've done.

[Al]

We were talking about the battle of the bands.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Mm.

[Al]

So Rick wants to know, can Carlin's Lap band compete.

[Don Hahn]

That's not. That's not right. I mean, it is funny, but it's not right.

[Al]

Well, both could be true.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right?

[Al]

It's not right.

[Don Hahn]

But me and Carlin, we've gone through some ups and downs recently, but this isn't okay, you know. All right, well, why is Alan silent on this is my question.

[Al]

He's not.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's good. That was a good line.

[Al]

If we had a camera on him, he's good luck. Quiet.

[Don Hahn]

Good line.

[Al]

He's going to hurt himself over there, is what he's doing. It's Wednesday, you know. Wednesday is hump day. Hump day, sure.

[Don Hahn]

Dead middle of the week.

[Al]

The list.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like you dream of again. I'm this guy. This is a second day.

[Al]

Blue.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Absolutely blue. Just holding on, waiting for this to pay off.

[Al]

Do you want it to be a secret for whoever comes up with the list, or do you want us all to share in it? I think it's kind of fun.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What's the. At least let me know.

[Don Hahn]

Tease us.

[Al]

A theme.

[Don Hahn]

Like what is.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What is the theme is all I care about. I don't care what's on the list. I want the theme.

[Don Hahn]

Everyone does a list. Well, our lists are special. We got to let the people know what it's going to be, you know?

[Al]

Well, I'll tell you what. One of the things on the list, it's the anniversary of. Oh, does that help you at all?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, thanks.

[Al]

Yeah, it includes now.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You don't give me what's on the list. Just what's the theme of the list?

[Al]

No.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, that guy walks around the garden yesterday and all of a sudden it's.

[Don Hahn]

Really big pants doesn't say hi to you.

[Al]

I'm big time Val now. I'm big time in the audience.

[Peter Rosenberg]

By the way, people not happy about you.

[Al]

What I do now.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. Not on my timeline.

[Don Hahn]

What?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Annoyed with you about that. About blowing me off.

[Don Hahn]

Really?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, yeah.

[Al]

Yo, yo, yo, yos blowing you off. I just spent the day with you. Where were I. Let me ask. Let me ask you.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, I guess. I guess it's only work friends.

[Al]

Work friends. 6:40. Where were you? 6:40 on the court where I go to go roam the entire garden. Look for you. 664-6-46.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We just got done. We got done at 6:30 taping the. The.

[Al]

Where were you?

[Peter Rosenberg]

B block of the pre. I was right there in the tunnel, the courtside studio. And then I came out on the court. Just missed you here, T. Jones. I'm sorry, but Don Big Timing Allen is a real K move. Said I had Don as the number one seed in the ESPN radio teammate bracket, but now not so I just.

[Al]

Spent the day with the guy. He.

[Don Hahn]

He's lying. Nobody spends the whole day with someone and then makes an effort to go find him five minutes later.

[Al]

We'll go to break in a second.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Hold on. Wow.

[Al]

Okay, we're spinning it. I'm a bad guy cuz I didn't go look for Alan. What does Alan want? Like, hey, Don, look at me. Look at me on the court in my suit. I'm gonna be on TV soon. Look at this. Check this out. So is you trying to show off?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, no.

[Al]

Trying to rub it in my face?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, it's.

[Al]

Hey, I'm just radio, yo.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Hey, you know what? Look at us here.

[Al]

Let's get it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Let's get a picture at center court here. Me and you.

[Al]

That would have been nice if I saw you.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Look at us here. Look at the two of us. Look at our show. Look what our show can do. Tell me another show in this city that can walk out of the garden.

[Al]

I made it very Take photos when we were having lunch that I was gonna. I was gonna go into the garden. Yeah. So why didn't you say before you left? By the way, Don, when you go into the garden, I'm gonna be.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I didn't think I needed to actually remind you that I'd be here. I mean, if I'm not home, where else am I other than this studio?

[Al]

Peter's got my back. I don't. I don't know. I really don't understand.

[Don Hahn]

It's very. It's odd and sensitive.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Listen, I'm being. I'm odd and sensitive today, Peter. Okay?

[Don Hahn]

No.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Is that all right? My feelings don't matter today?

[Don Hahn]

No, no, it's just what they are.

[Al]

I was going to give you the list, but now you're going to have to wait.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Don Hahn]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Peter Rosenberg]

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

[Don Hahn]

Race the rudders.

[Al]

Race the sails. Race the sails.

[Don Hahn]

Captain, an unidentified ship is approaching.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Over. Roger, wait. Is that an enterprise sales solution?

[Al]

Reach sales professionals, not professional sailors?

[Peter Rosenberg]

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[Al]

Right people by industry, job title, and more. We'll even give you a $100 credit on your next campaign. Get started today at LinkedIn.com results. Terms and conditions apply. This episode is brought to you by Chevy Silverado.

[Rick]

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[Al]

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[Al]

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[Don Hahn]

Visit chevy.com to learn more.

[Rick]

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[Al]

You just made the list, buddy.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This is the list with Don Hahn and Rosenberg.

[Al]

All right, here it is. It's Wednesday. It's time for the list. Do you know what happened, Alan, 27 years ago today?

[Don Hahn]

Well, that's, that's, that's 1998.

[Peter Rosenberg]

While you're thinking about that, April 98 is April 30, 1998.

[Al]

The list is brought to you by bet365. 1998, Yankee 30th.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Is it Yankees related? No, no.

[Al]

Although there is no.

[Don Hahn]

It's Nick's related.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's Nicks related.

[Al]

Oh, it's Nicks related. Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

Is it, it's, Is it that. It's not. LJ.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, no. 98 was not a memorable playoff. That was not a memorable playoff. No, no.

[Al]

But there was a memorable moment.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, your job, Alan. You're supposed to know.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, I don't, honestly.

[Al]

Well, it didn't.

[Peter Rosenberg]

1998, I was covering the Islanders locked in on hockey.

[Al]

One of our favorite coaches in New York.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Didn't look great.

[Al]

Poor guy was.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, is this the fight? This is a Jeff Van Gundy hanging.

[Al]

On the Lego morning's leg. That God awful series 27 years ago.

[Peter Rosenberg]

LG didn't want to talk about it.

[Al]

One of a couple of brawls they had with the Heat. But that's the most memorable one. Okay, and that is on the list today of the top New York brawls.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes.

[Al]

I love that.

[Don Hahn]

There you go.

[Al]

How about that?

[Don Hahn]

Right up here.

[Al]

I've got, I've got like four honorable mentions too, because there's a.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Can I throw one out just now before you even do it?

[Al]

Go ahead.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And all you gotta do is nod. Hospital gillies?

[Al]

No.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, come on.

[Al]

All right. Come mad at me.

[Don Hahn]

It's Hospital gillies, Yankees, Yankees, Orioles.

[Al]

You know what? Yankees Orioles is number two.

[Don Hahn]

Right up in there.

[Al]

Tito Martinez. Right. Right up square in the back. And one of the most memorable brawls ever happened on May 19, 1998. So 98 was big year for fights. A year for fighting. And of course the highlight of the brawl was Strawberry basically chasing Benitez. And we talked to Darryl Strawberry. He talked. He would have, he would have. He would have ran into the street chasing after him. Boy, that, that was when fight was fighting, man.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's when you fell in love with that team. Right? You fell in love.

[Al]

I didn't. But I can imagine Yankee for that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You just. That's it. Full bloom love.

[Al]

So Yankees O's. That is number two.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Number two.

[Al]

All right, so since you guys.

[Don Hahn]

And where's. Where's the Knicks and where is the jvg?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Al]

Oh, that. That is. I have that at number three.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Three hanging on the. Hanging on morning's leg is number three.

[Al]

Is number three. There is another Heat Nicks. But I have it as an honorable mention. The one the year before, of course, with everybody getting suspended for coming out. That was more. What you remember is you getting suspended and all.

[Peter Rosenberg]

DJ Brown, Charlie Ward, that whole thing, the ugliness.

[Al]

But that's an honorable mention. So number two, Yankees O's number three, the 98 Knicks Heat fight the 20th anniversary today.

[Don Hahn]

Or let's get. Let's get to that. There's no football on here, right?

[Al]

Oh, there is football. I know it. People could argue.

[Don Hahn]

I know it.

[Al]

But it's close. You're not going to know.

[Don Hahn]

I'm not going to know. Okay.

[Al]

Alan may know it. It's a little bit.

[Don Hahn]

So it's a deep cut. This is a deep.

[Al]

It's a deep cup. New York football going into the stats. Got any questions about these brawls?

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right.

[Al]

Because they weren't alive for them. Go to YouTube.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Okay.

[Al]

And I'm putting it on the list at number five. Just because it's football and you never see brawls in football. But in 1983, Buttle fight someone. Jets, Rams and Shea. All right, Vince Ferragamo gets sacked by Gastono and Gastono does his dance.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I remember this.

[Al]

Yes, he does the dance, goes after Gastono and they. Peter go look at him. And then all of a sudden out of nowhere you see like Buttle 20 yard run. Just to get involved. Once he got involved, there wasn't much happening, but he definitely got himself in there. Are you watching it? Yes. It is awesome.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This way. This had a Precursor, though, if I'm not mistaken, before the game, there was words about how we're not letting him dance. Who was the coach of the Rams? I think he was the one who's. Yeah, he was the one who said it.

[Al]

Yeah. John Robinson.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, there he goes.

[Al]

And here's John.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They showed you. They cut the John. Great director cuts right to John Robinson.

[Al]

Yeah. He's got the same look on his face, like, even before.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There it is.

[Al]

And then you see bottle, like, shot out of a can. It's great. It. Check it out on what's.

[Don Hahn]

What numbers. Bottle 51, I just saw.

[Al]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But I'll tell you what, though. Gasano's taking on four or five different Rams players at one time here now.

[Al]

And he got ejected from the game. And Jackie Slater played until, like, last year. He played until, like, he was 60, but it was ready to go. It is. It is the rare Jet game. It's a Madden Summerall vehicle. Oh, you know, it was on. It was on cbs.

[Don Hahn]

It was a ramp because also, the.

[Al]

Rams were on the road. So I got that at number five, just for the nostalgia, for the record, I like that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's a good.

[Don Hahn]

For the record. Football, legitimately, at this time, even in the early 80s, it looks like an amateur sport relative to now.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like, they're playing on a baseball.

[Don Hahn]

It looks like nothing. Like, this is kids playing.

[Al]

One of my favorites. You can ask giant children. July 22, 1986. Mets, Reds.

[Don Hahn]

Day before my seventh birthday.

[Al]

All right. At Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati.

[Don Hahn]

Vince Coleman.

[Al]

Who is this? No, no, no, this is Eric Davis. Slides hard into third base. Okay, Ray Knight, I don't know what his problem was, but he just didn't like the fact that, like, Davis was still on the bag and they're kind of kicking at each other. And then Ray Knight just punches him, right? Oh.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, yeah.

[Al]

And they just start going at it. And the reason I have this at number four, I got on the list. It was one of those wacky games. The Mets ended up winning an extra innings. Dave Parker dropped the fly ball. It was Jesse Orozco and Roger McDowell, because the Mets had so many guys got thrown out of the game that Orozco would pitch, McDowell would play in right field, and then they would bring McDowellan and Orozco would go into the outfield so they didn't have to substitute out the pitchers. So, Reds, check that out on you, man.

[Don Hahn]

Ray Knight with a really clean right cross.

[Al]

Really? See, I'll show it.

[Don Hahn]

This is a.

[Al]

The.

[Don Hahn]

The. The cross that Starts it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Number one. Oh, number one. I think you know what.

[Al]

Number one.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Al]

Yeah. Because you don't ever see it. And the poor guy could have gotten killed.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Wait, no. Then. Then no.

[Al]

You don't know.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's. Is it.

[Don Hahn]

Okay.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Because I thought you were gonna go Bud Harrelson. I thought you were going there.

[Al]

But Harold. But that was more. That was just more somebody Pete Rose lifting Bud Harrelson up and then dropping him. And then.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But that. That turned into like with the guillotine hospital.

[Al]

But we're just talking about, like, just emptying out, man.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Okay.

[Al]

All right. But that. That could be an honorable mention. But number one, I've got Yankees, Red Sox, Pedro. Oh.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, yes.

[Al]

Oh, poor Zimmer. God rest charges after Pedro.

[Don Hahn]

I don't know how.

[Al]

And it was a leg throw down to the ground. And then. Boy. And that all started because of Clemens. That wasn't even that close to Ramirez, but it was up high. So I got.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Not thinking they were jumpy, though. You could tell they were just. They. They couldn't.

[Al]

You could have won a lot of Yankee Red Sox brawl. So I got number one, Yankees Red Sox, the Pedro Zimmern in the 2003 ALCS. Number two, Yankees O's, the Benitez and Strawberry, May 19, 1998. Number three, the 98 Knicks Heat 27th anniversary today, of course. Poor gun Van Gundy getting dragged by alonzo Morning. Number four, Mets Reds, July 22, 1986. Number five, Jets Rams Brawl in 1983. They're all on YouTube. You can check them all out. Honorable mentions.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm shocked by the way that you don't have a single hockey one here. Well, they were.

[Al]

I want to mention the Milbury going into the stands on December 23, but that was more the poor fan getting beaten by his own shoe by Milbury.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And then he throws.

[Al]

Really weren't involved in it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like, Don, that man walked home with one shoe because he got beat with it. And then Milbury threw it onto the ice so he didn't have a shoe anymore.

[Al]

You know, I'm surprised that, like, no one. Did the guy die young? Like what? Like, how are you.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Nobody found him.

[Al]

They couldn't find them. Nobody claiming to be the guy that the guy with one less shoe.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Imagine being the guy Peter, that had to get. You get on the subway. You got one shoe on. Bud, what happened to your shoe?

[Al]

I got beat with it. I know this.

[Don Hahn]

I know this rubs Yankee fans the wrong way. This. I said I'll say it to Michael till I'M blue in the face. Zimmer had it come. I mean, I'm sorry you charge. There's. You're not a seat. I'm gonna show you again. Alan, I know you're the biggest Yankee fan, so. But let's just be honest. What do you do if you're Pedro in this moment? And it's kind of weird because nothing else really has happened yet that's like that physical. And then they just get a perfect shot of Pedro waiting for him. Here he comes.

[Al]

I mean what's he supposed to do? 78 year old man Zim had the left up.

[Don Hahn]

All Pedro really does is play like Toro. He just like throws it past him.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But he did it with his head though. He took his head.

[Al]

It was the best part was him wearing.

[Peter Rosenberg]

With him wearing the helmet in the dugout.

[Al]

I know it was very, very funny. Very funn the other one Rangers Devils line brawl back March 19, 2012 Remember, it was Deboer Tortorella and just everybody that dropped the puck, everybody to fight and I threw it. I. And Anthony was. And he never leaves the house. Anthony was at that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Lost my voice.

[Al]

Four seconds.

[Don Hahn]

He went out that day, never went out again.

[Al]

Just. And just because we're trying to include people that work at the radio station. Penn's Islanders February 11, 2011 Rick D. Pietro and Brent Johnson. That was quite the fight.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, that's a classic. Well, for Rick, goalie fight.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Why would you.

[Al]

Why?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, I wouldn't.

[Al]

I know that wasn't right.

[Don Hahn]

I'm gonna watch it right now. Hold on.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There were some again, hospital gillies though.

[Al]

You got it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You put that on YouTube.

[Al]

Who are you taking out that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. No, no, they're all really good. No doubt about it. And the one, one of. One of Sam's. Sam Rosen's famous calls where he was so disgusted was another Ranger Islander game late in the season. And God boy, it was Ken Baumgartner and Mick Vakota and they just jumped all kinds of Ranger players and it ended up where it was. Richter and like Mark Fitzpatrick were going like. It was absolute insanity.

[Al]

That's a lot of guys.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And Sam and JD Were disgusted. It was, I got to say, famous brawl.

[Don Hahn]

But there is, I gotta say real quick, you can see like Rick. Rick started the whole thing, by the way. And he takes out someone starts the fight and then watch how tentative our guy is. I love him. This just goes to show you what a sweetheart he is really. Look how tentative Rick is when the time comes. He gets tentative so quick. Watch here's the moment, leads back. The second he leans back, it's over. Overhand left.

[Al]

Down goes DPA trial. You got to be fair.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Can I explain a few things, though, in that scenario? One, he's trying to stick up first. You know, he's trying to, like, join in. He's always ready to go. Yeah. To his thinking was we're just gonna grapple. Right. Like, see, he's trying to reach for the jersey and just. We're gonna wrestle.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Because he's got really good grip. Strength, but grips. The problem is that Brent Johnson. Brent Johnson, 6 foot 5.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

With a reach. And I think once he realized, like.

[Don Hahn]

Our backup goalie at the time, by.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The way, not the starter, like, well, it doesn't matter.

[Al]

But he was the guy that day. He was there when he realized, I.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Think that moment, when he realized that this guy's got reach on me and I could not get to his sweater in time.

[Al]

You're done.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He knew he was in trouble, and then he had a concussion.

[Don Hahn]

But by the way, it started, though, with Rick, I'm sure other stuff happened in this game, but Rick takes out Cook with a forearm.

[Al]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

And that's. That's gets the whole thing started. And then here comes Brent John.

[Al]

Yeah. Just.

[Peter Rosenberg]

People don't understand how entertaining he was as a goalie. Almost to a fault.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like, you had to watch it because you never knew what he was going to do.

[Don Hahn]

This is very good.

[Al]

I'm telling you. If you haven't seen any of these fights, you got to check. They're all very kind of hurts. The hockey fights is value those things, I guess, And. And we see these. There hasn't been a really good baseball brawl in a while. Usually it's a bunch of guys, they clear the benches, they kind of stare at each other. But some of the fights that you're going to look at, those. Those Yankee Red Sock, Yankee O's and that Met Reds. I mean, there were. There were scrums all over the place. They kept spilling bodies flying everywhere. It was just really. I.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know, and those Nick fights were.

[Al]

Legit because they legitimately hated it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes.

[Al]

That's the problem, Alan, is that nobody really hates anymore because they all change teams and they're all, you know, kumbaya during the off season. That's why that Lightning Panther series is so great. It's. It stinks that it's three 1. You wish that was two. 2. These teams legitimately can't stand each other. Those are the best. So that is the list brought to you by bet365. Whether whatever the moment, it's never ordinary at bet365. So that was very good.

[Don Hahn]

I did enjoy that quite a bit.

[Rick]

That's your money saying it's time for a McDonald's run.

[Al]

Cause with new McValue at McDonald's you get more than you expect. Like buy a six piece McNuggets and add a McChicken for just a dollar.

[Rick]

Your money says let's go get more.

[Al]

Than you Expect with new MCvalue. Prices and participation may vary, valid per item of equal or lesser value.

[Rick]

There are people out there all across the country pushing boundaries to grow the game of golf. Like champion speed golfer Lauren Kupp, who plays faster than anyone else. And Will Lowry, whose work in the golf community inspires more kids to get into the game. As a champion partner of the Masters, bank of America supports everyone determined to find out what's possible in golf and in life. What would you like the power to do? Bank of America bank of America NA Member FDIC Copyright 2025 bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved. This episode is brought to you by State Farm. You might say all kinds of stuff when things go wrong, but these are the words you really need to remember. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. They've got options to fit your unique insurance needs, meaning you can talk to your agent to choose the coverage you need, have coverage options to protect the things you value most, file a claim right on the State Farm mobile app, and even reach a real person when you need to talk to someone. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Don Hahn]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Peter Rosenberg]

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

[Al]

This is the Yankee starting lineup brought to you by certapro Painters. Rubber match of the three game series down at Camden Yards. Paul Goldschmidt's gonna lead off, play first base. Trink Grisham is in center batting second. Aaron Judge is your right fielder batting third, batting cleanup is Ben Rice. He'll be the dh. Anthony Volpe batting fifth and he's your shortstop. Austin Wells behind the plate batting sixth. Pablo Reyes is your second baseman, he'll bat seventh. The Martian, Jason Dominguez is in left, he'll bat eighth. Parraza is at third, he'll bat ninth. And Carlos Carrasco is the starting pitcher tonight for the New York Yankees. That was the Yankee starting lineup brought to you by Certapro Painters. When choosing A painting professional for your home or business. The choice is simple. Choose Happy. Choose Certapro Painters. You give good lineup. Yankees 15 runs.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Ben Rice still blazing hot.

[Al]

And judge is batting over.400. And he's good. Yankees got a judge at least. Take that series Judge.

[Don Hahn]

He's no Jeter, tell you what.

[Al]

And Rodon was also very good.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He's been good, too. Again, I give him a hard time, but Rodon's been good starting pitching, you.

[Al]

Know, at least freedom.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Rodon have been very good.

[Al]

Yes, been very, very good. So The Yankees scored 15 runs. The Mets scored eight after scoring 19 the day before. And that's a good Diamondbacks team. You know, the Mets took care of the Nationals, got the split, but they returned home, just continued to win at home as The Mets now 21 and nine. They've won 21 of their first 30 games.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The 13 and one at home.

[Al]

Yeah, it's incredible, right? And yet I still hear, well, they scored 27 runs in the last two games. And Soto's got zero RBI. Why can't you see that's a good thing?

[Peter Rosenberg]

This is what. This is what people are going to do because of the money. You become a target, and then it's like, why'd we give. We didn't need to give him any money. We didn't have to give him all the money. We could score runs without him. Judge is better off without him. This is what happens when you sign contracts like that. A Rod became a villain because of the big contract, the record contract he signed all those years ago. Like, that's what happens. You make all these demands. I want a suite for my family. I want this. I want that. That is going to chase him no matter what, Don. It's always going to be.

[Al]

I'm going to tell you, judged by.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The money you make is how people do it.

[Al]

Let's play a little quiz. Okay. I know for a fact, because I've gotten to know Peter. Go ahead. That his favorite team was the 91 Redskins.

[Don Hahn]

Favorite team or 87? Yeah, I mean, I don't really have like 87.

[Al]

That was a strike year. I mean, 91. They were like, they're the best team. How many touchdowns are Monk have that year? How many yards did Mark Ripon throw for that year?

[Don Hahn]

I have no idea.

[Al]

All right, you're. You're a big Yankee fan. What's your favorite Yankee seasons in? 96, 98, 77. 78.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. I mean, the one that I really. I think 96 to me was 96. Charlie Hayes have that year Charlie Hayes had 15 homes.

[Al]

You're lying. Maybe you guessed right. I don't know. My, my point is, is that I wanted Juan Soto. Not because I know him, not I do. I enjoy watching him play. Yeah. I didn't want the Mets to sign him for the entertainment value. I wanted the Mets to sign him so that he could help them win their first championship in 39 years. That was my motivation. If I can get that championship and Juan Soto contributes like zero to it, am I going to throw the championship away? Now, I don't think they can win if he doesn't contribute, but they've got the best record in baseball and he's not hitting. So instead of complaining about it, why not rejoice in the fact that eventually he's just too good not to hit and that he's probably at times going to carry this team when Pete Alonso goes into a slump, when they're struggling scoring runs. Mark my words, this summer, there are going to be times we're going to pop on the air and go, thank God for Juan Soto. Otherwise the Mets would have lost the last four straight games. All right, but he's going to carry you. And the fact that he hasn't done it. The mets have won 21 of their first 30 games is a good things. Yo, yos. So if you're complaining about Soto, I can't help you. If you're a Soto fan, you think your jersey's now worthless. I don't have. You don't have a kick coming, or I don't have a kick coming. But for me, as a Met fan wanting to see my first championship since 86, I'm not going to care about what Juan Soto is doing. I'm going to care about the fact that my team is going to go into May with the best record in baseball. Shouldn't I be excited rather than.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Because we have learned that fans don't fan that way anymore, Don.

[Al]

Well, then, you know what you're saying.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like an old fan. No, I'm not pessimistic.

[Al]

No, that's stupid.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Today's fan doesn't fan that.

[Al]

They're not a fan. Then they're a fan of players, not teams.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Today's fan says if he's not getting it done, he's never getting it done. That's what they say. He better start getting it done. We're paying him all that money like.

[Al]

It'S coming out of your pocket. That's what they do is, is that if you're losing, then I get the under, then I understand why you're complaining about him not contributing. Because you're losing. You're frustrated about this, a lot of money. But if you're winning, what do I care? I want to see my team win. And I know he's eventually going to hit, but. So you're telling me that these fans that you're talking about, these infants, these fetuses, right, that are. So if the Mets win the World Series, are they going to sit there and complain and punch the wall? That Juan Soto, about a 250 with a dozen home runs, or are they going to be out there celebrating in the canyon, heroes like everybody else?

[Peter Rosenberg]

That was Charlie Hayes's year in 96, by the way. I understand 250 and 12 home runs.

[Al]

Again, you're guessing, but you might be right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Am I wrong? Where was I? Two home runs with the Pirates. Well, 10 home runs with the Pirates.

[Al]

Two home runs with the Yankees. 12 in total.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I missed it by three. I know now, but. But I'm. And this is not how I feel, Don. I'm just saying what you're saying makes too much sense and has too much logic to it. But we do know most fans, that contract is going to precede everything he does. So they'll say they're winning in spite of him, but they will say you're winning without him.

[Al]

They are. Winning is the key phrase.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And why did we have to give him all that money? We could have improve the bullpen. We could have done this.

[Al]

Improve the bullpen.

[Lang]

They're winning.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I know, but it doesn't matter until what you said happens, which is the World Series. Then they get over it, and then they'll still say, yeah, we won the World Series. We didn't even need that guy. That's how these fans are today.

[Al]

But then I don't care about those people because they're fans of their fans of players, not teams. If you're a fan of the team, you only complain about the players and the team's not winning. If the team is winning, then. Then, yeah, you file it away. But boy, I hope. I hope he start now. If you want to say, you know, Soto's eventually going to have to hit, but first and foremost in your mind is we've got the best record in baseball without Juan Soto. Can you imagine when this guy starts to hit and the proof it's going to be.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And the proof in his numbers tell you at some point this season, he's going to go on a tear and everybody's going like, oh, my God, that Juan Soto is good, right? It's going to come. But the problem is until it comes, you're going to get those little like what you did to Peter that time, like, you know, oh really? Oh, this guy's not hitting though. You're going to get that understated remark even with the success until he does something that becomes his Mets moment. Is this the day he became a Met? That's how fans fan these days.

[Al]

Don't. I don't have to, I don't have to give them air.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, they don't complain about that.

[Al]

There was a guy that violated a corpse on the subway. Do I care about his opinion?

[Peter Rosenberg]

But don't complain about it. Then you just complained about it. You say I don't want to hear.

[Al]

About this because unfortunately these are the people that surround me and they're on my timeline and I know some of these people personally and they're all idiots.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Do you know name names?

[Al]

I couldn't.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Show us, show us name names.

[Al]

You know. Doc Gooden didn't have the greatest year. The year the mets won in 86, he had won the rookie of the year in 84. He won the Cy Young in 85. He went from 24 wins down to 17. His earner and average went from 1.53 to 2.84. Was I sitting there in 86 taping on VHS? The parade going, I can't believe Doc had an earner, an average near three. No, I'm like, ah, the Mets won for the first time since I was one. And if the Mets win now, it'll be the wow, the Mets won the first time since I was 18. Not. What did Soto bat?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Was Doc Gooden the highest paid player in the sport? Did he have record contract? Cuz that does matter.

[Al]

No, it doesn't matter unless you does to fans have success.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It does to.

[Al]

It won't matter if they win. It won't matter if they win.

[Peter Rosenberg]

If they win it all. If they win it all.

[Al]

Them.

[Peter Rosenberg]

If they win it all, it goes away for a moment. But you know these contracts, when they're.

[Al]

Records, will Ponds don't own your team anymore. A guy that's sitting on $16 billion like a throne now owns your team. So the fact that Juan Soto is making a ton of money isn't going to make Gary isn't going to make Cohen say, I better not spend money anymore. Look how much money I wasted on Juan Soto. Or I'm not going to be able to improve the bullpen or I'm not going to be able to go and give Alonzo money next year because I gave so much money to Soto. No, he's got the money to still be able to make sure he's got a serviceable team even if Juan Soto doesn't.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What if a cap comes?

[Al]

Can I worry about this season before a cap, after the end of the 26 season?

[Peter Rosenberg]

This is worries.

[Al]

These are worries, morons. And I'm sorry. No, don't give them life, man. Don't give him life. You know how miserable a person you have to be that you're 21 and 9 and all you're thinking about is Juan Soto's not hitting?

[Peter Rosenberg]

You're a miserable person, and every Yankee fan is needling you about it.

[Al]

Nothing worse than a virgin, miserable person. It's a bad combination. And you know what? And you're not miserable because you're a virgin. You're miserable because Juan Soto's not hitting right. You know, there's no shot at a woman, so you don't even think about it. But the fact that you're a virgin and the fact that. That you're miserable makes a perfect storm of a. Yo, yo. I'm telling you, man. It's been 39 years.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I get it. Yankee fans needle you about it, and that bothers you, too.

[Al]

No, it doesn't bother me.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Not you personally. I'm talking about fans.

[Al]

Well, I'm just telling these people. What's the matter with you? All right? Worry about your own team. Yankees are in first. Mets are in first. You know what? Let's go. Have at it. And if a Yankee fans can be. Oh, Juan Soto's not hitting him, but I got 21 wins.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Can I tell you.

[Al]

Recording you.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Can I tell you that I've never, as a Yankee fan, ever complained about how much a player made because versus his production.

[Al]

Your brain just wins. Air goes into your lungs, all right? Blood goes through your veins, and your brain functions.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes.

[Al]

Oh, will you stop at the break? Don Hammond Rosenberg on 880 ESPN.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast. I don't want to know how the sauce is just made, but I just want to know it's good. 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.