Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 2: NFL Binge (Nov 3, 2025)

Overview

This episode dives deep into the ongoing frustrations of New York Giants fans, coaching futures, quarterback development, and recent thrilling moments from both the NFL and the MLB World Series. Listeners call in with raw emotion about the Giants' state, the hosts dissect game management and coaching decisions, and they celebrate one of the most dramatic baseball Game 7s in years. The latter half delivers rapid-fire NFL reactions and witty banter about their broadcasting setups and careers.

1. Giants Fans’ Exhaustion and Venting

Timestamps: 00:34–06:09

• Fan caller Tessa expresses deep frustration with the Giants: “I'm tired of being tired and getting a headache…after this week, I think I'm just going to be calling in to talk about the Devils and the Lakers…it's just an embarrassment now, guys.” (01:47)
• She pinpoints issues: unreliable tight end play, concern for rookie QB Jackson Dart’s health, and a defense that seems to have “given up on the DC.”
• Alan Hahn sympathizes with fans making the costly and emotionally draining commitment to attend games:
  “God bless you for going to these games and being there and tailgating...10 years, a long time to be that bad. And yet you just keep coming back…there’s no return on the investment when for 10 years, for eight of those years, you have barely gotten through your Halloween candy and your team is already out of it.” (04:30)

2. Coaching Overhaul—Should the Giants Clean House?

Timestamps: 06:09–09:28

• Caller Peter urges the Giants to fire their leadership now and target high-profile coaches, suggesting Steve Spagnuolo from the Chiefs and Lane Kiffin as offensive coordinator.
  • Alan analyzes the practicality:
    “Lane Kiffin’s under contract until 2031 at 9 million a year…to go and be an OC in the NFL, you’d have to pay him an exorbitant amount of money.” (08:11)
  • Hosts stress: Any “clean house” move should be proactive—not simply reactive—so you’re not “scrambling for a consultant” post-firing.

3. Developing Jackson Dart: Protect or Play?

Timestamps: 09:50–16:26

• Caller Dave and Alan/Peter fiercely debate playing rookie QB Jackson Dart with a struggling roster:
  • Dave: “You mean to tell me…on that rotten turf at Giant Stadium, you're going to let this man put Dart in the situation…he's gonna get crushed.” (09:50)
  • Alan: “You've got to play him. You can't now say, well, well, we suck, so we're not going to put him on ice.” (10:56)
  • Rosenberg: “Playing a young quarterback…when you look at the people he's playing with, there's not a ton of talent. It doesn't necessarily develop them the right way.” (12:09)
• They agree: if the offensive line holds up, Dart needs game reps to grow—even amid losing.

Notable Quote

“This line’s been pretty good…Now, listen, if you get to week 16, 17, 18…maybe at the end of the season, I’d say, okay, I’ve seen enough. But not now. You’re not thinking about that now.”
— Alan Hahn (15:54)

4. Raw Sports Fan Pain & Loyalty

Timestamps: 16:26–17:20

• Rosenberg and Alan reflect on the grind of fandom during down cycles—and the loyalty it takes to keep showing up:
  • “We’ve been talking about horrible things basically non stop since 3:00...” (17:10, Rosenberg)

5. World Series Game 7: Drama, Moments, and TV Ratings

Timestamps: 17:23–24:09

• Both hosts marvel at Saturday’s “instant classic” baseball Game 7:
  • Alan: “It was one of the most compelling sporting events I’ve ever watched.” (18:10)
  • Rosenberg: “I found myself oddly nervous during game seven with nothing invested in it. I don't even know what I was nervous...” (21:46)
• The guys recount the wild collision play (“Pajes trucks Kike Hernandez” - 17:58) and mammoth drama.
• Ratings discussion:
  • “Averaged 26 million viewers…peaked at 31 million during the late innings...the most watched baseball game since 2017.” (20:41)
• Hot Take:
  • Rosenberg: “The baseball season is entirely filled with too many baseball games. That is part of why these moments feel so rare...”
  • Critical question—does a 162-game season dilute the drama?

6. NFL Binge Segment: Week’s Wildest Football Action

Timestamps: 27:00–39:46

• Bears vs Bengals: Wild 47-42 finish, last-minute heroics, and limp defense.
  • “It made it interesting, but now you got to do the hard part, which is you got to get the ball back in the onsides kick, which never happens until it does…” (33:11, Alan)
• Bills vs Chiefs: Allen is 5–1 in regular season vs Mahomes, but playoff dragons remain.
  • “They know each other. There was nowhere to go in the second half. Both teams locked it up.” (36:38, Alan)
• Jaden Daniels Injury (Commanders):
  • Coach Dan Quinn takes ownership for risking Daniels late:
    “That is 100%. That’s on me.” (37:34)
  • Good news: Dislocation, no fracture, season may not be lost.
  • “You have to shut him down. I, I don’t...if, God willing, it’s not a catastrophe…you shut him down. No matter what, right?” (38:35, Rosenberg)

7. Broadcasting Banter: Cameras, Setups & Self-Critique

Timestamps: 27:20–29:45, 41:02–43:28

• The crew rib each other about bad camera angles, iPad fuzziness, and basement drop ceilings.
• Rosenberg reflects on his old interviews with icons like Quincy Jones and why he struggles to revisit early-career work:
  • “If you're somebody that watches anything back you did younger in your career and thinks, ‘Wow, that's awesome. I was great then,’ you're a narcissist.” (41:36, Alan)
  • “We're always trying to evolve, so you can't listen to it (old work) with a discerning ear.” (42:25, Alan)

8. Listener Calls: Baseball’s Most Painful Collapses

Timestamps: 43:43–48:53

• Caller Flavio asks: “Which was the worst collapse—2025 Blue Jays, 2011 Rangers, or 2001 Yankees?”
  • Alan: “In all of sports, how could this not be the most painful loss?...How many chances did Toronto have to win that game at 4, 2? How could you not feel like this is destiny? It's unreal...” (44:56)
• The hosts dissect the agony and psychological scars (e.g., Isaiah Kiner-Falefa “was a fingertip away from the World Series winning run”).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Giants Loyalty:

  “God bless you for going to these games…there’s no return on the investment…”
  — Alan Hahn (04:30)

• On World Series Game 7:

  “It was one of the most compelling sporting events I’ve ever watched.”
  — Alan Hahn (18:10)

• On Playing Young QBs:

  “You’ve got to play him. You can’t now say, well, well, we suck, so we’re not going to put him on ice.”
  — Alan Hahn (10:56)

• On Historic Sports Pain:

  “This might be worse than Buckner…this was it. That was game six, this is game seven…how does he ever let go of that?”
  — Alan Hahn (47:09)

Memorable Segment Timestamps

• [00:47] Tessa’s Giants Therapy Session
• [04:30] Alan on the cost of fandom
• [09:50–16:26] Quarterback Development Showdown
• [17:56] Most Compelling Game 7 Moment (Pajes collision)
• [20:41] TV Ratings for World Series
• [27:05] NFL Binge Kicks Off
• [33:11] Bears-Bengals Collapse Analysis
• [37:34] Dan Quinn admits blame for Daniels injury
• [41:36] Self-critique on old interviews
• [44:56] Discussing agonizing World Series collapses

Tone & Style

The conversation is raw, passionate, and unfiltered—mixing sports heartbreak, sharp football insight, and classic New York sports radio banter. Listeners are welcomed, hosts riff off each other and callers, and big moments are relived with vivid detail.

Conclusion

A rich, cathartic episode for any New York sports fan—balancing hard truths about the Giants, deep dives on team-building strategy, the magic and agony of major sporting moments, and plenty of comedic interludes. Whether you suffered with the Giants, marveled at a legendary Game 7, or just love sharp takes, this hour keeps you locked in and feeling all the emotions of another wild sports weekend.