Hour 2: Ovi Passes Gretzky

Summary

Podcast Summary: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg - Hour 2: Ovi Passes Gretzky

Podcast Information:

• Title: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg
• Hosts/Authors: Don LaGreca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
• Episode: Hour 2: Ovi Passes Gretzky
• Release Date: April 7, 2025
• Description: Featuring Don LaGreca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg, this podcast delves into New York sports, hip-hop culture, and beyond, offering engaging discussions and insightful commentary.

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1. Introduction to the Episode

The episode begins with the hosts transitioning into their 4 o'clock hour segment, quickly diving into current sports events without delay. Alan Hahn sets the stage by discussing the ongoing snow in Detroit and the Yankees' recent struggles, specifically highlighting a crucial moment where Ben Rice was picked off at third base after hitting a triple.

Notable Quote:

• Alan Hahn [00:44]: "Snowing in Detroit. It's snowing in Detroit. The Yankees are down three nothing. Radon gave up a three-run home run, right?"

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2. Player Accountability and Coaching Standards

A significant portion of the discussion centers around player accountability, particularly focusing on Ben Rice's error and the broader implications for coaching standards in Major League Baseball. Alan Hahn emphasizes the importance of holding players accountable for fundamental mistakes, arguing that recent trends favoring player protection over constructive criticism are detrimental to team performance.

Key Points:

• Alan Hahn [01:08]: Criticizes Aaron Boone for not adequately addressing Ben Rice's mistake.
• Don LaGreca [02:03]: Agrees that Boone should directly address Rice's error without excessive praise.
• Discussion on Modern Coaching: Hahn explores how modern relationships between players and ownership influence coaching decisions, often leading to a reluctance to publicly critique players to avoid bad PR.

Notable Quotes:

• Alan Hahn [02:12]: "There's nothing wrong with ripping a major league baseball player. Again, I'm not asking you to tear him a, but just say no. That's inexcusable."
• Don LaGreca [02:29]: "That is literally what he will do. I love the man, but he will tell you all the good things and then blow off the bad thing."

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3. Comparison with Wayne Gretzky’s Leadership

The conversation shifts to a broader reflection on sports leadership, drawing parallels with Wayne Gretzky's approach to maintaining respect and accountability. Alan Hahn lauds Gretzky's ability to handle significant moments with humility and class, contrasting it with current coaching practices that often lack this balance.

Key Points:

• Alan Hahn [08:13]: Explores Gretzky's respectful acknowledgment of both fans and players during pivotal moments.
• Don LaGreca [07:59]: Emphasizes the need for aggressiveness in gameplay while maintaining respect.
• Reflection on Gretzky’s Legacy: Hahn shares personal anecdotes highlighting Gretzky's humility and his impact on the sport beyond his on-ice achievements.

Notable Quotes:

• Alan Hahn [09:26]: "Wayne Gretzky treated the moment as if it mattered to him, but also gets out there and the first thing he says is not about the goal, not about the moment."
• Don LaGreca [07:35]: "If you want to be that guy. It is okay to both pat your teammates on the butt and occasionally give them pow pow when they make mistakes."

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4. Ovechkin’s Pursuit of Gretzky’s Records

A central theme of the episode is Alexander Ovechkin’s relentless pursuit to surpass Wayne Gretzky’s legendary goal-scoring records. The hosts delve into Ovechkin’s playing style, his resilience in overcoming injuries, and his potential to etch his name alongside hockey greats.

Key Points:

• Alan Hahn [31:27]: Discusses Ovechkin’s goal-scoring prowess and his potential to become the greatest of all time.
• Don LaGreca [20:28]: Highlights Ovechkin’s off-ice personality and how it complements his on-ice performance.
• Injuries and Resilience: Hahn reflects on how Ovechkin’s ability to return from injuries, such as a broken leg, showcases his dedication and longevity in the sport.

Notable Quotes:

• Alan Hahn [31:47]: "He doesn't have to skate. He just sits there at that wing and just blasts away. You can't stop it."
• Don LaGreca [20:28]: "He rolls up to his press conferences, grabs a beer. Everywhere he goes, he's partying, he's having a good time."

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5. Media Coverage and Athlete Image

The hosts critique the current state of media coverage in sports, particularly contrasting how hockey figures like Ovechkin are embraced compared to athletes in other leagues like the NBA. They argue that hockey maintains a culture of humility and respect, whereas other sports often emphasize individual prowess over team dynamics.

Key Points:

• Alan Hahn [22:04]: Notes the difference in media portrayal between hockey and the NBA, praising broadcasters like Paul Bissonnette for their genuine appreciation of the game.
• Don LaGreca [23:36]: Discusses the impact of individualism in the NBA and how it contrasts with the team-oriented culture in hockey.

Notable Quotes:

• Alan Hahn [23:01]: "Messier... still speaks, though, with reverence and respect of the current players. We don't do enough of that in the NBA."
• Don LaGreca [23:36]: "Hockey's always been a humbling sport that way."

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6. The Future of Hockey Legends

The conversation evolves into a debate about the Mount Rushmore of the NHL, contemplating where Ovechkin stands among legends like Gretzky, Crosby, and Lemieux. The hosts weigh the accomplishments and potential future achievements of these players, acknowledging both their statistical prowess and their influence on the game.

Key Points:

• Alan Hahn [32:17]: Argues for Crosby's inclusion over Ovechkin due to his all-around play.
• Don LaGreca [33:24]: Supports Ovechkin’s candidacy but acknowledges the limitations imposed by injuries on his career statistics.

Notable Quotes:

• Alan Hahn [32:00]: "Lemieux would have broken the record, too. Imagine if you've been playing a thousand games."
• Don LaGreca [33:24]: "He's my favorite. He's my favorite hockey player of all time. By miles."

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7. Closing Thoughts and Final Discussion

As the episode winds down, the hosts reflect on the discussed topics, reaffirming their admiration for Ovechkin’s legacy and the importance of maintaining accountability within sports teams. They also touch upon personal anecdotes and lighter topics, maintaining the engaging and dynamic rapport that characterizes their discussions.

Notable Quote:

• Alan Hahn [35:06]: "How many OV goals did Rick DiPietro allow? Oh, that's a good one."

---

Conclusion

In "Hour 2: Ovi Passes Gretzky," Don LaGreca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg offer a compelling analysis of Alexander Ovechkin's quest to surpass Wayne Gretzky's records, the evolving standards of player accountability in baseball, and the contrasting cultures across different sports leagues. With insightful commentary and engaging banter, the hosts provide listeners with a nuanced perspective on sportsmanship, legacy, and the future of hockey legends.

Final Notable Quote:

• Alan Hahn [35:12]: "Hear more of Don, Hahn, and Rosenberg weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 880 ESPN, the ESPN New York app, and your smart speakers."

Transcript

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[Don LaGreca]

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[Peter Rosenberg]

Han at Rosenberg podcast.

[Alan Hahn]

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.

[Alan Hahn]

All right, into the 4 o'clock hour we go with Don Lagreca and Peter Rosenberg. I'm Alan Hahn. 800 now with 9. 3776 is the number. It is legit. Snowing in Detroit. It's snowing in Detroit. The Yankees are down three nothing. Radon gave up a. It was a three run home run, right? He gave up a blast. Ben Rice got picked off at third base after hitting a triple with one out.

And judge at the plate, this is.

What'S going on, right?

It's not hyperbole. My son is seven. He's in coach pitch. So not that there's any leading or getting picked off, but if there were, that would be a moment where I take Marco aside and say, you can't do that. The best player on the planet is up. You're at third base. You can score any. You can crawl to home plate. Why you even. Why you even taking a lead? You should nail your foot to the bag, son. What's the matter with you? And he's seven. So a major league ball player, that's where I would get on. I want to listen. We will. It'll be our open tomorrow if Aaron Boone defends it. Because we always talk, Alan, protect Aaron, protects his players and all that. No, don't give me some gobbledygook about something else. He was. No, rip him. Rip him in the post game. That a major league ball player cannot do that.

[Don LaGreca]

And just do it without saying all the great things about the person who did it.

[Alan Hahn]

Sorry. Ben Rice.

[Don LaGreca]

Ben Rice. Just come out and say Ben's got to be better than that.

[Alan Hahn]

Let me see.

[Don LaGreca]

That's fundamental.

[Alan Hahn]

Let me see. I can get it. Well, you know you love his approach at the plate and getting that triple. I mean that was huge. Good to see him swing the bat like that. Yeah, he knows, you know, we had a talk with him, but he knows that he's got to be a little more locked in there when you got judgy up at the. At the plate, you know, he knows.

[Don LaGreca]

By the way, that that is it. That is literally what he will do. I love the man, but he will tell you all. He will tell you all the good things and then blow off the bad thing.

[Alan Hahn]

But what. What. What I would tell Boone is if it's all positive, then there can't be any way to be able to actually compliment anybody. Like, what good is a compliment if that's all that it ever is? You gotta be able to measure it against something negative. There's nothing wrong with ripping a major league baseball player. Again, I'm not asking you to tear him a. You know what?

Yes, you just did.

But just say no. That's inexcusable. It can't happen. He'll be better. But I talked to him and he knows that that was ridiculous. And that's what's wrong with that. Ben Rice probably would tell you that. That's what I always find funny when the player rips him himself and then the manager defends him. So I get it. It's a huggy kissy type of world. Now, God forbid you say anything bad about players.

Nope.

But part of coaching, part of teaching, and Ben Rice is still young, is in those moments to be able to call a spade a spade. Hey, bad job. What did you think again? Getting picked off. Inexcusable. Can't happen. And you could still love the player and compliment his game after the fact, but if they end up losing this game, get shut out, or, God forbid, lose by a run, they. And that might have cost him the game. That has to be called out. I'm sorry.

You know why I think this is a thing now. This is new. And it's not. I don't think it's just a player empowerment thing. I mean, some of it does have to do with that when you consider that players and all the money they make are getting closer to owners. And there's a little more of a personal relationship with a lot of your higher level players because they're. They're closer to ownership. And so if they don't like a coach calling them out publicly, they'll probably get to the owner and the owner will tell the coach to stop doing it. And then you reach a point where we're not hiring people that do that. Right. We don't want bad pr. We don't Want to feed the media any drama that they can then live with and make our franchise look bad. So keep all that stuff in house. That has become a thing in the new in this century. Don, when it comes to media coverage, we have seen that. But I also think there's a public out there now that hates hearing a leader talk down to the workers. But even though it's not the same thing. It's not. But there is now this thing in our society about the boss being verbally abusive of the workers. And so they'll always take the players. The coach shouldn't say that, but yet they'll be the first ones. When a player makes a mistake to say what you said, I know, should call them out. It's amazing. But when the. When the coach does it, how many people run in front of the player to take the bullets and protect the player? As if it's unfair that you're calling out this player. Maybe you need to coach him better.

Right? Oh, no, you're absolutely right. There is that double standard. But listen, did Patrick Waugh go too far in tearing up Duclair? Yes, I believe he went too far. But when a guy makes a mistake the way Ben Rice did, that's a fundamental Little Leaguer mistake, which is also, you should be allowed to call him out. And we'll see if does.

And the reason why I'm jumping here is because not only is it. It's not an isolated incident. This unfortunately has become why the Yankees were mocked after the World Series last year. Fundamental mistakes, mental mistakes like that. And you could say, relax, it's April. It's early in the season. That's the problem. You're either coaching it or allowing it to happen. So you have to make a choice right there. We're not going to be that team. And this is gonna stop here, Right? When do you set the standard of we don't have mental errors with judge at the plate early in a game on the road. Where are you right now? I need you better. Like it's as simple as that. You don't have to make it personal.

No, I feel like that's what Patrick.

Waugh did is he made it personal.

Right. He made it personal in the name calling and stuff. You don't have to do that. But it's. It's the word. I didn't know this was gonna turn into a Yankee segment, but why not? Is the word that I keep coming back to is accountability. There has to be accountability for when mistakes and errors are made. And there's nothing Wrong with calling out someone that makes a fundamental mistake. We're not talking about a physical error. Those are gonna happen. That's a mental error. Getting picked off a third base when Aaron Judge is up. Can't happen. Impossible. Should never happen. And not be excused. And I don't think. And if we've gotten to the point where we can't call out those types of mental errors, then you're telling me. Then everything has to complementary.

[Don LaGreca]

By the way, what are you even leading for?

[Alan Hahn]

That's the point.

It's judges at bat.

[Don LaGreca]

Should we nail.

[Alan Hahn]

Keep a foot on things.

I have both.

[Don LaGreca]

No, no, Alan. I'd have both feet.

[Alan Hahn]

Both feet.

[Don LaGreca]

I'd just be standing. And also, I don't hate this being an opportunity. And I know this isn't his way, but I'm gonna give you some harsh medicine here at this stage of his career if he were to get asked about it. I do not hate Aaron Judge putting on his big boy pants and him being the one who says Ben's gotta be better. I don't.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, well.

[Don LaGreca]

Cause they're both teammates. He can't say anything.

[Alan Hahn]

You're the frigging man.

Say whatever you want to say.

Never gonna do it well, but he should.

[Don LaGreca]

If you want to be that guy. It is okay to both pat your teammates on the butt and occasionally give them pow pow when they make mistakes.

[Alan Hahn]

Here's what he'll say. Yeah, I. He doesn't need me to say that. He already said it.

[Don LaGreca]

He already knows.

[Alan Hahn]

He told us in the dugout. He took it pretty hard. You know, we just want to make sure that he just stays aggressive out there. Because you love seeing him on third base.

[Don LaGreca]

Because we need him aggressive on third when I'm up to bat.

[Alan Hahn]

You know what I mean? No, no. Aggressive at the plate to get the. I've learned this. And they will always revert back to the positive to remind you, hey, you.

[Don LaGreca]

Know, it's annoying, it's not helpful to anyone, and all it does is irritate your fans.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, that's where we are. But meanwhile, where we are right now is with calls 800-919-3776. And also Don and Peter history that was made on Sunday at UBS Arena. And I know Alex Ovechkin was obviously the one who scored the goal, who had the moment, but can we take a second to recognize Wayne Gretzky and what I never expected him to become, what he's kind of become, which is once again the face of his sport, the ambassador. It's amazing. How he handled himself in that moment when first of all the game has stopped, he comes out and a lot of times you'll see Kareem Abdul Jabbar came out, he gave LeBron the ball. They didn't have a great relationship, but he was willing to be there. There was a smile of photo, but there was an awkwardness about the whole whatever. Wayne Gretzky treated the moment as if it mattered to him, but also gets out there and the first thing he says is not about the goal, not about the moment. The first thing he does is recognize.

Who the Islander fans.

Yes, the fans in the building. Makes a little joke, a self deprecating joke. Glad it's not a Nassau Coliseum. I've had a lot of losses in that building. Like just gives that little. And then acknowledges the Islander players and how like what they are in this moment. Understanding the moment. And for you guys, showing nothing but class. He does all that and then he makes the moment about ovi. There was just something regal about Wayne Gretzky in that moment. And I recall times with Wayne Gretzky where he was a bit awkward, where he wasn't comfortable in media. I feel like he. His ability to carry that moment and make that moment as big as it was for hockey. He made it, his presence made that such a big moment in sports. It was really special.

Yeah, it was terrific how he handled that because he gets it. He understands, he reads the room better than anybody. He's as humble an athlete that I've ever met. I've told the story many times, but I'm thrilled that I got a chance to do it. A couple of years ago, I called a Ranger Oiler game at the Garden and he's there. He's still working with the Oilers and myself. Dave and Wayne were walking down that hill to get to the bus where the Oilers were. I was gonna exit that way. I was not gonna not walk with Wayne Gretzky.

The famous ramp that goes down to the 33rd Street.

And he's talking about what teams need because he said, you know, we need another guy. We got draisaitl, we've got McDavid. We need another guy. He goes. Because all the great teams have another guy. He goes. In Edmonton, we had, we had Curry, Messier, Coffey, he didn't name himself. That's the greatest player on the planet. He came up with three Oilers that weren't winning.

We had these three guys. By the way, they also had a guy named Wayne.

How humble is that? Like nobody would have said, oh, look at him. Mention himself. Yeah, you gotta mention yourself. He didn't have to. Plus he understands the history of the game. There's a picture of him like as a seven year old with Gordie Howe. There was a great clip that was going on, him being interviewed after he broke Gordy's record with Phil Esposito. And he's talking about like, how many are you going to end up with? And all that. And he predicted, yes, this record will be broken. Somebody will break this record. And. And I hope I can be there because the way Gordy was there for me. So he understood all of that. And it's really a cool thing. Apparently there was some kind of funny thing at the end that I guess he had gotten a Rolls Royce when he broke the record.

I love this story.

And the NHL won't allow Leon Sis to buy him one because it would violate the salary.

But no, it didn't. Now he said, I love that he told that story. You know, when I did this, they bought me a Rolls Royce and he looked at Leon's and it's like, it's on you. And that's when they did the whole cap thing. And Gary said, I'm sure we can work something out. Yeah, just Gary.

Well, tnt, I thought, did a great job too.

You want to hear Kenny's call?

Yeah, Kenny's call.

Kenny Albert. You talk about handling it the best possible way here is Obetzky shoots, he smiles, he smiles.

Number eight. 95.

And then he lays out.

It's a great scene.

Says not a word. Lets it all happen. Lets the crowd, the players, everything. The swan dive by Ovechkin. The whole thing. Lets it happen. And the next voice you hear is Eddie Olczyk.

Yeah, that's the way you do it on television.

[Don LaGreca]

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[Alan Hahn]

Tax Act.

[Unknown]

Let's get them over with.

[Alan Hahn]

I hear the Caps radio.

[Don LaGreca]

No, no, no. We have a thing called the nn.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, for God's sake.

But I thought John did a great job with it. I heard Kinger's call, which is the out of town call. I thought Kinger did a great job with it too. That's a great moment for him. I'm happy for Chris. So that was all handled very well. I thought TNT did a great job. I guess Michael Jordan congratulated him. Derek Jeter. Congratulations.

They had. So the. The NHL put out. I was just looking at this Tom Brady, LeBron James. There was like several.

I remember G to Roger Federer.

Yep. Yes.

He's very good friends with ov.

Yeah, they had a lot of. A lot of obviously NHL players as well. But I just. I'm scrolling through them now, but the first two that I saw was. Was Brady lebron. You mentioned Michael Jordan. Just all the different superstar athletes who recognize this. This wasn't just a hockey moment, but it was a big moment for hockey, wasn't it?

Yeah, it was really. And I thought it was handled well by tnt. I thought it was handled well by the Caps. Ovechkin is a very interesting character because like a lot like Crosby, it's easy to hate him. Because of his success. So if you play in his division, it's tough to embrace, but for some reason, he was very embraceable during this whole thing. Always very humble. And just his whole career, though.

See, I found him like I got. I was there for their drafts and that was the end of it for me.

Right.

It's the hockey, though. That's the last draft I covered was that one. The Ovechkin Malkin draft. And he, like Sidney, was always approachable, but you always felt like he was already taught how to be, you know, PR and handle it, but buttoned up. The best way to describe it, right? Yes.

[Don LaGreca]

It's about.

[Alan Hahn]

Ovechkin was always embraceable. Just seemed like a regular guy. Like, seemed very cool. Players liked him.

We would have. When I did NHL Live, we would have Crosby on and very Jeter, like.

Yep.

And I've talked to people in Pittsburgh who compare Crosby to Jeter. Will never say the wrong thing. Very humble, easy to talk to, but doesn't give you much ov. I've never talked to as much, but I remember having him on early in his career and he just embraced the stardom. He was fun. He was kind of anti hockey in a way. Remember the Hot Stick? They can't pick it up. And that rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. But, you know, here's a Russian kid playing in the United States and he just embraced it. He loved it. He was outgoing, he was fun. In a non traditional hockey market like Washington, they embraced him. Ends up being the greatest athlete, I think, ever to play in the D.C. area. Peter, we've talked about that. Yeah, no, it's a fun.

[Don LaGreca]

It's a fun conversation, but I think it's actually, when you do it West.

[Alan Hahn]

Unsell, there's more Baltimore, right?

[Don LaGreca]

No, no, no. But he's D.C. but nobody. He's a Washington bullet. But no, Daryl Green is in the conversation.

[Alan Hahn]

There's hall of Famers and there's players, but.

[Don LaGreca]

But he's. By the way, I did attempt to go to this game.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, you did?

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

How much? What were you seeing?

[Don LaGreca]

Well, I reached out to our friends.

[Alan Hahn]

At the Islanders, of course, and they were like.

[Don LaGreca]

They said it was the day before, day before.

[Alan Hahn]

And that's cute.

[Don LaGreca]

Jj, our good friend Jay Bieberman hit me up. He was like, dude, this thing is absolutely insane. I have zero. He was like, anytime you guys want to come, I got you. I got nothing. And I was like, oh, man.

[Alan Hahn]

We'll have it on a big screen outside, though, if you want to sit in One of the igloos.

[Don LaGreca]

I said, how bad is it? I said, I wonder how bad this is. And I went on at the time to check. Let's see, the lowest to get in the building that I saw was 8 or 900. And you know, I'm not going up top if I'm going.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

So I'm looking down low. Two grand, eighteen hundred. I guess D.C. just trapped. I guess everyone came up.

[Alan Hahn]

Everybody came up. It was perfect.

[Don LaGreca]

It worked out perfect.

[Alan Hahn]

Drive up Islander fans who have season tickets made made all their money back in one day.

And you don't know he's scoring, but the way he was playing, you had a sense it felt like it was going to happen.

When. When Suzikis took the pal with my daughter Gracie. When Tzikis took the penalty and you saw even he reacted. I looked at her, I go, is he getting it here? And she goes, he is. Everybody felt it. Like, everybody's like, yeah, he's definitely.

[Don LaGreca]

You saw the audio of him saying it too, right? Do you see the audio?

[Alan Hahn]

I did not of where he came up.

[Don LaGreca]

I don't remember who he talked to before the play, but he's like. He's like, basically, if I get the puck, I'm giving it to you. Give it right back to me. For a one timer. He didn't end up. He wasn't the one who.

[Alan Hahn]

John Carlson, I think he said it.

[Don LaGreca]

To, but he told them. He basically said, get me a one time right here.

[Alan Hahn]

I got you. And you know, he still can't stop it. And the thing that just blows me away is I call those games in the playoffs last year, Rangers caps. He was, he was done. He looked cooked. And I. Oh, you said that. Yeah. And just for him to be able to come back and also miss six weeks because of a broken leg and still score 42 goals. Because listen, Gretzky was still. Wasn't Gretzky at the end. He was still great, but he wasn't Gretzky. This guy scoring. This guy would have scored 50 goals easy if he didn't break his leg. I mean, he's 4, 39 years old. I mean, it's.

And he broke his leg.

It's so quick.

Say that one more time.

The thing is, the reason I think he can play beyond his contract, which is up at the end of next year, is because he's not. He doesn't have to skate. He just sits there at that wing and just blasts away. You know it's coming.

You can't stop it.

[Don LaGreca]

Did you see the Video. I don't know if anyone out there is listening. If you haven't watched any of the stuff on social media of him moving around in the hours afterwards and in the previous days. He rolls up to his press conferences, grabs a beer. Everywhere he goes, he's partying, he's having a good time. He actually. Is it me? He kind of has a little bit of a gut going too. Oh, he's had that like he's got the big man.

[Alan Hahn]

He's had that for years.

[Don LaGreca]

But to me now he looks like an older player but on the ice. Don, you're right. He does so little with his body.

[Alan Hahn]

First of all, he's 38 years old and he's all gray.

I know that's all gray.

He's Don McGregor.

He was gray for a while, but now he's all gray. And. And I guess it was Sorokin that asked for. I guess he asked for Sorokin stick. And they, they got together and I'm looking at the video after the game. It's like father and son because Sorokin is. He's a kid. And here's this 39 year old, all gray and it just looked like, like a middle school and he's. He's an NHL goaltender and looks like his son. It's. Listen, I'm really happy for him. I've always thought he was a great. I say kid because I'm 57. But you know, I remember when he. Remember he lost his whole rookie year because of the lockout. Also lost time with that second lockout. And Covid, he would have broken this like a year ago if not for those things. Really a special moment. And I'm glad you brought up the Gretzky thing because this is what's wrong with the NBA is that here's a dignitary and also an analyst for tnt and Wayne Gretzky embracing Ovechkin. Watching the coverage on both ESPN and tnt. All the former players louding this guy. Why do we have on the. In the NBA? You know, as. As good as Barkley and Shaq are, it's. It's ripping into the star players. The game isn't as good as when I played. Why can't you embrace it, man? This is important stuff.

Interesting time.

Why. Why do you feel that? I don't feel that happens in the other sports. It doesn't happen in baseball and football. Is anybody. Is Tom Brady sitting there going, yeah, Mahomes is good, but he's not me?

There's a lot. You know what it's what you're saying, though, to me, is somewhere that we've got to get in the NBA. Because when I watch and I watch a ton of hockey and I watch a lot of the broadcasts, like, what, what, what Paul Bissonnet brings, what Biz brings, is he's funny, he is irreverent at times, but he is always in wonder and awe of the talent of the players. Right?

Yeah.

Like, you never. He looks like a guy who just loves the game. Loves it. Right. Like PK Subat, the guy who's. He's one of Norris. Right.

He's been.

He's been at the top as far as defensemen go and stuff. And he'll also. He'll crack down on a player. Like, he'll be critical, but he'll also let you know just how hard this game is to play. There's a wonder and an awe and an excitement about it. Messier, a guy who's done everything in the sport, he still speaks, though, with reverence and respect of the current players. We don't do enough of that in the NBA.

All right. Bisson at to do it. Anson Carter to do it. I mean, they weren't great players. They were NHL players, but they weren't great players. But you don't hear Messier back in my day, although that's that one commercial. But he's joking around backhand, you know, or Lundqvist doing it. Lundqvist's great. Messier is great. Wayne Gretzky's the greatest. I hear them talking up the game instead of talking down the game. And I think it's important that when you're a dignitary, for lack of a.

Better word, that's the right way to put it.

You should be talking up the current athlete and all that. And I think that's really important. Hockey's always been a humbling sport that way.

Is it? Because, and I've always wondered this. In the basketball culture, trash talk is just part of the game. It has always been that challenging you trash talk kind of mentality. Now, hockey has chirps and those you have to understand on the ice, they're not saying nice things to each other. They chirp. But the respect after the game, which is the handshake and all those things, there is respect after the game. In the NBA, there's hugs and kisses. Now after games, like, I see it every day.

True.

But there's something generationally that you're bringing up, Don, that we probably could dive deeper into that the league definitely needs to. Oh, I shouldn't say the league. This is an NBA media issue.

But the NBA, too, is the most individual of the team sports. Like I was looking at the footage when LeBron broke his recent record. He's standing by himself. The focus is on him. You saw immediately the bench cleared. They're jumping Ovechkin. They're appreciating. One of the first things he said to the crowd after Gretzky gave him the microphone is my teammates. That helped me get here. You don't hear that as much in the NBA because I think the individual is celebrated more in the NBA than in the NHL. And there's more of a culture, I think in football, baseball and hockey of the team, basketball. It always seems to be more about the individual and the star.

Yeah, that's what sells. This seems like a conversation that we should pick up later on. We have ENN coming up next. You want to stay tuned for that 800-919-3776 for all of your calls. But right now it is Alan Hahn here. I want to tell you about my friends at Bath Fitter. So they're going to remodel a bath in my home. My wife and my family, they're excited. My wife's in charge, so Stephanie's in charge. I'm not part of this. She's already told me stay out of it. I'm doing all this. So what we're doing is updating a bathroom that we have in our basement walkout. You guys know last summer we put a pool in and we realized this bathroom, while I love music from the 90s, bathrooms from the 90s, no bueno. So we got to upgrade this thing. So a bathroom consultant is going to be taking us through the process with their free in home consultation to pick the style and color as well as all the specifics and accessories to update our bath. Customize just the way Stephanie wants it. Bathfitter works fast, delivers the highest quality work without delay. Bathfitter is a permanent solution. By the way. It's a one piece seamless wall for a watertight fit and a lifetime guarantee. You can trust the Bath Fitter team like we are, as they have been in business for over 40 years with millions of happy customers. And by the way, right now you can save up to $500 and start designing your bath like we are. Visit bathfitter.com for more details. There's only one Bat Fitter.

[Unknown]

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[Alan Hahn]

Think you're on mute.

[Don LaGreca]

Workdays starting to sound the same.

[Alan Hahn]

I think you're on mute.

[Don LaGreca]

Find something that sounds better for your career on LinkedIn. With LinkedIn job collections, you can browse curated collections by relevant industries and benefits like Flexpto or hybrid workplaces so you can find the right job for for you. Get [e-mail] jobs finding where you fit LinkedIn knows how this episode is brought to you by the Toyota Grand Highlander from daily routines to life changing adventures, the Toyota Grand Highlander is spacious, powerful and ready to take on life's grand challenges. Advanced safety features and innovative technology give you confidence for whatever life throws at you. And it's available in a hybrid Nightshade System Special edition, which includes sophisticated gloss black exterior accents and 20 inch black alloy wheels. Learn [e-mail] Grand Highlander Toyota let's go places.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Thanks for listening to the Don Han and Rosenberg podcast.

[Don LaGreca]

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.

[Alan Hahn]

I don't know. Is there a reason for this? I'm just curious.

[Don LaGreca]

Girls ain't nothing but trouble. Anniversary of some sort.

[Alan Hahn]

On this day, their debut album, DJ Jazzy.

[Don LaGreca]

He's the dj. I'm the rapper. Oh, look at that.

[Alan Hahn]

Okay.

Oh actually Rock the House.

That's the.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, yeah. Okay. Rock the House is the one before. Sorry.

[Alan Hahn]

This is the remix of I Dream of Genie. Or is it?

Yes, I Dream of Genie.

Right. Which is. It's a phenomenal remix. This is.

[Don LaGreca]

This is when. This was the theme of all Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince songs that time. They all had sort of that feel. And that was the first one. People don't realize that that one's before. Parents just don't understand. Not nearly as big, of course, as parents just don't understand.

[Alan Hahn]

Corny, though, right?

[Don LaGreca]

I mean, both were horrifyingly corny.

[Alan Hahn]

Did you know it was corny in real time?

[Don LaGreca]

I. I think everybody could tell those songs were corny in real time. And, like, you still liked them because they were.

[Alan Hahn]

It was pop.

[Don LaGreca]

They felt good, but they were popped.

[Alan Hahn]

A voice that sounded like this, like he was weird.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, he did the parent. That was him doing the parents.

[Alan Hahn]

But he. Yeah, but he just would do that. And that's what made it.

[Don LaGreca]

It made it catchy.

[Alan Hahn]

And then Summertime came out. You're like, oh, that's years later, they dropped for Will. Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

So, like, no, that's not like, all.

[Alan Hahn]

Of a sudden, it's everything. You're like, whoa, wait, wait, that's Fresh Prince. Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

Four years later, he's a different man.

[Alan Hahn]

Everything changed. Game time brought to you by Telemardu Irish Whiskey because when it's game time, it's telly time. Yankees. Tigers. All right, so we've gone through snow, freezing rain. Sun came out. Yeah, but I just checked the temperature in Detroit. It's 5:1, by the way. Tigers, bottom seven. Not great. Not what you want. Radon still out there, though. 96 pitches, 97 pitches in, but it has not gone well. Two home runs that he's given up. But it's 33 degrees in Detroit. Real feel. 19.

It's ridiculous.

It's baseball, Susan. In the meantime, the Mets will open a series with the Marlins and coverage begins immediately following us right here on 880 at 6 30. Note the start time. Rangers host the Lightning. Don's got the pregame at 6:30 on 10:50am Tullamore Dew, the original triple distilled, triple blended, triple cast matured Irish whiskey. Be sure to grab a Tullamore Dew or try the new Tullamore Dew. Honey. During tonight's action, glasses up to enjoying telemore do responsibly. 800 now at 93776. Sharkey and sufferance. Got to take here. Don. For you, Sharkey.

What's up, baby?

[J]

Hey, good afternoon, guys. Sorry I'm a little late on this, I think because I wasn't listening in the beginning, but I just wanted to go over to OVI thing a Little bit, you know. You know, Obi could possibly get a thousand goals by the time it's all said. Oh, sure, he's playing.

[Alan Hahn]

I mean, but anyway, he could take it off.

[J]

Yeah. Obi's going to be the greatest goal scorer of all time. Wayne Gretzky will still be the greatest.

[Alan Hahn]

Can I. Can I. Can I. Can I correct you, Sharkey?

[J]

Yeah. Yes, go ahead.

[Alan Hahn]

OVI will have the most goals all time. Greatest goal scorer of all time's name is Mike Bossi. Right.

But it's all subjects.

[J]

True. I agree with you on that. The greatest. Pure goal.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, yeah. Goals per game, all that stuff. Like, that guy was a machine. He just didn't play long enough.

[J]

Unbelievable.

[Alan Hahn]

Greatest goal scorer of all time.

[J]

Yeah, I agree with you. But Obi will have the record for the most goals. Absolutely. And Gretzky will always be the great one. Gordie Howe will always be Mr. Hockey. Bobby Orr is Bobby Orr. Now, who goes on? Who's the fourth one on the Mount Rushmore? Is it Obi? Is it Crosby?

[Alan Hahn]

Crosby's.

[J]

That's an interesting point.

[Alan Hahn]

Meet Lemieux.

Lemieuxi Boss, the greatest goal scorer of all time.

And Lemieux would have broken the record, too. Imagine if you've been playing a thousand games.

[J]

Yeah, exactly. Imagine. And he had. And he had, I think, 15 or 1600 points in those thousand games. He was probably the most talented guy to ever lift a hockey stick. He's up there, you know, just unfortunately, you know, shortened. Shortened career, you know, unfortunately, you know, as far as that goes.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

The problem.

[Alan Hahn]

The problem with the Mount Rushmore in the NHL is similar to baseball in the sense that, like, what do you do with the pitcher and what do you do with the goaltender? Like, he didn't mention any goaltender. So is Brodeur there? Is Patrick Wa there?

That's a great point.

But those four. So you got to have Gretzky, you got to have how you got to have or. I don't think anybody's going to argue with that. So who's the fourth guy? Well, I think Crosby's better than Ovechkin. Better all around player.

Crosby better than Lemieux.

He'll end up having way more. Listen, I feel bad.

Can't do a total points. Can't. Because again, Lemieux broke down.

I feel physical, but that's. I feel bad, but doesn't that.

[Don LaGreca]

You have to include it.

[Alan Hahn]

You gotta have to.

[Don LaGreca]

He's my favorite. He's my favorite hockey player of all time. By miles. But you can't Remove the fact that he didn't play a lot.

[Alan Hahn]

You know, part of the whole thing. He back and then he had the cancer and he also retired because. Mainly because he just couldn't stand the clutching and the grabbing anymore. And he did. Did come back later on.

Right.

You know, listen, injuries are part of it though, right? I mean, that's got to go down. As much as it's not your fault, doesn't that kind of knock you out of the box, too?

Okay.

Because you're projecting that. Well, if boss, he didn't get hurt, he would have broken. We don't know that. Yeah, he probably would.

If you were going to put a goalie then in as the fourth, who would it be? Would it be Brode or.

I would go with wa over Brodeur just because he's got more. He's got more rings. He did it with two different teams. But you know what? Honestly, I don't know if there was ever a period of time where I saw anybody play better than Dominik Hashik. Now, it wasn't as long as Brodeur or Wah, but there was like a five, six year period where there was nobody better than Dominic Hashik. But it's, you know, what do you do with Maurice Richard? Like, there's so. It's such. It's such a difficult, loaded question. But it's so much fun to debate.

Yeah, well, it's always fun to debate that. It's always fun also to listen to the morning show, as I try to do whenever I can, especially when I'm in the car running in the morning. However. However, there was something that was said this morning that we gotta address, and I hope my guys have my back on this one because you know, when you take shots at the morning show, you better not miss.

And I'll let you think about it during the break. How many goals. How many OV goals did Rick DiPietro allow?

Oh, that's a good one. I didn't know until they.

They mentioned it this morning.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Thanks for listening to Madonn Hahn and Rosa podcast.

[Alan Hahn]

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

[Peter Rosenberg]

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.