Hour 2: QB Dominoes

Summary

Don, Hahn & Rosenberg Podcast Summary
Episode: Hour 2: QB Dominoes
Release Date: March 4, 2025

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Introduction to QB Dominoes

In the second hour of the "Don, Hahn & Rosenberg" podcast titled "QB Dominoes," hosts Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg delve deep into the tumultuous landscape of NFL quarterback movements. The episode, released on March 4, 2025, focuses primarily on the implications of the Minnesota Vikings' decision not to franchise tag Sam Darnold, the potential fallout for Aaron Rodgers with the New York Jets, and the broader impact on related teams like the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets’ Dilemma

Alan Hahn opens the discussion by referencing a tweet from Adam Schefter about the Vikings' decision not to franchise tag Sam Darnold, thereby making him a free agent. This move sets off a chain reaction that significantly affects the Jets, who had been considering retaining Rodgers.

Alan Hahn [00:31]: "Adam Schefter just about a half hour ago guys tweeted that the Vikings will not be tagging Sam Donald... which means he will become a free agent."

Don La Greca expresses skepticism about Rodgers' potential performance if he were to join the New York Giants, suggesting that Rodgers might not mesh well with the team's existing dynamics.

Don La Greca [01:35]: "I could totally picture a mediocre to bad Russell Wilson season in big Blue. Oh yeah, I can picture."

Alan Hahn counters by highlighting the allure of the Giants' large market:

Alan Hahn [01:42]: "See, I would love it. Big market, right?"

The hosts discuss the possibility of Rodgers being a short-term solution for the Jets, especially considering the team's shifted focus towards Justin Fields.

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Potential Trade Partners: Giants and Steelers

The conversation shifts to potential destinations for Aaron Rodgers, with the Giants and Steelers emerging as the primary candidates.

New York Giants

Peter Rosenberg speculates on the Giants' interest in Rodgers and questions whether the team genuinely wants him or if they're merely exploring options.

Peter Rosenberg [02:59]: "And we knew that devonte was gone the second they let Rogers go. That's why nobody's going to trade."

Don La Greca critiques the Giants' management, suggesting that owner Woody Johnson is making unilateral decisions without giving Aaron Glenn, the new head coach, a fair chance to integrate Rodgers.

Don La Greca [06:04]: "...this feels like he is going full on, full bore. Maniac owner."

Alan Hahn emphasizes that the Giants are unlikely to invest the high amount Rodgers would demand, pointing out that the lack of franchise tags for other players like Sam Darnold indicates financial hesitations.

Alan Hahn [08:35]: "I don't think anybody wants him. I'm telling you...I don't think there's a team in the league that really wants to bring him in."

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers are also in the spotlight, with the team leaning towards prioritizing Justin Fields over Russell Wilson.

Peter Rosenberg [03:19]: "I personally think that it's a mistake because I do believe he would be on his best behavior."

Alan Hahn raises concerns about whether a team like Pittsburgh can effectively manage a high-profile quarterback like Rodgers without disrupting team chemistry.

Alan Hahn [12:00]: "They don't have to go out and find a veteran."

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Sam Darnold's Free Agency

The focus shifts briefly to Sam Darnold, whose free agency status adds another layer of complexity to the Jets' quarterback situation.

Peter Rosenberg [08:35]: "It may make sense because it could be your plan for 20, 25 and not drafting the quarterback because of the way he played in the second half of the season."

Alan Hahn highlights the Vikings' reluctance to offer Darnold a franchise tag due to the high financial implications, suggesting that teams might acquire him at a discounted rate.

Alan Hahn [19:30]: "Only two players are franchise this year. That never happens, right?"

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Ownership and Management Critique

A significant portion of the discussion centers around the Jets' ownership and management decisions, particularly criticizing Woody Johnson's handling of the Rodgers situation.

Don La Greca [07:05]: "Rushing to get it done so quickly and so demonstratively...I would surmise Woody Johnson is in full blown. I do whatever I want."

Peter Rosenberg argues that management's inability to effectively handle high-profile players like Rodgers and Darnold stems from weak leadership.

Peter Rosenberg [24:18]: "And they're trying to build Steelers do. The jets clearly didn't the jets think they do. They just did...you're on board for this?"

Alan Hahn and Don La Greca further discuss the detrimental impact of poor management on team performance and player morale.

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Personality Traits and Team Culture

The personalities of quarterbacks, especially Aaron Rodgers, play a crucial role in potential team dynamics. The hosts express concerns about Rodgers' behavior and its alignment with team culture.

Peter Rosenberg [13:44]: "He's not a bad guy. He's not going to get any trouble."

However, Alan Hahn points out Rodgers' perceived arrogance and self-centeredness, which could disrupt team harmony.

Alan Hahn [12:54]: "I think he's at this point average at best."

Don La Greca worries about the optics of Rodgers potentially being cut or handing over the starting role abruptly, affecting his career narrative.

Don La Greca [37:17]: "Imagine a career like Aaron Rodgers ends picture it ends because the Giants cut you and ask you to walk away."

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Potential Scenarios and Future Implications

The hosts explore various scenarios regarding Rodgers' next steps, including waiting for an injury, contractual issues, or unexpected team needs that could make him a desirable free agent.

Alan Hahn [10:15]: "And that means if he doesn't like the options or they don't like him, he just stays in shape and becomes the quarterback for hire."

Peter Rosenberg suggests that teams like the Steelers could benefit from Rodgers' presence without significant risk, given their strong organizational culture.

Peter Rosenberg [13:44]: "A good organization that knows what it's doing can handle a guy that's a pain in the butt."

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Conclusion

The episode "QB Dominoes" provides an in-depth analysis of the ripple effects caused by the Vikings' decision on Sam Darnold and the ensuing uncertainties surrounding Aaron Rodgers' future. The hosts emphasize the complexities of managing high-profile quarterbacks within team dynamics, ownership decisions, and financial constraints. As the NFL landscape evolves, the discussions highlight the delicate balance teams must maintain between player acquisition, team chemistry, and long-term strategic planning.

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Notable Quotes:

• Alan Hahn [00:31]: "Adam Schefter just about a half hour ago guys tweeted that the Vikings will not be tagging Sam Donald... which means he will become a free agent."

• Don La Greca [06:04]: "...this feels like he is going full on, full bore. Maniac owner."

• Peter Rosenberg [13:44]: "He's not a bad guy. He's not going to get any trouble."

• Don La Greca [37:17]: "Imagine a career like Aaron Rodgers ends picture it ends because the Giants cut you and ask you to walk away."

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from the "QB Dominoes" episode, providing listeners with a clear understanding of the intricate quarterback dynamics within the NFL as analyzed by Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg.

Transcript

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[Alan Hahn]

This is the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That sounds like heaven to me.

[Alan Hahn]

Listen live weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers. Hi, 4:00 hour with Don Legreca and Peter Rosenberg. I'm Alan Hahn. 800-919-3776 is the number. Adam Schefter Just about a half hour ago guys tweeted that the Vikings will not be tagging Sam Donald. So no franchise tag for Darnold, which means he will become a free agent. And that's another option. And oh, by the way, something else Shefty said earlier today on his podcast was that the Steelers are going to be spending the week working on a decision about quarterbacks and they're leaning more towards, I guess prioritizing was the phrase he used. Prioritizing Justin Fields. They're not bringing both back. If they get Fields done. Russell Wilson, throw him on the fire. And would the Giants be interested in him? That's another thing you got to consider.

[Don Legreca]

I could totally picture a mediocre to bad Russell Wilson season in big Blue. Oh yeah, I can picture.

[Alan Hahn]

See, I would love it. Big market, right?

[Don Legreca]

And you could just see like the play just being like basically like Daniel Jones.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, oh, absolutely. And you can see Dable throwing clipboards while, while Russell Wilson is giving him like that meme face where he does, it's not a smile, but it's not a frown. It's like that in between.

[Don Legreca]

This is so perfect for him. I love it.

[Alan Hahn]

It's where you are, but it's, it's a real thing. So the Giant stuff certainly is there on the table at 800-919-3776. But Don's right. The jets also starting up some business here now with. With Darren Muji in charge. And this is Rich Samini actually has this. Devonte Adams has been released and so he's. They couldn't find a trade partner, so he's gone. That saves him 30 million in cap space though they've Also given permission to Alan Lazard, another one of Roger's friends, to seek a trade before the start of the league year, which is March 12th. So he will probably end up being released if they can't find a trade partner in that case as well. So the jets are pretty. They are whitewashing the franchise of Aaron Rodgers, are they not?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Look away. Nothing to see here. It never happened.

[Don Legreca]

Yeah, no Aaron Rodgers.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And we knew that devonte was gone the second they let Rogers go. That's why nobody's going to trade.

[Alan Hahn]

But here's what's weird. Rogers is not official. He's not officially gone yet, but he will be.

[Commercial Voice]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

You expect it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know, when, when. You know, the, the date. So it's less of a hit on the cap. And I think it's going to be June 1st. Officially, it is.

[Alan Hahn]

Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

In which he'll be. He'll be gone. But, you know, we'll. We'll get an idea where he's going to go before then. But that, that's. So you knew devonte Adams was gone and nobody's going to trade for him because he kind of comes with Rogers. I, if, if I would think that wherever Rogers lands, you'll probably see devonte Adams go there. And Lazard, hey, he had his moments, but he was here because of Rogers. So it makes sense that those guys are gone, that Rogers is gone. But, but I just thought today, you know, crystallizing my opinion of overall is why were you so quick to get out of the business of Aaron Rodgers? You've taken a couple of weapons with him away. I would want to at least give it a shot with those weapons with a good young head coach with a defense that should be better because Aaron Glenn's a defensive guy. So your defense is going to be back in order with all the talent that it has on it, talent on the offensive side. And now you don't have a quarterback. No guarantee you'll get one at seven. You do have cap space, but in order to win some people over, they got to know what direction you're going into with the quarterback.

[Don Legreca]

Riddle me this, Don.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Legreca]

Riddle me this.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes.

[Don Legreca]

Did they do that because they wanted to give Aaron Glenn a clean slate? No. No. Or was it just Woody being Woody?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No. Well, I think it's two. I think it's both. I think it's both. I think Woody wanted to get out of the business of Aaron Rodgers. And you saw, that's why I still. Everybody thinks Kay thought I was crazy. I really do believe in my heart Woody Wanted Solidon. It was not Aaron Rodgers. Matter of fact, I think Aaron Rodgers is probably trying to talk him out of it.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, Don, that was, that was literally what happened.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right, I agree.

[Alan Hahn]

You're not speculating. That's. I can tell you for sure that's what happened.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I. But, but Peter, how many people fought us on that? Did Rogers didn't want Salah? No. Rogers. Roger. I don't think Rogers cared about Salah, but he understood that getting rid of a coach in the middle of a season was a bad idea.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, it was also exactly what it was. It was also going to fall on his shoulders. He didn't want that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Alan Hahn]

Because that's what everybody would have said is oh, I'm a coach killer, that I got rid of it. Like that's the problem that he had there is like don't upset the apple car. Like we got to figure it out. But don't start doing that. We're going to look desperate. And he did it anyway and he.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Did it when it happens. Woody's the guy that's in charge, not Rogers. And I think he's ticked off at Rogers. Wanted him gone, but it, but you could sell it. As to Peter's point, it's a clean slate. I still think the positive byproduct of letting Rodgers go is there's no pressure on Aaron Glenn, no expectations. Great way to start because what you want to do with that first year head coach is have him exceed expectations, not disappoint. So you'll go into the season, oh, the jets are going to be a four or five win team. He sneaks seven wins out. Hey, what a successful first season where Aaron Rodgers is here. The way he closed out the second half of the season, hey, maybe this team could compete, win 10 games, then they win five and it's Aaron Glenshy get fired.

[Don Legreca]

If I didn't know any better, I would think that this thing that we talked about yesterday, the idea of. We were talking about Dolan and the idea that good ownership is ownership that just lets people do what they do. I would surmise from what happened here with the Rogers situation, rushing to get it done so quickly and so demonstratively while the while it's not even officially done yet. Now you have to unload everyone else associated with him. I would surmise Woody Johnson is in full blown. I do whatever I want. This is my team. Listen to me. And this was completely his operation. The idea that you would so desperately want a clean slate, not give Aaron Glenn a chance to test the Relationship, not a chance to see if there's a good conversation to be had to see if a guy who had been playing good football towards the end of the year in a market that doesn't have a lot of free agent options, a guy who's coming back with his hat in his hand, you wouldn't be interested yet to get it done early? I don't know. To me, this feels like he is going full on, full bore. Maniac owner.

[Alan Hahn]

I can also tell you that Aaron Glenn wanted a clean slate that they didn't. They wanted to move on from all this stuff. That. That. That is a real thing. And maybe that's part of the reason why he was the favorite candidate because it sort of was in line with like you're saying. I do think two things can be true here. I do think that Aaron Glenn, with a very, very much Bill Parcell's influence, looked at that situation from last year, saw what went on, heard from the owner and said, yeah, no, we need one voice and I'm that one voice. And we can't have someone else who's, you know, weekly on a national TV show, you know, saying what he's saying. We can't have that. And so we're moving on from. We're not gonna. We're not.

[Don Legreca]

I think it's even more likely that the conversation went like this, hey, we're interested in hiring you, Aaron, and we're also very interested in getting rid of Aaron Rodgers. Oh, me too, boss. I'd love to get rid of Aaron Rodgers.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's what I think. Probably because I do believe that. But the spin and a lot of people bought into it, guys was, oh, there's a new sheriff in town. Aaron. Rod. Aaron. Aaron Glenn's not taking his garbage. Rodgers, he showed him the door. That was not the case. What? He wanted him gone and they spun it as, see new sheriff. He's not gonna take any of Rogers BS because. But really, what BS was this guy going to give you? He's pretty much. He's on the back nine. Not even a back nine. He's playing 18. But maybe he might. He might birdie 18. And you've got some talent to take advantage of that. But you decided to part ways with the guy.

[Alan Hahn]

I don. I don't think anybody wants him. I'm telling you. I don't think anybody. I know this is giant speculation. I don't think the Giants want him. I don't think there's a team in the league that really wants to bring him in. The Steelers Everybody's trying to connect. I don't think they want him.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I personally think that it's a mistake because I do believe he would be on his best behavior. I can't imagine at this stage of the game he'd be able to do anything. How could you? Do you laugh at him the second he gets out of line, I'll just cut you. He's not going to make any money. This is his last chance saloon. Why would he give you any trouble?

[Alan Hahn]

I don't think he means guys. I don't think he meant means trouble. Like I said, I don't. I don't think Aaron Rodgers is a bad guy. I just think he just has his own way of doing things and sometimes it can. It comes off extremely arrogant or self centered. He doesn't see it. I think he's completely oblivious of it. But I've mentioned Adam Schefter a couple of times. Let's hear from him. This, this Jacob is from unsportsmanlike this morning. Him talking about another option for Aaron Rodgers if he doesn't get what he wants.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We're down to the Giants, the Steelers, like there aren't that many chairs currently for Aaron Rodgers. My question is, does he look at.

[Alan Hahn]

The chairs that are out there and.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All of a sudden say, you know what, I'm better off just sitting back and waiting. Let's just wait and see what happens. Let's see if there's an injury, let's see if there is a contractual issue, let's see if there's an off the field issue. Let's see if something happens where a team suddenly finds itself in need of a quarterback that we didn't think would happen.

[Alan Hahn]

And that means if he doesn't like the options or they don't like him, he just stays in shape and becomes the quarterback for hire. When there's that every year there's a starter who goes down and now suddenly a team is in desperate situations and maybe that's the other thing he does and if nothing materializes, he goes quietly into that good night.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So I know there's a lot of Steeler fans. I got a buddy who's a huge Steeler fan. He's like, I don't want any part of Roger.

[Alan Hahn]

No. And I'm telling. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And I think to myself, all right, we just, it looks like they're going to let go of Russell Wilson and they're going to try to make it work with Justin Fields. You know, kind of what they were trying to do last year and then they saw an opportunity that they could win, and they end up handing the reigns back over to Wilson. You could do the same thing with Rodgers. Hey, listen, Aaron, we'd like to bring you in. Don't think you're going to be the starting quarterback, but we want you to work with Justin Fields. We're going to start with Justin Fields. If it doesn't work out, you could be the quarterback. Or, hey, we're going to have you start with the intention of eventually handing it over to Justin Field. If he says no, then he says no. But if he says yes, the second he becomes any kind of a problem, he's gone. You'll have a third quarterback on the roster anyway, I'm sure. Why wouldn't you do that? And he'd be in Pittsburgh with an organization that's got a tremendous culture. The second he gets out of line, Tomlin's not going to take his garbage. So why would he step out of line? Like, why? You've got a chance on a Steeler team to go to the playoffs. Make something happen. You're going to ruin that chance by going on McAfee and saying something stupid. And the other thing, too is you can go. You could talk all you want about going on Pat McAfee. All these guys have podcasts. They're going to go on somewhere. Like, you don't want any player that's going to do any extra stuff. Yeah. Good luck signing free agents if your policy is you're not allowed to go on shows, you're not allowed to go on podcasts. Right.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don Legreca]

You're going to pass on Micah Parsons next because he has.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Exactly. You got a chance.

[Alan Hahn]

You have.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The jets had Parsons and be like, listen, I don't like you doing your podcast. Okay, I'll go someplace else.

[Alan Hahn]

But when Parsons talks, he talks about goofy stuff when, when, you know, I. But I don't want to make this about this because, again, I personally like Aaron Rodgers. Like, I really do. But I'm just talking about it now from a player standpoint. It's. He has reached a point now where it's sort of like his presence because of who he is is standing in the sport doesn't match what you're getting anymore.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right. And. But.

[Alan Hahn]

All right, I know you keep saying, well, he'll just be a good soldier. Let's say it's never even his personality.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Okay? But let's, let's play this out. Let's say it's the worst case scenario. And he goes on McAfee and he talks about running for Vice president. He talks about vaccines and whatever. All right, all right. Do you think he's cooked? Do you think he's done or do you think he can still play a little?

[Alan Hahn]

I think he's at this point average at best.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Okay.

[Alan Hahn]

And I know mobility is not there. They think about these two teams. Are there offensive lines at the level that they need to be to protect the guy of his age? I think you put a lot into the system because of what he does. And then you ask yourself, like, if, if he gets hurt, that you're starting over anyway, is it worth it? Is the point. Is it worth all the attention and all that stuff? It's. I don't know if these two teams and the Giants and where they are, the Steelers were there. You think George Pickens and him are going to get along?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, my God. Here's. Here's what I'm getting at. Obviously, if you think he's cooked, then. Then there's nothing.

[Alan Hahn]

There's no cooked and not. Not average.

[Peter Rosenberg]

If you think he's just average, okay, fine. I think he might be a little bit better than average. All right? Now that's obviously debatable. Is he a bad guy? No, he's not a bad guy.

[Alan Hahn]

He's not a bad guy.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He's not going to get any trouble. All right. He's not going to get arrested. Is he a pain in the ass? Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But a good organization that knows what it's doing can handle a guy that's a pain in the butt. You know what? Because most of these players are pains in the butt. But you figure it out, right? If you're a bad guy and you're going to get arrested, you're going to beat your girlfriend, you to get pulled over for drinking and driving, you know what? I can't hit. Handle that. That's not Aaron Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers is a pain in the butt. Like a lot of diva wide receivers. Like half the guys in the NBA are pains in the butt. But you figure it out. If there's talent there, and I think there's enough there where I'm going to take a chance, I'm not going to have to give up any draft capital. I'm going to have to pay him basically nothing. I don't see the risk, guys. I don't. Alright. The second he becomes a pain in the butt, you sit him down and you cut him. I think these. I think these teams are all scared. Instead of just understanding that we've got a culture that can handle this, maybe.

[Alan Hahn]

They don't that's the problem.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And they're trying to build Steelers do. The jets clearly didn't the jets think they do. They just did. They just changed their culture. They're telling everybody we got a brand new general manager, brand new coaching staff. So you really think they can't handle Aaron Rodgers?

[Alan Hahn]

So you really think that, that, that Aaron Glenn and Darren Muji should have said, we're going to give Aaron one more year and see if we can get something out of it. But in the meantime, while we do that, we're going to find ourselves, you know, a capable backup, a young play, whatever it is that you think the best option for the jets was to give Aaron Rodgers another year, which I'm telling you, Don, I'm telling you, would have cost you Garrett Wilson. It would have cost you Garrett Wilson. And oh, by the way, you, you keep devonte Adams, who also didn't really jump off the page the minute they traded for him. There's a lot of people around the league that look at him even at 32 and they say he doesn't have it anymore. So you really think that that would have been. That's your reset, is just get a new coach and say, let's give it another try.

[Don Legreca]

Well, what's the other choice going to be? What exactly.

[Alan Hahn]

What they're doing is, okay, we're out of the Aaron Rodgers business and now we got to build the team again.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So you have talent there. That's what drives me nuts is there's talent there.

[Alan Hahn]

Not much. Middle of middle of the defensive line is not good enough. They made mistakes there. They have to fix that. Their linebacking core, we know C.J. mosley's old. He's done. There's nothing left there. They got to get safeties. Their defense is not as good as we think.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Do you think if they had decent coaching last year, they're not, they're not playing meaningful games in December with decent coaching. They had no coaching last year.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, you're absolutely right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know, because they in solo with, with the same talent and no quarterback won seven games.

[Alan Hahn]

Seven games is not like it's seven games.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's seven games with no quarterback. And now Ion Rodgers two years ago.

[Alan Hahn]

And that team didn't have the same guys in the middle of the defense. I'm telling you, the defensive, they made huge mistakes from that two years ago team that won seven games with Zach Wilson and, and Mike White. They made some big mistakes on the, with the line, on the defensive side. They did not fix safety. And CJ Mosley got old fast and he gets hurt a lot. And that defense that you saw two years ago that everybody thought was one of the best in the league, and if only they had a capable offense. That's not the same defense anymore. That was a very small window for that defense. That's a true thing. And on the offense, they had tried to fix the offensive line. Nobody stays healthy. Right. And Rodgers was mid early in the season. Adams did not give the bump you thought it would give. Garrett Wilson got disillusioned. They don't use the running game. It's the one thing they do have to their advantage. They don't use it. So there's a lot of issues with this team. And if you walk into this organization, you say to yourself, they literally have built a team that doesn't fit the way they played. And now we've got to reset everything and kind of cleanse the franchise of. We were in the Aaron Rodgers business, and it was a bad business for us.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right. Garrett Wilson wanted to get dealt because he didn't get along with Aaron Rodgers.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, it's not just that. It's everything. The system sucked. Everything about the organization felt like a losing proposition.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right, so what if he's not on board with your plan Is now. Well, they might not get a quarterback at 7. They might take a chance on Jackson Dart. They might just sign one of these veterans.

[Alan Hahn]

You think Sam Darnold.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Do we even. All right, well, let's see if they do it. Yeah, but. But do you know that Wilson's going to be on board for this? Or is he going to be like, get me out of here. I don't want to be a part of another rebuild. Don't know who my quarterback is going to be.

[Alan Hahn]

I haven't talked to Garrett in a long time, but I say my gut tells me that I think that the way things are heading now, I do think it. There's. At least it feels better. But you're right. The quarterback thing still has to be at the end.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And you know what? If Sam Darnold's the guy, then. Then I won't have a kick coming because to me, that's a plan and that's a good quarterback. And what I wanted to mention off the Schefter stuff, is that the reason the Vikings are not giving him the franchise tag, they don't want to pay him $40 million.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, of course.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right, but you're gonna.

[Alan Hahn]

Which tells you he's not getting that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So the hope is he's not getting 40. You might get him for less than 40. I'm definitely bringing in Sam Darnold. If I get him for less than $40 million a year. Are you nuts? I'm definitely, if I can get him for like $38 million a year. You wouldn't bring in, you wouldn't bring in a guy that would had 40 touchdown passes last year.

[Alan Hahn]

There's no question. And who's to say that the Vikings don't think the same thing too? Like, there's a, that's a real thing. I'm telling you. Like, think about this. Only two players are franchise this year. That never happens, right? Only two. So you're seeing, I think, a correction in the market when it comes to the overreaction of, well, he's a free agent. You got to pay him the next highest pay. You don't have to do that. Just like the Giants didn't have to give Daniel Jones 40 million. They didn't have to do that just because that's, well, that's the going rate. No. So what? It's not for him.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I wonder if he would come back.

[Alan Hahn]

Why wouldn't he? First of all, where are your options?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't, I see that.

[Alan Hahn]

What are your real options?

[Peter Rosenberg]

God, I, I understand Pittsburgh's already talking to Justin Fields.

[Alan Hahn]

They're talking to him.

[Peter Rosenberg]

God, if you're Pittsburgh, I, I, I understand he wet the bed at the end of the season. Although I would say the whole team did, not just him. They might have blocked for him.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, it was bad and, but Pickens is a pain in the ass.

[Peter Rosenberg]

God, if you, if you believe in your offensive guy. I mean, I, I would come on. If I. Well, their defense didn't play up 40.

[Alan Hahn]

Like Steelers defense didn't play up to its potential. That was also a problem in Pittsburgh. So, you know, like, I, I think there's some things they got to fix internally. But they, they, I mean, Russell Wilson, they went to. But yet you have to feel by the end of the year, they probably realized that that was a mistake, right? Like, they, they realized they got a little bump, but then by the end of the year, he started doing what Russell Wilson does. And then you could just, you could just tell, like, oh, God, like, they got to get out of this. They like Fields enough to sit to put some, to invest in him a little bit, but they also probably have to find themselves somebody in the draft as well.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, we'll see if.

[Alan Hahn]

So there's not a lot of options for Sam. So New York's gonna. Two New York Options for him.

[Peter Rosenberg]

God, you heard choosing as a weekly. He's like, he'd do anything to bring Sam Darnold. I would love to have Sam Darnold, but I always went under the assumption that Sam was going to make way more than four. Maybe he will.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But obviously Minnesota doesn't want to pay him that because they know they've got McCarthy who they probably feel like because they're, they have such a belief in their offensive system that they could plug anybody in there and get great quarterback play. So why pay somebody to do it when I can get them for cheap?

[Alan Hahn]

Cheap.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's their thinking.

[Alan Hahn]

And really, again, I do think this will be something to watch. What is the leverage? If you're Sam Donald, how are you saying, well you got to pay me this or else I'll go here. Like what are your options and who has to pay you? So you might get him for a major discount. All things considered. When you look at what the, what, what the high end of the quarterback market is getting, what's what Matthew Stafford just got right, that you got to base everything off of the most recent stuff, but also off of the avail. What options are out there, the leverage against you. And so it would be very interesting if he suddenly becomes a player that both the Giants and Jets want and then they're kind of fighting each other for it. I'm curious. You haven't heard a lot about Darnold and you haven't heard a lot about Darnold connected to either one of these New York teams. But when you look at teams that need a quarterback, there's three or four right now of you, Steelers, the two New York teams and the Raiders. Well, somebody's getting there. At least two of them are getting their quarterback in the, in the draft. Is Cleveland going to really with. With Watson, are they really going to also draft, use a high draft pick to get a quarterback too and deal with Watson and maybe even eat that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Money if Tennessee trades out?

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

One, you know, could they be a team that says, well we can, we can get Sam to be our quarterback and then we'll, we'll draft a weapon form wherever we drop down to. Because, because if they trade out of one, they're obviously not interested in either of these quarterbacks. So I think there may be more teams than you think that might be involved in Sam, that we think they'll address the quarterback in the draft. That's, that's the thing is how does anybody feel about these quarterbacks? I, I think there's a scenario, guys Because Sanders isn't going to the draft, apparently. So they're gonna have cameras in his living room and Dion and everybody's gonna be there. I have a feeling. I would not be surprised if one, if not both of these guys are a topic of conversation as you start to see teams draft and not pick them and drop. Now, I don't see it necessarily with Ward.

[Alan Hahn]

I think you're right about I.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Then I think that's what the jets are banking on, is that the Sanders will drop to them at seven.

[Alan Hahn]

Seven. Yeah, there is.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's not. That's not a plan. To me, that's not a good plan.

[Don Legreca]

Banking on him sliding to seven is.

[Alan Hahn]

The plan, not banking. Remember, the free agency is going to be over by the time we get to the draft, so. So, you know, it's not like they're not going to have somebody and they have Tyrod Taylor. Let's keep that in mind. So they don't have to go out and find a veteran. So if they wanted to go draft, they could. But I think what Don saying is interesting because I have heard from a lot of our ESPN NFL people that there are a lot of teams that are whispering about the hesitation as much as people like the kid. It's the. It's the. The kind of the dad hanging over. It's Dion. And if things don't go well, if they see, you know, would Dion, you know, just be a distraction? And there are some teams that are hesitant, which. It blows my mind.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But it's a real thing to me, whether it's Rogers baggage, whether it's Sanders. But a lot of these organizations are just gutless.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. Oh, yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, I don't know. I can handle Dion.

[Alan Hahn]

Which means you are weak leadership. Yes, you have weak leadership if you are worried about that kind of stuff. And that's exactly it.

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[Alan Hahn]

Don Hahn and Rosenberg Podcast.

[Don Legreca]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Alan Hahn]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. Oh man, it's his birthday today.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh really?

[Alan Hahn]

How old do you think Grandpa is?

[Don Legreca]

I would say Grand Poop eyes.

[Alan Hahn]

There's just one thing I want to say. Copy, copy, copy.

[Don Legreca]

52.

[Alan Hahn]

You going? You're going? Really?

[Don Legreca]

I don't know how. How off could I be?

[Alan Hahn]

47 a higher boss Bob.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm surprised he's this old John Frenchie Fuqua. No, not, not Frenchy.

[Don Legreca]

He's not Frenchy Fuqua.

[Alan Hahn]

No, he's not. But he's still. He's Rangers. He's 59.

[Don Legreca]

Poo boss. 50.

[Alan Hahn]

How about that, right?

[Don Legreca]

I. I would not have guessed 59.

[Alan Hahn]

No brand newbien, by the way, which is where he started. He like they were so good. Are they underrated, Peter, or am I just missing the point? Like, because I know they're rated. They're well rated, well regarded. But I still think underrated as they could.

[Don Legreca]

They could be seen as underrated. I mean I think they're highly appreciated by those who know. But like, but consider. Yeah. I, I think it's. I, I'm not mad at the idea that they're underrated. There's because they never got like huge.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don Legreca]

Accolades and commercial success. So as a result I think you do end up being appreciated by a lot of people but not getting Your full sort of props. I think that's fair.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. Okay. Well, and he's. He's fantastic, too. They're from New. New Rochelle. Rochelle, by the way, so. That's right. New Yorkers. 800-919-3776. We got tons of calls, so let's get to the people, shall we? Iron Staten island, of course, on the Jets. Hey, Ira.

[Caller]

Hey, Alan, Peter, dawn, how are you?

[Alan Hahn]

Good.

[Caller]

And before I get to the Jetson. And by the way, if the Giants have conviction, you go get them. But, you know, at the end of the day, I think, Don, you hit upon it a little earlier. All this stuff you hear right now, it's great conversation, speculation. But with all due respect to everybody in the media, the agents and the personnel and general managers play the media because they put stuff out there to get value on either trades or maybe getting a play to slip. This is the most false information time of the year with the NFL. But, you know, getting. Getting to the jets real quickly. To be honest with you, I'm disappointed. It looks like Pittsburgh is going to bring Fields back. I personally, my gut tells me it's going to be. They're very comfortable with Tyrod Taylor going into the season. They'll bring in another veteran, a guy like a Marcus Mariota, just in case Taylor gets hurt and they're gonna draft somebody. And if they have conviction in getting somebody in the first round, God bless them. Do what you got to do. But you make a pick like that, you know, three years down the road, if it don't work, you're gonna be out of a job.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's it. Those are the decisions you make at quarterback, for sure.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. I mean, quarterback generally is what helps you either get a job. Like, you can either keep your job or lose your job, all based on that position.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Why Douglas is gone.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. It's the one thing he couldn't, like, think about it. He drafted well. Like, in fairness, Joe Douglas drafted well. And all, all Joe Douglas did over the last year. And you could tell he was getting bitter after the Aaron Rodgers stuff. He never spoke publicly, didn't want to deal with media anymore. And just what do they want? All right, I'll make that trade. What do you want now? Okay, I'll make that trade. Right. Randall Cobb, Alan Lazard, Devonte Adams. I'm surprised the only guy that didn't come here was David Bakhtiari. Think about it. Like, all of. Like, I. I do think that by the end, Joe Douglas was so disillusioned. He was like, what do you want now? Whatever. Like, he just. Just got it done. But I thought his drafts, other than the quarterback, that was the biggest issue. Huge mistake.

[Don Legreca]

He really did do well otherwise, though. Even. Even some of the trades early were really good.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don Legreca]

And then you're right. As time went on, he went from being like this kind of freewheeling, comfortable guy. Did a lot of interviews, spoke, spoke quite a bit to. Yeah, he seemed broken by the end. Like, my job is just to hit send on the email to get Rogers what he wants.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Now, here's the. Here's the conspiracy theory part.

[Alan Hahn]

Okay. I love them.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Is it possible? We'll find out down the road. He didn't want to draft Wilson, and Woody made him.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, are you doing the jet blue thing?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Blue. Yeah, that's what I'm doing.

[Alan Hahn]

I've heard this before, and it's conspiracy theory.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's why I'm throwing it out there as a conspiracy theory for people who don't know. You throw that out there so you don't get much heat for. For saying something that maybe deep down you really believe. But clearly it's. It's. It's kind of a Hail Mary as an opinion. But there are people there in certain circles that believe. You imagine Woody wanted Zach to be the draft pick.

[Alan Hahn]

Think about it. If Woody, when. If Woody never met Zach Wilson before and met him for the first time, the red flag should have been, I'm looking this guy eye to eye, and he's going to be my quarterback. Because I'll never forget the day I met him. And I. My son was. What was he, 16 at the time. I'm trying to remember how old Zach was. And when we were done, Zach looked at me, he goes, dad, I'm bigger than him. How's he an NFL quarterback? Seriously?

[Don Legreca]

It's so true. But he really did look that way.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Quickly, here's the reason I don't believe it is because if I were Joe Douglas, right? And I'm a general manager in the NFL for the first time, and I'm told, do whatever you want to do, but you have to take Zach Wilson. I resign. And not only do I resign, I tell everybody and their mother what he just said to me because I can't have that. I can't.

[Alan Hahn]

You're right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Because he'll. He'll probably. And this is pretty sad, he may never be a general manager in the NFL again.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. And he drafted well.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And if you're going to fail, fail something that you did, not something somebody forced you to do. Right. I mean, I know it's.

[Alan Hahn]

How many guys have ever done that in the history of sports where an owner is just so whacked out of his mind? I resign and I tell the whole world this guy's nuts. He shouldn't own a team. And he told me to do this.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It never happens because I think the feeling is, is that I'm so.

[Alan Hahn]

I have credibility.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So people are probably. There are going to be some that believe me because Woody is kind of out of his mind, but there are a lot of people, oh, he's weak. He's just using as an excuse. Like, I just think the inner circle in the NFL is so tight that, like, they're.

[Don Legreca]

Well. And yet if they, If a guy called out one owner, another owner doesn't want to get called out for their nonsense. So why would you, why would you bring someone in.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. You know you blacklisted. Yeah.

[Don Legreca]

If someone said this earlier, I apologize. But I just saw this Post article. Giants are now minus 150 to get Rogers in draft. In DraftKings.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I think they're doing them.

[Don Legreca]

That's. I mean, that's, that's, that's.

[Alan Hahn]

You don't feel like this is only coming from one side, but, but, but remember the story that came out where, like, the Giants reached out to Rogers and the Giants had to go through their, their, some of their reporters and.

[Don Legreca]

Say, no, we didn't, but Rogers couldn't. If it's coming from one side, that wouldn't be enough for a sports book to legitimately change the odds. The next highest odds is Pittsburgh at +250, which is still a dog. Like, I mean, that really makes you think. I mean, minus 150 is crazy, but.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It may, it makes sense because it could be your plan for 20, 25 and not drafting the quarterback because of the way he played in the second half of the season. But it also could be your plan if you're drafting a quarterback. So, like, Pittsburgh's not drafting a quarterback.

[Alan Hahn]

Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So they're thinking, or maybe he's going to work with Justin Fields. But in all likelihood it's going to go the way it went with Wilson last year.

[Alan Hahn]

Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Where he ends up being the starting quarterback in Pittsburgh. But it just. You're not hearing a lot of momentum that there's any real interest from Tomlin to go there. Where I think, God, would you put the odds of him being a Giant higher than him not playing at all this year?

[Alan Hahn]

No, no, I'd have, I'd have my. I'd put my Money that he's not playing. Really playing for the Giants. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Peter, how about you?

[Don Legreca]

I don't know. I'm starting to think push comes to shovel, this is happening.

[Alan Hahn]

Since I get John Mar. I won't want to do this.

[Don Legreca]

I just don't see. I just don't see what the other with the other. Great play.

[Alan Hahn]

He is your he to me. He's your break glass in emergency situation. Can't trade up. Can't get somebody. We need someone to play.

[Don Legreca]

But Don and I are on the same page about something, Al, that you're slightly not. Not in our car about here. We both think that you could get him and draft a quarterback and it would be fine.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Legreca]

I think the situation is so different.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I think so.

[Don Legreca]

That, that, that to me is the best case scenario.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Now, listen, the thing with the jets, all right, I'm not blaming them. They had no choice. Rodgers kind of. Kind of runs amok, although I think that's exaggerating. But you know, going on Mac, if he kind of doing what he wants, getting his own players because the jets were desperate to have him.

[Alan Hahn]

Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They needed him. When we. A Super bowl. Please. Like me.

[Alan Hahn]

Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That won't be the case with the Giants. Like, the Giants are going to be like bending over backwards for him and it'd be like, hey, we'll give you a shot.

[Alan Hahn]

Who. Who is. All right, so who is this strong leader that the Giants have to keep everything in line and everyone in lockstep because I. Because last I checked, Tom Coughlin walked out of the room and didn't shake John Ma's hand on the way out. That's the last time you had a standard with that franchise.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, you're right.

[Alan Hahn]

We all agree.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I agree. But really.

[Alan Hahn]

So. So that doesn't work in franchises like that. Everybody. He's the Pied Piper. His teammates love him.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They follow him.

[Alan Hahn]

The media will be all, you want.

[Peter Rosenberg]

To be the starting quarterback.

[Alan Hahn]

It doesn't matter.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Days might be numbered. The second, if they draft a quarterback like I.

[Alan Hahn]

He will be. There will be requests for him to talk. The backup quarterback almost never talks. He will talk on a regular basis. At the backup quarterback, he'll be like Tim Tebow at that time when Tebow was the backup. But he talked all the time to the media.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But the jets didn't have any way to control him because they handed everything over.

[Alan Hahn]

They wanted to be the Giant do that. They wanted to be the opposite of the Green Bay Packers. Everything that pissed you off in Green Bay, you'll get to do here. I just want you to be happy.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Whoever signs him to a contract, they're not gonna do that. Matter of fact, Rogers will probably do everything to try to make it work. But he's gonna walk into the room and tell. And tell Shane, listen, go get go this guy and that guy. And they're gonna be like, oh, no, no, no, no.

[Alan Hahn]

But that's not how it. He doesn't operate like that. It's always once things start to go the wrong way, then he's like, well, you know, when I had devonte, this worked, you know, the wrong way. Randall Khan knows these routes. You know, he knows these routes like that. And then you just go, oh, should we get Randall copy. Well, great.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Honestly, I am. I am so belief. And I really think he's good. He would be a good soldier. I really don't think he'd be an issue. I don't imagine how bad it would be.

[Don Legreca]

Imagine a career like Aaron Rodgers ends picture it ends because the Giants cut you and ask you to walk away. Like, he cannot risk that. It would just be so bad. Don. The difference between that and just sort of like let's say they end up, you know, taking you out. You're just a. Mentoring another quarterback. The difference in optic between ending the season with a hat on, on the bench as a happy teammate versus you were banished from the team. He can't risk it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He can't. It was the only sane.

[Alan Hahn]

It's. It's more about the Giants stomaching this whole thing than. Than anything else.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But listen, I'm not.

[Alan Hahn]

Go ahead.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't want to sound like miss, like pro Rogers.

[Alan Hahn]

Okay.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I know he can be a nozzle. We were. We were all over him last year. I get it.

[Alan Hahn]

Again, I'm not saying he's a bad.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Guy, but I don't think. I don't think we're exaggerating how much of a problem he's going to be. I. Even if he does decide to talk, I think it'll. It. It won't be an issue. Now I can't say, well, because the Giants are such a class organization with such a culture. No, they're not Pittsburgh. I would. I guarantee it wouldn't happen in Pittsburgh. The only time it would be a problem for the Giants is if it worked. Let's say it worked and actually got to the playoffs and they want to bring Rogers back for a second year, then I think it opened the door to where he all of a sudden starts being the man again. But right now, he has been so Humble. I can't imagine, as Peter said, he is gonna now ruin the whole narrative of his career by again having a crash and burn with a second organization because of his ego. Now people will push back and say, well, his ego, it's too strong. His ego has been so damaged right now. He was the future hall of Fame quarterback when he came to the Jets. He's just another guy now. How can he do it?

[Alan Hahn]

He's still a future hall of Fame quarterback.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But that part's true. That's true. But not somebody that's going to come in here and have the arrogance and the audacity to say, boy, that Vince Lombardi Trophy is looking awful lonely. It's going to be, thank God somebody. Somebody's hired me and I get to stay in the NFL.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, we'll see. Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Don Legreca]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Alan Hahn]

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

[Don Legreca]

Big grand poobah vibes for Jacob today.

[Alan Hahn]

I like, I like it. This is, again, this is my wheelhouse, Pete. I feel left out now, you know, like, Don, like, you don't find this to have, like a good sound?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, I do, but they could do a 30 for 30 on, on my hip hop time because it's interesting. Like, I was in what I was in, but there was also a lot I was just out on. Like, it's just, it's. I think a lot of metal guys are in the same boat as me, where there's, there's, there's interest there, but we just don't run in the same circles.

[Alan Hahn]

It's fair.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And, and the reason why I connected with Ice Cube and Ice T and Wu Tang and all that was we always had a TV at SportsPhone on MTV when they played videos. So we'd have all the games on, but there'd be one TV that would always have them on. So got to see all those Beastie Boys videos and Ice Cube and I, I. And then, then I started getting interested and started to kind of check out other stuff, but it just never seemed to click. So I'm kind of in on the things I'm in, but there's stuff that you would think I would know that I'm just completely out on.

[Don Legreca]

But he, for the record, Alan is more the outlier than you are. His depth to that heat, which he goes in, like random genres, is more unusual than the fact that you are really hardcore about one genre and no other Genre. Well, and, you know, regular rock and kind of mainstream pop. He. I think Alan's more unusual than you are.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Interesting.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm very unusual.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But he's a hip hop guy. But he's.

[Don Legreca]

Boy, he is.

[Alan Hahn]

Call me that.

[Don Legreca]

Yeah. The hip hop he knows is deeper than the average. He reminds me of Ballard in a lot of ways. Like, Ballard. Ballard has depth in genres that you're kind of like, why do you have depth in that genre? But he does. But then, like, he'll also be missing things that I'm like, wait, how did you know that? And not know that.

[Alan Hahn]

Yes.

[Don Legreca]

But, like, because Alan will go places with metal. With you.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That. I'm like, really? I'm surprised by it too.

[Don Legreca]

But then what was. What was the random pop album the other day?

[Alan Hahn]

Was that Big Chair.

[Don Legreca]

Yeah. That The Tears album was a no Skip album. And I'm like, I don't even know if I've known anyone who's turned on a Tears for Fears album.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Not in a while, anyway.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. I'm the first to admit it. I have. It's. It's not something I feel like I can relate to everyone, but no one can relate to me when it comes to music. Does that make sense? And I don't say that in an arrogant way. I mean, you can't understand. You look at me like, just like you're saying Peter. Because I don't like. People say that to me sometimes. Oh, you're a hip hop head. I'm like, yeah, I don't think I deserve any type of label like that. Because I. I. There's hip hop I love, but there's some. There's some level to it that I'm like, I'm out.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I might be now. Because we're a slightly different age. Although we fall in the same category.

[Alan Hahn]

Compared both Generation X. Right. You and me.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes.

[Don Legreca]

So am I.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But. But I don't know if.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, you're the. You're the. You're the back in the bottom.

[Don Legreca]

I'm the bottom of X.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right. When I grew up and I broke the mold for this. But when I. When I grew up, I lived in a time where. If you were a metal guy, everything else was garbage. Like, that was. You were supposed to be all very. Your genre of music.

[Alan Hahn]

Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And not listen to anything else. But I just couldn't help myself. So I kept listening to other things where I think a lot of people my age, if they're like a metal guy or maybe they're a hip hop guy, and that's all that they cared about, didn't care about anything else. And I remember Ice T saying long time ago is like, I feel sorry for people like that. You've got to expand your mind. You got to listen to other music. But I grew up in an era where, like, if you were a classic rock guy, that was it. That's all you listen to. You listen to anything else until you.

[Alan Hahn]

Started seeing artists that were in one genre do something in another genre, and it sounded good. Now you're like, oh, this crossover here, and that's a cool thing.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, what helped me, I mean, listen, I was lucky. I went to college. I then. I then was able to work in a diverse business where I started to run into different people from different backgrounds. When you grow up in the suburbs, man, and all, you know are people that like the music you like and like the teams that you like. You don't know what's on the outside world. If I gotten a job in Hawthorne, and that's where I decided to spend my entire life, and I never really went beyond, you know, the Willowbrook Mall and occasionally down the Jersey Shore, I would not know anything about this. But luckily, I go to college, I meet people, I go. I work in. In radio and meet other different people who say, you got to try this. You got to try that. And. But there's a lot of people, guys that don't maybe get that opportunity. I know this is way deeper than you were willing to go, but I think Alan and I were lucky enough to diversify where a lot of people didn't.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, it's the beauty of life. And that is why you. Anybody, you encourage everyone to just get out of your comfort zone and give things a chance. And you never know. There's. Oh, and every genre, I promise, everybody listening, and there's something you'll like in every type of music. It doesn't matter. Even if you're like, I hate country, I promise you, I can find you a song that you'll love. It's just the way it is. It's. It's. You have an ear for something. That's the best part of it. Edwin. And Queens wants to jump in on this. Edwin. Hey, guys. How's it going? Good. All right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I just related with Don when he said, like, I feel left out because I was born in 91, and the rap I'm here on the show is like, hey, homeboy. I went to the corner store, had quarters in my pockets, like, damn, can we play something from this.

[Don Legreca]

Totally disrespectful way to Describe the classic hip hop we play on this show. Wait, what year were you born? 91.

[Peter Rosenberg]

91. I'm not asking for too much.

[Don Legreca]

For the record. For the record. Our producer is making those music choices. Was born in 92, and he's enjoying the joints.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I mean, I relate it to Don. I just didn't understand any of the music. I was like, what a ballistic.

[Alan Hahn]

We'll forgive you for being, you know, being born after the greatest era of hip hop. That's fine. You didn't get a chance to hear it when it was happening, but you.

[Don Legreca]

Can still enjoy it now.

[Alan Hahn]

For God's. Yeah, it really is okay to just give it a chance and it's not what you're doing there. Sounds more like, you know, Sugar Hill Gang stuff from way back.

[Don Legreca]

Yeah, I mean, come on.

[Alan Hahn]

I mean, you know, when. When they were first figuring out how to do it right? So, you know, Edwin, I. I don't think that's what anything in the 90s era. My God, tons of calls to get to. We'll get to those. We've got to get to something. Aaron Judge had to say that I absolutely love. Don's going to pretend like it's no big deal, but I think, wow, look.

[Peter Rosenberg]

At you putting words in my mouth.

[Alan Hahn]

No. As if we sounded like. It sounded like we had a meeting and we talked about it. Listen up, Knicks fans. By the way, hello. You have a once in a lifetime opportunity to win a meet and greet with Knicks legend, John Starks. That's right. Not only meet him, but you get to do it in the ESPN York Suite. Sunday, March 30th. The Knicks are taking on the Portland Trailblazers. So to enter for your chance to win, just go to the espnyork app or espnyork.com it's brought to you by John Stark's Kia Starks Ford of Queens, and of course your home for Knicks basketball, ESPN New York. Yes, Starks Ford of Queens. Words that back in 1994, I never knew I'd be saying one day. But good for him. He's a businessman now. Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast. I don't want to know how the sausage is made, but I just want to know it's good. Hear more of Don Allen and Peter Weekday afternoon Starting starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't just stand on business, I live it 24 7. Because you don't become a young entrepreneur by staying stagnant. Whether I'm chasing deals networking or taking calls from behind the wheel of my Toyota Crown, I'm always in motion. You may think launching a successful startup is enough to be satisfied, but me, I'm just getting started. It's a new day at Toyota, led by a new generation of drivers. And we want you to know one thing. You can't stop my drive. Toyota, let's go places.