Don, Hahn & Rosenberg — Hour 2: TNF & That Guy Thursday

Date: December 4, 2025
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
Producer: Anthony Pusick
Podcast: ESPN New York

Overview

This episode of "Don, Hahn & Rosenberg" dives into the huge Thursday Night Football (TNF) matchup, potential playoff scenarios, NFL Super Bowl storylines, and features the fan-favorite "That Guy Thursday" segment. The hour is jam-packed with energetic banter, listener calls, inside jokes, and classic New York sports radio moments—marked especially by a bubbling debate about loyalty, respect, and sarcasm within the listener family.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Gifts From a Podcast Fan and Devil’s Nostalgia

[00:44–05:33]

• Don shares a touching moment: Anthony Corona (of "Running with the Devils" podcast) gifts him classic hockey memorabilia.
  • Jim Korn hockey cards, an '86-'87 Devils media guide (Don’s first Devils season), and a Game One puck/ticket from the 2014 Stanley Cup Final.
• Spirited debate about "strange Devils player" trivia and team memories.
  • Names thrown around: Scott Stevens ("He was a captain of the team, for God’s sake!" — Peter, 03:42), Bobby Holik, Pat Verbeek, Scott Gomez, Bruce Driver.

2. Thursday Night Football: Cowboys vs. Lions — Emotion, Stats, and Stakes

[05:34–10:47]

• Caller Alice (05:45): As a Cowboys fan, she can’t pick Dallas in December ("It's been a very long time since they won a really big game in December. Their Decembers are kind of like the playoff games." — Alice, 06:14).
• Panel Response: Highlights the emotional baggage of Cowboys’ December slumps (Peter: "We’ve had... where like the first half of the season, he's [Dak Prescott] MVP, and then he saved some of his worst performances." — 06:24) but notes Detroit is also desperate for a win.
• Discussion of game over-under (54.5), health of the Lions’ O-line, and playoff implications for both teams.

3. NFL Parity, “Sexy” vs. Boring Super Bowl Matchups

[10:47–18:25]

• "It's going to be a series of games—live and die on these games now. More games mean more meaning." (Peter, 10:54)
• Bemoaning a potential lackluster Super Bowl: "If you get, like, a Carolina–Texans Super Bowl, I’m good." (Peter, 11:13)
• Chiefs/Cowboys identified as potential ratings giants; Buffalo/Detroit could offer feel-good first championship stories.
• Lively debate over what makes for compelling teams ("The 49ers… they’re the 60-year-old model trying to make it work." — Don, 18:12)

Notable Quotes:

• "If the Chiefs and Cowboys made a run, you are talking about easily the most watched Super Bowl of all time." — Don, 13:31
• "Buffalo–Detroit would be the most fun game that the average football fan could get—somebody's winning their first Super Bowl." — Alan, 16:37

4. Technical Difficulties and Anthony Pusick’s ‘Voice of God’

[18:25–19:38 & Throughout]

• Don (and listeners) note Anthony’s microphone is thunderously loud compared to everyone else, transforming him into the “Voice of God.”
• Alan: "Anthony really comes off aggressive." (19:03)
• Anthony: "It's a processing thing." (19:08)
• Running backstage joke about how hard it is to ignore Anthony’s presence.

5. Caller Drama: Respect for the Producer & Show Family Politics

[19:55–44:50+]

• Listener Danny (Long Island) flubs Anthony’s name (“when RJ jumps in... whatever his name is...”—27:51). The hosts bristle at the perceived disrespect.
• Peter launches into full support: "Remember the man's name. Say his name. That guy Thursday next, ESPN New York. Go to hell." (20:31)
• Extended, humorous dissection of Danny’s place in the show family. Is he “that guy” at family gatherings who spills wine, makes a scene, but still gets let back in? Debate over proper etiquette for long-time callers and the boundary between teasing and disrespect.
• Other callers (Derek, Gil, Center Port) weigh in, overwhelmingly siding with defending the show's crew and the show's family code.

Notable Quotes:

• "He comes in longer hours than we work. He makes this show great. Remember the man's name. Say his name." — Peter, 28:16
• Don: "Anthony's the backbone. He's got blood in the ground. Take a sip." (29:59)
• Don: "If the Commanders were the team they were last year, we'd be saying wow, this could be their year to win the Super Bowl. Instead, they're doing absolute Jack nonsense." (19:28)
• "I'm mad. We had a little bit of something. It'll be over tomorrow, right?" — Peter, 33:37

6. That Guy Thursday: Sonny Gray Drama and “Family” Blunders

[22:18–41:36+]

• Alan calls out pitcher Sonny Gray as “That Guy” for blaming New York after Bombers’ mishap and talking trash after joining the Red Sox:
  • Alan: "Easy to hate the Yankees. Sonny, it’s easy to hate you, because when you were a Yankee... you sucked." (24:00)
• Replay of Danny’s call as a “That Guy” move—hosts deconstruct his sarcasm and the etiquette of “family” behavior on sports radio.
• Regulars and producer jump in to further rehash where good-natured ribbing ends and genuine disrespect starts.
• Peter defends his prerogative to hang up on callers when annoyed ("If I don’t like you, I’m going to disconnect. I have that power." — 32:53)

Memorable Moments & Quotes (with Timestamps)

• Devils gift talk and sports nostalgia:
  • "He gave me a couple of Jim Korn hockey cards because I said that Jim was one of my favorite players." — Don, 01:12
• On Cowboys’ December collapses:
  • "It's been a very long time since they won a really big game in December." — Caller Alice, 06:14
  • "The first half of the season, he's MVP, and then he saved some of his worst performances." — Peter, 06:24
• Defining a lackluster Super Bowl:
  • "If you get like a Carolina–Texans Super Bowl, I'm good." — Peter, 11:13
• Don’s vivid metric for the Chiefs/Cowboys Super Bowl:
  • "You are talking about easily the most watched Super Bowl of all time." — Don, 13:31
• On Anthony’s epic mic levels:
  • "When Anthony jumps in, it's as if God is punching me in the face." — Don, 18:55
• Caller disrespect and the family analogy:
  • "Danny’s like family, but every once in a while we have a family member—drunk at Thanksgiving, picks a fight, whatever..." — Don, 26:54
• Producer pride, loyalty to Anthony:
  • "Remember the man's name. Say his name. That guy Thursday next, ESPN New York. Go to hell." — Peter, 28:16
• Sonny Gray as ‘that guy’:
  • "Easy to hate the Yankees. Sonny, it’s easy to hate you, because when you were a Yankee... you sucked." — Alan, 24:00
• Summing up the listener family drama:
  • "I think when he said the great Anthony Pusick... he was more mocking the way we always say 'the great'... If Tom Bauer or whoever was filling in, whatever his name is, is appropriate. They're not here every day. Anthony is." — Don, 29:45
• Hosts defend radio family honor:
  • "He makes no money. He comes in longer hours than we work. He makes this show great. Remember the man's name." — Peter, 28:16
• Fun sports metaphors:
  • "The 49ers… they’re the 60-year-old model trying to make it work." — Don, 18:12

Listener Calls & Community Spirit

• Discussion is fueled by thoughtful, emotional, and sometimes divisive calls from loyal listeners.
• Listeners defend producer Anthony Pusick’s honor, call out disrespect, and even debate potential “bans” for callers who cross the line.
• Frequent analogies to family dynamics, emphasizing the close-knit, sometimes tumultuous relationship the show has with its audience.

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Hockey gifts & Devils memories: 00:44–05:33
• Cowboys/Lions game preview & emotion: 05:34–10:47
• Super Bowl matchup debate: 10:47–18:25
• Tech issues / Anthony Pusick Voice of God: 18:25–19:38
• Callers, Danny’s blunder, and That Guy Thursday family drama: 19:55–41:36
• Sonny Gray "That Guy" segment: 22:55–25:40

Takeaways

• Sports Talk, Family Style: The episode blends sports analysis, call-in show theatrics, office banter, and genuine community—a true radio family.
• NFL Storylines: TNF looms large with real playoff consequences, and preseason favorites are no sure bets. There are smiles about wild possible Super Bowls, and knowing groans about what makes a “sexy” matchup.
• Respect Runs Deep: There's humor, but also a strong current about respecting the hard work ("Say his name!") that makes live radio happen, and a reminder that being “family” means sometimes you call people out… but you always invite them back.

For more, listen to the full episode or catch the show live weekdays from 3 PM on ESPN New York.