Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – ESPN NY

Episode: Hour 2: Ty Simpson & Let’s Talk About It
Date: March 24, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into two major themes:
1. The Uncertainties and Drama of the NFL Draft, with a heated focus on Ty Simpson and fan/media reactions to "risky" picks vs. "safe" ones.
2. A broader discussion on tanking culture in major sports (NBA, MLB, NHL), the purpose of regular seasons, and shifting fan attitudes.

Alan Hahn, Don La Greca, and Peter Rosenberg question the fanaticism around the NFL draft process, challenge narratives built by sports media, and engage callers about the motivations for tanking in sports. The hour includes passionate debates, lighthearted banter about language quirks, and notable caller contributions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. NFL Draft Drama: Ty Simpson, Mendoza, and Fan Overreactions

• The Ty Simpson/Jets Conundrum

  • Jets hold the #16 pick; speculation that they might select QB Ty Simpson triggers strong reactions.
  • Rick DiPietro (referenced) is the prototypical “educated fan” who’d be viscerally opposed to a QB pick at 16, prompting jokes about him walking off the set.
    • "[If the Jets take Ty Simpson at 16] will Rick soil the couch or just leave altogether? Walk right off the set because you know he doesn't want them to take a quarterback." – Alan Hahn (01:28)

• The Irrational Passion of Draft Night

  • Fans call in with intense opinions about what the Jets should or shouldn’t do, revealing the wild unpredictability and emotion of draft discourse.
  • Rosenberg dismisses most fan and pundit certainty:
    • "They don't know Jack. Just like Mel Kiper doesn't know Jack and Dan Orlovsky doesn't know Jack. They're educated guesses, but nobody knows." – Peter Rosenberg (02:45)
  • The group questions whether anyone (“even Mel Kiper”) can genuinely know who will succeed.

• Why So Serious? (Crapshoot Factor)

  • Draft is inherently a “crapshoot”: even the best-researched picks can fail for unpredictable, human reasons.
  • "There's a human element to draft... Tanking for a draft pick is not a science, it is a guess." – Alan Hahn (05:57)
  • "Guys that put a hundred times more work than you did can get it wrong. So why be that emotional about it?" – Peter Rosenberg (07:10)

• Ty Simpson vs. Mendoza

  • Debate swirls: Dan Orlovsky calls Simpson the #1 QB in the draft, citing “elite NFL throws” and poise under pressure.
    • Orlovsky’s quote:
      • "Ty Simpson is more consistent... what guy was asked to do more NFL throws?... It's not even close in that regard." (Dan Orlovsky, as played at 10:59)
  • Pushback: other analysts claim Mendoza is the "finished product," safer with a winning pedigree.
  • Rosenberg explores the GM’s dilemma—safe pick vs. risk/reward:
    • "If you draft Mendoza and it fails, nobody's going to kill you... You're taking a chance taking Ty Simpson." – Peter Rosenberg (12:03)

Notable Quotes

• On the unpredictability of draft picks
  • "It is at best an educated guess, but it's still a crapshoot. So why be that emotionally involved...?" – Peter Rosenberg (04:28)
• On fan reaction cycles
  • "If you're right you can play it back. If you're wrong, you just shrug and move on. That's everything about sports today." – Alan Hahn (05:30)

Discussion of Dan Orlovsky's Motives

• Addressing online rumors that Orlovsky favors Simpson as a CAA agency client. Orlovsky’s direct response:
  • "The agents work for us, not the other way around... I'm not nearly important enough to CAA financially for them to pay me to say something about a guy who might be the 20th pick in the draft." (Dan Orlovsky, 13:21)
• Don and Alan both affirm that real credibility is on the line and such conspiracy theories don't hold water.
  • "You're going to say something as strong as that? You don't really believe in it, but I'm looking out for a friend? No, no." – Alan Hahn (15:03)

Alternative Theory: Media Hot-Taking for Attention

• Caller "Ethan" suggests media personalities exaggerate for airtime/clout rather than agency ties.
  • "The game in the sports media is, say things that get New York drive time sports radio to play you and talk about you over and over." – Caller Ethan (21:28)
• Both hosts think this is plausible, but not necessarily fair to Orlovsky.
• General agreement: no one's held accountable for bold-but-wrong QB takes.

2. "Let's Talk About It Tuesday": Tanking, Expansion, and Fan Psychology

The Expansion/Tanking Debate

• Alan rants about the NBA’s proposed expansion:
  • "You're adding two more teams to this sport that already has enough teams tanking that you could fill a two-week schedule... It's going to thin it out even more." – Alan Hahn (31:55)
• Both NBA and MLB are criticized for “top-heavy” parity; only a limited number of teams ever have a plausible shot at a title, despite big rosters.
• In modern fan culture, being consistently "pretty good" is now seen as a worse fate than being bad (with high draft hopes) or elite.

Evolution of Fan Philosophy (NHL Example)

• Don and Peter note fans now prefer tanking over miracle playoff runs, hoping for lottery picks that rarely deliver instant turnarounds.
• "The worst thing you can be now... is a team that [wins regularly] but don't win a championship. It's better to be terrible and in the draft or great and have a chance to win a championship." – Alan Hahn (32:58)

Modern Fan Mindset: The Allure of "Winning the Draft"

• Tanking/fandom has become as much about offseason "wins" (draft, free agency) and attention as about actual on-field success.
  • "Some fans would just rather win the draft than win on the field." – Caller Chris (47:48)
  • "Winning the offseason is not nothing... Getting a little bit more attention than the Yankees wasn't nothing." – Peter Rosenberg (49:38)
• Discussion: Getting the #1 pick or top prospect now creates more buzz and hope than a miracle playoff run—until reality inevitably sets in.

Memorable Moments/Levity

• Lighthearted bit about Don’s mispronunciations ("tiramisu", "Ogumike", etc.) (26:24–27:57)
  • "I'm big on the third syllable, I guess." – Don Hahn (26:51)
• Jokey backstory for a non-existent cartoon character “Sir Cum” (28:03)
• Banter about bumper music and behind-the-scenes show quirks (43:21–44:19), likening show choices to the art of mixtape making.

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:28] – Jets/Draft: What if they take Ty Simpson?
• [02:45] – Fans and draft "experts" are all guessing ("They don't know Jack...")
• [04:28] – Why get SO angry about something so unpredictable?
• [10:59] – Dan Orlovsky’s detailed defense of Ty Simpson
• [13:21] – Addressing the CAA conspiracy
• [21:28] – Caller: The real motive is media hot-take culture, not agency pressure
• [31:55] – NBA expansion and tanking: Is there a way out?
• [35:15–38:54] – Tanking as a modern fan strategy; the joy lost in regular “good” seasons
• [47:48] – Caller: Fans now want to “win the draft” more than regular games
• [49:38] – Attention is the real fan payoff—on-field vs. offseason buzz

Notable Quotes (with Speaker & Timestamp)

• Peter Rosenberg [02:45]:
  "They don't know Jack. Just like Mel Kiper doesn't know Jack and Dan Orlovsky doesn't know Jack. They're educated guesses, but nobody knows."

• Alan Hahn [05:57]:
  "The draft is a crapshoot. There's no given nothing in any draft... Tanking for a draft pick is not a science, it is a guess."

• Dan Orlovsky [10:59]:
  "Ty Simpson is more consistent in moments of panic... NFL throws: Ty Simpson. And it's not even close in that regard."

• Don Hahn [14:41]:
  "There’s a little… gray area that’s being ignored... because there are friendships and there is positive energy [at agencies]."

• Caller Ethan [21:28]:
  "The game in the sports media is, say things that get New York drive time sports radio to play you and talk about you over and over. Because if you lose, if you're wrong, nobody cares."

• Alan Hahn [31:55]:
  "You're adding two more teams to this sport that already has enough teams tanking that you could fill a two-week schedule... It's going to thin it out even more."

• Caller Chris [47:48]:
  "Fans think that there's two seasons... and some fans would just rather win the draft than win on the field."

• Peter Rosenberg [49:38]:
  "Winning the offseason is not nothing... Getting a little bit more attention than the Yankees wasn't nothing."

Episode Tone & Character

• Language/Tone: Classic NYC sports radio—blunt, passionate, sarcastic, often irreverent, always conversational.
• Chemistry: Hosts riff off each other’s logic, call out absurdity (in fans, media, and sports execs) with good-natured jabs and personal anecdotes.
• Fan Engagement: Frequent and substantive, with callers offering both comic relief and thoughtful challenges to the hosts’ points.

Conclusion

This episode of Don, Hahn & Rosenberg is a quintessential slice of New York sports radio: unpredictable, lively, and perceptive. The hosts use the NFL draft as a microscope for wider issues—media credibility, fan irrationality, the mythos of the draft, and the emptiness of modern tanking culture. It’s essential listening for anyone seeking to understand why sports talk radio remains electric—especially when the main story (Ty Simpson at #16?) is still weeks from being written.