Don, Hahn & Rosenberg Podcast – Hour 3: A Reddit List & Cold Weather

Date: April 6, 2026
Hosts: Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg, Don La Greca
Episode Focus: Football debates (Reddit’s top-100 QBs), New York baseball in cold weather, evolving sports fan cultures, and some Knicks/ESPN discourse

Episode Overview

The trio delivers a lively “sports bar” conversation, bouncing between a viral Reddit list of the NFL’s top 100 quarterbacks, how teams and fans deal with Major League Baseball’s frigid early-season games, and the ever-raised expectations of New York sports fans (with a Knicks segment). Throughout, you get authentic, rapid-fire debate, storytelling, and plenty of ribbing.

Key Segments & Insights

I. Football Frenzy: The Reddit ‘Top 100 QBs’ List

[01:28–20:26]

• The List Revelation:
  Don stirs the pot by referencing a recent Reddit post ranking the top 100 NFL quarterbacks, sparking a segment-long debate about the validity and utility of such lists.

  • “Brady’s at the top, Peyton, Montana, Unitas. Otto Graham at five, by the way. That’s a choice.” (Don Hahn, 02:55)
  • “You’re trying too hard, bro.” (Rosenberg, 03:15)

• Kirk Cousins’ Place in NFL History:
  The panel focuses on Kirk Cousins’ ranking (eventually revealed as No. 82) and what it says about his reputation.

  • “If I just need a guy, he could do it. That adds value. It does.” (Alan Hahn, 10:04)
  • “He’s always healthy, he’s always prepared, can play any system and could put up numbers.” (Alan Hahn, 09:04)
  • “You’re understating Kirk Cousins … when he’s smoking, he’s going off.” (Rosenberg, 10:22)
  • “He was able to turn 11 straight years of guaranteed contracts in a league where guys are begging for them, can’t ever get them. He gets them handed to him year after year.” (Don Hahn, 12:59)

• Kaepernick, Vick, Quarterback Scarcity:
  Commentary on the NFL’s shortage of elite quarterbacks, referencing the aging Philip Rivers and the blackballing of Colin Kaepernick.

  • “By the way, he’s not on this. And I, I’d put him on this list. Colin Kaepernick, when he was healthy was really good.” (Don, 12:20)
  • “We’ve got a quarterback problem in this league. You desperately need one to be competitive and there’s not 32 good ones in the league.” (Alan, 13:17)
  • “He could not make … I didn’t see one crisp ball leave his arm.” (Rosenberg on Rivers, 14:04)
  • “Just dump off screen … he threw it at someone’s shoes one time and all it was was a simple … just dump off screen.” (Don, 16:31)

• Analogies & Broader Points:
  Alan makes NHL/NFL comparisons to emphasize just how dire the quarterback vacuum is, and how changes in offensive balance (the rise of the running back) might be NFL teams’ workaround in QB-starved times.

  • “If there was a shortage of goalies in the NHL, it would stand out probably more than the shortage of quarterbacks in the NFL.” (Don, 18:06)
  • “Maybe we can’t be the passing league we want to be if we don’t have any quarterbacks.” (Alan, 19:35)

II. Weather Woes: Mets/Yankees & April Baseball in the Northeast

[24:18–32:46]

• Game Time Changes for Cold, Angry Fans:
  A lengthy breakdown of the Mets moving start times to earlier slots to avoid night-game arctic conditions, stirring debate about what fans deserve.

  • “You buy tickets for a night game in April. You shouldn’t be shocked that it’s going to be cold.” (Alan, 25:02)
  • “Low of 31 with 22 mile per hour winds. It’s baseball, it’s not football.” (Alan, 25:12)
  • “It stings for them because you make plans and it’s not … what adults … It’s easy to go at 3 o’clock.” (Rosenberg, 25:48)

• Fan Experience & Logistics:
  How teams communicate with season ticket holders, and how these changes affect game attendance and overall satisfaction.

  • “Once you buy tickets, they’ve got your email. So if you’re a season ticket holder, I’m sure … maybe call and just say, if we move the game to 4 o’clock, would you be in favor?” (Alan, 28:11)
  • “I just found it interesting how the Mets could decide to do something and in the same city, … the Yankees decided to do something else.” (Alan, 29:03)

• MLB Scheduling Critique:
  Alan takes issue with the logic of scheduling rare interleague home games during April’s unpredictable weather.

  • “Why is opening day in April where there could be inclement weather, games postponed, games delayed, that you’re taking on the Marlins that early?” (Alan, 30:46)
  • “Why aren’t you loading up the divisional games early and late where weather can be a problem?” (Alan, 31:53)
  • “God, it’s an easy fix, man. Well, use their brains.” (Alan, 32:40)

III. Yankees Hot Start, Fan Complaints & The Nature of Expectations

[32:46–38:12]

• Yankees: 7-2, Still Unhappy?
  Despite the Yankees’ division-leading record, fans fill the airwaves with complaints—over bullpen management, the bottom of the order, etc.

  • “Any thought that he was going to have a Scott Brocius year for you, let it go, okay? He’s giving you elite defense at the corner.” (Don, 34:09)
  • “Like listening to Michael’s show. … Why did Boone do this? … but God, you’re seven and two. You can’t possibly win every game that you play.” (Alan, 33:08)
  • “Anything he does with the bat is a plus, but you’re not getting that. So don’t expect it to a point that you’re starting to get mad at the bottom of the order.” (Don, 34:09)

• Big-Picture Perspective:
  The hosts urge fans to appreciate how far the team (and the city’s sports culture) has come.

  • “This team doesn’t suck to watch. They aren’t as boring to watch. They aren’t as frustrating to watch.” (Don, 36:21)
  • “If anyone believed that that was just going to keep going, stop it. They’re going to give up runs. It happens.” (Don, 36:54)

• Pitching Strengths & Outlook:
  Praise for the Yankees’ pitching staff with promise of greater strength as a few arms return.

• Mets’ Kodai Senga:
  A brief aside gives credit to Senga’s solid growth, despite being a mid-rotation ‘forgotten man’ (Alan, 37:41).

IV. Cold Weather, Stadiums, and the “Roof” Debate

[44:12–46:47]

• Lack of Retractable Roofs in NYC:
  With repeated early-spring weather disruptions, the hosts question why neither Yankee Stadium nor Citi Field was built with a retractable roof.
  • “It was stupid. I know it’s a lot more expensive and all that, but ... how come it can be done in other places?” (Alan, 44:23)
  • “They were like, we’re all set. We don’t want to pay the extra because we’ll never make that money back. It’s moronic.” (Don, 46:07)

V. Knicks/NBA: Managing Expectations & Debate Culture

[46:53–50:49]

• Stephen A. Smith vs. Mike Breen:
  A caller asks Alan about Stephen A. Smith’s criticism of Mike Breen’s Friday comments—a chance for the hosts to reflect on shifting Knicks expectations.
  • “Think for a minute with all the frustration you have … that you have the privilege of this anxiety. … you have the audacity to be mad at your team because people aren’t saying they’re a championship contender, but yet the statistics tell you, you absolutely are.” (Don, 47:54)
  • “You’ve gone from being a Jets fan who were just happy to make the playoffs, and in five years you’ve become a Yankees fan where only winning the championship is good enough.” (Don, 49:26)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the futility of online sports debate:
  “Every time I look at [Twitter], I’m dumber and less happy.” — Rosenberg (01:40)

• On changing New York sports fan expectations:
  “You’ve gone from being a Jets fan … and in five years you’ve become a Yankees fan where only winning the championship is good enough.” — Don (49:26)

• On the New York weather complaint:
  “It’s supposed to be cold … but tomorrow’s forecast for Flushing is a low of 31 with 22 mile per hour winds. Baseball, not football.” — Alan (25:12)

• On the economics of stadium roofs:
  “They were like, we’re all set. We don’t want to pay the extra because we’ll never make that money back. It’s moronic.” — Don (46:07)

Memorable Segments by Timestamp

• Reddit QB List begins: [02:29]
• Kirk Cousins discussion/ranking reveal: [04:33]–[07:01]
• Quarterback scarcity & running backs/NFL trends: [13:17], [19:35]
• Mets/Yankees game time, cold-weather impact: [25:00]–[30:46]
• MLB Scheduling critique: [30:46]–[32:40]
• Yankees fans’ expectations/complaints: [32:46]–[36:54]
• Roofless stadiums/rationale: [44:12]–[46:47]
• Stephen A. vs. Breen/Knicks fan culture: [46:53]–[50:49]

Tone & Style

• Conversational, brisk, irreverent, and steeped in New York sports fandom
• Mixes honest criticism, humor, inside jokes, and light bickering

For Listeners: Quick Recap

• Football talk dominated by the absurdity and fun of ranking QBs, the undervaluing of competent but un-sexy players like Kirk Cousins, and what the NFL’s shortage of elite quarterbacks means for team-building.
• Local baseball drama spun out of another cold April, its impact on fans, ticket holders, and the boneheaded rigidity of MLB scheduling.
• The ever-changing nature of what it means to be a New York sports fan—grateful one year, demanding a championship the next.
• Occasional forays into broader sports business/logistics (stadium roof economics, MLB interleague play flaws).
• Sprinkling of Knicks/NBA talk, keeping track of New York’s championship aspirations and the emotional swings of Knicks fans.

A must-listen for those who love heated, unscripted sports talk with a NYC point of view. If you missed it, you’ll walk away understanding not just what the headlines are—but what the arguments at every sports bar in the city will be.