Don, Hahn & Rosenberg

Hour 3: Aaron Glenn’s Superpower & Van Wyck
Date: February 24, 2026
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
Podcast: ESPN New York

Episode Overview

This lively hour brings the trio’s signature New York sports banter, shifting between hard-hitting football talk—centered on Aaron Glenn’s self-proclaimed play-calling “superpower” and Jets’ drama—and a hilariously detailed debate on the pronunciation of Queens’ infamous Van Wyck Expressway. Expect skepticism, strong opinions, and plenty of inside reference to New York culture, plus listener call-ins that keep the conversation rooted in everyday fandom.

Key Topics & Discussions

1. NFL Combine & Fan Obsession ([00:43]–[03:39])

• NFL Combine Satire: The “Underwear Olympics” is in full swing, with the crew poking fun at the obsession over minute combine stats and the way they translate (or don’t) to real football success.

  • "Watching the combine as an adult is the equivalent of a kid watching TikTok and then swallowing a bunch of cinnamon because the video told him to." – Don Hahn [02:45]

• Fantasy GM Syndrome: Candid reflections on fans who think their fantasy league credentials make them real GMs.

2. Aaron Glenn & The Jets: Superpowers, Truths, and Fat Hands ([05:04]–[22:13])

Aaron Glenn’s “Superpower” – Play Calling

• Claim: Glenn, Jets head coach, calls play-calling his “superpower,” citing his growth in Detroit and excitement to reclaim that responsibility.

  • “To me, play-call is my superpower. Really, doing it for four years in Detroit…just look at the maturation…how I improved as a play-caller. I miss doing that.” – Aaron Glenn [05:12]

• Hosts’ Skepticism: If it truly is his superpower, why didn’t he use it last season, especially as the defense struggled?

  "That's like, seriously, the Avengers...aliens are coming down and they are destroying the city...and Iron Man's like, just watching from his perch."
  — Alan Hahn [06:41]

Accountability & Organizational Influence

• Ownership Dynamics ("Fat Hands"):

  • Woody Johnson’s alleged interference in coaching decisions becomes a debate. Glenn insists ownership is supportive, not directive:
    • “The only thing he’s doing is supporting…he is not pushing me to pick coaches…he is not pushing me to operate this team a certain way.” – Aaron Glenn [09:42]
  • Hahn and Don are dubious.
  • "The owner controls the narrative. ... You think Aaron Glenn's gonna say, Woody forced me to hire these guys? ... He's not supposed to do it. He's the coach of the team. He's being employed by Woody." – Don Hahn [10:30]
  • Rosenberg draws a hilarious analogy:
    • “It’s like dating...I’ve heard the stories of the cheating, but, no, not with us. ... Why is this going to be any different, man?” – Peter Rosenberg [15:04]

• Coaching Mistakes and Narrative Control:

  • Discussion of whether Glenn is truly empowered—or just the public face of decisions made above him.
  • "It's not good that he got everyone wrong." – Don Hahn [12:11]
  • "You don't have a quarterback. You got one of the toughest schedules." – Don Hahn [21:03]

Admission of Mistakes

• Glenn speaks on learning from errors:
  • “There are mistakes that I made that I won’t replicate going into this season. I feel really good about my growth process…” – Aaron Glenn [19:55]
• Hosts’ Reaction: Hahn notes that absolute statements like this can come back to haunt a coach in New York.

3. The Great Van Wyck Debate ([26:36]–[49:47])

Pronunciation Chaos in New York

• Trigger: Peter flags that all the traffic reporters on New York radio say “Van Wyke” (long “i”), not the street-level “Van Wick” everyone else uses.

  • “How have I been living in New York almost 20 years…never heard a real life New Yorker say anything but the Van Wyck...All of the traffic people here say Van Wyke.” – Peter Rosenberg [27:54]

• Industry vs Local Custom:

  • Alan recounts an incident where a traffic reporter adamantly insisted “Van Wyke” is correct, per the family’s wishes:
    • “He was adamant, 10 toes down, ready to fight, when I was like, man, we all call it Van Wyck.” – Alan Hahn [28:21]
  • The hosts debate when common usage overtakes “correct” pronunciation.

• Notable Exchanges:

  • “At what point are you not wrong anymore?” – Peter Rosenberg [29:48]
  • “The family's right. We're wrong. But the fact is, we've been wrong so long, we're now right.” – Don Hahn [49:40]
  • “You have your time. Statute of limitations.” – Alan Hahn [49:43]

Pop Culture & Listener Call-ins

• LL Cool J, Lost Boys, classic Seinfeld, and Coneheads are pressed into service as evidence for “Van Wick.”
• Listeners cite examples where mispronunciation just becomes the norm (e.g., “Theisman” as “Thighsman”; “Dorsett” to “Dorset”).
• The technical origin: The family did reach out to traffic reporters to insist on long “i” [31:14].

Lighter Moments

• Don: "There is a highway to Satan's rectum. It's the Cross Bronx." [36:08]
• Extended, comic spirals about New York roadways and the psychological impact of decades-long mispronunciation.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote/Context | |-----------|---------|---------------| | 02:45 | Don | "Watching the combine as an adult is the equivalent of a kid watching TikTok and then swallowing a bunch of cinnamon because the video told him to." | | 05:12 | Aaron | “To me, play-call is my superpower… I miss doing that.” | | 06:41 | Alan | "That's like, seriously, the Avengers... and Iron Man's like, just watching from his perch." | | 09:42 | Aaron | "He is not pushing me to pick coaches...he is not pushing me to operate this team a certain way." (on Woody Johnson) | | 10:30 | Don | "The owner controls the narrative... he's being employed by Woody." | | 15:04 | Peter | “It’s like dating...I’ve heard the stories of the cheating, but, no, not with us. ... Why is this going to be any different, man?” | | 19:55 | Aaron | “There are mistakes that I made that I won’t replicate going into this season..." | | 27:54 | Peter | “How have I been living in New York almost 20 years…never heard a real life New Yorker say anything but the Van Wyck...” | | 29:48 | Peter | “At what point are you not wrong anymore?” | | 36:08 | Don | “There is a highway to Satan's rectum. It's the Cross Bronx.” | | 49:40 | Don | “The family's right. We're wrong. But the fact is, we've been wrong so long, we're now right.” |

Timestamps for Major Segments

• NFL Combine & Fan/Fantasy Culture: [00:43]–[03:39]
• Aaron Glenn/Jets Coaching & Ownership: [05:04]–[22:13]
  • Includes Glenn’s superpower, accountability, and organizational commentary
• Van Wyck Pronunciation Debate & Call-Ins: [26:36]–[49:47]
  • Pop culture, listener stories, New York city-specific mispronunciations

Tone & Style

• Conversational, irreverent, and proudly New York-centric.
• Hosts shift rapidly from pointed critique to tongue-in-cheek humor, always with a heavy dose of skepticism toward official narratives (especially team/ownership statements).
• Plenty of inclusive, familial banter—both among hosts and with callers.

For First-Time Listeners

This episode is an excellent sampler of Don, Hahn & Rosenberg at their best: incisive yet approachable sports talk with sharp local flavor, anchored by the group’s chemistry. You’ll come away with a healthy suspicion of team PR, an appreciation of how language evolves on city streets, and a few good laughs over the perils of driving in and pronouncing New York.

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