Hour 3: Can the USMNT make a deep World Cup run?

Summary

Don, Hahn & Rosenberg (ESPN New York)

Hour 3: Can the USMNT Make a Deep World Cup Run?
Date: June 25, 2026

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Overview

This episode’s main theme centers around the US Men’s National Soccer Team (USMNT) in the 2026 World Cup, debating whether this year’s squad can pull off a deep run and what it would mean for American sports culture if they do. The hosts explore the evolving relationship Americans have with soccer, the excitement—and skepticism—surrounding USMNT's pool performance, and compare the sport’s trajectory to other big American sports moments. The latter half of the hour touches on listener calls, comparisons to other sports (like hockey and tennis), and even dives into some basketball and pop culture sidebars.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. When Does America Tune in?

• The “Dead Period” Dilemma (02:50):
  • Don poses, “When do people like me, who love their country but aren’t soccer fans, start to really pay attention?” suggesting knockout rounds may be when casual fans lean in.
• Meaninglessness of Tonight's Game (02:23):
  • With the US already through and top stars resting, tonight’s match lacks urgency. There’s consideration of how “3-0 in pool play” might resonate more with casual fans, even if contextually the pool was weak.

2. Is USMNT’s Success Real or FIFA-Assisted?

• Easier Pool, More Hype? (05:03):
  • Alan raises the point that many might ascribe the US pool success to a “host nation bump” and a favorable draw engineered by FIFA.
  • “There are people that … just be sucked in without all of the knowledge of the quality of opponent and all that. Will that be enough to move the needle?” — Alan (05:03)

3. Building Hype & Cultural Moments

• Knockout Rounds as Flashpoint (06:25):
  • Peter predicts: “Assuming they look good tonight, I think that will help the momentum even more. And I think by the time we get to … July 4th weekend, I think it'll get pretty frenzied.” (06:51)
  • Knockout-round match on July 1st at Levi’s Stadium has “big national party” potential.

4. The Pull of Patriotism & Bandwagon Effect

• Olympics Analogy & TV Ratings (11:09):
  • Don: “How do you not get caught up in that moment? … it’s tied at one and they’re in extra time, how do you not see that through?”
  • Alan recalls massive TV numbers for Olympic hockey: “75% of [30 million hockey viewers] were like, ‘Hey, I love my country. This is fun. It's competitive. It's an overtime. I'm going to watch.’” (11:29, 11:38)

5. Why Soccer Has Lagged in U.S. Sports Culture

• The Next Big Thing... For 50 Years (13:24):
  • Don revisits the perennial prediction: “This is going to be the next big sport. … It's grown in those 50 years, Peter. But not … to the heights that they thought it would. We’ve still been the outlier.”
  • Discussion: American kids love playing soccer, but fandom doesn’t always stick; a deep USMNT run could finally change cultural perceptions, analogous to hockey’s “Miracle on Ice.”

6. Caller Perspectives

• Jonathan in LA (Appetizer for a Run, 08:19):
  • “Tonight is the appetizer… I have a strong feeling it’s going to be a fun roller coaster for this USA team… World cup is quality soccer, Don, trust me.” (08:19)
  • Peter: “You cannot do with US Soccer is ever start counting on anything … they have not earned the right in the past many, many years.” (09:21)
• Greg in the UPS Truck (Generational Growth, 16:37):
  • Cites generational progress, youth academies, and a new crop of Americans starring abroad: “This is the next step. Like, it’s time to take the next progression.” (17:13)
• James in the Car (Concerns About Expansion, 19:09):
  • Critiques watered-down early rounds: “FIFA … just added quality, they added quantity. I mean, the games haven’t been as good… a lot of games that are really meaningless with teams that aren’t going to go anywhere.” (19:13)
  • Alan/Don appreciate the “die-hard” soccer perspective and acknowledge quality dilution compared to previous World Cups.

7. Comparisons to Other Sports

• Formula 1 vs. NASCAR; Tennis Coverage (18:39):
  • Peter: “Why do we like Formula One? Because no Americans are winning in Formula One. We love NASCAR, right?” (18:39)
  • Alan: “Better example is how much we used to cover tennis versus how much [we do now]… the Americans just aren’t as dominant.” (18:53)
• Miracle on Ice, Building Legacy (13:32):
  • Analogy between USMNT’s potential impact and USA Hockey’s boost after 1980.

8. Fan Engagement, Family Perspective, and the Kids

• Can a USMNT Run Capture a Generation? (13:25-14:41):
  • Don: “Can we get the people that love to play it to fall in love with it? And I think if the US were to make a run, that could be the catalyst.” (13:25)
  • Light moment: Don debates letting his son Marco stay up to watch Team USA’s late game and the implications for summer bedtime routines. (14:41–16:12)

9. Momentum & Realism Check

• Peter (Cautious Optimism):
  • “That’s when you see that a team is next level serious. It's a meaningless game. They're resting starters. They're still playing great.” (09:21)
  • “But I can't in good conscience start making my plans for … the quarterfinal.” (09:21)
• Alan (On Bandwagon Effect):
  • “If they're playing a big game and it's on ... How do you call yourself a sports fan and love competition and not get caught up in that?” (10:14)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I hope it's appreciated by the audience. … Like, you dream about Ivory Coast up one nothing against Curacao. And Ecuador and Germany are tied ... that's the same time as Tunisia and the Netherlands.”
  — Peter Rosenberg (01:34)
• “That’s what we do. Oh, they're good, and then they stumble and succeed. Typical USA.”
  — Don La Greca (10:14)
• “It's never been a thing” [US men’s soccer success] — Don La Greca (12:44)
• “I love USA Soccer because we're losers. They're like the Mets of world baseball, of world soccer.”
  — Peter Rosenberg (17:29)
• “World cup is strictly soccer—the most popular sport in the world. … The US in the World cup is a monster underdog, which is so appealing.”
  — Peter Rosenberg (12:30)
• “If the US were to make a run, that could be the catalyst. Similar to what happened to hockey when Team USA beat Russia … We've never had that moment for the men.”
  — Don La Greca (13:32)

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Important Timestamps

• [02:50] When do casual fans start tuning in?
• [05:03] Was USMNT's group too easy? Will casuals care?
• [06:51] Building momentum for next week's knockout game.
• [08:19] Jonathan from LA (“Tonight is the appetizer…”).
• [09:21] Peter: “You cannot … start counting on anything [with US soccer].”
• [10:14] Don on US fans loving drama and national moments.
• [11:09] Olympics analogy for soccer bandwagon effect.
• [13:25–14:41] Don on getting kids into soccer fandom.
• [16:37] Greg in the UPS truck: “This is the next step” for US soccer.
• [19:09] James critiques World Cup expansion, “dilutes” quality.
• [21:41] Alan: “Everything was done this year to help the US.”

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Tone & Style

The hosts maintain their signature blend of sarcastic, passionate, and conversational New York sports radio style. There’s a healthy dose of skepticism, humorous self-deprecation (especially about how the US historically underperforms in soccer), and a lot of pop culture/sports crossover references—especially as they riff on their personal and family connections to soccer and sports at large.

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Conclusion

The third hour of Don, Hahn & Rosenberg mixes laughs, realism, and hope on the USMNT’s chances for a historic World Cup run—questioning whether a deep run can finally transform American soccer fandom. Listener calls add perspective from both die-hard fans and skeptical observers, while the hosts draw smart parallels to other U.S. sports legacies. The consensus: if the U.S. wins knockout games, the country could catch World Cup fever like never before—though time will tell if it’s for real, or just another fleeting summer romance with the world's game.

Transcript

[A]

Are all batteries the same? That's like asking if all soccer players are the same. Take Messi, the most decorated player ever. Is there any other player who has achieved that?

[B]

No, just him.

[A]

Now take Duracell. Is there any other battery with powerboost ingredients inside?

[B]

No, just Duracell.

[A]

Remember, goats only trust goats because they're built different. And Messi only trusts Duracell.

[B]

This is the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[A]

That sounds like heaven to me.

[B]

Listen live weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New

[C]

York app, and your smart speakers.

[B]

All right, all right, everyone. Calm down, calm down.

[A]

Relax.

[B]

Nearly 503 in the big shit. Don Han and Rosenberg on ESPN New York. A lot to get to here tonight at 10 o' clock on the big E ESPN, if you're interested. Did a preview show for this weekend's big WWE event, Night of Champions. Myself, Joe, Tess and Big E, we did a preview show that airs tonight, 10:00 clock on ESPN.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Should that catch your interest, that's going

[A]

right up against Team usa.

[B]

You know what? You are absolutely right.

[A]

You got to have belief in yourself.

[C]

Well, wait a minute now. The game doesn't mean anything for Team usa.

[B]

That's right.

[C]

People probably won't be that interested. They'll be more interested in what Peter has to say.

[B]

By the way, Allen's sarcasm is severely underrated in my opinion. Like that the way that he just said that. They're going to be more interested in what Peter has to say. That's gold right there. I hope it's appreciated by the audience. Now, speaking of the soccer of it all, currently you have Curacao and Ivory coast like you dream about. Ivory coast up one nothing against Curacao. And Ecuador and Germany are tied at one apiece at MetLife Stadium. Later on tonight, you have Japan, Sweden at seven o'. Clock. That's the same time as Tunisia and the Netherlands. Because now we're at that point in the tournament where you got to have everyone playing at the same time to not have people playing intentionally for ties, which I like, which I you got, which you have to respect. Don't get me wrong, FIFA does very little to respect that this is worthy of it, though. And then when it comes to the USA's group, Paraguay and Australia, who are both 10 and 1, they'll play at 10 o'. Clock. And the United States, of course, they're already all good. They're two zero. They're playing. Jacob, who are they playing? Who's the USA playing? That's right. They're zero, zero and two. So it's a wrap for Turkey. So those games happen at 10 o'.

[D]

Clock.

[B]

But, Don, you posed an interesting question earlier about USA Soccer.

[A]

And I want to know, when do people like me, people that don't follow it, but they love their country and they love big moments. When do they start to say, I got to start paying attention? So it won't be tonight because I think everybody knows that the game is pretty much meaningless and that there's a lot of big stars that may not play. But will the game against, in all likelihood, Bosnia, get people, get the needle moving and get people excited? Be the round of 32, elimination, is it something that will really get things going? It's a dead period of time. Right. If your baseball team is good, you know, if you're a Yankee fan, maybe, hey, I'm good. I'm watching the Yankees. But if you're like a Met fan and you're done around the country, is this something that's going to start captivating us here? Because this team, if they win tonight, and in all likelihood they will, they're going to be 3, 0.

[C]

I'm in. Because of what happened in pool play.

[B]

Because, I mean, they've done enough to excite you.

[C]

Well, it's the excite. It's intrigue more than excitement, I think. Is that fair to say? Sure, because I can't have excitement yet. Because we do know the hardest part is still to come. And when you get to this point of knockout, you're now playing the best. And, you know, the history has told us they're nowhere near as good as the best teams in the world. But it doesn't mean that because they, they handled pool play as well as they did, to the point where they have a quote unquote, meaningless game tonight. Yeah, it's got me intrigued maybe not as much tonight as much as it will be once we get into knockout, where if it is, you know, Bosnia and hers, like, okay, like, let's see what you got. Can you, can you take out a team like that that you should. You get to. Yeah.

[B]

Should win.

[D]

Yeah. You.

[C]

You hope so. But that's what you want to see. So I'm intrigued. I'm intrigued enough now that I'm going to be paying attention closely when normally at this time the US Is either out or, you know, they don't have a chance. But they, it was not only that they, that they handled the pool play well, how they did the offense as good as it was. So it looks like. All right, there's some skill, there's some talent here. Can they pull off an upset or two to really get you rallied?

[A]

Because part of the. I think maybe the benefit of people not necessarily being into soccer is will they necessarily know that it was kind of an easier pool that this 3, 0 might be something that kind of FIFA put together so something like this could happen because they're the host nation and all that. You're hearing a lot of that conversation because we're in a sports radio station. We are around people that are in the soccer. But aren't there, like a lot of people that be, hey, they're three and oh, they made it out of their pool and just be sucked in without all of the knowledge of the quality of opponent and all that. And will that be enough to move the needle? I mean, there are people. The people that are into soccer are completely into that. Peter is completely into this. Ever since I've known Peter, he's been a big soccer guy. World cup. Well, I'm a big World cup guy.

[B]

I'm just a wig.

[A]

World cup, but that's what we're talking about. I truly enjoy it. Harvey Cruz, who's in for Anthony Pusick today, is his favorite team. He roots for the Giants. He roots for the Devils. His favorite team are the Red Bulls. That's his team. He's a soccer.

[B]

That's a soccer guy right there.

[A]

He obviously is completely into this, but for a guy who's like soccer, that's not for me. Will them being out of pool play three and oh be enough for that guy to say, I'm going to sit down and watch their nets match. I'm going to start reading about these players.

[D]

I'm going start to.

[A]

I'm going to start following.

[B]

I think the hype machine is going to build. First of all, it's a meaningless game tonight, but them looking good again tonight would be a big deal. Do we know where Pulisic's at, by the way? Is he expected to give it a shot? I know they're resting people tonight, but why would he.

[C]

No, I thought they were going to go limited. They're going to give him limited time just so he gets. Yeah, you got to get in to get a game in. It's been, what, two weeks since he played?

[B]

So, like, it's the calf thing, you know, you do want to let him get out there on it and see if everything's all right. So, look, give him some minutes today, but assuming they look good tonight, I think that will help the momentum even More. And I think by the time we get to next Wednesday, which, remember, it's July 4th Eve, it's. Or, sorry, it's July 3rd Eve. It's like Holiday A Jace. By that time, I think there'll be a lot of hype for that game. It'll get a really big number. And if they win that game in the round of 32.

[C]

Game.

[B]

I think by the time that game's over, we will be at a pretty frenzied pace.

[A]

What have the numbers.

[C]

Wait a second. You tell me this game's on the second.

[B]

That's right.

[C]

Where's the game being played?

[B]

I don't know where the game Wednesday is. Not here.

[C]

Better not be.

[A]

Well, they're out.

[B]

They've been out west.

[C]

Yeah, well, you know why it can't. It better not be.

[B]

Why is that?

[A]

Well, beach bash.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

Well, the beat. No, it's being played on the first, not the second.

[C]

Oh, okay.

[D]

All right, good.

[C]

Nobody can have a bigger party than we can. We're not allowing that.

[A]

It's.

[B]

It's Wednesday the 1st. It's Wednesday the 1st. 8:00pm Levi's Stadium.

[C]

Okay. So definitely not anywhere near us.

[B]

But if they win that game, guys, as we head into July 4th weekend, I think it'll get pretty frenzied. Let's go to our friend Jonathan in la. What's up, Jonathan? Hello, Jonathan.

[D]

Hi, guys.

[B]

Hi,

[D]

fellas. Look, I live and breathe baseball. I love baseball. But every time the World cup comes around, once every four years, I completely lock in. And let me tell you guys, these games have been crazy and it has been really good, fellas. I'm telling you guys right now, today, tonight is the appetizer of you guys watching usa. Let me tell you guys, I have a strong feeling it's going to be a fun roller coaster for this USA team, okay? Because by the looks of it, it looks like they have it pretty easy. It looks like they're going to get either Bosnia or Algeria in the knockout round. After that, most likely, they're going to move on. They might play Egypt or.

[B]

Yeah,

[D]

after that, they'll play either Portugal, but we're talking about close to semifinals, either Portugal or Spain. And let me tell you guys, the USA team is looking pretty nice. And let me tell you guys another thing too. World cup is quality soccer, Don, Trust me. Lock in. Today's an appetizer. Thank you so much, fellas. You guys have a.

[B]

Thanks, Jonathan. I would say Jonathan's got to relax a little bit. He's starting to do the thing which we all want to do, but, like, the one thing you cannot do with US Soccer is ever start counting on anything. Because that's unfortunately. And I'm very. I am very high on them this year. Obviously, I'm very excited about it. They have not earned the right in the past many, many years. They have not earned the right for you to start having expectations. I'm sorry. It's been two really good showings, and that's why, guys, I would love to see them look good tonight in a. In a game that's meaningless. You know what I mean, Don? Like, that's. That's when you see that a team is like, next level serious. It's a meaningless game. The. They're resting starters. They're still playing great. That, to me, would be something to hold on to. But I can't in good conscience start making my plans for the, you know, the round of 16 or the quarterfinal.

[A]

That's what we do. Oh, they're good. And then they stumble and succeed. Typical usa. I don't want to see that either. But why? We are sports fans. We all have our favorite sports, but really what it comes down to is just the thrill of the competition. So even though I'm not a soccer guy, I didn't grow up with it. It wasn't something that I played, it wasn't something that I followed. But if you tell me they're making a run and the games are competitive and it's got. How do you not get caught up in that moment? Even if you're completely disinterested and don't know any of the players, if they're playing a big game and it's on, you're at a party, you're at a barbecue, or there's nothing else on. You flip around and you see it's tied at one and they're in extra time, like, how do you not see that through? How do you call yourself a sports fan and love competition and know the level of play is at its absolute highest and the game's competitive. How do you not get caught up in that?

[C]

It's same as the Olympics, isn't it? Well, yeah, listen, same idea as the Olympics. You're going to the sports you don't normally watch, you'll watch more because it's, you know, this is the elite of the world competing against each other. And you want to see how do we do?

[A]

How many people watch the gold medal game against Canada, The Jack golden goal, whatever the number was, it was like

[B]

close to 30 million.

[A]

Yeah, like 30 million. Listen, Alan and I love hockey. I'd love to think that all 30 million of them loved hockey the way we do. That's a joke.

[C]

Doubtful.

[A]

You know, 75% of them were like, hey, I love my country. This is fun. It's competitive. It's an overtime. I'm going to watch.

[B]

And then there's two. And then there's. To me, there's two more factors that would take this to such another level if the US Were to run deep. Number one, the World Cup. As great as the Olympics are, the World cup has its own cachet that's sort of, to me, just beyond the. Beyond the Olympics, because it's not filled with all these other supplementary sports that, to be honest, the only people who care about them are the people who participate in them. The World cup is strictly soccer the most. It's football. It's the most popular sport in the world. So, like, the culture of it is so intense all the time. International soccer. Then on top of that, what it has that makes it crush, you know, a US Hockey final is that, yes, the US Was a slight underdog against Canada. The US in the World cup is a monster underdog, which is so appealing

[A]

for people really, to compare it to, other than when the women won.

[B]

And you can't really make that comp. Because the women have been a dominant force in soccer, whereas the men have

[A]

never been a factor, because you're literally talking. It's never been a thing.

[B]

Never.

[A]

And I. And the thing about soccer is, I should say I didn't grow up with it. I didn't grow up with it in the sense that I played it or followed it, but I had friends that were big soccer fans. And I'm talking about, this is like 77, 78. That's where, you know, the Cosmos were playing at Giant Stadium, Pele Ola. And they were all telling me, oh, this is going to be the next big sport. It's the fastest growing sport, and it's never. It's grown in those 50 years, Peter. But not to the. Not to the heights that, A, they thought it would, and B, the way it's been around the world, we've still been the outlier. The United States still, I think, I think kids love playing. My son loves playing, but he doesn't

[B]

take it serious, though.

[A]

Well, he's going, he's going to the Real Madrid soccer camp Monday. He loves playing it.

[B]

But, but, but it's not like, is he going to play, attempt to play for real?

[A]

Well, as he starts to get older. I think his, his school's got a soccer team. We'll see if he wants to join it. Right now he's all about baseball, but he does love to play soccer. But I haven't. He knows Ronaldo, he knows Messi, knows Mbappe. But remember the big soccer game? There was a big. There was a soccer game that was on before the Super Bowl. We were at a party, remember I told you that he's not. Why he's not. He has no desire to go to see an MLS game or anything. It hasn't transferred into something that interests him. Like he loves playing baseball. He loves watching baseball. You know, he loves the. Watching hockey. When I say as an 8 year old, loves watching hockey for like 10 minutes and then find something else to do, he hasn't grabbed. I think we love playing it, but can we get the people that love play it to fall in love with it? And I think if the US were to make a run, that could be the catalyst. Similar to what? Hockey? What happened to hockey when Team USA beat Russia? The world was exposed to it on television and said, hey, you know, there's a league I can follow. We've never had that moment for the men for Team USA to say they can carry on to an interest beyond.

[B]

So what about tonight? Could it be a, hey, Marco, let's watch this game. He's done with school, right?

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

So 10 o' clock tonight you can say, hey, Marco, you want to watch Team USA tonight?

[A]

10:00's a little late.

[B]

It's a special occasion, though. I mean, he'll be fine even if he does a half. 10:45. It's summertime, Don, for God's sake. What time does he normally go to bed? Right now?

[A]

Around 10. Oh, it's summertime.

[D]

Right.

[A]

So it's summertime.

[B]

So it's an extra. It's a bonus hour in the summer.

[A]

You'll see. Alan will tell you, well, no, you pay the price for moments like that. Yeah. Let him stay up till 11, 11:30 and then he's a terror the next day because he's still going to get up his normal time. It's amazing. I've got to drag him out of bed at 2:45 in the morning. If on the weekends he's up at 7, like those 15 minutes, like it's, it's, it's, it's crazy. You got to be careful with these kids.

[C]

I had the opposite, actually, Don, the later you let him stay up, especially in the summer, the later they'll Sleep, which gives you the morning nice and quiet.

[B]

Yeah. What about that? Isn't that a possibility?

[A]

Doesn't happen with, like.

[C]

Like, if. Yeah, all right, well, that's not. Everybody's the same.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So I'm just telling you, like, my experience is always that, like, not with Cali. Cali's up, cracking down, like, doesn't matter. She's like that. She can't sleep. But Zach, if he was up late with me watching a game or something, that kid be snoring till. Until noon.

[A]

That's Jalen. Jaylen's gonna be a little party girl. She sleeps in. He gets up the same time, no matter when he goes. He's structured, but he's an athlete, and he gets tired. And when he gets tired, he gets cranky. When he gets cranky, he's a pain in the ass.

[C]

Throw him in the pool,

[B]

right?

[C]

Don't you just wait? When he gets a little crazy, don't you just pick him up and just toss him in there? You need to get wet to throw you in, right in clothes and all. He'll think it's hilarious. You get him right out of his mood.

[A]

It really means how. It's not how he takes it. It's how mom takes it.

[B]

All right, here we go. Let's. Let's.

[A]

Let's go.

[B]

Let's go to Greg in the UPS truck. What's up, Greg?

[D]

What up? Hey, there, guys. Listen all the time, it's great to be on, so I just wanted to say real quick, this is. You know, you're a. Soccer. I've been. I played as a kid in the 80s. And you. You move on, you know, and you start watching this and the 90s, the 2000s, it's never good enough, right? We're growing as a sport in this country, and where we are now is this team. All these guys started off as kids in youth academies in this country, and they moved on, and they're playing in top leagues all over the world. And this is the next step. Like, it's time to take the next progression. And I'm excited. Like, it's great to see.

[A]

No, you're right. It's just that we need to have it be relevant. We like winners in this country. Okay? That's how we are.

[B]

Isn't that funny, by the way? Doesn't it really show a lot about me? Why is the sport where I root for them the most is when we're losers. That's who I love. I love USA Soccer because we're losers. They're like The Mets of world baseball, of world soccer.

[C]

Right.

[A]

But I. Wrong.

[B]

No, no.

[A]

As a country, we want to know

[B]

they need them to be good or they won't be in.

[A]

And we've seen the ratings in hockey carry over since the gold medal game because it's the same thing in hockey. You know, we have been inferior for. Even after winning in 1980 was the miracle on Ice or whatever, and then that was it. 84 team didn't do anything despite having some really great players, including Brian Leach, Mike Madonna, I think. Was he that early? Yeah, he had to have been. But the point is, is that we never were dominant again. And then we started to get better and now we show that we're on top of the world. We love that. That's why soccer's never. We're not good at it, good enough at it. We like the sports we're really good at. We're good at football, we're good at baseball, we're good at basketball. We're the kings of those sports. We're not the kings of hockey, but now we are. So maybe that's going to change a little bit as long as we stay consistently good.

[B]

Let's go to.

[A]

Why do we like Formula One? Because no Americans are winning in Formula One. We love nascar, Right.

[B]

Americans.

[A]

Formula One, I think, is way better, way more entertaining for me, but it's

[B]

way bigger right now.

[A]

And it's way bigger. But it doesn't. It doesn't do much here because there's no Americans that are good at it.

[C]

Better example is how much we used to cover tennis versus how much we.

[A]

Oh, yeah, that's a good example because

[C]

the Americans just aren't as dominant as they used to be.

[B]

I'll say.

[C]

There aren't those stories of great American players who are competing. It's just a real thing on the men's side, anyway.

[B]

Well, the women's, too, but the Williams are at least back this summer.

[A]

So.

[B]

You got that? Go to James in the car. What's up, James?

[D]

Hey, guys. Long time. First time. Yeah. I'm a big soccer guy. I just got a different take on it this year. Like, you know, us, Mexico, Canada are in it because they're the hosts. But you know that, you know, FIFA, they just added quality, they added quantity. I mean, the games haven't. I don't think they've been as good. I don't want to see Spain play Cabo Verde and a lot of other New Zealand. There are a lot of games that are really meaningless with teams that aren't going to go anywhere. And I think it's a big difference from like expanding the ncaa. You get more teams that might not get the automatic bid, but they deserve to be there here. The difference in quality and from big countries to small is so big that, you know, there's really no chance of these teams making it and they're just added there for whatever FIFA put them in for. And as a soccer fan, it just seems like it's down. Like I love, I love the fans coming to the US Like I would Tartan army is like amazing. You're getting all these different perspectives and people loving the US for different reasons. It's, it's great. I just think the overall product is not there. You don't have the group of deaths like you used to. And every year you'd wonder who was going to be in it. And then you're not seeing that yet and you're not seeing that. And it'll happen in knockout round. I know but just these initial phases, I've just been, I've been underwhelmed as a great perspective as someone I can.

[C]

James I appreciate because I like that that's the thing. Like we're all self admitted by treetops guys when it comes to this stuff, right? Like we don't know what countries and, and matchups. This is somebody that clearly understands it and what he's saying, like while we're, we're excited about the USA played great in pool play and you, he's basically saying to you guys, like, guys, it's not that it's not like it used to be. You know, it's not as competitive. They should win. And for a soccer fan who loves the World cup and wants to see like the best playing the best and make it compelling, he's saying that these, these first rounds, this is nothing like this is just like, like it's a, it's sort of a exhibition and it really starts now after all this is over with. It's an, it's a very unique perspective and it's good for us to hear.

[A]

Yeah, it's kind of like the NCAA tournament. Keep adding teams and it kind of dilutes the whole.

[C]

I guarantee we'll be complaining next year about, about the early stages of the NCAA tournament.

[B]

Oh, that's a joke. I mean. Well, I think we already feel that way but it almost like, it almost feels like everything was done this year to help the US and the setup here feels like it's potentially very favorable. 1-800-9193776 still have some calls on the Mets. We'll talk about all these things. We are off the air at 6:30 today on account of Mets baseball.

[A]

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Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg Podcast.

[B]

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[C]

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

[B]

Don Han and Rosenberg on ESPN New York on this lovely, lovely June day. Guys, we kind of. Summer started this week and kind of just happened. I feel like there was not a big mention of it. We're here now. Officially here, Don. And you know, what's the nonsense about it, is that summer doesn't officially start till June 21st, and then you blink and it's July 4th is gone. And now you feel like you're already into the thick of summer.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

The problem is summer goes too long into September where it no longer feels like you're in the summer.

[C]

Correct.

[B]

Once you're back in school, summer's over.

[C]

You also know why people, most people,

[A]

I guess, ignored that first day of summer was same day as Father's Day. Yes. She'll let you know how most dads are. And some kids are still in school because we don't go by the summer solstice. We go by when that was over.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

And then when you got to go back to school, like it's still summer when you go back to school.

[C]

Well, isn't Memorial Day the unofficial Memorial Day weekend? Unofficial starter summer?

[B]

That is the very unofficial.

[C]

But in this case, we don't recognize the solstice. Okay. We don't. We start summer when we want to start.

[A]

Right. And obviously God didn't want to start summer Memorial Day because It was probably 60 in a light rain.

[B]

Right. We didn't get to really enjoy it as.

[A]

And then all of a sudden it's 90 with humidity. But I always looked at it as when school started and school ended and I didn't think about it. Then I had kids and I went back to it again, you know, but it's, you know, there's still summer after Labor Day. But I think everybody acknowledges after Labor Day, summer's over.

[D]

Right.

[A]

Kids go back to school.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

So it just.

[A]

Football starts the following weekend.

[B]

It just feels like a rip off a little bit. You know what I mean? Just feels a little bit like a ripoff, that's all. But I'm happy we're here. I'm enjoying it. Let's take it all in. Let's talk to you, the people, because at 6 o' clock, we have ENN. And then, as Don would say, we're at a Dodge at 6:30 for the Mets. Jody in Warren with an important question about the Mets. Hey Jody.

[D]

Oh, well it's not a question but I do agree with that last caller about the Mets that team chemistry is so important. But when you say we have nobody in the organization I think we do get rid of Stearns, get rid of Mendoza. Well, Mendoza I kind of like. But we got Carlos Beltran, right? He's got the experience, he's the athlete. He understands players feelings and chemistry and all that well. I mean what am I missing there?

[A]

Well, and everybody that was involved with the scandal all got jobs back and moved on so it really can't be that. But, but you watch the Mets. Your Met. Is this, is this a managerial problem or is this just fundamentally a flawed roster that was built improperly?

[D]

Fraud roster. I've been a Mets fan since 65.

[A]

Right. So what happens is that, listen, I wouldn't put him on the same level is the legend of Don Mattingly with the Yankees. But one of the reasons Mattingly never got the job as manager is they didn't want to have to eventually one day fire him. Like Carlos Beltran will be well liked. The fans will freak out, the team will play no better because they're not any good. And then it's going to be a stain on Carlos Beltran because he didn't turn it around. I would rather, much rather get through this year and if you wanted to get another general manager in here that will rebuild this roster and have Carlos Beltran with a fighting chance of being successful, I'd be all for it. The reason I want Buck now is I think Buck will straighten out some of the problems with the team as they're playing because I do think there's enough talent there guys to play better than 12 games under.500. I don't think they're a team that's going to be a playoff team or make a deep run. But I think we'd all agree 12 games under.500 on pace to be, you know, close to 30 games under.500. I'm sorry, there's too much talent there for that. But. Right, Alan, don't you want to give this legendary player the best chance to succeed rather than just be a part of a flawed roster that's probably not going to go anywhere anyway.

[C]

Yeah, but the Buck thing, Don, haven't we done that before? We did it already. And if you're him, why would you do it? You know what I mean? That's, that's all I'm Saying, I know what you mean by that with Buck, but that, that's not. I don't know what to do. I guess the Beltron things interesting. They are going to honor him this year. But you know, in the end you need somebody that's going to clean up the mess. You need somebody that's going to be able to come in and make moves.

[D]

Right?

[C]

Carlos Beltran is not a gm. He's a, he's a, he's a, he would manage the team. The manager's not going to make any. Like, what are you doing with the lineup? There's nothing you could do. No, that's strategic. What you have to do is put a better team together, move out some pieces that clearly aren't working. That's not going to be easy because who the hell is going to want them? You know, like, you're in a bad spot right now and you're in a bad spot because your general manager made terrible decisions. It's as simple as that.

[A]

Well, I find interesting is what you had sent me earlier in the day about the cba and we don't like to lay too much in the weeds of the CBA because you know, honestly it's.

[C]

No, but this is significant.

[A]

It's over pretty much everybody's head sometimes. And. But Jesse Rogers, who covers the sport free spn, says breaking in the next cba, the league is proposing a max contract length of five years for free agents playing players switching teams. Six years to retain their own players. No deferred contracts. Qualifying offer is gone too. Also five years to free agency for players 30 or older. We saw that happen in the NHL back in the day. See that, that, that creates responsibility, right? No more of these outrageous, you know, 15 year contracts. None of these things that, let's face it, David Stearns and a lot of other guys don't want to see of giving outrageously long contracts because some of the bigger market teams are like, I don't care, let it fall apart at the end of the contract. I've got the chance to buy it out and I think five years is fair for the players. I'm sure they're not going to accept it because it came from the owners. So we're going to probably have a long work stoppage. But five years, I think is, is, is a fair amount of time for you to be able to make your money and still be young enough to switch teams and get a better deal. See, these players want the 15 year security that when I suck, I'll still get paid.

[C]

Well, it's it's also sounds great when you could say an $800 million contract. Right? Because. Yeah, because the annual competition, the annual is the one that should matter. But also though some leagues don't like a lot of free agency so they don't mind long term deals. But what, what, what the NHL learned and the NBA learned is those long term deals lead to trouble and it leads to immovable contracts and then now you have to buy out and it creates all that stuff. Short term deals do create more market every couple of years where players can move and owners don't like that. Owners don't want players moving around, they want him staying in one place. I don't want to have to worry about re signing my guy every three years. But that's. It's healthier for everyone that way. And that's. I never understood these long, these seven, eight year deals. It doesn't make any sense. Especially when you get to, when you're in a league where a lot of times guys aren't getting to that point of a contract till they're in their late 20s and maybe even early 30s. So they should get away from that. It's smart.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But I think the player looks at it as. Alright, well I'm probably not going to be very good at the end of this contract. Good for me, I'll still be able to make the money. They should look at it the other way and say if I'm a 24, 25 year old, I become a free agent, sign a five year deal. That means I can get another mega contract at the age of 30 when I'm in my prime and I'm not stuck in a bad deal. Like you could look at both sides of it. Now what I find ridiculous is sometimes you're Giving these guys 31, 32 years old seven year contract. Especially pitchers like you know that's not

[D]

going to age well.

[A]

And I know the players don't want to give that up. Listen, it's a worthless conversation guys because the players are not going to go for anything. Anything that comes from the owners, they're not going to accept and they feel they've got a powerful enough union that they'll eventually break the owners. And that's why we got to brace ourselves for a long work stoppage. It might not erase the season guys, but you know what? I'm afraid of having what we had during COVID some Fugazi 60, 65 game season which is going to be ridiculous. It's one thing when the lockouts happen in The NBA and the NHL where you had like a 48 game season or a 52 games. That's different. That's still, that's still more than half the games you play. But a, but a baseball that's built on the stamina of 162 game season just taking 100 games out of it. Come on, how can you take that season seriously? Let's go to.

[B]

Gilberto has been patient for a long time. Hey, Gil. How you doing, bud?

[D]

What's up, Petey? Petey, you've been on fire, man.

[B]

Have I?

[D]

I love the, the. You've been on fire, brother. I love the Caitlyn Clark. Take, clock, take. I agree with you on a percent. Alan. What's up, buddy? Don the icon. What's up, my brother? Yeah, Peter, you've been you on point with that and a lot of people see your way. I know what Alan said. I know that. You know, I saw Brunson practically get beat up. You know what I'm saying? And I was upset. I was, man, you had to see me during the finals. I was cursing at the TV and I heard man cursing at the refs. What the heck is going on? I didn't use heck either. But you know, I agree with Aaron, but Aaron, there has to be some leeway in a woman's league. And that woman didn't punch in the throat, but she laid a knee in her stomach. And if you watch the whole game, she got knocked down like £15.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[D]

You know what I'm saying?

[C]

Yeah. I'm not, I'm not saying, like, it's no big deal. You know, they, they missed it. They should have been. It's obvious it should have been a foul. I mean, it's ridiculous. It should have been a foul. But I'm also just like, just like a lot of stuff we saw in the NBA finals and the NBA playoffs, there were things where you're like, that should have been.

[D]

Exactly.

[C]

All right. I don't understand what's going on with officiating. I don't know why, but you don't. You cannot under any circumstances, whether you, whether it's said behind the scenes or not, you cannot referee one player different than another just because of her financial impact on the league.

[D]

But I don't like that.

[C]

I know, because no one else.

[D]

I don't see any other player getting rough.

[B]

But that's, but that's because there's another

[C]

player that's of her size like that, though.

[D]

She's got to get stronger of her magnitude. She puts The.

[C]

You can't have to read the game differently. You can't do it. You're right about the whole cash cow thing. Nothing. There's nothing wrong about. You're absolutely right. And I brought up Jeremy Lynn for that reason. Jeremy Lynn was a cash cow. It was only two weeks. But this guy. If. For those who don't remember it, there was nothing more red hot in the NBA than him. No one. And that's when the league had Kobe and LeBron and all. All the great. You could put them all on. On Mount Rushmore. They were all playing and this guy had the league on fire where people who didn't watch the NBA were watching because of him. The ratings were through the roof. And everybody. There were people saying that he should be in the All Star Game, that. That. That they should step in. The commission should step in and put him in the All Star Game because he wasn't doing this before the voting. But the fans would want to see him in the All Star Game. And they went into this game in Miami, in the Miami Heat, which at the time one of the best teams in the league. They had LeBron, they had Way, they had all those guys, and they were like, really? This guy. This should be an All Star. And they took it personal and they beat the hell out of him. And it wasn't right. It wasn't right. You couldn't believe some of the stuff they were getting away with, but that's what happened. Now. He never recovered from it. Caitlin Clark comes back every time. And to me, that's one of the most impressive things about that girl. But she is a great player, but she also can take a beat and keeps coming back. That's impressive.

[A]

But you don't delegitimize the league. That's what Gilberto is doing. Oh, she's the cash cow. You got to protect her. When does that ever happen? Like if they were beaten on Kobe or beating on LeBron, they complained about the officiate and they would say, you got to keep him protected. He's our cash cow. You don't say that in all the other sports. So why would you say that about the WNBA unless you're not taking it seriously? But if you're really going to take this sport seriously, complain about the officiating.

[C]

What do you say? Well, Tom Brady's too important to the league to allow them to sack him as hard as they sack other players. We can't let that happen. Is that what the NFL is going to do? Is that what you. Is that what you do in the NFL. Patrick Mahomes is way too important to the NFL to allow other teams to hit him. They hit him a little extra harder because he's so big and strong. Whatever it is, like, come on, like, it's. It's sports. I'm more impressed with how she reacts. I'm more impressed with how she comes back. That's what I like. But is it wrong what they're doing? Of course it's wrong. But I don't see somebody on her team making sure that that doesn't happen anymore.

[B]

That's.

[C]

That's all part with this has happened in basketball for years and they've. Wembanyama. What did the spurs just do in the draft? They got two tough, physical, nasty fours. These are power forwards who. They're not shooters. They're not skilled players. They are basically, kick your ass, power forwards. They got two of them. Why? Because they know they need them next to Wembanyama for the next five to six years.

[B]

And also, you got it. You got to take the kids glove clubs off with the girls, man. Like, this is. This is a professional league, dude. And she's a really good undersized player who gets a lot of attention in every sport. When there's a player who gets a lot of attention, hey, they get a lot of attention every way. Acting as if this is. Oh, my God. It's beyond the pale. Watch the play in regular speed. It's not beyond the pale. It's not beyond basketball. It's very regular. It's nowhere near some of the interactions we saw in the NBA finals. Nowhere near.

[C]

But you have to admit though, Peter, there's extra there because, look, it's opportunity. There's Caitlin on the floor. It's a loose.

[B]

No, it's a little extra fall, a

[C]

little to the left.

[B]

Sure, I make some contact, but again, that's very regular.

[C]

It happens in sports all the time. She targeted. That's another conversation to have.

[B]

But.

[C]

But it's more target than anybody else. That's a different conversation.

[B]

My point isn't that it's not happening. My point is that, like. Let's just stop clutching our pearls, guys. I mean, I don't know if you notice. She was up in 0.2 seconds. It was not a huge deal.

[C]

I love her toughness. We don't talk about it enough. We don't talk about her toughness enough.

[B]

1-800-919-3776. Last call crew then ENN at 6. Right here on Don Hanna. Rosenberg.

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[C]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[B]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[C]

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

[B]

All right, Don Han and Rosenberg on ESPN New York. Based on Don's bopping throughout the day, I almost feel like Don should listen to Reasonable Doubt. Like, aren't you a little interested? I mean, he is the biggest. He's the biggest rapper probably of all time. And it's his first album, is considered a masterpiece. It's worth a Don listen, don't you think?

[A]

What was 99 problems on the Black Album later?

[B]

That's much. I like that song well, Black, there's nothing even remotely like that on this album.

[A]

I'm just telling you that I know Jay Z. Not personally. I'm not Andrew Gunling.

[B]

No, no one is. But Andrew Gunling vacations with Jay and Beyonce. It's different. I'm just saying I think you'd like it.

[A]

I just like more aggressive music.

[B]

It's not super aggressive, I'll say that.

[A]

But he had it in him.

[B]

Oh yeah, he has it in him. It comes out here and there. I'll be Yankee Stadium for the Reasonable Doubt show. Thanks to the good people at the Yankees who helped me procure tickets.

[A]

Really?

[B]

They did? Yeah, I bought them, but they helped me get them.

[A]

Who's opening?

[B]

I don't think anyone. I've not heard of anyone opening. Maybe they'll announce it like right then, but I haven't heard of any.

[A]

I saw Kanye live back in the day.

[B]

You did?

[A]

Yeah, because he opened for the Rolling Stones.

[B]

Ah, a young Kanye.

[A]

So it wasn't intentional. I was there early enough to see it. It was a Giant stadium. At the old Giant Stadium.

[B]

He opened for the Rolling Stones at Giant Stadium. That is so random, isn't it?

[A]

Rolling Stones are very open minded about music.

[B]

Well, I mean, that makes sense because they certainly. Their style is certainly influenced by a wide range of music. But still, that's still.

[A]

I think I'm reading Lionel Richie's book. The Commodore's opened Up for Rolling Stones.

[B]

Really? There's a Lionel Richie story today.

[A]

I know, I saw that.

[B]

Not good. That he was sick on stage last

[C]

night, got dizzy, had to sit down, then did what? Hello. At the piano and then called it a day.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So hopefully he's doing all right.

[C]

He's okay.

[B]

Let's go to Marcelo in Florida. Hey, buddy.

[D]

Hey. How you doing? Thanks for having me, guys.

[B]

What's up?

[D]

I was just calling in about the World cup take. You know, I'm a big Italy fan. They're not in it this year.

[A]

Yeah. What's going on?

[C]

But not just this year.

[D]

You know what's happening around four years, it's three straight. They're always just really, really passionate. You know, it's. It's awesome because, you know, could root for anybody. But like this year everyone's going crazy about Norway and Scotland, how those fans are. But every time the tournament comes around, there's always a country that everyone seems to migrate to. You know, last time it was Iceland with their champ. And it just. Just a really good tournament. I hope the game grows more in our country here in America. And I'm glad that we're hosting it again, because in 94, when they came here when I was 8 years old, I. That's when I really became a fan. And just a really, really good tournament.

[A]

Oh, no. For sure. And you can see the reaction. Ecuador is taking a lead. They're in extra time now.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Two, one, Germany.

[B]

But think about what Michael would be going through if he's watching this, not knowing if it's going to be exactly seven minutes or right around.

[A]

Listen, he doesn't let things go.

[B]

You got to almost give him credit for it. He will bring up the same thing over and over and over again, year after year. He. You know, I hate to say this. If he's listening, he's going to be very insulted, but I'm dead on his obsession with things like the extra time that he brings up every year. You know who it reminds me of? You could guess if you thought about it. Here's a hint. As someone I despise, I'm pretty sure you do as well. And Michael, as all three of us do. But the way Michael brings up the

[A]

same thing every year about Mike Francesa.

[B]

No. Close, but no.

[A]

Because I don't think Michael despises him. No, I don't despise him.

[B]

No. No. I think all of us think less of the person I'm talking about, for sure.

[A]

Oh, wow. That puts a lot of pressure. Because anybody, I guess that I'm going to admit I despise you put me in a very.

[B]

Well, despise might be strong for you, but I think you're not a fan. He. He's not nearly as impactful as Mike Francesa. He is related to this market directly.

[A]

I don't know. I'm at a loss. Allen, you have any idea who he's talking about?

[C]

I got nothing.

[B]

Phil Mushnick. It's very Phil Mushnick to bring up the same argument every year, same thing over and over and over, over 26

[A]

years straight because you kind of got nothing. I would. I wouldn't have had a problem guessing him.

[B]

Yeah, I didn't think you would.

[C]

Can I be honest?

[B]

Sure you can.

[C]

I never got it.

[B]

What, the Mushnik thing or extra time.

[C]

So caught up in that. No, no, no extra time. We've already discussed, like. Like the. The impact of. Of words from somebody that, you know.

[B]

You mean in terms of, like, didn't get it? I mean. Yeah, you mean. Oh, you mean it's specifically about ripping someone apart or something? Like going after.

[C]

Only when it made like. Like you know, there were. There were times. There was. It was obvious things, but I just. I never really got like. I know in this business, everybody for a long time would be, like, gripped about what he or the other knucklehead used to say. Who gives a damn?

[B]

Well, Don likes the other knucklehead.

[A]

He's a big Bond fan. I was just gonna. I was gonna bring this. I was gonna bring this up. I always got along with him personally. He's ripped me.

[B]

You're talking about Bob Raisman.

[A]

Bob Raisman, yeah. But nobody's been able to answer this question, even Michael, because Michael. This is fascinating. Michael believes that there are people in this industry that hire and fire and make decisions based on what those two guys write about. I think Michael is completely delusional on that.

[B]

Or certainly it's incredibly. At the very least.

[A]

I mean, there may have been a time. Maybe a time, but a long time, but not anymore. But I'm just trying to get. I can't get through here. But I would read Bob Raisman.

[B]

Sure.

[A]

And if you go to the New York Daily News site and Bob Braceman, he's second under Mike Lupica. His last article was May 31st of last year. Where's he gone? Did he retire? You mean.

[B]

You mean of the Bob Braceman? But not every 25.

[A]

The May 31st of 25. 25.

[B]

That's over a year ago.

[A]

That's right. And nobody knows. I asked Michael. Michael checked out. Nobody knows if he retired. Good on you. God forbid. If he's ill, I'd like to know. But he's there. So he obviously didn't get let go.

[B]

Right. And yet no article. That is very strange. That's an odd thing, maybe, us mentioning this live on the air here on the big powerful Don Hanna Rosenberg show on ESPN New York. Maybe we get an answer.

[C]

Yeah, you'll find this funny. I had to do a hit during the draft. You know, during the days they ask you to do stuff on ESPN Radio on the national side.

[B]

Sure they do.

[C]

I was called Don.

[B]

Well, who called you Don? That's a. What an honor for Don. That is.

[C]

I honestly don't know who it was. I didn't know him.

[B]

So I guess we can't feel too bad.

[C]

Yeah, don't feel.

[B]

He had no idea who he's even talking to.

[C]

One of the. One of the producers I know over at ESPN Radio, like, jokingly texted me and saying, how you feeling, Don? Or something like that spot Don.

[B]

Well, look on the bright side. At least he could confuse you. With your co host you wouldn't even be able to confuse him with anyone. You had no clue who you were even speaking to.

[C]

No.

[B]

So it could be worse.

[A]

All right, I did find it. Yeah. May 31 Bob Raisman fan favorite Inside the NBA show sometimes doesn't have viewers best interest in mind Inside the NBA

[B]

when it was still on TNT.

[A]

Yeah, that's who's talking. When it comes to TNT's Inside the NBA studio show there's rarely rarely a discouraging word. Especially down the stretch of its 36 year run under the Turner banner like but I say so let me know. Come on.

[B]

It's weird.

[A]

I would be upset if something was wrong with him. I liked Bob. Phil just is a mean spirited buffoon.

[B]

Richard, any idea what's going on with Bob Raisman?

[C]

What happened there?

[D]

No, but Mushnick, I agreed with you Peter. That was a great great call. Allen, the NBA in the 60s and 70s all had hatchetman Barry Howell for Bill Russell, Luke Jackson for Chamberlain. Now Willis didn't need anybody but Phil Jackson was his hatchet man. Maurice Lucas for Bill Walton, Lonnie Shelton for Jack Sigma. Fellas, look how wonderful sports is. A year ago the Knicks are looking for a coach. Jason Kidd rejects him. Couple days later they get Mike Brown, he wins a championship. Jason Kidd is replaced by a college coach who not only never played in the NBA, never coached in the NBA, never assisted coached in the NBA. Then you got Philadelphia Phillies and the Mets. Both start at 9 and 19. The Mets don't fire the manager, Philly does and they get Don Mattingly with New York ties. His son is the assistant general manager of philly and they're 35 and 17. Fellas, lastly, let me close with Allen. You have to know this when you talk about Mount Rushmore of Knicks on December 1, 1968 this is who was on the Knick roster was Walt Bellamy at center, hall of famer Willis Reed at forward, hall of Famer Walt Frazier and Dick Barnett I believe both became hall of famous. Bill Bradley and Cassie Russell one number one picks in the NBA draft first round, first picks of the draft best small forward, six great players. Allen, do you know how Many combined those six playoff games? Those six. One combined. Zero. Zero until a week later, December 8th when Dave the Bush came. That changed basketball in New York. New York was reinvented. They reinvented basketball in the NBA and a whole different style of basketball.

[B]

Thank you Richard. We always should have known it would come back to debusher. Thank you Richard. It always does Enn a full debusher vehicle coming up right here on Don Juan.

[C]

That's where we do. Ian, you guys hear all the noise going on in the side?

[B]

Everything's going on over there.

[C]

And you know what that means? Means of course, the project is underway that I've been talking about. Rings End delivered the door late this morning. Late morning. And my contractor Michael Weldon and his son Zach are working on it right now. A little bit of noise, that's okay because the project is underweight. It's awesome. The door is here. It's gorgeous. By the way, that will be installed. The header's going in right now. You hear that hammering right there? Yep, that's the header being installed. So if you want, you know, to check out the products that Ring's End had, I'm here to tell you that you want to check it out. You want to work with your contractor, with Rings End because they have the built to last high end product lines that all the contractors rely on. They have showrooms. Ring's End does of course, with products you can touch and feel and try. So you know exactly what you're getting. This gorgeous door I got like on the outside, the exterior, I got it in black. The interior of course, white to match what's going to be on the inside. They bring, they give you the hardware that goes with it, the whole thing. It's phenomenal. I got to see it all to make sure it's exactly what I wanted. So they have eight full service lumber yards in Connecticut and Westchester county and 12 freestanding paint centers as well. They're family owned and operated since 1902. They're a Northeast business, not a national chain. So they know the area well. And by the way, if you can't make it to a store, just shop [e-mail] that's ringsnd.com thanks for listening to

[B]

the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast. I don't want to know how the

[C]

sausage is made, man. I just want to know. It's good. Hear more of Don Allen and Peter.

[B]

Weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8

[C]

80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers. This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome, that's new.

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