Don, Hahn & Rosenberg Podcast – Hour 3: Going For It

Date: December 22, 2025
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, (Peter Rosenberg absent)
Platform: ESPN New York

Overview of the Episode

Hour 3 finds Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, and producer Anthony Pusick grappling with the bleak state of New York sports, specifically the Giants and Jets. The mood is one of frustration and fatigue, as the hosts vent about tanking, poor coaching decisions, front office missteps, and the cyclical disappointment inherent to covering losing franchises. They shift to commiserate with callers, debate philosophies of team building, and have spirited asides about broadcast respect, Christmas nostalgia, and recent on-air moments. Throughout, the tone is honest, sarcastic, and infused with the dark humor native to long-suffering New York fans.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Giants and Jets: Hopelessness and Frustration

• State of the Teams: Both franchises are in despair, limping through “lost seasons” with little hope. Don and Alan lament the boredom and lack of inspiration:
  • “The state of football is as bad as it's ever been. It's not going to get any better... if you're a Jet fan, hope that they got the right pieces in place. Go find a quarterback in the offseason.” (Don, 02:29)
• Tanking vs. Caring: Don rails against the idea of tanking, arguing that it’s a psychological crutch for fans who want to avoid caring about the team’s performance.
  • “I guess the reason why I'm so against Tanking is because it's just... an easy out for fans, right? So they don't have the moment that I had yesterday because they don't care anymore. They're still watching Tank lose, get the pick.” (Don, 07:55)
• Coaching Criticisms: Don vents over a questionable 4th-and-5 decision:
  • "Listen, you're lucky you score a point. You suck. So it's three nothing. Kick the damn field goal. Tie the game." (Don, 06:04)
  • Hahn and Don joke about text thread rants, with Don’s expletive-laden reactions signifying the deep emotional toll of watching bad football.
• Media Ennui: Alan shares what it’s like being a beat reporter in lost seasons, alluding to the “Groundhog Day” aspect.
  • “It almost feels like, you know, Groundhog Day, where it's just the same thing. You wake up and I got you babies playing on the alarm clock.” (Alan, 02:54)
  • Sympathy is extended to Rich Cimini, long-time Jets reporter: “Think about how many losing seasons he's been through... the whole thing of the idea of the hope of something happening that’s going to turn things around. And it doesn’t.” (Alan, 03:51)

2. Rant Highlights & Memorable Quotes

• On Analytics-Driven Coaching Moves:
  • "You're compensating for something else... Like when the middle aged guy buys the Camaro... It's not gonna get any bigger. Just coach the damn game." (Don, 06:27)
• Front Office Clean Sweep:
  • “They just got to wipe this clean. Like, really. They got a Brillo it down to the nub power. Everybody's got to go.” (Don, 07:14)
• On the Pain of Hopeless Sports Fandom:
  • “If you're a Met fan that also happens to be a Giant fan and a Ranger fan, oh boy. Your front office is doing what the other two didn't have the guts to do.” (Don, 09:51)
• Morale Sinks on Sports Endings:
  • “It's like repeats of I Love Lucy. There's nothing. There's nothing there. You got nothing.” (Don, 34:15)

3. Caller Segments: Fans, Nostalgia, and Critiques

• Danny in Long Island (14:00):
  • Wishes happy holidays, delivers humor including a “Drop Madness” line on Don’s rant, and lists top Christmas cartoon characters, emphasizing how nostalgia and tradition color the sports experience.
  • Touches on officiating inconsistencies and the agony of crucial calls.
  • "I dropped to my knees like it was Christmas morning." (Danny, 16:31)
• Yankees Christmas Letter (Juan in White Plains) (28:43):
  • Bemoans Brian Cashman and the Yankees’ inactivity in the offseason: “Everyone else gets to open their Christmas presents early, but for the second straight year, the Yankees have absolutely nothing under my tree.” (Juan, 29:13)
  • Don and Alan remind Juan and fans to wait for the full picture regarding roster moves, especially regarding Bellinger.
  • “Yankee fans were told that this was not going to be one of those years where... there was going to be a frenzy.” (Don, 32:50)
• Robbie in Lennox, MA (35:10):
  • Resigned about the Giants’ and Rangers’ lack of direction and cultural change; yearns for a return to foundational leadership.
  • “There's no direction right now. They have some young players. We just need somebody to infuse something.” (Robbie, 36:20)
• Steve in Homeville (43:48):
  • Contrasts Joe Schoen’s poor decision-making with Howie Roseman (Eagles), highlighting the perils of GM stubbornness and the need to quickly cut losses.

4. New York Sports General Woes and Philosophies

• Clean House or Stay the Course?
  • Don and Alan discuss the merits of blowing up a team (“Brillo it down to the nub power”) versus sticking with a core that may not produce results—using the Mets, Giants, and Rangers as examples.
  • “Given the Mets credit, they blew it up and yet they're getting killed for it. Then you got the Giants and the Rangers didn't blow it up and they're getting killed for it. Like, let's wait and see how it works out.” (Don, 39:16)
• Front Office Philosophies and Patience:
  • The importance of not rushing to judgment on off-season strategies.
  • “They're not given the benefit of the doubt. But you're right, you gotta wait and see what it is.” (Don, 11:01)

5. The State of the League: NFL’s Lack of Dominance

• No Clear Favorites:
  • The hosts commiserate about the unpredictable, parity-driven NFL season:
    • "Every week I think I found the team and then every two weeks I'm like, nope, got to change it..." (Alan, 19:55)
  • The absence of powerhouse franchises (Chiefs, Cowboys, Lions, Ravens) leads to less “sex appeal” for national ratings but opens possibilities for unexpected teams.

6. Knicks and Broadcast Moments

• Alan’s Moment with Jalen Brunson:
  • Alan recounts a fun on-court exchange with Jalen Brunson, relating to friendly banter about “bad friends” and a well-timed “thumbs up.”
    • "Thumbs up to that. Thank you, Jalen." (Alan, 25:40)
  • The moment goes viral but Alan playfully grumbles about not being credited by aggregate NBA social accounts.
    • "I'm being referenced as reporter, quote, unquote. How do I feel about that now?" (Alan, 25:10)
  • Don is sympathetic to broadcast anonymity:
    • "That's what they do. They figured we don't care about the announcer. We care about the moment kind of thing." (Don, 26:39)

7. Nostalgic and Light-Hearted Tangents

• Christmas Cartoons & Childhood:
  • The trio (with Anthony) rate favorite Christmas animation characters, segue into Claymation specials and how children experience tradition—tying personal nostalgia into the broader sports conversation.

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• Don (on tanking, 07:55):
  “I guess the reason why I'm so against Tanking is because it's just... an easy out for fans, right? So they don't have the moment that I had yesterday because they don't care anymore.”
• Alan (on lost seasons’ ennui, 02:54):
  “It almost feels like, you know, Groundhog Day... you wake up and I got you babies playing on the alarm clock.”
• Don (on coaching hubris, 06:27):
  “You're compensating for something else. Like when the middle aged guy buys the Camaro… It's not gonna get any bigger. Just coach the damn game.”
• Don (clean house, 07:14):
  “They just got to wipe this clean... Brillo it down to the nub power. Everybody's got to go.”
• Alan (viral Knicks moment, 25:40):
  "Thumbs up to that. Thank you, Jalen."
• Caller Danny (Christmas cartoons, 15:06):
  “The Winter Warlock. Love the character. Evil, but turned out to be a good guy.”
• Alan (NFL chaos, 19:55):
  “Every week I think I found the team and then every two weeks I'm like, nope, got to change it because it's unreal.”
• Don (New York fan malaise, 09:51):
  "If you're a Met fan that also happens to be a Giant fan and a Ranger fan, oh boy. Your front office is doing what the other two didn't have the guts to do."
• Juan (Yankees Christmas letter, 29:13):
  "Everyone else gets to open their Christmas presents early, but for the second straight year, the Yankees have absolutely nothing under my tree."
• Robbie (culture change call, 36:20):
  "There's no direction right now. They have some young players. We just need somebody to infuse something."
• Don (offseason boredom, 34:15):
  "It's like repeats of I Love Lucy. There's nothing. There's nothing there. You got nothing."

Important Segments & Timestamps

• State of the Giants and Jets (00:38–09:05)
  • Extended venting about coaching, tanking, and emotional fatigue.
• Coaching Decision Rant & Text Thread Drama (04:27–09:27)
  • Don’s impassioned monologue on 4th-down failures and coaching psychology.
• Mets, Giants, Rumor and Fan Patience (09:45–13:00)
  • Comparing team pivots and long-term strategies.
• Danny in Long Island—Holiday and Officiating Call (14:00–18:43)
• NFL Parity Discourse (19:55–20:45)
• Knicks, Jalen Brunson, and Broadcast Respect (24:07–28:25)
• Caller—Yankees Christmas Wishlist & Roster Woes (28:43–34:40)
• Robbie in MA—Giants and Rangers Malaise (35:10–39:16)
• Steve in Homeville—Giants Draft/GM Failure (43:48–48:41)

Tone & Language

• Sardonic, embittered, honest, with bursts of self-deprecating humor that betray both deep fandom and professional exhaustion.
• Conversational flow, frequent pop culture and personal references, and rants delivered with the fervor of seasoned sports radio personalities.

Summary Takeaway

This episode encapsulates the despair, gallows humor, and hard-earned perspective of New York sports fandom at a low ebb. The hosts articulate the pain of watching passionless football, deflecting with sarcasm, banter about holiday traditions, and calls for cultural changes and clean sweeps. The show is peppered with classic sports radio energy—rants, recurring jokes, and an openness to venting—providing catharsis for equally beleaguered listeners. For those absent from the lived experience: you’re up to speed—with all the weariness and wit that comes with a December in New York sports talk radio.