Don, Hahn & Rosenberg — Hour 3: Groundhog Day, Iguanas, D’Angelo

ESPN New York | February 2, 2026

Overview

In this lively third hour, Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg blend New York sports banter with offbeat cultural commentary. The episode weaves through winter gripes, Groundhog Day hot takes, interviews with Giants coach John Harbaugh and Yankees manager Aaron Boone, quirky stories about Florida iguanas, music debates (D’Angelo and Turnstile), and nostalgic TV moments—serving their signature brand of sports talk wrapped in humor and local flavor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Winter Woes & NYC Life

• Weather complaints dominate early banter, especially the miserable NYC winter: dirty snow, freezing temps, and the struggle of city navigation.
  • “Shout out to all the apartment dwellers in the five boroughs... it’s tough living right now... it’s nasty. Walking everywhere is gross.” — Alan (06:14)
• Comedic envy over ice boats and the hardships of commute:
  • “I’m living in hell.” — Alan (02:04)
• Forecast hope: “Next week we finally get over 32 [degrees] in the forecast.” (01:52)

2. Groundhog Day: Shtick or Science?

• The trio debates the legitimacy (or lack thereof) behind Groundhog Day traditions. Statistics on the “accuracy” of famous groundhogs are quoted:
  • “Punxsutawney Phil: 35%. Not good. Staten Island Chuck: 85%. See? That’s very good.”— Alan & Don (03:39–03:43)
• Peter rants against treating the holiday as real weather prediction:
  • “The fact that this gets treated as a legitimate thing makes me sick.” — Peter (04:42)
  • “Winter ends when it ends. Not because a groundhog tells you.” — Don (04:40)
• The folklore turns darkly funny with a recap of a former groundhog’s demise:
  • “Remember, this is new Chuck because de Blasio killed old Chuck.” — Alan (03:10)

3. John Harbaugh Interview (New Giants Head Coach)

(08:05–12:14)

• Optimism on turning the team around, referencing NFL precedent:
  • “When we work hard, man... we may win every single game… It’s time for us to be the team to do it.” — John Harbaugh (08:17)
• Comparisons: “Chicago is more relatable than New England for Giants hopes.” (08:58)
• On losing offensive coordinator Todd Monken:
  • “It sets us back from a time standpoint for sure... but we’re not going to be in too big of a hurry... We need to get the right guy.” — Harbaugh (09:55)
• The guys riff on QB names, joking about fictional “Dart Cannon.”

4. Aaron Boone Interview (Yankees Manager)

(14:44–20:14)

• Boone reveals last season’s exit was “one of my most difficult seasons to get over.”
  • “I do feel like we were kind of peaking at the right time... to get bounced by the Blue Jays, who were kind of our kryptonite last year, was difficult.” — Aaron Boone (14:44)
• The classic “run it back” question addressed:
  • “I think we’re better because the people we added... are key parts of this club... But it’s a prove-it, prove-it sport.” — Boone (17:03)
• Don and Alan push back on Boone’s rationale:
  • “When a fan says you’re running it back, they’re basing it on the last time they saw you... It's the team that lost in the playoffs.” — Don (18:12–18:30)
• On postseason struggles:
  • “We gave up a ton of runs in that series. You know, they kind of just had our number and beat us. I felt like the moves we made at the trade deadline finished off our roster.” — Boone (19:34)

5. Music & Pop Culture: Grammy Chatter, Covers, & Generational Clashes

• Caller Marco recommends hardcore/metal band Turnstile (13:19); Alan and Don show open-minded curiosity.
• Epic debate: D’Angelo’s cover of Roberta Flack’s “Feel Like Makin’ Love” prompts generational humor and stubborn musical preferences.
  • “You don’t mess with perfection. Roberta Flack’s version is just so good.” — Don (43:46)
  • Peter: “You’re objectively wrong. It’s one of the greatest albums ever made by one of the greatest R&B singers who ever lived.” (44:42)
• Don surprisingly enjoys D’Angelo’s “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” after giving the first song only a few seconds.
  • “Now I’m feeling it... This is way better than the [other] one.” — Don (47:01)
• Alan and Peter joke about Don’s musical cutoff point being circa early 2000s: “Where do we think the line is where basically Don’s checked out after that year?” (49:09)

6. Animal Oddities: Frozen Iguanas in Florida

• Peter describes bizarre videos of frozen iguanas falling from trees during Florida cold snaps:
  • “If you saw a pile, it looks like you’re in prehistoric times... I don’t want to be in a place where mini dinosaurs just fall.” — Peter (28:20)
• Don and Alan riff on weather and wildlife, comparing it to the frog rain in “Magnolia.”
• Alan: “You might have to snow-shovel your way through iguanas.” (29:44)

7. Cultural Nostalgia: TV, Yankees Legacy & Black History

• Richard from Manhattan calls in—typical rapid-fire with sports and culture quizzes:
  • Ranks incoming Garden visitors (Doncic, LeBron, Jokic, Patino, Hurley) by star power.
    • “LeBron James is number one—even now.” — Don (32:50)
• Nostalgic debate over classic Black sitcoms:
  • “Sanford and Son... was the first TV show where it was all black people. No white people on the show, and they were great.” — Richard (31:08)
  • The panel weighs Sanford and Son vs. The Jeffersons and Good Times.
  • Peter: “Red Fox as a comic genius... hugely influential.” (38:13)
• Quick side-topic: Should Greg Nettles be in Monument Park? Consensus: “Monument Park has to be impossible to get in now.” (35:00)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The fact that this gets treated as a legitimate thing makes me sick.”
  — Peter on Groundhog Day (04:42)

• “I’m living in hell.”
  — Alan riffing hilariously about New York winter (02:04)

• “If you saw a pile, it looks like you’re in prehistoric times... I don’t want to be in a place where mini dinosaurs just fall.”
  — Peter on frozen iguanas in Florida (28:20)

• “When a fan says you’re running it back, they’re basing it on the last time they saw you... It’s the team that lost in the playoffs.”
  — Don on Yankees’ perceived lack of change (18:12)

• “You don’t mess with perfection. Roberta Flack’s version is just so good.”
  — Don dismissing D’Angelo’s cover—sparking Peter’s protest (43:46/44:42)

• “Some songs you feel, some you don’t.”
  — Don, conceding the subjectivity of music (48:37)

• “Sanford and Son... was the first TV show where it was all black people. No white people on the show, and they were great.”
  — Richard in Manhattan (31:08)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Groundhog Day banter & stats — 02:31–05:50
• John Harbaugh Interview — 08:05–12:14
• Aaron Boone Interview / Yankees “Run It Back” — 14:44–20:14
• Music: Turnstile Recommendation — 13:12–13:56
• Music Debate: D’Angelo, Roberta Flack & Don’s Listening Habits — 43:37–48:15
• Florida Iguanas & Wildlife Oddities — 27:54–30:12
• Manhattan Richard’s Cultural Ranking Call — 31:01–36:07
• Sanford & Son/Black TV sitcoms Debated — 36:07–39:45

Tone & Style

The trio’s chemistry is front and center—irreverent, quick-witted, and New York through-and-through. Alan supplies the comic exasperation, Don anchors with sports gravitas (and old-school taste), and Peter injects pop culture, hip hop, and rapid-fire challenges to old assumptions.

For New Listeners

If you missed this episode, expect a punchy, quintessentially New York blend of sports insights (especially Yankees, Giants), amusing pop culture squabbles, zany stories (frozen iguanas, ‘Groundhog Day’ conspiracy), and loving nostalgia. The show moves fast, is rich in inside jokes, and is never afraid to veer off into quirky, endearing territory.

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