Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 3: HoFers & Damien Woody
September 25, 2025 | ESPN New York
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
Guest: Damien Woody (ESPN NFL Analyst, former NFL lineman)
Episode Overview
The third hour dives deep into the New York MLB and NFL storylines, featuring lively debate over Hall of Fame credentials for quarterbacks Eli Manning and Russell Wilson, engaging back-and-forth on large families in sports, and a humorous roundtable segment comparing legendary musicians. NFL veteran Damien Woody joins to offer a candid breakdown of the Giants’ quarterback situation, the struggles and outlook for both New York teams, and wider NFL trends.
The tone is classic Don, Hahn & Rosenberg: insightful but unscripted, layered with the wisecracks and irreverent tangents that make the show a favorite with New York sports fans.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
MLB Wrap: Mets Playoff Race & Fan Attendance
[00:53–05:06]
- The crew tracks the Mets' playoff push, noting the Reds’ big win over the Pirates and the must-win situation for the Mets.
- Discussion about how Cincinnati’s low day-game attendance isn’t unique (“Are you randomly pulling your kids out of school on a Thursday to go to a...?” – Don Hahn, [02:49]).
- Don and Peter joke about their own childhoods and parents’ priorities with school and baseball.
- “My parents would sooner kill me than take me out of school.” – Don Hahn, [03:01]
- Conversation turns on how New York crowds, even for mediocre seasons, wouldn’t show up half-heartedly.
- Final Reds-Pirates attendance: “24,249. That’s not bad for a day, two games over 500.” – Don Hahn, [04:48]
Lighthearted Moment: Sean Alexander’s 14 Children
[05:06–10:24]
- The hosts are stunned by Adam Schefter’s tweet reporting Sean Alexander and wife expecting their 14th child.
- “It’s the most self-important thing on earth to do.” – Don Hahn, [05:36]
- “Be fruitful and multiply.” – Rosenberg, [05:44]
- The panel jokes about large family movies (“Cheaper by the Dozen,” “Brady Bunch”), poking fun at the logistics and reality.
- Reflections on the grind of raising many kids, and whether having more makes things easier: “He’s been changing diapers, I think, for like 12 years.” – Don Hahn, [08:26]
- Don gives perspective: “Having to care and worry about that many people just making it in life mentally, yeah, you got to shut it off. That’s a whole community you’re worried about.” – Don Hahn, [09:05]
- Follow-up: Sean Alexander’s NFL earnings only $34 million – less than expected for such a large family.
Segment: Hall of Fame Debate – Eli Manning vs. Russell Wilson
[10:24–19:02]
- Prompt: Stephen A. Smith’s assertion on “First Take” that if Eli Manning is in the Hall of Fame, Russell Wilson must be too.
- Clip summary: “Eli... seven winning seasons in 17 years, career .500 record, versus Wilson’s much stronger regular season numbers.”
- The hosts strongly push back on reductionist views:
- “Going after Eli because of his record as if he’s a starting pitcher... Have we not learned anything from the Giants post-Eli Manning? That maybe it wasn’t Eli losing those games, it was just bad coaching, bad offensive line…” – Peter, [12:21]
- On overturning Super Bowl argument logic: “Anytime you’ve got to say in any argument ‘if you take out,’ you automatically lose.” – Don Hahn, [13:16]
- Rosenberg: Wilson’s early career benefited from an “all-time defense,” while his later run (last 5 seasons: 23–35) fell off sharply.
- “He stayed with one franchise…and had to endure through rebuilds and then incompetency. Whereas Russ had…when they had their run and they were done, it fell off because he couldn’t carry them.” – Don Hahn, [14:13–15:21]
- Peter: Wilson’s stats skewed by context, as with Eli’s late-years Giants struggle.
- “That’s what people say when they don’t watch the game and just look at the stats.” – Peter [16:44]
- Consensus: Both are likely Hall of Famers, but simplistic arguments ("take away his Super Bowls," or just win/loss") are lazy.
- “Russell Wilson’s a Hall of Famer to me. You watch him, you know it. I don’t need to look into stats.” – Peter, [17:41]
Nostalgia & Trivia: Curtain Calls and Old Baseball Movies
[19:32–23:02]
- Listener trivia: Two non-Mets (former Mets) who’ve received curtain calls at Shea Stadium—Strawberry (as a Yankee) and Piazza (as a Padre).
- Memories about cheap seats at Shea and underappreciated teams.
- Tangent on classic baseball movies, including “Bang the Drum Slowly” (De Niro as a dying catcher in 1973’s fictional New York Gothams).
NFL Spotlight: Interview with Damien Woody
[27:16–38:57]
Giants’ QB Decision & Locker Room Dynamics
[27:29–31:46]
- Woody supports starting rookie Jackson Dart for the Giants:
- “He brings juice... There’s no juice with this offense at all. Outside that mirage against the Cowboys…they really haven’t been able to do much of anything.” – Damien Woody, [27:41]
- Draws parallels to Jets’ O-line when Mark Sanchez was a rookie—veteran linemen protect and help bring a rookie along.
Giants’ Broader Struggles
[31:46–32:16]
- Woody underscores: “You are what your record says you are” (citing Parcells).
- Stresses that the Giants’ defense must step up and reclaim the team identity.
Cowboys & NFC East View
[33:08–34:06]
- Woody: “They’re not going anywhere…not playing defense like that.”
- Dallas’ defensive collapse is holding them back, especially with injuries.
Washington Commanders Injury Woes
[34:06–35:03]
- Concern for Jaden Daniels’ injury from being a mobile QB and for Terry McLaurin, who is “a big element” of their offense.
Jets History & Player Development
[35:31–38:10]
- Woody: Aaron Glenn is paying for years of Jets futility—makes it tough to preach positivity or get time for a real rebuild.
- Both Daniel Jones and Sam Darnold thriving elsewhere is “more about you and less about me” for N.Y. franchises: “More organizations find ways to break you down than to build you up.” – Damien Woody, [37:01]
The Ravens’ Defensive Collapse
[38:10–38:52]
- Woody is “mind-blown” by the Ravens’ woeful defense and warns struggles must be fixed fast.
Farewell
- “Pretty crazy how it can get away from you real early.” – Peter, [38:52]
NFL Picks, Scheduling Oddities, and More Sports Talk
[43:20–49:01]
- Brief betting talk: Seahawks-Cardinals line, reflections on their own rough gambling starts.
- Overseas games: Pittsburgh-Minnesota in Dublin, extended discussion on teams making back-to-back Europe appearances and travel logistics.
- Lighthearted debate on whether NFL players travel with families, and Euro geography quirks.
Light Segment: Music Cuddle/Marry/Trash (James Taylor, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen)
[51:21–54:55]
- Listener prompts: Each host must “cuddle, marry, or trash” one of these icons.
- Rosenberg: Marry Billy Joel, cuddle Springsteen, trash James Taylor (“as much as it hurts”).
- Don: Marry James Taylor, cuddle Billy Joel, trash Springsteen.
- Peter: Cuddle James Taylor, marry Billy Joel, trash The Boss.
- Rationales range from depth of favorite songs to “never embarrassed me” artist loyalty.
Notable Quotes & Moments
-
On Giants QB debate:
"Jackson Dart brings juice... There's no juice with this offense at all. Outside that mirage against the Cowboys..."
— Damien Woody, [27:41] -
On lazy HoF arguments:
“Anytime you've got to say in any argument 'if you take out', you automatically lose.”
— Don Hahn, [13:16] -
On organizational failures with QBs:
“More organizations find ways to break you down than to build you up.”
— Damien Woody, [37:01] -
On large families:
“It’s the most self-important thing on earth to do.”
— Don Hahn (on having 14 children), [05:36] -
On musical taste:
"I'm marrying James Taylor. He doesn't have... moments that embarrass me... He'll stay with me forever."
— Don, [54:10]
Timestamps for Major Segments
- 00:53 – Mets playoff implications, MLB attendance
- 05:06 – Sean Alexander’s family & large family movie banter
- 10:24 – Hall of Fame debate: Eli Manning vs. Russell Wilson
- 19:32 – Curtian call trivia & baseball nostalgia
- 27:16 – Damien Woody joins for Giants, Jets & NFL breakdowns
- 43:20 – NFL lines, European games, and league scheduling
- 51:21 – Music “Cuddle/Marry/Trash” game
Show’s Signature: Tone & Flow
- Heavy on sarcasm, good-natured ribbing, and deep New York sports familiarity.
- Jump between serious analysis (Hall of Fame, NFL development) and pop culture, nostalgia, and poking fun at themselves.
- Listeners enjoy both hard-hitting sports takes and the unpredictable tangents that play out among three distinct personalities.
This hour is must-listen for Giants/Jets fans, anyone invested in the Eli vs. Russ HOF debate, or those who want a sampler plate of New York sports wit and wisdom—served with a few laughs and hot takes.