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- [00:00]
Alan Hahn
There are people out there all across the country pushing boundaries to grow the game of golf, like champion speed golfer Lauren Kupp, who plays faster than anyone else. And Will Lowrey, whose work in the golf community inspires more kids to get into the game. As a champion partner of the Masters, bank of America supports everyone determined to find out what's possible in golf and in life.
- [00:23]
Don LaGreca
What would you like the power to do?
- [00:25]
Alan Hahn
Bank of America bank of America NA Member FDIC Copyright 2025 bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved. This is the Don Hahn and Rosenberg Podcast.
- [00:35]
Don LaGreca
That sounds like heaven to me.
- [00:36]
Alan Hahn
Listen live weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app, and your smart speakers on into the big five o'clock hour. We go with Don Lagreca and Peter Rosenberg. I'm Alan Hahn. 800-919-3776 of course is the number as we'll get back to the calls and conversation Yankees and the torpedo bats that everybody wants to talk about. But let's do a little tournament update brought to you by Pollo Comparo. The Final Four is set, everyone. It's all one seeds. Starts with Florida, Auburn. 6:09 is your tip off on Saturday, followed by Houston versus Duke. That's your tournament update brought to you by Pollo Comparo. Find your nearest pollo comparo@us.compero.com or visit their nearest location at the Long Island Railroad concourse in Penn Station. I might be hitting that on the way home.
- [01:29]
Don LaGreca
There you go.
- [01:30]
Alan Hahn
Joining us right now to me is one of the great voices of March Madness, somebody I love to talk with, talk hoops with. And I thought that would a perfect time to bring him in to get us ready, get us set up for the Final Four. That is of course, ESPN's Jay Billis, who joins us right now. Jay, how you doing?
- [01:44]
Jay Bilas
Great, Alan, how you doing?
- [01:46]
Alan Hahn
I'm good. So I always like whenever we get a chalk final four, some people just groan about it because, you know, the magic of March Madness is the Cinderellas and those great stories of the Little Engine that Could. And here we have four number ones all meeting in the final four. Do you think this is a good thing or not?
- [02:07]
Jay Bilas
I think it's a great thing, but it's a great thing when it's another way too. I mean, I've never been involved with a tournament where I didn't think it was great. Now, some may be better than others. I'm sure we can all kind of list. Well, this was my favorite tournament or something like that. But I don't know what it is about the tournament, but there are all these narratives that come from it. I mean, two years ago we had San Diego State and Florida Atlantic in the final four and the narrative was, well, the earth is flat. Now Nil and the portal have made everybody equal. And now the big shots aren't going to dominate because principles of economics dictate that talent is going to be more spread out. And I'm like, well, it's kind of just one data point, but okay. Then two years later, now it's all four number one seeds, it's all chalk. The mid major is dead and Nil and the transfer portal have crushed the mid majors and was never going to be the same. And I'm like, you know, two years ago it was a little different. Like it's different every year. I mean, people need to kind of stop that. But one of the things, Alan, this is a historically strong year for the top teams. Like in the final four, we have the top four most efficient teams on both ends of the floor. All four teams are ranked in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency. And beyond that, these four teams, like KenPom.com for example, has been up and running since 1997. And in the quote unquote KenPalm.com era, which is probably the most digestible analytics for a fan, these are four of the top 10 most efficient teams ever over that 30 year time period. I mean that's extraordinary. And we've got them in one year. So I think it portends for a pretty good final four if people are interested.
- [03:57]
Don LaGreca
Is this a tough matchup for Duke?
- [03:59]
Jay Bilas
Oh yeah. I mean Houston, Houston's lost what, four games, maybe five. Whatever it is, three of those losses were in overtime and one was to Auburn by like five points. And those were early in the season since we got toward January. I mean they might have only lost once, maybe twice, but. But you know, they're in every game and with a chance to win and they've won the overwhelming majority of them. And, and you know, two years ago they were in the American Athletic Conference and dominating that league. And everybody says, yeah, but what if they get into a major conference, we'll see. Then we'll find out. They go into the Big 12, they've won it two years in a row. I mean, two years in a row. And this year they're better than they've been because they can really shoot it. They're the by percentage, the best shooting team from the perimeter in this tournament. And they got three guys, LJ Cryer, Emanuel Sharp and Milos Yuzan, all shooting above 41%. Yuzan shooting close to 45% from three. So they're not just your, your father's defensive and offensive rebounding team. They could shoot it.
- [05:10]
Alan Hahn
With Duke. Cooper Flag is obviously the big story. They are more than him, of course, but from the NBA perspective, that's all everybody's watching. And how is he going to play? He had that ankle injury in the ACC tournament. There was a lot of concern. He clearly looks like he's fine from that ankle, which is really remarkable. But as we've watched him through this tournament and you see how versatile he is, where he doesn't have to just be a scorer, where he can be a passer, he can rebound. We've seen the way he takes a big shot in a big moment. There's so much about him to like do. I dare say now, you know, in hindsight we see what this player has become in the NBA. But at the time, I saw Zion Williamson as somebody that's just a remarkable prospect for the NBA. Is Cooper Flag because of maybe the versatility, is he a better prospect than what Zion was coming into the league?
- [06:02]
Jay Bilas
Yeah, he's a better all around player. Zion's just a phenomenon. I mean, I've never seen anybody like him on a basketball floor. NBA, college, you name it. There have been other amazing players, but not quite. There are guys that are clearly better than Zion Williamson, but that package I've never seen. And, and when he's healthy, you've seen what he can accomplish on the offensive end in the NBA. Did the same thing in college. Flag's more versatile. You know, he's a far superior shooter, better passer, better defender. Zion's just the most explosive sort of athlete in that type of bodies. Like, you know, Lawrence Taylor on a basketball floor, except more explosive. It's incredible. But, but he's the, he's the most advanced freshman I've ever seen in a Duke uniform. And I think he's the best freshman Duke's ever had.
- [06:57]
Peter Rosenberg
Well, I was going to ask you this, Jay. He, this is a tough one. He's the best Duke player since.
- [07:04]
Don LaGreca
Who?
- [07:07]
Jay Bilas
Best Duke player. Maybe. Maybe Grant Hill.
- [07:14]
Peter Rosenberg
That's why I thought you might say that.
- [07:15]
Don LaGreca
Wow.
- [07:17]
Jay Bilas
But, you know, Grant Hill is different. Like, I don't know that Cooper Flagg is going to reach the heights that Grant Hill reached in the NBA. Like Grant, people tend to forget this because, you know, we don't have a long, long memory for actual details, but the first six or seven years that Grant spent in the NBA was comparable to the greatest players that have ever played the game. And the numbers that he put up, scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, you name it. There are only a handful of guys that can match that over his first seven years. I mean, he's all NBA five times his first seven years in the league. And had he not been injured with that ankle and staph infection that almost killed him, I think he was well on his way to establishing himself as the direct counterpart to Michael Jordan. Wow. And that's saying something. I mean, you go back and look at his play when he was with Detroit, it's ridiculous how good he was. And the only thing that stopped him was, was that just crazy injury that. And that's why I've always called him. He was the Sandy Koufax of the NBA. You know, seven years, very few have been better. And that's why he's in the Basketball hall of Fame, really. I mean, the length of his career, up to 19 years, whatever it was, was remarkable, but it's really the first seven and what he did over that period.
- [08:33]
Don LaGreca
How does Auburn slow down Clayton Jr.
- [08:37]
Jay Bilas
They've got a number of different really good defenders. They switch a lot, so it's not going to be just one guy. So they can put, you know, Denver Jones is their best defender and I think he's best on ball defender certainly. And I think Jones is kind of like the equivalent of a cover corner. You know, they don't. He winds up holding his, his assignment under, under his average, seemingly in every game, but he's not going to get like five steals in a game. He's not one of those guys. He's one of those guys that, you know, it's like a corner that doesn't have a lot of interceptions because they don't bother to throw his way. And he's really a good defender and he's a really good shooter, really good driver. One of the more underrated players on a great team that you're going to see. But they've got multiple guys that can guard and. But Walter Clayton Jr. Is different. You guys know him. I mean, he's from Florida and he's actually a really highly recruited football player as a free safety. He was recruited by, by places like Florida for football, but he wasn't recruited heavily for basketball. So he wound up at Iona playing for Rick Pitino, then transferred to Florida. And he's been magnificent and he may be the best individual bucket getter in the Final Four. That you can just put the ball in his hands when things break down and he can get you a bucket and just. He's a fantastic shooter. He's gonna play, I think he's gonna play if he stays healthy a long time in the NBA.
- [10:04]
Alan Hahn
Florida's my pick, so hopefully that all works out. But we're talking with Jay Bilis about the Final Four which is now set. And Jay, let's end the conversation like we started it, which is just about again the bigger picture of where college basketball is when you think about it. I think there's what, four freshmen total that are going to be impact players, at least rotation players in this Final Four. It's a much different looking sport. Now as you, as you talked about between the Portal and Nil, you see more the big time schools. It used to be the big freshman classes. Now it feels like go get the fifth year senior, go get the experienced older players that can come in and play around some of the younger talent that you try to find when it comes to recruiting. With that in mind, does that feel like that's why we might not see the George Masons and the Loyolas of the world ever really get this far again? Because it's a lot harder when those players that used to stay at those schools are now jumping up to the blue bloods to get that chance to play big time basketball.
- [11:08]
Jay Bilas
I don't see that, Alan. I think it's actually the opposite. You know, two years ago Florida Atlantic and San Diego State were in the Final Four and that was during the Portal in Nil period. What you're seeing now is I think you're right that you're going to see a lot of great players like Walter Clayton Jr. That had no choice but to go to Iona and then when he proved himself, was able to get where he wanted to be from the beginning at a Power 5 school on the biggest stage, playing in games that everybody pays attention to. But by the same token, the Portal works both ways. So you've got a number of players that started out at Power 5 schools that it doesn't work out for the quote unquote transfer down. I mean, McNeese had three guys in their starting lineup that started a Power 5 schools and you're seeing that all over the place. That's happening a lot. And what you're seeing is a lot of really good freshmen are going to the mid major level and trying to prove themselves and then transfer up. But you're still going to see the best freshmen going to the best places or at Least traditionally the best places. And you know, when you said four freshmen are in rotations, I mean they're for a Duke. So there are others. I mean, Todd Pettiford is averaging close to 20 points a game in this tournament. He's a freshman. So there's still hotshot freshmen out there. It's just that if you're going to get a player for a year or two, of course you'd rather have older players. But there's one thing I can tell you about older players. All the older players that were playing on all the. On 64 of the 68 teams are out. And so you can lose with young players and you can lose with older players. That's been proven. But the youngest team is what a lot of people think is the best team right now in Duke.
- [13:00]
Alan Hahn
And we'll see how it all plays out. But it is always fascinating, the Final Four and I agree with you, every year you always, there's always the conversations throughout the different rounds and once you get to the Final Four, it ends up always being something really compelling that's happening. And that's why I always look forward to this every year and always look forward to talking to you. Jay, thanks for giving us some time.
- [13:18]
Peter Rosenberg
Thanks, Jay.
- [13:18]
Don LaGreca
Thanks man.
- [13:19]
Jay Bilas
Always a pleasure. Thank you guys.
- [13:21]
Alan Hahn
Thanks so much again. Jay Bilis. And you know, I get what he's saying. Two years ago you had still had a couple of mid majors, but I still think that the Portal and Nio was still just starting. Teams are hiring general managers to run their basketball programs because of the money and how they want to go get players and building rosters. This has become as close to professional level roster building.
- [13:45]
Don LaGreca
I think it's right there, general managers. And it becomes not so much small market, big market, but you know, who's got the most? The richest boosters. And what billionaire wants to sink some of his fortune into just any school, right? So he mentioned McNeese State. I mean, coach left, right? Absolutely. But the point is that if you ever graduate, he becomes a Steve Cohen type who says, you know, I'm going to put a billion dollars into the program. And then all of a sudden that becomes the team that becomes a player.
- [14:13]
Alan Hahn
St. John's St. John's a great example, right?
- [14:15]
Don LaGreca
Oh yeah.
- [14:15]
Alan Hahn
St. John's had almost dropped to mid major status, right?
- [14:18]
Jay Bilas
Almost.
- [14:19]
Alan Hahn
We're there and then Rick Pitino comes in and Mike Ripoli comes in and now all of a sudden there they.
- [14:23]
Don LaGreca
Are, one of the games. Let's see if they can compete with the other schools. I Never think it's a bad thing when you've got the two top seeds play each other in any sport, or in this case, top four teams. We all love the Cinderella stories. That keeps us intrigued. But why not have the four best teams all decide who the champion is?
- [14:40]
Alan Hahn
It's such a true thing. And I've heard people say this, you. You love the Cinderella story until you realize, like, wait a minute, we don't get the best teams in the. Like, we want the best teams to play. Even though it's a great story, you're gonna reach a point where that Cinderella story that upset everybody all of a sudden has to play a really good team and they get their doors blown off and it's now a game not worth watching. And so it's a nice story, but I'd rather see the best.
- [15:04]
Don LaGreca
I want the best chance at the best game.
- [15:07]
Alan Hahn
And this might be one of the best.
- [15:08]
Don LaGreca
And if you got four ones playing each other, yeah, it might turn out to be a blowout. But you know what if you give me some cindere, like Murray State making some sort of a run. Well, you know, yeah, maybe it's a competitive game, but if they go in as a 20 point dog, life tells you that the odds are it's not going to be. This should be some classic basketball coming up on Thursday.
- [15:26]
Alan Hahn
So again, we have the Final Four, and that is coming up. All right, 800 now. 193776.
- [15:31]
Don LaGreca
What did I say?
- [15:32]
Alan Hahn
Thursday?
- [15:32]
Peter Rosenberg
You said Thursday.
- [15:32]
Alan Hahn
You said Thursday. Yeah.
- [15:33]
Peter Rosenberg
It's usually Saturday.
- [15:35]
Don LaGreca
Saturday, Monday.
- [15:36]
Alan Hahn
I was just going to let it go Saturday.
- [15:37]
Peter Rosenberg
Monday is usually how they go.
- [15:38]
Alan Hahn
I was letting that go.
- [15:40]
Don LaGreca
The Final Four is for the record, Al.
- [15:42]
Alan Hahn
You made a face.
- [15:42]
Peter Rosenberg
That's all. I did.
- [15:43]
Don LaGreca
But I knew when I said it that it didn't because I'm just used to everything starting Thursday. And now, now we.
- [15:48]
Alan Hahn
Saturday, Monday.
- [15:51]
Peter Rosenberg
I'll be honest, Don. It might as well be on Thursday. I don't know if I'm. I don't know if I'll. We'll see.
- [15:56]
Alan Hahn
It's the Final Four.
- [15:57]
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah. Duke's gonna win by 30 points in both of the next two games.
- [16:00]
Alan Hahn
I don't think they're gonna.
- [16:01]
Peter Rosenberg
I'm good.
- [16:02]
Alan Hahn
They're not gonna win by 30.
- [16:03]
Peter Rosenberg
Fine. But I get. I would be Houston. I'll make a strong bet.
- [16:06]
Alan Hahn
Houston's got a great offense and they play hard. That is a physical, tough team.
- [16:11]
Peter Rosenberg
This is feeling like Duke Cruz's this year. It's what it's feeling.
- [16:14]
Alan Hahn
Florida, what did Seth Greenberg tell us they have two of everything. Yeah. Really good team.
- [16:20]
Peter Rosenberg
I saw them just whip my team's ass. I get it.
- [16:23]
Alan Hahn
So.
- [16:23]
Peter Rosenberg
But I. This is feeling Don. It's feeling like Cooper flag cutting down the nets. And I'm good.
- [16:29]
Alan Hahn
That's why you're just.
- [16:31]
Peter Rosenberg
I might watch regular season baseball.
- [16:32]
Don LaGreca
He's literally a hater. He'll be the first to admit it.
- [16:35]
Alan Hahn
You won't even hate watch. You're not going to watch at all.
- [16:38]
Peter Rosenberg
Listen, I'll keep an eye on it. And this is what's been happening over the last couple of days. I don't like think about tips. Right.
- [16:44]
Alan Hahn
Oh, excuse me.
- [16:46]
Peter Rosenberg
But by the time it's like halfway through the game, I go check the score. Oh, 10 point game. I'm good. I'll just not wat tune it so.
- [16:53]
Alan Hahn
You'Re not at just the tips.
- [16:54]
Peter Rosenberg
Although I will say the. Excuse me. I will say amazing.
- [16:57]
Don LaGreca
You're better than generous.
- [16:59]
Peter Rosenberg
But I will say this. The Charles Barkley attempting to make a bank shot. That was one of the greatest pieces of content I've ever. And that really did sum up our conversation the other day. Why do people love the NBA national broadcast in a way they just don't connect with others? Seeing a former NBA Great, a top 50 player of all time who has forgotten how to play basketball.
- [17:21]
Alan Hahn
You swing a golf ball.
- [17:22]
Don LaGreca
The spoiler alert. The video you sent Peter.
- [17:24]
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah.
- [17:25]
Don LaGreca
Was that it's Charles Barkley attempting a bank shot. And the video was a minute, 30 seconds long, so you knew it was gonna take a while.
- [17:32]
Peter Rosenberg
And by the way, at one point in the clip, if you ever see it, at one point they say it again. They're like a bank shot. And he goes, oh, that's all you had to say. And then he just keeps missing over and over and over.
- [17:42]
Don LaGreca
Missing the bank.
- [17:43]
Peter Rosenberg
Missing the bank even. It's so good.
- [17:46]
Alan Hahn
Meanwhile, as the Yankees have a day off because as Don said at the start of the show, there must be exhausted scoring all those runs. It was a big weekend for the Yankees, but the biggest conversation out of it was not only that Aaron Judges had four home runs in three games, but that the Yankees totally hit 15 home runs in their first three games, which ties a major league record. They scored 36 runs in the first three games, third most by any team over the last 100 years. And then there's the story of the torpedo bats, which everybody is talking about, and whether or not this is a good thing. And did the Yankees take advantage of some rules and take advantage of the Brewers? Do we have an Update on the brewers score today, Dom.
- [18:31]
Don LaGreca
Oh, we do. The Royals beat the Brewers 11 to 1.
- [18:35]
Alan Hahn
Yikes.
- [18:36]
Don LaGreca
In Milwaukee. So the Brewers. Owen, four. So even though not only owing four.
- [18:40]
Alan Hahn
They'Ve given up, what, 47 runs in their first three, four games.
- [18:43]
Don LaGreca
Yeah. So that. That does help the Yankee crowd. As far as, you know, maybe it wasn't as much the bats, that. Maybe the. Maybe the brewers stink and the Yankees are that good. I'm taking a look. Kansas City hit, what, two, three. They hit three home runs. So Milwaukee's not very In a good place right now. I wouldn't get crazy. The Atlanta Braves are owing four.
- [19:05]
Alan Hahn
Yeah.
- [19:05]
Don LaGreca
And they're taking on the Dodgers this. This week.
- [19:07]
Alan Hahn
So haven't lost.
- [19:08]
Don LaGreca
It might not be.
- [19:09]
Alan Hahn
Who's there? They're five and. Oh, yeah.
- [19:11]
Don LaGreca
So listen, it's still. But the only thing I took exception to early in the show, in case you missed it, is the Yankees did not cheat. The Yankees did not break the rules. They found not even a loophole. They discovered something that was within the margins, and it seemed to work for them. How well it worked were all the home runs. Because of that, five of their nine players had it. Aaron Judge had four home runs. He was not using the bat. So I think it's ridiculous to say the Yankees were cheating, but I also think it's ridiculous for Yankee fans to say, oh, the bat had nothing to do with it. We're that good. I think the bat had something to do with it. You know how I know? It's because the Yankees are really good at what they do, and they only do things they know are gonna help. All right. They work within the margins. Not marginally. They're hoping that things are gonna work spectacularly, and it certainly did.
- [19:55]
Alan Hahn
So it's something that. I think it was Volpe who said it might not do anything physically, but mentally. He said, for him, it's like I just. I look at the barrel and it just feels like I have more confidence. For whatever reason, he just feels more confident swinging the bat. So if it's a mental edge, whatever.
- [20:16]
Don LaGreca
It is, it works, you know, and. Well, what is it from? Because the Birdcage is one of my favorite movies. I know. Peter Given the Perrin tablets, Right? That was it, the pyrn tablets. There's the aspirin he just scraped off the. Like, just. If you think it's going to work, then it doesn't matter. It's a placebo.
- [20:34]
Peter Rosenberg
There you go. Whatever.
- [20:36]
Don LaGreca
Baseball is such a mental game. I don't doubt what Volpe said. I Also, don't doubt that if you barrel up the bat where there's more wood in that area that the ball's going to. But I don't know why Yankee fans have to be so sensitive about it. They didn't break any rules. They're not cheaters.
- [20:51]
Alan Hahn
They just feel like the world always hates. The world hates us. They want to change the bats. They're going to ban these things, and we won't be. We can't have nice things because everybody's jealous of us because we're the Yankees.
- [21:00]
Don LaGreca
I'm a Giant fan. Nobody hates the Giants. Matter of fact, everybody loves the Giants. If the. If. If you got to make your own schedule, you'd schedule the giants, you know, 17 times during your season, you'd have a chance to have a perfect record. So what would you rather be, the team everybody loves or the team everybody hates? They hate you because you always win. So wear it as a badge of honor. Don't complain about it. And if the brewers want to complain about it, dude, be better. You just lost to the Royals 11. One, you're 04, and you've given up the most runs in Major League Baseball. I didn't check the Royals. Do they have torpedo bats? Or maybe your pitching isn't very good. And by the way, the last time you saw Cortez, he gave up a bomb in the World Series.
- [21:35]
Alan Hahn
Yeah.
- [21:35]
Don LaGreca
And then he gives up three bombs. The next time you see him in the regular season, maybe there's something going on there.
- [21:40]
Alan Hahn
It was really four straight, wasn't it?
- [21:42]
Don LaGreca
I didn't look it up. Did he come back? I think he did come back and pitch later in the world, so I could be wrong. He was warming up something.
- [21:49]
Alan Hahn
I thought that was the last time we saw him.
- [21:51]
Don LaGreca
If it was, then that's four pitches, four home runs. All right. I don't know whether you're using a log. The fact is that he's just not very good. That's why he's not a Yankee anymore, Right?
- [22:00]
Alan Hahn
Yeah.
- [22:01]
Don LaGreca
So it's way too early, man, for people to start, you know, thumping their chest. But you know what? It's better to win than lose. All right? Yankee fans should have to apologize for having.
- [22:10]
Peter Rosenberg
No, you feel. You got to feel great about it.
- [22:11]
Don LaGreca
Right.
- [22:11]
Peter Rosenberg
So that's it.
- [22:12]
Don LaGreca
But I just think exception. When we listening to Michael drive it in, it's like, oh. Don't make it seem like the bats are the whole reason.
- [22:18]
Alan Hahn
So.
- [22:19]
Don LaGreca
What?
- [22:19]
Peter Rosenberg
Oh. Oh, yeah. What happened? But I will say one thing. Saturday covered up what was a Dreadful defense, by the way. Defense and pitching.
- [22:28]
Don LaGreca
He was a bad.
- [22:29]
Peter Rosenberg
Like, that was not a good game in any other aspect.
- [22:32]
Alan Hahn
We're sharing a brain on this because I haven't actually talked to Anthony about this morning. While the bat thing was definitely going to be the headline, I felt like Saturday we overlooked the fact that it was out of Freed's. The six runs that he gave up was four or five. Four of them were unearned. Correct. And it was five total.
- [22:52]
Peter Rosenberg
Five errors.
- [22:53]
Alan Hahn
Five unearned runs, though. I mean, like, so that. That to me was.
- [22:58]
Peter Rosenberg
Freed had two earned runs.
- [23:00]
Alan Hahn
Yeah. Okay, so. So I think it was his errors.
- [23:02]
Don LaGreca
Right?
- [23:03]
Alan Hahn
Yeah.
- [23:04]
Peter Rosenberg
But by the way, it's still four and two thirds. Seven hits.
- [23:08]
Alan Hahn
Yeah.
- [23:08]
Don LaGreca
Two walks.
- [23:09]
Alan Hahn
Yeah. No, I didn't love that and didn't love the fact that they still were booting the ball around the field, which is a mem. A bad memory from last season that was hidden by the fact that they. The fun of hitting home runs made you overlook it. And that's what all this is doing. You forget. Like, hey, by the way, that wasn't a great game to watch. Like, that wasn't a great Yankee game on Saturday, but it was a fun game because nine home runs there.
- [23:35]
Peter Rosenberg
Listen, there is a thing that happens in baseball games, I find very often when there's a gigantic run total, you will see that team that has the gigantic runs kind of booted around and mess up and give up. That is sort of. Yeah, you'll just see them give up runs late because they really don't care. Did you guys see that? The speed of the pitch on judges last at bat? Judge flew out on a ball that was 55 miles an hour or did they say 49? I remember O'Neill made the joke. It was below the speed limit. It was lower than 55.
- [24:05]
Alan Hahn
It was a position player pitching.
- [24:07]
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah. I wasn't a position player at that point already. Yeah, it was. It was the end of that game. Was not.
- [24:12]
Alan Hahn
He threw the old Dave LaRouche. Right. The lob. Remember he used to throw that lob?
- [24:18]
Don LaGreca
Oh, yeah. What I look for is I call it the EFIS pitch.
- [24:21]
Alan Hahn
Yeah, efis. Yeah.
- [24:22]
Don LaGreca
You've got same thing. Yeah, just. You're lobbing it in. God, that's should. So let's say if Judge hit a home run, should he give it back as it was a position player?
- [24:30]
Alan Hahn
Oh, you mean like the empty net goal.
- [24:31]
Don LaGreca
Yeah, we'll get into that.
- [24:33]
Alan Hahn
We'll get into that.
- [24:34]
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Alan Hahn
Plus shop today for new and exclusive items you need for your lawn. So get ready for spring with the latest in innovation from Ego, the number one rated brand in cordless outdoor power only at Lowe's we help you Save offer valid through 4:2.
- [26:09]
Unknown
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- [26:12]
Alan Hahn
Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same Premium.
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Peter Rosenberg
Wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying.
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Alan Hahn
It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have one of your assistant's assistants switch you to Mint Mobile today.
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Peter Rosenberg
I'm told it's super easy to do@mintmobile.com.
- [26:30]
Alan Hahn
Switch upfront payment of $45 for three month plan equivalent to $15 per month required intro rate first three months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees, extra fee full terms@mintmobile.com thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg Podcast.
- [26:46]
Peter Rosenberg
I didn't listen to anything you just said.
- [26:48]
Alan Hahn
Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. All right with Don Lagreca and Peter rosenberg. I'm Alan Hahn, 800-919-3776. The Mets their pregame coverage for the Mets and the Marlins begins at the top of the hour, 6:00 earlier start time, so we'll be done at 6. So let's get as Many calls in as we can right now. Adam out in California. Hey, Adam.
- [27:18]
Jay Bilas
Call.
- [27:18]
Caller
I just wanted to chime in on the back conversation to give you a little bit of a background. I moved to California five years ago, but I was born and raised in Connecticut. And in Connecticut, it's pretty split down the middle with Yankee fans and Red Sox fans. So naturally, I have a lot of friends and family that are Red Sox fans. Now, I say all that to say this, and this is true for life, politics, and, of course, sports. With great hatred comes great stupidity. I'm telling. I'm getting messages from friends and family like, oh, here the Yankees are cheating again. Oh, they're a bunch of trash organization, and you can give them sound arguments, but they soil themselves. I say, well, how do you explain Judge hitting three home runs and he's not using a bat.
- [27:58]
Don LaGreca
Whoa.
- [27:58]
Caller
He's just on steroids. I swear to God, I never wanted to punch so many friends and family in the throat over this. You can't reason with these people. It's unbelievable. Like, they're within the lot in the guidelines. Just don't hate me because you ain't me. You know what I'm saying?
- [28:14]
Alan Hahn
That's what. It's always what it is.
- [28:16]
Don LaGreca
You're right. Let me. Let me ask you something, because, you know, you probably hate as well as love, right? How do you think Yankee fans would react if it was the Dodgers that came up with this idea and they started bashing home runs? I'm sure Yankee fans would probably respond in a similar fashion. Right, because you've got blind hatred for the Dodgers, and rightly so. So I just think that it works both ways. That's why I kind of give some fans breaks, because I kind of put myself in their shoes, too. Like, don't you think the Yankee fans would probably react in a similar way?
- [28:49]
Caller
No, Absolutely. And there was a caller that called into the cage show earlier saying, pretty much your sentiment, Don, saying, you know, if it was the Dodgers, yeah, I would absolutely be irate. But at the same time, it's these stinking Red Sox fans that I have to live with my entire life, you know, and they bring up these stupid argument, like, judges juicing, like, shut the hell up.
- [29:08]
Alan Hahn
I mean, these are.
- [29:09]
Caller
These are people close to me.
- [29:11]
Don LaGreca
I know, but they're desperate, Right.
- [29:13]
Alan Hahn
They lost again today. The Red Sox did.
- [29:15]
Don LaGreca
Yeah.
- [29:16]
Alan Hahn
And Rafael Devers in. Oh, he's terrible. 16 at bats, has struck out 12 times.
- [29:22]
Don LaGreca
Can't even run down first base.
- [29:24]
Alan Hahn
Somebody might want to get him.
- [29:26]
Caller
Oh, he doesn't have the torpedo bat. Does he?
- [29:28]
Alan Hahn
Is that what it is? He needs the torpedo bat. It seems like he has a hole in his bat. Like there's something wrong there.
- [29:35]
Don LaGreca
But it shows you the reaction in real time. The one lesson that I think people should learn about this, let's let the information come all out before you start going nuts, because we're finding out, hey, Francisco Lindor uses it. Hey, the Braves have used it, the Cubs have used it. Maybe not to the extent the Yankees. Maybe it's one or two guys, but it's not nothing new. We just. We didn't know about it. And the guy that came up with the ideas now, I think Michael say is working for the Marlins now. So this is gonna start to happen. It's gonna settle down. But I know we don't like to wait. We like to react in real time. But, boy, some of the opinions have not aged particularly well now that more information has come out. Right.
- [30:21]
Alan Hahn
About the bats.
- [30:21]
Don LaGreca
About the bats, of course.
- [30:23]
Alan Hahn
But that's like anything. It's a benefit to a team that has, like a ridiculous weekend. Like, the Yankees had the immediate feeling is they must be Che.
- [30:32]
Don LaGreca
But it's. I've used this analogy and I joked about it and people have kind of picked up on it, is that if you go back to that Seinfeld when George Costanza's using his genius, because, remember, he wasn't having sex for a long time and became like a super smart guy and he's showing Jeter and O'Neal how to hit home runs. Like, that's kind of where baseball's become now, is it's been around for so long and we've tried everything that we're just coming up with new things. This doesn't happen in other sports. Like the analogy we use for hockey is when they came up with a curved stick. That was 60 years ago.
- [31:02]
Alan Hahn
Yep.
- [31:03]
Don LaGreca
Like what? Innovate. Like, the tush push is something that's innovation to football, you know, is a bunch of behemoths deciding to push for the first down. I don't know what's a parallel in basketball? What, the three point. Yeah.
- [31:18]
Alan Hahn
I don't know.
- [31:18]
Don LaGreca
But baseball comes up with all of these just wacky weird ideas. Like, only in baseball.
- [31:25]
Alan Hahn
Right here. Yeah. It's easier in baseball that you do find these loopholes that you can take advantage of and then they try to close them. Right. Like, it just seems to be something that has been. Whether it's a pitcher's doctoring the ball.
- [31:37]
Don LaGreca
That was about the spider tech, was something There was that.
- [31:40]
Alan Hahn
And even before Spider Tech was. Spider Tech was something more recent, obviously. Pads was something recent. You know, there was the Juice ball, which was the league itself did.
- [31:49]
Peter Rosenberg
But then the ball also then. Yeah. A couple of years ago when the ball changed that.
- [31:52]
Alan Hahn
Raising the seams, lowering the seams, all the different things that has changed the game.
- [31:57]
Don LaGreca
Now let me ask you this. Does baseball have a responsibility or what other sports do? What MLB did not do when the Yankees went to MLB and says, is this okay? Can we do this? Should Major League Baseball have said, yeah, you can do it, but we all. We're gonna let the rest of the teams know too, because we want to balance the competitiveness. We don't want you to have a. So we're not gonna keep it a secret. Yeah.
- [32:21]
Alan Hahn
Just cause you found this.
- [32:22]
Don LaGreca
We're gonna let the rest of baseball know that you're doing this by like keeping it a secret. Like, I don't think baseball KE it wasn't like the exist, don't tell anybody. Like, shouldn't everything be uniform? Like, if a team comes up with an idea, do you let them benefit till everybody finds out? Or does the league have a certain responsibility to say, well, you know, we're going to let people know that this is going on so that you're not using this to your advantage. Like, everything should be uniform, right?
- [32:48]
Alan Hahn
Yeah. If you find, like, I don't want to say loophole, but if you find something within the rules, within the margin.
- [32:54]
Don LaGreca
Like you're finding something like, why do I feel like because of football being so uniform, that if. That if a team came up with some sort of a concept, that they would let everybody know?
- [33:05]
Alan Hahn
Donnie. I just think it's unique to the sport because it's a much different sport. There are no end zones, there are no goals.
- [33:10]
Don LaGreca
But there are times.
- [33:11]
Alan Hahn
There's no clock.
- [33:12]
Don LaGreca
Like the thing that, the example that I thought of over when this happened. Do you remember a few years ago, Sean Avery danced in front of Martin.
- [33:21]
Alan Hahn
Waving his stick and it was not illegal.
- [33:22]
Don LaGreca
The Rangers wasn't illegal, but the NHL is like, I don't think it's right. So we're going to change it. Like, so there are times where it's like, yeah, just because it isn't a rule for it doesn't mean there shouldn't be a rule.
- [33:34]
Peter Rosenberg
Is there any basketball things?
- [33:37]
Alan Hahn
I've been. While you guys, while we've been talking about this, the whole show, I've been trying to think of something in the sport Hacker Shack that. Yeah, that's the closest thing, I guess.
- [33:48]
Don LaGreca
Everybody sees that you're doing.
- [33:49]
Alan Hahn
And then they changed it, that you couldn't do it. Under two minutes to go.
- [33:52]
Don LaGreca
Right.
- [33:52]
Alan Hahn
So. Because they realized it just. It made. It made a mockery of the game. Because now we can't play. Because you just keep following this guy.
- [33:58]
Peter Rosenberg
Right. We can't end the game.
- [33:59]
Alan Hahn
So we had to stop doing that with two minutes to go. That's one thing. That was sort of a within the rules concept. Yeah, but. Yeah, and then they had to adjust to it. But. But an actual piece of equipment. That's what this is. The only thing close is what you've talked about, which is the. Well, you know, here's another example. What the Patriots did in deflating the football.
- [34:18]
Don LaGreca
But that was illegal.
- [34:19]
Alan Hahn
But that was, I guess, illegal because it went. They deflected them below the number that I guess the psi that was required.
- [34:25]
Don LaGreca
And apparently they did it after they were checked.
- [34:28]
Alan Hahn
That's.
- [34:28]
Don LaGreca
Yeah, so they were. That's cheating.
- [34:31]
Alan Hahn
Yeah, that's definitely cheating. But that like. But the curved stick thing in the NHL where they had to come up with a measurement, you can't curve it to this point because it's ridiculous. More, I think, for safety than anything else. Because you didn't know where the puck was going.
- [34:45]
Don LaGreca
Because this was still happening when they weren't wearing masks, the goaltenders. So they were thinking about that.
- [34:50]
Alan Hahn
Yeah, because the curve was what was allowing you to get the. To raise the puck and shoot higher. Because, again, you didn't wear a mask for most time for goalies. Because the puck didn't really ever go high.
- [35:00]
Don LaGreca
Right.
- [35:00]
Alan Hahn
Or that high. But once it. Once they curved the sticks. Oh, it absolutely did. A couple of things here from Jalen Brunson, 800-919-3776. We'll finish up with calls and some thoughts, but Jalen Brunson spoke yesterday. We haven't heard from him other than a couple of comments he made on his podcast, but just about updating everyone on his progress with this ankle injury that he suffered, which is now 12 games ago, and whether or not, like he's going to be ready to go before the end of the regular season. So first and foremost, just asked how he's feeling. Feeling better, progressing every day. That's.
- [35:35]
Don LaGreca
That's just my goal for next upcoming days.
- [35:39]
Alan Hahn
And so cleared for practice, cleared for basketball activities specifically. So. But not contract basketball activities, whatever that includes.
- [35:47]
Don LaGreca
Does that include contact?
- [35:48]
Alan Hahn
It includes basketball activities. You guys are not going to get me. And that's. There you go. Yeah, he has been sprinting. So of course, now we need to know how long have you been sprinting? I've been sprinting, actually. I really don't know. But I've been able to move better and better each day and obviously going through stuff, things get sore, but the next day I see myself in a better spot than I was the day before. So just going to continue to keep progressing that way. Most importantly, what he said was he hopes to be back for the end of the regular season because he wants to play in some regular season games before they get to the point that he'd like to do that ideally. Again, I think he did admit that personally he would want to get the four games in to get him to 65. But he said, but I won't do that if I'm not feeling right.
- [36:45]
Don LaGreca
Right.
- [36:46]
Alan Hahn
He said that he's. He feels better every day. There is some soreness, but each day he feels like he gets better and he is able to do things when it comes to cutting and moving that he feels that, you know, we're getting in the right place, but he doesn't feel like he's ready yet. And he said the last thing for him will be the mental hurdle, that that's the part because he's. His whole game is footwork. His whole game is the ability to stop on a dime, to pivot. He's got some of the best footwork of any guard.
- [37:14]
Don LaGreca
So true.
- [37:14]
Alan Hahn
That's the fear is if he's worried if I, you know, if I turn it again, you know, who knows how much longer I'll be out again. So he's got to get over that. I. Out of the conversation I had with him yesterday, the feeling is he wants to get back and play a couple of regular season games. It'll probably be in the last week of the season, which we're close to, or April tomorrow.
- [37:38]
Peter Rosenberg
What's the last week?
- [37:39]
Alan Hahn
The last. It's two weeks. So this week, this week, next week, and that's it.
- [37:43]
Peter Rosenberg
And we're done.
- [37:43]
Alan Hahn
Yeah.
- [37:44]
Peter Rosenberg
By next weekend.
- [37:45]
Alan Hahn
By next. That's what I mean. Like, I think it would probably have to be beyond next weekend or at least the last two games. The last game is the Sunday, like the 13th or so.
- [37:54]
Peter Rosenberg
You'd really love to see him, at the very least play in the last regular season game. Like you want to see him move around a little bit.
- [38:00]
Alan Hahn
Just get out there and give me 20 minutes of cardio, right? Yeah. And that's the stuff that I think you want to see if he's not ready to do the four games and get himself to 65. But the positive is that he says he feels good and that it's not the devastating what it what what it once looked like.
- [38:15]
Don LaGreca
And the overall positive is that Milwaukee's dropped to the six.
- [38:20]
Alan Hahn
So perfect.
- [38:21]
Don LaGreca
That would be a nice first round matchup. Even without 100% Brunson, they should be able to take care of the Bucks. Now the Pistons were a little scary Pacers, but the best Bucks team without Leonard, without Lillard the rest of the way.
- [38:33]
Alan Hahn
Yeah, that's, that feels like a favorable matchup.
- [38:37]
Don LaGreca
And listen, they've already beat them, right? Just last, you know, last Thursday.
- [38:41]
Alan Hahn
They've owned them.
- [38:41]
Don LaGreca
They beat them. You don't want to do anything without Brunson. But this might be a favorable first round matchup.
- [38:48]
Alan Hahn
And you got to figure out because they're playing so well, Bridges and an OBI have been playing outstanding. And now you got to figure out how do they keep playing at that level with Brunson on the court? That's going to be the magic. Can they make that all work? And you're going to need some game reps to do that. So that's the latest from Brunson. This is a message from sponsor Intuit. TurboTax Taxes was getting frustrated by your forms. Now Taxes is uploading your forms with a Snap and a TurboTax expert will do your taxes for you. One who's backed by the latest tech which cross checks millions of data points for absolute accuracy. All of which makes it easy for you to get the most money back guaranteed. Get an expert now@turbotax.com only available with TurboTax Live full service. Seek guaranteed details@turbotax.com guarantees.
- [39:38]
Peter Rosenberg
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- [39:56]
Alan Hahn
Affiliates Price and coverage match limited by state law.
- [39:59]
Peter Rosenberg
Not available in all states.
- [40:05]
Alan Hahn
Thanks for listening to the Don Han and Rosenberg podcast.
- [40:09]
Peter Rosenberg
I didn't listen to anything you just said.
- [40:10]
Alan Hahn
Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. All right, let's give you a game time brought to you by telling our Do Irish Whiskey. Because when it's game time, it's sully time. You got some hockey tonight. The Devils hosting the Wild at 7. Some basketball, the Nets in Dallas taking on the Mavs at 8:30 and then coming up right here, following us at 6 right here on ESPN 8:80am, the Mets in Miami to take on the Marlins. And pregame coverage starts right after our show. Yeah, and then you get the first pitch.
- [40:45]
Don LaGreca
I want to be, I want to be happy about the pitching and that's been a pleasant surprise. But they're a minute made which is a hitters ballpark and they've got the worst slugging percentage in baseball throughout. The Mets just did not get a big hit at all when they needed it. They got the home run from Soto but otherwise nobody else is really hitting it all. I don't know how good Houston's going to be. I thought this was going to be a down year for them. I don't want to freak out. It's just three games but they look pretty good. The offense was just not there. So I'm sure that's going to change over time. But they'd be kind of like the anti Yankee. But the thing you were concerned about was their pitching and their pitching not bad.
- [41:24]
Alan Hahn
It's been okay.
- [41:26]
Don LaGreca
The opening day wasn't great, but not awful. As far as the pitching, it was.
- [41:31]
Alan Hahn
Just a Soto at bat that got all the attention because the game was on the line and for his first opportunity didn't come through and then you.
- [41:37]
Don LaGreca
Know, and then he got the home run the next day which is nice apparently because Apple needed that game Friday is why we didn't get a game Sunday. How weird is it that the Met your baseball team's not playing on a Sunday. It's bad enough you got to wait till the Sunday night opening weekend not get any baseball on Sunday was just kind of odd as far as from the Mets perspective.
- [41:55]
Alan Hahn
Yankees played and they didn't need the off day. Right. Because it was a dome.
- [41:59]
Don LaGreca
But they were going to get the. Apparently they were going to get the off day. But, but they, Apple wanted the game and Friday's their window. So instead of off Friday they got off on Sunday, which is weird.
- [42:09]
Alan Hahn
Well, you get all the coverage starting tonight and Francisco Lindor as they just had the birth of the baby and there was some thought like, you know, would he be available And Carlos Mendoza said yes, he is available. Yeah. First of all, congrats to Katya and Francisco on their new baby. Talked to him yesterday when we got.
- [42:28]
Don LaGreca
The news, everyone's doing well.
- [42:29]
Alan Hahn
And then I knew right away he wanted to be here so take your time and said I'll give you a call later on tonight. Which he did. And he said not sure what kind of Night we want to have today, but I'll be there tomorrow. So I'm expecting him to be here.
- [42:41]
Jay Bilas
At some point and be a player.
- [42:43]
Alan Hahn
For us if we need him. So if we need him, kind of suggest he's obviously not in the lineup, so. But he would be available and it says a lot, right?
- [42:52]
Peter Rosenberg
Well, what's the point?
- [42:52]
Alan Hahn
Just get on the plane and just get back. Get down to Miami and be with the team.
- [42:55]
Peter Rosenberg
What day was the baby born?
- [42:56]
Alan Hahn
He sounded like yesterday, right? Sunday, the off day.
- [42:59]
Peter Rosenberg
What's the point of being there the first day if you're not going to play? But you're Val like I think you don't spend one. Why don't spend one more day at.
- [43:07]
Alan Hahn
Home as a team leader. I want to be there for my team. And so let me get down there. Let me get to business like again as you know, like that's. That's his. What he feels like is his priority. Want to get down there, be with my team.
- [43:19]
Peter Rosenberg
What number kid is this?
- [43:21]
Don LaGreca
Don't know.
- [43:21]
Alan Hahn
Yeah, that's very important. Third. Yeah, see?
- [43:23]
Peter Rosenberg
All right.
- [43:28]
Alan Hahn
I worked the night that Cali was born. I was on. I was on MSG networks.
- [43:31]
Peter Rosenberg
No, I believe. I believe you. It's a different animal.
- [43:33]
Alan Hahn
I totally different feeling. You guys got this?
- [43:35]
Peter Rosenberg
No, the one is just such a.
- [43:36]
Alan Hahn
Huge mother shoving you out the door. Just come on.
- [43:40]
Peter Rosenberg
We got it. We got it.
- [43:41]
Alan Hahn
You already did your job.
- [43:43]
Peter Rosenberg
But listen, never forget the original baby when it comes to this Mets team. I want to Lindor's daughter.
- [43:49]
Don LaGreca
I wanted to test this out. I text Dave Rothenberg when I found this out.
- [43:53]
Alan Hahn
Okay.
- [43:54]
Don LaGreca
Did you see the San Francisco Giants starting catcher yesterday?
- [43:58]
Alan Hahn
No. You mentioned it.
- [44:01]
Don LaGreca
His name was Sam Huff, right?
- [44:02]
Alan Hahn
Yeah.
- [44:03]
Peter Rosenberg
That's crazy.
- [44:03]
Don LaGreca
How weird is that?
- [44:04]
Alan Hahn
Rough and tough Sam Huffman. Why not?
- [44:07]
Don LaGreca
That is.
- [44:08]
Peter Rosenberg
You think. You think any. Do you think they knew?
- [44:09]
Don LaGreca
I just. I was wondering how many people would appreciate that I gave you know that his dog's name is Sammy after Sam Huff.
- [44:17]
Alan Hahn
I like that.
- [44:18]
Peter Rosenberg
Dave's.
- [44:19]
Don LaGreca
Yeah.
- [44:19]
Peter Rosenberg
What a fraud.
- [44:20]
Don LaGreca
Whoa.
- [44:21]
Peter Rosenberg
What a fraud.
- [44:22]
Don LaGreca
Doesn't jump to mind.
- [44:23]
Alan Hahn
What are the story that two different franchises named the Giants. Now that's crazy and all. What are we talking about 60 years later?
- [44:31]
Peter Rosenberg
No, that's Sam.
- [44:32]
Alan Hahn
Hup. What in the 60s, right?
- [44:34]
Don LaGreca
Oh, he was gone by. He was there in 56 when they were I think before the 60s.
- [44:39]
Alan Hahn
Like how did somebody name Sam Huff?
- [44:41]
Peter Rosenberg
No, listen, that's an incredible coincidence. The reason I'm saying fraud Don. Interesting you just like the name. He doesn't named after Sam Huff. What does Dave sit around watching, going on YouTube and looking up the, like, the practically silent black and white footage of Huff playing the game?
- [44:57]
Alan Hahn
I definitely think that Dave has watched Sam Huff highlights one thing enough at least once in his life.
- [45:02]
Peter Rosenberg
I mean, but it's not enough to name a dog.
- [45:05]
Don LaGreca
Well, here's the thing. That's fraudulent. And as he said, it's Sammy. I never heard him refer to as Sammy Huff.
- [45:12]
Peter Rosenberg
You know, let's end the show two minutes early. You know, the truth is, if you were gonna name your dog Sammy over, that's you name it after Sammy Ball, an old timey player slinging Sammy, if you will, punted as well. But like, no, no, Sam Huff was, as you guys probably know. I know Don certainly knows the. The color guy for radio in Washington. My whole time growing up, after he became a Redskin late in his career, his name wasn't Sammy. His name's Sam Huff.
- [45:35]
Don LaGreca
But. But he knows him. If you grew up in a Giant household. His dad was a Giant fan. My dad was a Giant fan. You know, Sam.
- [45:42]
Peter Rosenberg
Then why you name him Sammy?
- [45:44]
Don LaGreca
That's what makes it fraudulent.
- [45:47]
Peter Rosenberg
What's the other? You can't just call the dog Sam.
- [45:48]
Alan Hahn
You're not. You know, it'll never stay with Sam. It ends up being, hey, Sam, you.
- [45:53]
Peter Rosenberg
Can'T notice what's the other dog's name because they got two at the same time.
- [45:56]
Don LaGreca
I have no idea.
- [45:56]
Alan Hahn
It better be like Taylor.
- [45:59]
Peter Rosenberg
I'm curious to know the other one's name.
- [46:01]
Alan Hahn
Barkley. Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's Barkley.
- [46:06]
Don LaGreca
That's a sore subject, right?
- [46:07]
Peter Rosenberg
You gotta change the dog's name.
- [46:09]
Alan Hahn
Like my dog. I have a dog named Barkley, but it's not unrelated.
- [46:12]
Peter Rosenberg
Charles. No, just barking dog.
- [46:14]
Alan Hahn
All right. This is an awful story to tell at this time of the show. Oh, no, it's my son, obviously, as you know, a big Islanders fan. When we got the dog, they were playing at Barclays center, and so he thought, sparkling. What a great.
- [46:26]
Don LaGreca
Why didn't you put your foot down? Because even when they were playing the Barkley dog, it was an awful arena for hockey. Yeah, he should have said, son, listen.
- [46:34]
Alan Hahn
It actually, because the name Barkley for a dog just sounded cool.
- [46:37]
Peter Rosenberg
It's a great name for it.
- [46:38]
Alan Hahn
Just go with it.
- [46:38]
Peter Rosenberg
No, Bart, listen. And by the way, just. Can you just lie now? It says after Charles Barkley. You're a basketball guy. The round mounted rebound.
- [46:44]
Alan Hahn
No, it's just a real story. I don't lie. I tell.
- [46:46]
Don LaGreca
So you.
- [46:46]
Peter Rosenberg
So his name spelled B A R, C, L, A Y.
- [46:49]
Alan Hahn
Spell it like Charles Barkley.
- [46:50]
Don LaGreca
You don't lie, but it's just the.
- [46:51]
Alan Hahn
Reason why you tell it. But Don, I could have just made up something else, or I could have just let it go.
- [46:56]
Peter Rosenberg
But Don, you know what he just said? It's spelled wrong. They spelled it like Charles Parker.
- [47:00]
Alan Hahn
Yes, of course.
- [47:00]
Peter Rosenberg
So it's not really after the Parkinson's.
- [47:02]
Don LaGreca
But you're a fraud too.
- [47:03]
Alan Hahn
These are all frauds. He just said the name and I'm like, yeah, that works. We just went with it.
- [47:08]
Peter Rosenberg
Just spelled it like dog.
- [47:10]
Alan Hahn
How about inspired by?
- [47:11]
Peter Rosenberg
Okay, is that a better way to put it? Totally fair.
- [47:13]
Don LaGreca
Inspired by it didn't. There's every Everything has a story, but some stories just don't deserve to be told.
- [47:20]
Peter Rosenberg
Every dog has a name. Every name has a story. Every story is faka.
- [47:28]
Alan Hahn
See you tomorrow. Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg Podcast. I don't want to know how the sausage is made, but I just want to know it's good. Hear more of Don Allen and Peter.
- [47:38]
Unknown
Weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 880 ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers.
- [47:48]
Alan Hahn
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- [48:05]
Peter Rosenberg
Banners in the rafters.
- [48:07]
Alan Hahn
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