Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 3: Jets & Baseball Injuries

Date: August 19, 2025
Hosts: Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
Theme: Sports and the Soundtrack of Summer – Football, Baseball Injury News, and Defining the “Song of the Summer”

Episode Overview

This hour weaves together two vibrant strands of New York sports radio: the heated debates over the Jets’ prospects amid significant changes, and a lively, nostalgia-fueled conversation about what makes a song the true “song of the summer.” From musical pop culture to the intricacies of baseball and football injuries, Alan Hahn and Peter Rosenberg field passionate callers and crack wise while dropping plenty of insights on what matters most in the city right now.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Debating the Song of the Summer

Timestamps: 01:27–11:15, 43:49–48:56

Callers Share Picks:

• Rob in Suffering proposes the Jonas Brothers’ “No Time to Talk,” citing its Bee Gees “Staying Alive” interpolation.

  • Alan Hahn: “I don’t hate this so far.” [02:35]
  • Peter Rosenberg: “As a pop song, I’m not mad at this. But was it actually a big song this summer?” [02:51]

• Rod in New Jersey calls “Change of Lips” by Bad Bunny the real standout, referencing its Fourth of July lyric and radio rotation.

  • Peter Rosenberg: “January 5, 2025. It’s actually not a bad call.” [04:16]

What Qualifies as “Song of the Summer”?

• Alan Hahn: “If you put on pop radio, it’s that in the cycle... It has to be on every hour.” [03:10]
• Peter Rosenberg: “What qualifies is the amount of plays... It can’t qualify if it doesn’t have enough plays.” [03:29]

Shift Toward “Artist or Album of the Summer”

• Caller Mike in Orlando: “Maybe we don’t have a song of the summer. Maybe we’re leaning more towards album of the summer... I think that’s a positive trend.” [08:54]
• Alan Hahn: “Song of the Summer is a song that everybody knows…your parents know it…that doesn’t mean just because you like it, it’s the song of the summer.” [09:14]

Women as the Arbiters of Summer Anthems

• Alan Hahn: “The women do decide the song of the summer,” noting how daughters and wives shape family playlists. [10:29]
• Peter Rosenberg: “That was me with Taylor Swift two summers ago... By the end of the summer I’m singing every Taylor Swift song.” [10:39]

The Importance of Song Longevity and Cultural Penetration

• Oldies that become hits again due to viral moments (e.g., Chapel Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” released in 2020 but big in 2025).
• Alan Hahn: “These songs just take over…there are songs that just, they just took over.” [47:20]

Memorable Quotes:

• Caller Mark in New Jersey: “If you have to say you’re the king, you’re not the king... If you have to be told what the song of the summer is, there is no song.” [07:33]
• Peter Rosenberg: “Chapel Roan is like a year old.” [10:56]

Song of the Summer Nostalgia List

• Blurred Lines, Crazy in Love, Umbrella, Hot In Here, Cheerleader, Call Me Maybe, Fancy by Iggy Azalea, etc. [46:59–48:13]

2. Parenting, Aging, and Injury: Listener Advice & Host Real Talk

Timestamps: 05:32–06:53

• Rod in NJ warns Peter Rosenberg about back injuries from lifting toddlers:

  • Rod: “Take care of your back, man. Because you’re gonna do all these random things in the moment…” [04:55]
  • Peter Rosenberg: “I had a lower back pain that just hit me out of nowhere. Now Maya’s up to like 16 pounds...” [05:25]
  • Alan Hahn: “Incorporate some yoga... and core work so that when you do some lifting, you’re not lifting with your back.” [05:46]

• Meniscus Regeneration:

  • Alan Hahn: “They’ve discovered a way to regenerate meniscus…without surgery. This is coming. It’s coming soon.” [06:06]

3. Jets 2025: Low Ceiling, “Efficient Ball,” and Watchability Woes

Timestamps: 13:47–16:53

• Justin Fields on “Boring” Jets Offense:

  • Justin Fields:
    “We’re fine with taking eight yard completions every play, if I’m being honest... it might not be as exciting for the fans, but…it’s efficient ball.” [13:47]

• Hahn & Rosenberg’s Outlook:

  • Alan Hahn:
    “I don’t think the Jets are going to be a very exciting team…their offense might be very boring.” [13:08]
  • Peter Rosenberg:
    “I think [the Giants] will have a lot more intrigue than the Jets will.” [15:24]

• Jets Running Back Depth:

  • Aaron Glenn (Jets Coach):
    “The grown man’s £240. That’s the youngest guy in the league... we have three good running backs... and that does not mean I’m trading Breece.” [16:16]

• Team Identity:

  • Run-heavy, “ground and pound,” not exciting, but safer and efficient; concern that Justin Fields is limited in explosive plays, might reduce turnovers but also overall upside.

4. “Where They Play?” – College Football Realignment as Comedy

Timestamps: 19:09–20:39

• Alan quizzes Peter on current conference affiliations in college football:
  • Stanford:
    • Peter: “Pac 12.”
    • Alan: “That doesn’t exist.”
    • Peter: “Pac 10?”
    • Alan: “That doesn’t exist either... They moved somewhere insane.”
    • Peter: “ACC.”
    • Alan: “There it is!” [19:52]
  • USC:
    • Peter: “Big Ten.”
    • Alan: “Nailed it.” [20:33]
• Reflecting the baffling state of college conferences in 2025.

5. Yankees & Mets: Adversity, Injuries, and the Road to October

Timestamps: 21:08–42:25

Yankees:

• Stretch Run Analysis:
  • Alan Hahn: “Only thing that matters is this is the first of two times you’re going to see the Red Sox... show me a pulse… I want to see Judge in the outfield, but only if he’s fully healthy.” [28:07–32:57]
• Aaron Judge Injury Update:
  • Alan: “Boone said, ‘I don’t think we’re going to see him throwing like he normally does at any point this year...’ My expectation is we won’t see Judge in the outfield until the playoffs.” [30:58]
  • Peter Rosenberg: “How could you not have expected it? Considering we thought much worse earlier in the summer…” [32:57]

Mets:

• Francisco Alvarez Thumb Injury:
  • Alan Hahn: “MRI says right thumb UCL sprain…won’t see him till September. This is your main catcher…and when he came back from the minors, .323, four home runs, 13 RBIs in 21 games.” [42:09]
  • Significance: Mets lose key righty bat — struggles against lefties expected to worsen.
  • “Imagine having Tommy John on your thumb.” [42:25]

Pitching Concerns (Yankees):

• Max Fried Struggles:
  • “Since the blister, he has not been the same pitcher. His ERA is almost 7... the blister is not the issue, they’re saying it’s innings fatigue.” [37:31]
  • Alan Hahn: “If this is your ace and he’s not used to pitching a 200-inning season, are you telling me in October he’s going to find it?... I don’t like that as a Game 1 starter.” [39:40]
  • Peter Rosenberg: “How could you be staring a September in the face...and not have concerns that would make you an insane person?” [40:26]

6. Music, Weddings & Pop Culture – Finishing with a Smile

Timestamps: 46:00–49:13

• Hosts reminisce about past “song of the summer” superhits, wedding jams, and the perils of bands covering rap verses.
  • Peter Rosenberg: “Crazy in Love is still the wedding jam of all time... God forbid a band plays it, and then they have the what? The dude in the band try to rap Jay Z’s verse.” [48:08, 48:33]

Memorable Quotes

• Alan Hahn (on Judge):
  “My expectation all along was that they wouldn’t compromise [Judge], especially when you consider the schedule is so soft.” [31:53]
• Peter Rosenberg (on baseball worry):
  “Even in the best of circumstances, you would still go into the playoffs nervous... How could you not have concerns that would make you an insane person?” [39:50]
• Caller Mark:
  “If you have to be told what the song of the summer is, there is no song.” [07:33]
• Peter Rosenberg (on wedding DJs):
  “You got to go DJ over band, because God forbid, a band play it and then have the dude in the band try to rap Jay Z’s verse.” [48:11]

Timestamps Quick Reference

| Segment | Content | Timestamp | |------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|---------------------| | Song of the Summer | Caller picks, what qualifies, nostalgia | 01:27–11:15 | | Parenting, Back Injuries | Advice, yoga, meniscus regeneration | 05:32–06:53 | | Jets Predicament | Offense analysis, Fields, RB room | 13:47–16:53 | | "Where They Play" Game | College football conference realignment | 19:09–20:39 | | Yankees/Mets Baseball | Stretch run, injuries, upcoming schedule | 21:08–42:25 | | Nostalgia Music Roundtable | More summer hits, wedding songs, “earworms” | 46:00–49:13 |

Episode Tone & Atmosphere

Fun, lightly combative, and deeply New York. Alan and Peter bounce between hard opinions and self-deprecating humor. Callers drive the discussion into personal territory — from pop music debates to advice on back health for dads — all while the hosts riff, reminisce, and offer context on what’s trending this summer in both sports and culture.

Takeaways for New Listeners

• "Song of the Summer" requires more than a good tune — it’s about ubiquity and mass appeal.
• The Jets, in a transitional year, will likely be unexciting, but possibly effective.
• Injuries and depth remain a huge story for both the Mets and Yankees.
• Nostalgia, pop culture, and personal anecdotes make this more than just a sports hour — it’s classic city radio from a uniquely NY viewpoint.