Hour 3: Jets Fans Suffering - Don, Hahn & Rosenberg

Transcript

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Don Hahn (0:30)

This is the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

Don LaGreca (0:34)

That sounds like heaven to me.

Don Hahn (0:35)

Listen live weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers.

Alan Hahn (0:43)

It's 502 in the big city.

Alan Hahn (0:49)

Is that how is that.

Peter Pusick (0:50)

No, no, Don, give it a shot.

Don LaGreca (0:53)

Let's see. It's 502 in the big city.

Peter Pusick (0:57)

See, that's. That's how professional.

Alan Hahn (0:59)

You know, I don't know what all.

Peter Pusick (1:00)

That other stuff, what's all the histrionics going on in the rest of your voice Stand all that.

Alan Hahn (1:05)

I am all set. Alan just showed me something during the break.

Peter Pusick (1:08)

Don, did you happen to break.

Alan Hahn (1:09)

And I feel great.

Peter Pusick (1:10)

First of all, God bless him, this is not any Fernando Mendoza. And what Indiana did on Saturday in the just massive one versus two upset to vault the Hoosiers, not basketball, mind you, football, number one team in the country.

Peter Pusick (1:27)

He's going to win the Heisman. Right? Let's just lock it all. But, but did you see the walk off.

Don LaGreca (1:33)

I saw. I did see it. Yes.

Summary

Podcast Summary: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – "Hour 3: Jets Fans Suffering"

Date: December 8, 2025
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
Episode Theme:
A deep, impassioned dissection of New York Jets fandom after another demoralizing loss. The hosts explore the emotional toll of persistent losing, debate the future of the franchise, and reflect on what it means to support a team in a prolonged slump. The conversation expands into broader discussions about sports fandom, New York fan culture, music, and the struggle to maintain hope.

Main Topics & Detailed Breakdown

1. Opening: College Football Culture vs. Big City Sports Culture

Timestamps: 00:00–03:37

Discussion opens with a reaction to the Indiana football upset and the performative energy of college athletes.
Alan and Peter both express unease with "walk-off" celebrations in college football, calling them "corny" and disconnected from their own New York sensibilities.
- Quote [02:33, Don LaGreca]: "When you come from a different part of the country, a bigger city, more diverse in so many different ways, it's... just different. And I don't get it."

2. Jets-Dolphins Game Recap: Coaching, Culture & Collapse

Timestamps: 03:44–12:32

Alan recounts being deluded into hope after Jets wins, only to be swiftly crushed after a blowout loss to Miami ("21 nothing" before he even saw a highlight).
The hosts debate whether this performance was about lack of talent, preparedness, or simply that the Dolphins wanted it more.
Don defends the coaching staff, crediting Coach Glenn for accepting blame but insisting talent trumps "playing for the coach."
- Quote [05:58, Don LaGreca]: "Ultimately, talent is going to win or lose out. They don't have a ton of it right now."
Peter is less charitable, hammering the defense for lack of effort: "Tackling is not a skill. Tackling is effort. Tackling is want to." [07:22]
Concerns raised about the apathetic home crowd and the demoralization when playing in a half-empty stadium.
- Quote [09:53, Don LaGreca]: "There's nothing more demoralizing to a player than to walk into their own building and see it be empty or filled with the other team's fans."

3. The Jets' 15-year Playoff Drought: Ownership, Coaching Carousel, and Futility

Timestamps: 12:32–22:53

Don and Peter review the staggering stats: 15 straight years without a playoff appearance, 9 out of 10 years with 10+ losses.
- Quote [14:40, Peter Pusick]: "A decade where you're averaging over 10 losses a year, how is that sustainable? How is that even feasible? You trip into sometimes a good season."
Ownership under Woody Johnson is identified as the only constant; Peter points out that, unlike the Sabres’ owner, Woody "cares," but "just doesn't know how to do it."
- Quote [17:32, Don LaGreca]: "He does care. I've talked to him. He wants to win... He just can't do it. He just doesn't know how to do it."
The hosts lament the effect on younger fans, warning the franchise risks losing a generation of supporters due to lack of playoff memories or hope.
- Quote [18:32, Don LaGreca]: "What is a 25 year old right now... What is his great moment? ...You can lose people, man."

4. Comparing Past and Present: Former Competitiveness vs. New Era of Losing

Timestamps: 19:04–20:14

Peter contrasts the current 15-year drought with the 15 years prior, when the Jets had 11 seasons with a winning or even record.
- Quote [20:03, Peter Pusick]: "It's unreal. 30 years. The first 15 you're competitive. The next 15 not even close."
Don shares his personal history as a long-suffering fan of the Mets and Giants, and how much more accessible playoff spots used to be compared to the Jets' modern futility.

5. Fandom Crisis & Roots: Why Stick with a Perpetual Loser?

Timestamps: 21:21–22:53

Discuss the dilemma for young/suffering fans, referencing the sheer cost of tickets (especially PSLs) versus the lack of any tangible success.
Alan and Don worry aloud that apathy will seep in, as camaraderie "is all that's left" for diehard fans.
- Quote [22:14, Peter Pusick]: "I go for the camaraderie now. That's all that's left. ...What keeps you as a fan? That’s the question."

6. Music Interlude: Don’s Hip Hop and Metal Knowledge

Timestamps: 27:01–32:08

A playful segment testing Don’s knowledge of hip-hop and heavy metal, with banter about what constitutes a "metal song."
Comparison between Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, arguing that genre labels are fluid and sometimes arbitrary.
- Quote [30:52, Don LaGreca]: "If they traded names, if Led Zeppelin became Black Sabbath and Black Sabbath became Led Zeppelin... there's not much of a difference between the two."
Light-hearted debate gives way to phone calls from listeners on other topics.

7. Caller Segment: Tanking, Draft Picks, and Giants Prospects

Timestamps: 32:16–38:02

Calls from fans pivot the discussion toward the NY Giants’ prospects, debating "tanking" vs. player development.
Don is adamant: "You don't root for your team to lose, ever," stressing that winning does more to build a franchise than just accumulating draft picks.
- Quote [34:42, Don LaGreca]: "If this team is going to turn the corner, it's going to be on the back of Jackson Dart being the next great quarterback. And that can't happen if you just continue to lose games."
The tricky calculus of rooting for high draft picks while demanding competitive play is discussed at length.

8. New York’s Championship Droughts vs. Playoff ‘Moments’

Timestamps: 39:49–41:19

Peter and Don put Jets futility into a broader New York sports context; while other NY teams have had titles or deep playoff runs, the Jets have had nothing of note for a decade and a half.
- Quote [40:50, Peter Pusick]: "The only thing they have accomplished is they are the best at being the worst. No one's worse."
Note that only the Giants’ downturn has masked how much worse it could be for the Jets' fanbase.

9. Corrections, Banter, and Show’s End

Timestamps: 41:42–48:03

The hosts correct an earlier music point (“Changes” is a Black Sabbath song, not Ozzy solo), with Alan blaming an erroneous tip from a friend, leading to some good-natured ribbing.
Lighthearted behind-the-scenes banter wraps the segment.

10. Listener Calls and Closing Thoughts

Timestamps: 51:21–end

More calls from dedicated lifelong New York fans; shared stories of fandom, winning, and the contrast to modern misery.
Reflections on heartbreak, persistent hope, and what keeps people coming back for more.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Jets' futility:
- Peter Pusick [14:40]: "A decade where you're averaging over 10 losses a year, how is that sustainable? How is that even feasible? You trip into sometimes a good season."
On Ownership:
- Don LaGreca [17:32]: "He does care. ...He just can't do it. He just doesn't know how to do it."
On Generational Fan Loss:
- Don LaGreca [18:32]: "What is a 25 year old right now... What is his great moment? ...You can lose people, man."
On tanking and quarterbacks:
- Don LaGreca [34:42]: "If this team is going to turn the corner, it's going to be on the back of Jackson Dart being the next great quarterback. And that can't happen if you just continue to lose games."
On cultural differences in sports:
- Don LaGreca [02:33]: "When you come from a different part of the country, a bigger city, more diverse in so many different ways, it's... just different. And I don't get it."
On being "the best at being the worst":
- Peter Pusick [40:50]: "The only thing they have accomplished is they are the best at being the worst. No one's worse."

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

03:44–05:30: Alan recounts realizing the Jets' loss in real-time
05:30–07:41: Don and Peter’s debate: is it lack of talent, coaching, or effort?
12:32–14:40: 15-year drought: stats and ownership discussion
18:32–21:58: Generational fan loss, the effect on young fans
27:01–32:08: Hip hop/metal knowledge banter
34:42–38:02: Debate: Should you root for losses for a better draft pick?
40:50: The definitive worst run in New York sports

Final Takeaways

The hosts capture the agony and existential crisis of being a Jets fan in 2025: Their conversation is authentic, funny, and steeped in local context, with an undercurrent of hope that true fans, even through generational trauma, still seek something to root for.
The episode achieves more than just sports talk: It captures the communal pain, the stakes of fandom in the modern era, and the way New York’s diverse sports—and music—cultures can shape and comfort even as they frustrate.
For anyone experiencing soul-crushing loyalty to a team, this hour is therapy. "Jets Fans Suffering" finds catharsis in collectively naming the pain—and still showing up for the next game.