Hour 3: Jets Fans Suffering

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.

Transcript

[State Farm Announcer]

This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Listening to this podcast. Smart move. Being financially savvy. Smart move. Another smart move. Having State Farm help you create a competitive price when you choose to bundle home and auto bundling. Just another way to save with a personal price plan like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts and savings and eligibility vary by state.

[Don Hahn]

This is the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Don LaGreca]

That sounds like heaven to me.

[Don Hahn]

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

[Alan Hahn]

It's 502 in the big city.

Is that how is that.

[Peter Pusick]

No, no, Don, give it a shot.

[Don LaGreca]

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

[Peter Pusick]

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

[Alan Hahn]

You know, I don't know what all.

[Peter Pusick]

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

[Alan Hahn]

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

[Peter Pusick]

Don, did you happen to break.

[Alan Hahn]

And I feel great.

[Peter Pusick]

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.

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

[Don LaGreca]

I saw. I did see it. Yes.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, boy.

[Don LaGreca]

It was a lot.

[Peter Pusick]

It like, you know, there's moments where you go, that's my quarterback.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah. I don't know.

[Alan Hahn]

This was bad.

[Peter Pusick]

All right, so I'm not the only one. And I'm not trying, I'm not trying to be a hater. I'm not. I really not. But that moment and then he goes flipping like. I'm sorry.

[Don LaGreca]

I got to tell you, I'm sorry.

[Alan Hahn]

He's just a lot.

[Peter Pusick]

God bless him.

[Don LaGreca]

Get a front. Okay, go.

[Peter Pusick]

Don't.

[Don LaGreca]

My college football consists of, you know, how much it spills. On the 11 o' clock hour. I turn on Channel 7 for the news and I end up consuming a lot of college football that way because sometimes these games go to like quarter to 12.

[Peter Pusick]

Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

So I end up watching like a good portion of a fourth quarter and I see some of these walk offs with quarterbacks and players and coaches and. Dear God. It's rough. It just, it's. It's just rough. You know, it's a different world.

[Peter Pusick]

It's a different It's a. It's a different culture.

[Don LaGreca]

You just said it.

[Peter Pusick]

Right.

[Don LaGreca]

It's. These are.

[Alan Hahn]

It's something I said.

[Don LaGreca]

I'm not well, I'm not that well traveled. If it wasn't for the hockey, I probably wouldn't leave your house. Of the tri State area. Right. And the places that I do travel to outside of some remote places in Canada are pretty mainstream in the United States. So I can't say I've been to Arkansas or Mississippi. Sure you have. Alabama or any of those places, but it's a different world and I don't relate. I think when you come from a big city, I'm not saying it's better. I'm just saying when you come from a different part of the country, a bigger city, more diverse in so many different ways, it's. It's just different. And I don't get it.

[Peter Pusick]

Now, this young man, this young man's from Miami. It's not like he's from the States.

[Don LaGreca]

And Indiana is not one of these places that we're talking about.

[Peter Pusick]

But I just think, well, he's transferred all over the map, too.

[Don LaGreca]

So culture kind of breeds that. That. And again, it's not bad. It's not good. It's just different. It's just. It's not what I'm used to. So it is kind of.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm all set.

[Don LaGreca]

Sometimes it's a little corny. Yeah. Oh, believe me, I'm good.

[Peter Pusick]

You are. So you're both all set.

[Don LaGreca]

I'm.

[Peter Pusick]

Look, the Brady Cook stuff, I can't blame the kid. There were a lot of drops, you know, Tyrod Taylor getting hurt, like, Like Pusick would say about Daniel Jones. No. Didn't see that coming. Right. So, Don, you weren't here at the beginning of the show when I really.

I really was mad at myself for what happened Friday. For me buying in and believing because all the jets fans were mad at me and telling me, look, they won three out of five, and it's starting to turn and you can really see that these guys want to play for this coach and all that stuff. And I, I was. I was working the Knicks game. We'll get into the Knicks in a little bit, but I'm working the game. So it was a noon tip off, so I couldn't see the Jet game live. But of course, my friends all around the building, no, I'm a Jets fan. So you fans are yelling the score out to me and security guards are telling me what's happening. And when it was 21, nothing. I was like, are you, in the words of Mendoza, are you flipping kidding me? Because I didn't see anything. So now, of course, during the break, I run to run to my ESPN app and I want to see some high, let me see some plays. And sure enough, it's just bad tackling, which tells me this team wasn't ready to play, which Aaron Glenn, to his credit after the game, put it all on himself. Coaching was the fault tonight. This. These guys weren't ready. I've got to look at everything I'm doing to get this team ready. It's Jets, Dolphins. It's the last meaningful game. It's the last game that has any type of worth. Your home, that's a division rival, and you want to, if anything, I'm taking you down with us. And all you did was put more wind in their sails. You were embarrassed on your home field. And it's hard for me to start believing about culture changing and everything else when you play like that.

[Don LaGreca]

I, I, I, I understand. And I was all over that game. And you know the math that I did when, you know you're down 21 to nothing. The Dolphins had 21 points, and the jets ran six plays. Right? Touchdown. Three and out. Touchdown. Three and out. Touchdown. All right, so it was over. And then you, you, you put Cook into the game, and he's obviously not ready for that. Dolphins need the game. Right? So the Dolphins definitely need the game.

[Peter Pusick]

Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

And they're a better team than you right now. It's not saying much, but they're, they're, they're better. But, guys, this is what happens when you live and die week to week with football. All right? They won three out of five and they were playing for the coach. That could still be true in a blowout loss. And I love the fact that he said, hey, look at the score. That's on me. You can't play this poorly and not be on the coach. So he took responsibility. His team's not very good, Alan. So we talked about taking baby steps. You took the baby steps of, hey, they're playing for them, they're finding ways to win some games here. But ultimately, talent is going to win or lose out. They don't have a ton of it right now. I like the fact that, again, you know, Breece hall sounds devastated after the game. Disgusted. Another year, which they're officially eliminated from the playoffs. I mean, those are things that you like to hear from players that are, that are concerned about it. He's one of the talented ones. Right. He might not Be here, but he's one of the guys that can help you win. But there's not a lot of those guys. And you go up against the team that's hot. You go up against the team that desperately needs to win the game. You get off to a slow start and get blown out. That does not necessarily mean, to me, you don't have a coach. It just means that eventually all the rah rah they're playing for him is going to catch up with you if your team's not very good. And I think we all knew that. There isn't a ton of talent here. You don't have a quarterback and there's going to be moments where you, it's going to get away from you. Don.

[Peter Pusick]

Right. I, I would understand that if it was the offense that was the major part of the problem. Tackling is not a skill. Tackling is effort. Tackling is want to. There was a lot of fake hustle kind of stuff going on there. I mean, before HN got hurt, he was running anywhere he wanted to.

[Don LaGreca]

No, they were like, they were, they.

[Peter Pusick]

Were opening gaping holes. And you saw the second layer of the defense, which has not been good all year, but the second layer of the defense just wanted nothing to do with making a stop with, you know, a freight train coming straight at you. Nobody was really. They were, I don't want to say business decisions, but they were sort of like, oh, I can't get there, quite get there, you know, like there was some of that here. Great example. Quincy Williams. This is a, this is a jacked up on Mountain Dew kind of player. This guy is an effort, energy player that we've grown to love. And he talks. This is a quick bite about the game.

[Don LaGreca]

We knew that was gonna come out fast. The biggest thing was us coming out fast too. We didn't do that the first series. A lot of movement, like I said the other day, a lot of smoke.

[Peter Pusick]

And mirrors to get us off our spot.

[Don LaGreca]

We didn't show up that earlier.

[Peter Pusick]

We didn't show up. We knew what was coming and we didn't show up.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, that's typical.

[Peter Pusick]

Why?

Because the game meant more to them? Is that all it is? The game meant more to Miami than it did to the Jets. It's a home game. It's all you got left.

[Don LaGreca]

I don't even know if you're a competitor.

[Peter Pusick]

You just care enough if you couldn't score if your offense was so inept that you just couldn't provide offense and they beat you 17 to 7 or something. Like, you know, just simple. They just be. That's one thing. But that first quarter, that first quarter tells me that's a group of men who were not ready to play a game that the other. That mattered to the other team and should have mattered to you. The only thing that was good about that game was the Gotham City uniforms. Loved them. Everything after that. Disgusting.

[Don LaGreca]

Now we'll see what happens against Jacksonville. You'll be another situation. It's a good team, but playing at this point, playing at home, I think is almost a detriment. They're playing.

[Peter Pusick]

Oh, yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

There's no home games.

[Alan Hahn]

No.

[Don LaGreca]

But there was no Dolphin fans there. It's worse than Dolphin fans.

[Alan Hahn]

At least if you're on the road, you can feel like, hey, we're up against it. We're on the road. Like, let's bond together when you're at home, but there's no one there rooting for you.

[Caller/Danny]

That.

[Alan Hahn]

That it's nothing. It's a net loss. At least on the road, you know, you can. You can build together. Like, we're fighting a cause. Yeah, I agree. At this point, no juice in the building.

[Don LaGreca]

Zero.

[Alan Hahn]

What do you hear? A smattering of Dolphin fans.

[Don LaGreca]

Like, you know, I've talked to. I've talked to athletes. 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.

[Peter Pusick]

Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

I mean, you work your ass off to be able to get to play in front of your fans. And. And when you get to an end of a season or, you know, you have a fan base that's kind of, you know, iffy to begin with, and you go out there on the ice, the court or the field, and you see a bunch of those different shades of gray, empty seats, and the rest of it's bunch. A bunch of, you know, aqua uniforms, it's got to be. It's got to be a gut punch.

[Peter Pusick]

Yeah, that. That, or it just ticks you off. But, you know, neither one happened.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, neither one happened because I just think you can only go. Adrenaline is only going to get you so far. And that's kind of, I think, what they were living on. And also, let's be honest, too, I think I was happy they were playing for. For the coach. And I do think that there's enough there that maybe you could start to believe that you have a coach. But, you know, who did you beat? All right, you beat Cincinnati without Burrow. You beat Cleveland, you know, before Shador went out There, you know, and started, you know, lighting it up, and you beat Atlanta, you know, so you take what you can, but let's not build it up. Let's not build up three out of five to be all right. It's all great, and we're on our way to a championship. And let's not make. Getting blown out at home by the Dolphins is. Let's just get rid of the coach.

[Peter Pusick]

It's just frustrating.

[Don LaGreca]

I was able to do that. What happened to the Giants in New England, because I'm iffy about the whole thing. They're looking for a new head coach.

[Peter Pusick]

Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

But right now, I'm not going to let one bad performance say, go right back to where we were when they were 07 and say they got to get rid of the Go. We know the coach isn't going anywhere. Don't get me wrong, you know, and just. Just move on.

[Peter Pusick]

Yeah. I. I don't mean to sound like I'm going to start banging that drum. I'm not. Because Aaron Glenn did the right thing. He owned it, which is good. That does tell me he gets it. It tells me that he stands there, first of all, with the confidence to say, this is on the coaching staff. So that's good, because that means that he feels like I can say this and not worry about it being used against me, because he feels pretty confident that he's not going anywhere. He said the right things. That's fine. Put it on you. But it's more for me looking at it as, just give me one. Just give me something out of this season, and I'd feel good. And I couldn't even have that. I couldn't even have it for one series. And that's part of what this year's frustration's about. And, don, now it's 15 years, and I know no one knows it more than you because you were a big part of all those broadcasts back then. So, you know, it. A year at 15 years is a really hard thing to do in the NFL, to never make the playoffs.

[Don LaGreca]

I was a part of seven of those 15. I feel bad for Dan. Dan takes over for me. His first eight years, he has not seen a postseason game. And that's the thing. Listen, we knew they weren't making the postseason, but, you know, it became official after the loss to my. I just can't wrap my head around it now. We grew up. I went. I went through the Giants my whole childhood. You know, I was born in 68. They didn't make the playoffs until 81. You know, that was 64 to 81. But there was one wild card. It was hard to make the playoffs back in the day.

[Peter Pusick]

Yes.

[Don LaGreca]

You know, it was always easy to make the playoffs in basketball and hockey, but baseball and football were the two sports where it was really hard to make the playoffs. So you saw runs of teams that didn't make the playoffs for decades. But in the modern time, over the last 15 years, it's, it's easy to make the play. And you know, for the Buffalo Sabres and the New York jets and Buffalo's right loud last place in the Eastern Conference, two teams. That one is officially out 15 straight years. Buffalo, if they don't make it 15 straight year, dude, that's, it's embarrassing. Yeah. And I, I was thinking about this the other day. The thing that kind of stinks about it is is that that's not Muji and Glenn's fault there. This is only year one, Right.

[Peter Pusick]

This is not their team, you know, so.

[Don LaGreca]

But what is it in that 15 year span? What is that? Three general managers and four head coaches? Because you went from Rex. Was it Rex?

[Peter Pusick]

Rex was the first coach, then Bowles, then Gase, then Salah, five coaches, and then now Glenn.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, this is the fifth coach. So it's not for a lack of change, it's not for a lack of trying.

And I guess you just point to the one thing that's been consistent over the last 15 years and that's been Woody. Right. So I guess that's the guy that it's got to fall to.

[Peter Pusick]

The biggest concern, I'm sorry, Don, but the bigger concern to me is they, they don't even come close. This is six straight years, double digit losses.

[Don LaGreca]

The closest they came was in 15 when they lost the last game of the season against Buffalo.

[Peter Pusick]

Yeah, 10 and 6. Todd Bowles first.

[Don LaGreca]

Their only winning season in those 15 years.

[Peter Pusick]

But think about it, since that season, it's nine out of 10 years with double digit losses. Nine out of 10. One year they got to nine losses. Adam Gase's first season, seven to nine. Other than that, you're dealing with double digit losses year after year for 10 years. It's not like, like again, every franchise has their bad years, right? The Browns have had it, the Lions have had it, the Saints have had it. But this is unreal. 9 out of 10 seasons with 10. So 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.

[Alan Hahn]

Because in this league, somehow the league is Such a absolute beast that you continue to. People continue to be rich because of it.

[Peter Pusick]

It's.

[Alan Hahn]

It's so they're still making their money.

[Peter Pusick]

So the fans, those who were there, it was sell the team was the champ. That's really all you had left because Don, you said it right or just don't go.

[Alan Hahn]

You can't get way more effective. Right.

[Peter Pusick]

Don't go. That is effective. Well, that's going to blame Darren Moji. He's just got here. He's going to work on the roster and you hope he does it right. He's got a draft pick, by the way, that is right up there. It's not number one right now by the Giants right now are tied for the number one pick. Crazy. But the jets could be right there. But they have a pick in the Colts that with this Daniel Jones injury could suddenly get very interesting because now if the Colts don't make the playoffs and they plummet to finish the season, that could be a very valuable pick. You have a head coach who just got here as well. This is, as Don said, the only common denominator of the 15 years of absolute purgatory is the owner.

Who just can't get it right.

[Don LaGreca]

And that's the scary thing is like is when I was in Buffalo a couple of weeks ago talking to the people there, they're all blaming Pegula who owns the Sabres. And the excuse is he doesn't care. He only cares about the Bills, doesn't care about the Sabers. You can't say Woody doesn't care. He does care. Yeah, I've talked to him. He wants to win. Now you obviously it didn't look great optically when he went to the uk but you know, he spent a ton of money on the facility. I think he wants to win. He has spared no expense outside of the salary cap for the players to make that. They've got everything that they need to win. He just can't do it. He just doesn't know how to do it. But it's not for a lack of caring. And every Jet fan that I know, you know, their dad or themselves have something they can attach to. You know, whether it's the back to back championship appearances under Rex Ryan or they go back like you, Alan, to that championship game, the AJ Dewey game in 1982 or they go back to Namath in 68 or 90, 98.

[Peter Pusick]

But again those years, those are fun years.

[Don LaGreca]

But now when you go 15 years and how, no how much longer it's going to end up being Because I don't know if they're going to be a playoff team next year. Is that when you don't have any. When you start to. When you're in your early 20s and you're, you're, you're a fan because it was. You inherited it from your dad or your family, whatever, and you don't have any moments to attach to any great. You're going to drift away, man. You're going to lose those people. There's just too much else to do. You're going to lose those people. It's football. You don't have to root for the local. Ask Peter. He's able to follow every Commander's play.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, it's quite easy. I can be as miserable as jets fans can be from the privacy.

[Don LaGreca]

So a fan in his 40s can remember 98, remember 2009 and 2010, and a fan in his 50s and 60s can remember Namath and remember those great moments in the 80s. What is a 25 year old right now?

What is his great moment? And now you're 25, right? You've graduated college, you start to. And you're like, I've wasted my whole childhood on this team.

[Alan Hahn]

Why?

[Don LaGreca]

And now they start to have kids and their kids are disinterested. Watching this pap. Like you can lose people, man, that Giants too have more of a history and have made the playoffs more recently, whatever. But you know, for the price of tickets and psl, that's the problem. All the other options, you. I'm sorry, I don't have any scientific way. Maybe they do. You can't tell me they haven't lost fans.

[Peter Pusick]

And here's the difference.

[Don LaGreca]

To have lost fans.

[Peter Pusick]

Here's all I'm talking about. It's not like the jets were, you know, were an elite team other than again those, those two years with Rex in the beginning. But this is 15 years without a playoffs. The 15 prior years, they had a winning record in 11 of the 15 years. Winning or 500, I should say, because there was an eight and eight in there or two eight and eights in there. But they had a winning or 500 record. Now you could say, well, so what? Because they've made the playoffs. What they. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 times. So seven out of the, out of the 15 years. But at least you were winning. You had a winning record. You were a competitive, functioning team that maybe just didn't get in. Like you said, there weren't, weren't extra wild card teams back then. But for 15 years you were at least in it year after year for.

[Don LaGreca]

The most part you bounced back. You had your moments.

[Peter Pusick]

Yeah, but this based on that, this is like. This is double digit losses.

[Don LaGreca]

I.

[Peter Pusick]

It's unreal. 30 years. The first 15 you're competitive. The next 15 not even close. That's the part that's tough. That's what I can't wrap my head around. When's it ever going to turn around?

[Don LaGreca]

We all grew up die hard fans, right? So my teams growing up, my primary teams were the Mets and the Giants. My first taste of the postseason in 1981 was I was 13 years old and then they won the super bowl when I was 18.

[Peter Pusick]

It's pretty cool.

[Don LaGreca]

And the Mets, you know, Mets, it was iffy there for a little while.

[Peter Pusick]

But you know you had a run.

[Alan Hahn]

84, you had a hell of a run.

[Peter Pusick]

How about that? How about that? 84 to 86 for you is unreal.

[Alan Hahn]

Unreal.

[Don LaGreca]

Now again, you're only four teams went to the playoffs out of 26 back then you had to win your division. So the fact that they were in the race in 84 and 85 got eliminated. The last weekend of the season was almost like playoff of Jace and other sports. You felt good, it was a meaningful. You wrote you won 90 plus games. You felt like you were a really good team. And then in 86, 18 year old Don LaGreca celebrates 108 win season and they win the World Series. And now, not that I was ever teetering because it was different back then. There wasn't a lot of options. There was no satellite. I couldn't watch any other teams unless I wanted to pivot to the Yankees. And the Yankees weren't all. They weren't rattling off championships after 78 either.

But now go that long. People in their 20s having never seen their team in the playoffs or. And, and I can. And I've got friends that are, that are Cowboy fans and I've got friends that are like, you know, Viking fans or whatever, chief fans, Packer fans, Bear, whatever. And I'm like why am I doing this? You can't tell me they haven't lost. I don't know what the percentage is.

But. And because New York is so massive.

[Peter Pusick]

Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

They'll still, when you know they'll still on opening day have a full building and they won't lose all of their family. You can't tell me they haven't carved into it.

[Peter Pusick]

No.

[Don LaGreca]

PSL's almost cut things in half. Right. With a season ticket.

[Peter Pusick]

You have to make that decision because it's just too expensive now to be a fan. And you know, I was going back and forth with a fan on social media. The guy that has the God, God, God help us jersey.

He just said, he goes, I don't, I don't go anymore to cheer for the team. I don't. I'm not, I have no expectations. I go for the, like, it's to be with other fans. I've known him over the years and we just, we have fun together. We're together. And I said, it's really the camaraderie now. That's all that's left. Like, I've asked that question. 800-919-3776. It's 15 years. And you've also mentioned it. If you were in your 20s, you have never really seen your team as a fan again. You're five years old, you're seven years old. It's. That's different than when you're 12, 15, 18, 25. So you're in your 20s and you've never seen the jets make the playoffs. What keeps you as a fan? That's the question.

[Don LaGreca]

I'm going to forward a DP text.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, this.

[Don LaGreca]

I can't.

[Alan Hahn]

I didn't even do anything.

[Peter Pusick]

Wow.

[Alan Hahn]

I didn't even say anything.

I've been letting Don, you know.

[Peter Pusick]

No, you've been.

[Don LaGreca]

I'm going to read a partial. I think I, you know, because I want to try to be great.

[Peter Pusick]

All right. We should be great. I was funny.

[Don LaGreca]

I wasn't in the meeting today where we do 1, 2, 3, let's be good. So I could strive for better. Woody trying to win is like Peter trying to make a woman blank.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, but that's just like, there's no, There was no need for it. It was apropos of nothing.

[Don LaGreca]

I was laid out of this segment, but Alan's been very passionate and I'm trying to catch up for two hours.

[Alan Hahn]

I literally expressed some of your same thoughts.

Earlier. So I'm letting you catch up here and have a moment.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

So we're a three man show.

[Don LaGreca]

Those attacks. What did Peter. What do they call?

[Peter Pusick]

Ad hominem?

[Alan Hahn]

That's what I never really know what that means.

[Peter Pusick]

So can I do say so this will balance it out. Yeah. I love that jacket.

[Alan Hahn]

Thank you.

[Peter Pusick]

Like, I have, I have jacket envy right now. How about the customer?

[Don LaGreca]

Is that the way you say it?

[Alan Hahn]

Ad hominem.

[Peter Pusick]

Oh, it's a little reverse.

[Alan Hahn]

It's reversal. The purple on the inside.

[Peter Pusick]

If that, if only that was in a men's size. I would definitely want see see what he did. 800-919376 well, I can't tell.

[Alan Hahn]

Is that like an anti fat joke? It's a short joke. That's not how sizing works. It doesn't even make sense.

Oh, it's a sec.

[Commercial Announcer]

It was a genuine as you know, managing maintenance, repair and operations is never easy. But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Granger has your back. From professional grade products you can count on to fast, dependable delivery, they're there to help you keep things running smoothly. Plus, their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions. And because Grainger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by. If you've shopped online, chances are you've bought from a business powered by Shopify. You know that purple shop pay button you see at checkout? The one that makes buying so incredibly easy? That's Shopify. And there's a reason so many businesses sell with it. Because Shopify makes it incredibly easy to start and run your business. Shopify is the commerce platform behind 10% of all e commerce in the US from household names like Mattel and Gymshark to brands just getting started. Shopify gives you a leg up with hundreds of beautiful ready to go templates to express your brand style and forget about the code. Tackle all those important tasks in one place. From inventory to payments to analytics and more. Spread your brand's word with built in marketing and email tools to find and keep new customers. And did I mention that iconic purple shop pay button that's used by millions of businesses around the world? It's why Shopify has the best converting checkout on the planet. Your customers already love it. If you want to see less carts being abandoned, it's time for you to head over to Shopify. Sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today at shopify.comnetwork. go to shopify.comnetwork shopify.comnetwork.

Hey, Ryan Reynolds.

[Alan Hahn]

Here for Mint Mobile. You know one of the perks about.

[Peter Pusick]

Having four kids that you know about is actually getting a direct line to the big man up north. And this year he wants you to know the best gift that you can give someone is the gift of mine. Mint mobile's unlimited wireless for 15amonth. Now you don't even need to wrap it.

[Alan Hahn]

Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment.

[State Farm Announcer]

Of 45 for 3 month plan equivalent.

[Don LaGreca]

To 15 per month. Required new customer offer for first 3 months only.

[State Farm Announcer]

Speed slow after 35 gigabytes if network's busy.

[Don LaGreca]

Taxes and fees extra. See mint mobile.com.

Thanks for listening to.

[Don Hahn]

The Don Hahn and Rosenberg Podcast.

[Alan Hahn]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Don Hahn]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

[Peter Pusick]

All right, let's get to the people at 800-919-3776. Don Rosenberg, ESPN New York. It feels good to be a gangster.

[Alan Hahn]

Remember, Don just want to know. Don knows this too.

[Peter Pusick]

He's got to know this one.

[Don LaGreca]

I know this from Office Space.

[Peter Pusick]

Bushwick Bill today.

[Alan Hahn]

Happy birthday. Wow.

[Peter Pusick]

He's.

[Alan Hahn]

He's no longer with us.

[Peter Pusick]

No, he's not with us, but he would have been 50.

[Alan Hahn]

Can't remember if I ever met Pushback.

[Peter Pusick]

We were around the same age.

[Alan Hahn]

I feel like I would remember meeting Bushwick Bill.

[Peter Pusick]

Yeah, you would definitely remember.

[Alan Hahn]

Wouldn't I remember?

[Peter Pusick]

I would think so.

[Alan Hahn]

I feel like I would. Now, Don, we were having a conversation, unbeknownst to you, about your hip hop knowledge.

[Don LaGreca]

Okay.

[Alan Hahn]

And then we decided, could we, between me, Alan and Jacob and Anthony, could we remember all the rap songs you essentially know like, and would it fill.

[Peter Pusick]

A top 10, or would we only get to like eight?

[Alan Hahn]

No, I think 10, I think. Well, once you get to the silly ones, because he's gonna know. Bust a move and he's.

[Peter Pusick]

No, can't touch this.

[Alan Hahn]

Maybe we cut all those.

[Peter Pusick]

Take the pop stuff out.

[Alan Hahn]

The pop doesn't count.

[Peter Pusick]

Yeah, you can't. No Vanilla Ice. None of the stuff that he would have heard.

[Don LaGreca]

You know, the albums that I. That I've went out, we have iced tea.

[Alan Hahn]

You have a couple of iced teas.

[Don LaGreca]

Original Gangster. Was that right one.

[Alan Hahn]

But you also like New Jack Hustler.

[Don LaGreca]

Yes. I don't. I never purchased the soundtrack.

[Alan Hahn]

But you know the song and you like City.

[Don LaGreca]

But I definitely know the song, but that's the only album that I purchased.

[Peter Pusick]

Okay.

[Don LaGreca]

And whatever the Ice Cube album you.

[Alan Hahn]

Like, it was a good day.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah. Oh, and the. The Wu Tang and.

[Alan Hahn]

And. And to the Wu Tang. He knows something. To the Wu Tang.

[Don LaGreca]

So.

[Alan Hahn]

And what about one dmc? We were questioning whether you know things like King of Rock and.

[Don LaGreca]

Oh, I. I know it. I can't say that I'm. Oh, no, I definitely know all that. Well, I wouldn't consider myself a fan necessarily.

[Alan Hahn]

What about like. What about like. It's what I like.

[Don LaGreca]

It's Tricky.

[Peter Pusick]

Oh, yes.

[Don LaGreca]

I do like that.

[Alan Hahn]

You know, it's tricky.

[Don LaGreca]

Okay, that seems like a Chico.

[Alan Hahn]

It is. And Girl and Girls by Beastie Boys and.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, if Beastie Boys count, I since.

[Alan Hahn]

Ill has to count.

[Don LaGreca]

Right. So basically almost all that's almost a. No. Skip. There you go.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

And Fear of a Black Planet. No, I purchased that out.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, he purchased.

[Peter Pusick]

Purchased it.

[Alan Hahn]

We didn't know that.

[Peter Pusick]

We need to get this autographed.

[Don LaGreca]

So I. I think if I could. I think I could easily give you a top 20. Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

Now, no, if you have.

[Peter Pusick]

If that's.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, well, just between Enter the Wu Tang and Fear of a Black Planet, we're 20, so we're almost there. Yeah, we're all wet on this.

[Peter Pusick]

See, we were wrong. Wrong.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, Our bad.

[Peter Pusick]

Our call.

[Don LaGreca]

Probably. I probably like hip hop songs than Peter likes metal songs.

[Alan Hahn]

You know what?

[Peter Pusick]

Wow. There's about, by the way.

[Alan Hahn]

No, see, no, not even.

[Peter Pusick]

Could we do a name. I don't like where I have to play a hip hop song for Don, he has to name it, and I play a metal song for Peter and he has to name it. Who wins?

[Alan Hahn]

Don.

[Peter Pusick]

Oh, Don.

[Alan Hahn]

You think Don play Enter Sandman. Done.

[Peter Pusick]

That's all you got?

[Don LaGreca]

Changes my Black Sabbath.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, I don't. I don't. Is that metal? I mean, are we calling that metal just because it's Black Sabbath?

[Peter Pusick]

Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, yeah, if. If you're a metal band and you do a song, yeah, it's metal even.

[Alan Hahn]

When the song is definitively not metal.

[Peter Pusick]

You know, but it's a metal.

[Don LaGreca]

That's a really interesting question. That's automatically become metal because a metal band does it well.

[Alan Hahn]

So, like, for example, this is. This is where hip hop has a good delineation and it doesn't always. There's some real gaps in how hip hop's delineated. If there's a Drake song like, hold on, we're going home.

[Peter Pusick]

Yes.

[Alan Hahn]

You could say it's a hip hop song because it's by Drake, but it sounds. But you would never call it a rap song because he doesn't rap on it.

[Peter Pusick]

Right.

[Alan Hahn]

So that's where hip hop and rap having those two interchangeable but not quite interchangeable phrases helps. Whereas metal. Yeah, that's a metal band, but Changes isn't a metal song.

[Don LaGreca]

I'm going to blow your mind. Right.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, boy, here we go.

[Peter Pusick]

Buckle up, everybody.

[Don LaGreca]

You could do a. You could do a podcast on just this subject alone.

[Alan Hahn]

Okay.

[Don LaGreca]

And this is a hot take. This is good. Your head's going to explode.

[Alan Hahn]

No, okay, I'm ready.

[Don LaGreca]

If I change, If I, if they traded names, if Led Zeppelin became Black Sabbath and Black Sabbath became Led Zeppelin, it would be Led Zeppelin. It would be Led Zeppelin, that would be the metal band. And Black Sabbath would be the rock band, the heavy blues band. There's not much of a difference between the two. But, but Black Sabbath embraced the occult and kind of the, and, and their name, Black Sabbath. But if you look, listen to their, if you listen to both the entire catalog, there's almost no difference between the two bands.

[Alan Hahn]

It's a great, it's a great take. It's fascinating and I believe you wholeheartedly.

[Don LaGreca]

You could play Led Zeppelin on a metal station.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Pusick]

Why not?

[Don LaGreca]

Well, of course you could, but nobody would ever consider Led Zeppelin metal.

[Peter Pusick]

No.

[Don LaGreca]

Hard rock.

[Peter Pusick]

But there are, they are hard. I guess it's just, I don't know, I, I, I feel like it's in the ear of the beholder, if I may.

[Don LaGreca]

And I'm talking about Aussie Sabbath because once Dio joined, they became a straight like metal band. But you listen, I could play you some like Change is a perfect example of that. Yeah, that song we played for you last week, there's a. It's, it's all in the eye of the beholder, man. So that's what's so amazing about music.

[Peter Pusick]

And what's amazing is we have a lot of calls. 819 3776. So Chris in Barnegat.

[Don LaGreca]

Barnegat.

[Caller/Danny]

Hey, guys.

[Peter Pusick]

Me, money. Anybody knows that reference? Does anybody know that reference?

[Alan Hahn]

I have no idea.

[Peter Pusick]

Barnicky. He owes me money. Stripes.

[Caller/Danny]

No.

[Peter Pusick]

Damn, Don. No Stripes.

[Don LaGreca]

Stripes.

[Alan Hahn]

I haven't.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, no, Stripes is one of those. If they just ended it when camp, when they.

[Peter Pusick]

Well, I know the Germany. The whole thing went off. Jumped the shark with the whole minivan. I get it. But it's still funny. And that was a good line, Chris.

[Caller/Danny]

So I called in a couple weeks ago about a similar situation about how the Giants, I think they should be losing. I think the fans should be rooting.

[Don LaGreca]

For them to lose.

[Caller/Danny]

And I know Don's take on this. I'm not trying to convince him or change his mind. I'm just curious on what his thoughts would be on now that they have the number one overall pick. Their needs may not be a number one overall pick worthy player, but now that they can have that pick, they can trade it for a bunch of picks and really solidify their future.

[Don LaGreca]

True.

[Caller/Danny]

I think it is in for the best. L. And also last time I called you guys mentioned maybe Mike Kafka could try to be the next coach. I think that's out of the question.

Yeah, I think you can tell he's not a head coach. I think we gotta go. I think the fans, I know the players won't, but I think the organization is rooting for losses here and looking to trade that number one overall pick. I'm just trying to hear your thoughts on.

[Don LaGreca]

But you don't.

[Peter Pusick]

But it's a great question.

[Don LaGreca]

But it's, it's, it's, it's a great question. But the whole theory of tanking is. I, I get it. But these things don't happen in a vacuum. There's reasons why you lose. I don't want Jackson Dart to just lose every game. If he is going to be the next great quarterback of this organization, he's got to find ways to win games. So if you're watching a game and he's got a chance to drive them down the field to win the game, that helps him, that helps the organization. So him throwing a pick in the end zone and they lose the game, you can look at it and go, well, that's going to help our pick, that's going to help our organization. But it could do damage to Dart. I'm sorry, I'm not 100% convinced he's the next great quarterback. I still want to be convinced the only way to do that is to play well. And if my quarterback is playing well, then there's a chance I'm going to win games. I rather root for that to happen because as great as these picks are, it's still just air. 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.

[Peter Pusick]

I think it's fair to say that. So no one's. I don't. I think what he's trying to say is right now they're in the position for number one pick. So what would you want to do with that pick?

[Don LaGreca]

I don't know because they don't need Mendoza.

[Peter Pusick]

But they don't need a number one pick. They don't. They don't. I don't think anybody like trading up for the number one pick is like in this draft. Doesn't seem to make sense to me. But if you're the Giants, you don't want to fall too far down. What do they need, Don? What are the Giants needs?

[Don LaGreca]

We know cornerback, safetybackers, safeties, right probably another wide receiver.

[Peter Pusick]

Well, wide receiver to me is what you watch. Because if you watch Ohio State, Carnell Tate is a absolute stud. Absolutely big, big body, six three. Right. He's exactly what you'd need on the other side of neighbors. If you don't want to go pay for one and get a vet on the other side of neighbors. You could use a top five pick. This guy might not be go. He might go three picks deep. Like, that's what this draft's going to be about. There's a couple of edge rushers. There's a couple of defensive linemen. There isn't a lot of. There's not a lot of tackles in this draft. This is not a big quarterback draft. But you can get skill, and this guy's the best skill player available. Right.

[Don LaGreca]

But I like he said about like trading.

[Peter Pusick]

Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

You get the first pick. All right? Let's say you tank. You get the first overall pick and you know what? Nobody wants it and it's a waste. You know, then you waste.

[Peter Pusick]

You're not taking a wide receiver number one.

[Don LaGreca]

Right. But you're not taking a wide receiver number. You're probably not taking a linebacker number one. You're probably not taking a safety or a corner number one. Right. Like some of their needs are things that you can find later on offensive line help. Again, you don't lose in a vacuum. It's not like hitting a button. You lost. Hit a button, you win. There's reasons why you win and there's reasons why you lose. This is a losing organization. Jackson Dart seems like he's a winner. But if they're going to go out there, guys, and lose out and solidify the first overall pick, how do you do that? And Jackson Dart plays well. How do you do that? And Jackson Dart doesn't get the stink of being a loser.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, that. That part. See, there is a world in which.

[Don LaGreca]

But.

[Alan Hahn]

But he could play well and they could lose everything.

[Peter Pusick]

Oh, yeah. Yeah. Because they're defense.

[Alan Hahn]

That could happen.

[Peter Pusick]

That's like. What would you take that done? Not, not to say they're trying to lose, but if they. As we were saying the other. When we said a couple of weeks ago, if they lose 30 to 28 over and over again. Are you like. That doesn't tell you that Jackson stinks.

[Don LaGreca]

See?

[Alan Hahn]

Right.

[Don LaGreca]

That's perfect.

[Peter Pusick]

Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

So if you want to root for that, fine. But you get down to your. It's 31, 28, and the Giants get the ball with 35 seconds to go. Are you going to root for Them not to get in the field goal range. You're going to root for Dart to throw four straight incompletions and to fold up in that spot. Are you going to root for him to carry the team into field goal range or maybe win the game with a touchdown? Yeah, I keep bringing it up at nauseam. That last game of the 04 season for Eli Manning, where he changed the play at the line of scrimmage, gave it to Tiki Barber to beat the Cowboys. It hurt their draft order, but everybody walked out of that building saying, we got our guy. Did you see how Eli handled that situation? Because that's more important than anything else. So if you want to root for the team to lose but Jackson Dart looks great. If you want to get that, fine with it. Great. But that means that late in the game, when you've got a chance to win it, you're going to root for your quarterback to fail. I can't do that.

[Peter Pusick]

Yeah. Something went wrong, Right? Armando and Wanta. What's up, Armando?

[Caller/Danny]

How we doing, guys?

[Peter Pusick]

What's happening? Likewise.

[Caller/Danny]

So I agree with. I agree with Don 100. You know, you don't root for your team to lose ever. But, you know, other than that one win for Eli, Phil Sims lost it early. A lot of quarterbacks losing their first year. So I could understand the fans wanting a better draft pick. It gives you better standing. But I could never root for my team to lose. And I, I want to see Jackson do as. As well as possible. But the real reason I called is you guys were talking, you know, great conversation about, you know, teams not winning. So my son is almost 40 and never seen the Mets win. He saw the Rangers win once. My grandson is a Bills fan, and I gotta be honest, I'm a diehard Giant fan. I took him up to Buffalo in September when it wasn't too cold, and we had a great time and they have a great stadium up there and the fans are passionate.

[Peter Pusick]

He's telling a good story that we lost him. But I think. I think what he's saying is, is that that's a, That's a fan that the jets and Giants lost. Right.

[Don LaGreca]

But he said he's a Met fan. Never saw them.

[Peter Pusick]

Well, that's his. No, his son was 40. His. His son's 40. Never saw the Mets win a World Series. Only. So the Rangers win one cup. He said the. He said his grandson is a Bills fan.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, because he's given up on even being a Jet fan. But. But not seeing them win. Like. But if you're a 40 year old MET fan. You saw them go to the World Series in 2000, you saw them go to the World Series in 2015. Right. You saw the team make the playoffs, win 100 games, be relevant. We're talking about a Jet team that has not made the playoffs for 15 straight years. You got nothing and eggs and nine.

[Peter Pusick]

Of the last 10 years it's been double digit losses. I can't stress that enough, Don. 15 years is a big deal. Nine out of 10 years, 10 years a decade where nine of the years you're losing 10 or more games a year. That's brutal.

[Don LaGreca]

I mean the Knicks are close. They haven't won since 73, but they went to the final in 94, they went to the final in 99. They went to the conference final last year. It hasn't been great, but they've had moments. They've, they've won playoff series. They're giving you something.

[Peter Pusick]

Yeah, at least they teach every other.

[Don LaGreca]

Team in this market is giving you something. Calendars had had an awful run, but you know, they made a couple of third round appearances. You know, recently Rangers haven't won since 94, but they went to the Stanley Cup Final in 14. They've been a perennial playoff team for the most part. Outside of those, you know, eight years they missed 20 years ago. Nobody in the, in of the, of the nine teams that we follow in the four majors have been this awful for this long. Yeah, and that's special, man. Really bad.

[Peter Pusick]

It's, it's, it's, it's only thing they have accomplished is they are the best at being the worst.

[Alan Hahn]

No one's, no one's worse.

[Don LaGreca]

And the, and the only thing. And, and the jets are lucky in a sense that the Giants have also been miserable. Now the Giants did win in 2011 that year after the, the jets went to the championship game. But can you imagine if the Giants had won a couple of Super Bowls like recently? They, they would, they would, they would be losing even more fans.

[Peter Pusick]

Yeah, you would have.

[Don LaGreca]

The Giants have been an embarrassment. So that's kind of helped.

[Peter Pusick]

That's kind of, that's nice. But that's also the problem, right, Is that there's no, we always say this, that the Nets have always tried to do things that were going to steal fans from the Knicks and, and it hasn't worked. If they had caught one of those, who knows, because the Knicks were really bad for a stretch, who knows, they could have stolen a whole generation of fans. They couldn't take advantage of it.

[Alan Hahn]

Problem solved. Didn't happen.

[Peter Pusick]

But the, but the jets and what they've gone through have allowed the Giants to completely dominate. And they've been bad.

[Alan Hahn]

Now, Don, real quick, a correction here. Before we went to break, I did have this thought earlier and I missed it because I didn't want to dare trying to correct down on something metal related. Oh, but changes an Aussie song. Not a Sabbath song.

[Don LaGreca]

Not Sabbath song.

[Alan Hahn]

No, it's off.

[Don LaGreca]

Volume four. No, Black Sabbath.

Don'T even come all right with that.

[Peter Pusick]

We're gonna do a search on this and we're gonna make sure everything's all right. Because I can see John reaching through the monitor and just grabbing by the throat.

[Alan Hahn]

I thought it was an Aussie song.

[Peter Pusick]

Look, there's a lot of things you can, you can argue with me about. Don't ever argue with me about Black Sabbath.

[Alan Hahn]

No, he's right.

[Kevin Clark (Manscaped Ad)]

This is Kevin Clark from Manscaped. Fellas, it's the season to shine, and not just from holiday lights. Manscaped is here to keep you looking sharp for every holiday party. Family photo in mistletoe moments. Guys, I'm gonna be honest with you. The last few years, I thought I looked really cool with, like a darker beard during the winter. Oh, I'm gonna wear a flannel and have a darker beard. And like, I thought I pulled it off. But looking back on some of these holiday photos, guys, I didn't pull it off. I didn't pull it off. I, I, I gotta do. I'm a man who thrives with a controlled, precise stubble. Let that jawline out, let those cheekbones shine. But I'm not doing the thicker beard this holiday season. I gotta look good in these sweaters. And I, I pull off, pull off some pajamas, look great in that. You can't be doing a beard with that. I can't. I can't. It's not my look. The Lawnmower 5 body trimmer and chairman plus face shaver deliver precision, comfort and control worthy of Santa's Nice list. Whether you're tidying up before a big night out or prepping New Year's Eve, Manscaped has your back and your face, too. So gift yourself some grooming greatness this season, because looking good is the best gift of all. And now you can find manscaped products.

[Peter Pusick]

At your local Walmart, Coca Cola for.

[State Farm Announcer]

The big, for the small, the short and the tall, Peacemakers, risk takers for the optimists, pessimists for long distance love.

[Peter Pusick]

For introverts and extroverts, the thinkers and the doers for old friends and new Coca Cola for everyone.

[State Farm Announcer]

Pick up some Coca Cola at a store near you.

[Chevy Trucks Announcer]

There's a reason Chevy trucks are known for their dependability. Because they show up no matter the weather, push forward no matter the terrain, and deliver. That's why Chevrolets earn more dependability awards for trucks than any other brand in 2025, according to J.D. power. Because in every Chevy truck, like every Chevy driver, dependability comes standard. Visit Chevy.com to learn more. Chevrolet received the highest total number of awards among all the trucks in the JD powered 2025 U.S. vehicle Dependability Study Awards based on 2022 models. Newer models may be shown. Visit jdpower.com awards for more details. Chevrolet Together, let's drive.

[Don Hahn]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Alan Hahn]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Don Hahn]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

[Alan Hahn]

I think I'm gonna tell the world what just happened.

[Peter Pusick]

What just happened?

[Alan Hahn]

I, I I have reached a point of being too good a friend to to Ballard. Oh no, I got it right. The streak he is on with me of leading me wrong is so crazy. He's the one who texted me. Now listen, last week, we all know I made my case for Detroit, then picked against them, so it's my fault. But the day started with him going, you got to pick Dallas tonight, right? I read the text. I went fully against it and then went against myself. But whatever, I still he still led me wrong, even if that's not why I made the pick.

Don Ballard, who I consider to be a bit of a music aficionado, is the one who texted me and said, changes is Ozzy, not Black Sabbath. And he had me go up against you on Sabbath.

[Peter Pusick]

Like, Don could do a 30 for 30 by himself on Black Sabbath.

[Alan Hahn]

And now listen, when he I will say this. When he said it, it sounded right to me. And I was like, I think it is an Aussie song. So I threw it out there, but I just assumed he wouldn't text me. No one. There has to be an unwritten rule among public personalities and their friends. Like, for example, I feel this way about Kofi. You know, when Kofi writes you, Don, he's not leading you wrong. He did the research.

[Peter Pusick]

We trust Kofi.

[Alan Hahn]

It's trusted. He's got the check. It's valid. I give Ballard the benefit of the doubt. This is one of my best friends in the world. He's not gonna make a fool of me on the radio. And guess what? Yes, he will.

[Peter Pusick]

By the way, there's valid and his Ballard.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, it's the opposite, though. One's Ballard and one's Valid.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, you gotta. You gotta double check.

[Alan Hahn]

Come on, man. You can't even just open Spotify and look.

[Peter Pusick]

No, too lazy.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, that's bad. Word.

[Peter Pusick]

I told you you should ban him.

[Alan Hahn]

No.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, at least this is a better reason to ban him than, you know, Michael just not liking his name.

[Peter Pusick]

Yeah, I don't understand that.

[Alan Hahn]

That's just Bad Guy.

[Peter Pusick]

A good name. I like the name.

[Don LaGreca]

I love it.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, but I can't believe he did this to me. I. That hurts.

[Peter Pusick]

Well, you know what will feel good? What? Game time. Brought to you by Telemar D. Especially.

[Alan Hahn]

When there's no games.

[Peter Pusick]

Because when it's game time, boys.

That's right.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, it's jolly time.

[Peter Pusick]

Now he's gonna make us pay. Look at him. Look at him. He's making us pay for it because we all stared at him. Because he was in the middle of a conversation, not distracted. So now it's our fault. Like it's our fault.

[Don LaGreca]

Who was in there? What?

[Peter Pusick]

Are you talking to him? Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

So Harvey.

[Peter Pusick]

No is Anthony.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

Who else is?

[Peter Pusick]

Well, Anthony's in there.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, no, it's Joe.

[Peter Pusick]

It's not Joe's fault.

[Don LaGreca]

But he's chatty.

[Alan Hahn]

No, he's not Chatty Joe. That's what we call him. Chatty Joe. He's chatting it up. Jaw Jack Joe. That's what we call him. Always jacking his jaw. He never stops.

[Peter Pusick]

It's not his fault. All right. You got to say, locked in on the job.

[Don LaGreca]

Do you know how, like, you just heard the Fred Flintstone one? Like when he'd shrink when he was embarrassed. That's how I would feel if I walked into a control room of a live show.

[Peter Pusick]

Yep.

[Don LaGreca]

And affected it. Wow. Jolio should be embarrassed.

[Peter Pusick]

Well, he already walked out.

[Don LaGreca]

Never mind.

Jacob. But still like that, you led to a segment where something wasn't played because.

[Alan Hahn]

Early time drop wasn't right.

[Peter Pusick]

Yeah, yeah. He walked out in shame. Talking about go to. Go to box. Two minutes. You know I'm not that bright. Okay, by yourself?

No locals. By the way, this is very important game time. No locals in action tonight. But we have Monday Night Football.

[Alan Hahn]

There's no tush push if you're not pushing the tush.

[Peter Pusick]

Sure, there's that too.

[Don LaGreca]

Started Joe, get out of there. Ruining the show.

[Alan Hahn]

No, Joe left already.

[Don LaGreca]

I know, but still he's affected his impact.

[Alan Hahn]

You're blaming everybody's wreck now.

[Don LaGreca]

I think just the fact that he walked in there like now.

[Caller/Danny]

Now.

[Peter Pusick]

Jacob's loss is.

[Don LaGreca]

Anthony's lost all control.

[Peter Pusick]

Whatever Joe was talking about must have been just so compelling.

[Caller/Danny]

You know what?

[Peter Pusick]

I don't know. Lost their minds, you know? Yeah, he.

[Don LaGreca]

He.

[Peter Pusick]

Look, he's.

[Alan Hahn]

He's.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, here's what makes Joe great and also untolerable.

[Peter Pusick]

Okay.

[Alan Hahn]

Intolerance.

[Peter Pusick]

Sure. That too.

[Don LaGreca]

Both.

[Peter Pusick]

Wow. You don't see that Intolerable.

[Don LaGreca]

That even after I ripped him, he still had the. The cubes to hop on the mic.

[Peter Pusick]

He didn't. That was a drop.

[Don LaGreca]

Way too comfortable.

[Peter Pusick]

That was a drop.

[Alan Hahn]

It was a drop. It wasn't it?

[Don LaGreca]

Oh, thank God for him because that was like you were gonna kill that.

[Alan Hahn]

You know, kill him.

[Don LaGreca]

Too comfortable, by the way.

[Peter Pusick]

Now I see the problem in the control room. Do you know what the temperature is set up 106. No, just. This is the children we're dealing with.

[Alan Hahn]

Temperature.

[Peter Pusick]

Yeah. Take a guess. I'll go look at it. We're dealing with immature people. Okay. To be fair, 67. We also don't control it. We can't change it. I can see that. The control thing that usually is locked is completely ripped off and yeah, right there. We don't have the luxury of you guys. Right? There was a time where it was like 80 in here and they said, well, that's just the temperature in the room. First of all, just a quick psa. We apologize to any parents right now listening in a car with children in the backseat who are probably giggling right now and doing the 67 dance. Boy, we're sorry about that. Don't look forward to that Monday night Football tonight though, with no locals in action. 815, ABC and ESPN. And by the way, for all you kids, special Monsters fun day football telecast. That's right, featuring Monsters Inc. Characters that'll be on ESPN too. So note to start time 8:15.

[Don LaGreca]

No Manning cast is what you're saying.

[Peter Pusick]

Oh, well, ABC and ESPN according to the this read here. So it's no manicast. So there's a game on ABC and on espn. Then we have the Monsters. The Monsters Inc. Cast. Okay, well that's going on tonight. Telemardu, the original triple distilled, triple blended, triple cast matured Irish whiskey. Be sure to grab a telemardu or try the new Telemardu. Honey. During today's action, glasses up to enjoying Telemardu responsibly. Responsibly. You want to get right to YNN or do you want to take no, Take one. Yeah, well, if we're going to take.

[Don LaGreca]

Someone, it's that kind of day.

[Peter Pusick]

Peter, take a look. I'm gonna give you two choices. This or this. Which one? This or that.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, boy.

[Peter Pusick]

This or that. This or that. This or that.

[Alan Hahn]

Let's go. Let's go to line five.

[Peter Pusick]

Oh, really? All right. That'll be Danny in Long Island.

[Alan Hahn]

Hey.

[Peter Pusick]

Hello, Danny.

[Alan Hahn]

There he is.

[Caller/Danny]

I would like to say hello to Don.

[Alan Hahn]

Okay.

[Caller/Danny]

Alan, Peter Pusick, all the engineers in the back room, all military personnel listening overseas on the Armed Forces Radio Network.

[Alan Hahn]

That's very strong. Very strong.

[Don LaGreca]

Danny, look at me. You know how I feel about you. We go back the infancy of the radio station. When you said the great Anthony Pusick the other day, you were being sarcastic, right? Come on.

[Caller/Danny]

No, I was not.

[Alan Hahn]

I told you, Danny, do you hear me defend you? I said I didn't think it was sarcastic. I thought you were being sarcastic.

[Peter Pusick]

No.

[Caller/Danny]

At that point, I was cut off. I couldn't hear anything. I was gone.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, the radio works.

[Caller/Danny]

All I heard was, hang up the phone. That was that.

Listen, I gave Don. Great. Don is working a lot of hours. He's pulling a lot of hours. A lot of flights that day. He looked like he had just walked out of a Grizzly Adam set.

[Alan Hahn]

He looked.

[Caller/Danny]

He was ready. I mean, you're not. You weren't in your shirt. You weren't going to a game. You look like you spent all night on the red eye. You were exhausted. I gave you a little bit of flame, and you just went with it. Did you hear that, Don?

[Alan Hahn]

Don, I just want to be clear. Danny forgives.

[Peter Pusick]

Forgives you.

[Don LaGreca]

The backhanded compliment which we sift through all of it.

[Peter Pusick]

Danny is so Long island, though.

[Caller/Danny]

He.

[Peter Pusick]

I give him credit. He is. This is so on brand Long Island.

[Alan Hahn]

You know it well.

[Caller/Danny]

It's like you want to go Long Island. Alan.

[Peter Pusick]

Good.

[Caller/Danny]

When Don was celebrating his. His Met win at 20 in 1986, that was my 15th championship because I had four with the Steelers, four with the Islanders, two with the New New York Nets, that I was in the building when Dr. J dropped the 30 down on the San Antonio spurs and read and four with the new York Arrows, led by Shep Messing.

[Peter Pusick]

Oh, I remember.

[Caller/Danny]

Indoor soccer league, like you dream.

[Don LaGreca]

By the way.

[Peter Pusick]

Shep Messing used to run with all those guys back in the day. Rusty Staub, Joe Namath and all them. Shep was in that group.

[Alan Hahn]

That's true.

[Peter Pusick]

Oh, yeah, they got. That's a. That's again, that's. A. That's a 30 for 30. Who founded.

[Caller/Danny]

The Police Officers Widows Club will always be in good graces in my heart. What he did over the years, have he had a dinner every year for every widow of every police officer in New York City who ever died in the line of duty. He was always there. Anyone in need. He was a good man. Rusty SOB and if you would have played a little longer, not put a DH you talk about the 3,000 hits. Not that I think he was. He would have had 3,000 hits. Should he been hall of Fame then? I don't know. But listen, he missed.

[Don LaGreca]

He missed 86 by a year. He retired in 85.

[Caller/Danny]

Yeah. Yeah. He brought. I think in 83 or 84, he broke the record for like 14 pitch hits in a row. It was incredible. So anyway, you know, watching the game last night, and we're announcing that the. The dynasty is. The dynasty is far from dead. The year is.

[Peter Pusick]

No, no. Oh, yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

It's not over forever.

[Peter Pusick]

I think we all said that.

[Kevin Clark (Manscaped Ad)]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

It's not over forever.

[Peter Pusick]

Yeah.

[Caller/Danny]

Mahomes was doing all kinds of Mahomes things last night. These people were dropping passes. I mean, he. He handled it so well. That passed to Rice on the fourth down, which he never went for, of course. And he's on the ground looking, and it goes right through the guy's arm. And then, Kelsey, more people. First a drop pass, then to flip the ball up to be intercepted. And he's on the bench, and you just know he's thinking about, I could be in Rhode island right now with, what am I doing here? What am I doing here? Do I need this anymore? Like, he's just. He looked completely despondent on the bench. Very sad.

[Peter Pusick]

He has looked that way, Danny. And thanks. Well, we. We got enn, so we got to run there, but you can always call back another day.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm just glad he forgave Don.

[Peter Pusick]

He definitely. He definitely dove.

[Don LaGreca]

That's Anthony Pusick. Damn.

[Peter Pusick]

It looks like ready for retirement. We are ready for the two greatest words in sports. Enn.

[Don Hahn]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Peter Pusick]

I don't want to know how the sausage is made, man. I just to know it's good.

[Don Hahn]

Hear more of Don Allen and Peter weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app, and your smart speakers.