Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – March 20, 2026

Hour 3: March Madness & NFL Draft

Episode Overview

In this lively hour, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg, and Don La Greca dive into the heart of March Madness with constant score updates, bracket banter, and reaction to key games—especially focusing on the Hofstra vs. Alabama matchup. The hour then pivots into a heated and hilarious discussion about NFL Draft culture, particularly Pittsburgh’s dramatic response to hosting, and finishes with callers weighing in on fandom, sports traditions, and more. The tone is classic New York radio: quick, irreverent, and deeply passionate about sports.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Live March Madness Reactions & Bracket Drama

• Hofstra vs. Alabama Game Updates

  • Real-time play-by-play and color commentary on Hofstra’s performance against Alabama, with emotional swings and frustration over refereeing.
    • "Hofstra had cut it to... I think it was five. Okay, got a steal and a dunk." – Alan Hahn (00:57)
    • "The steal and dunk really should have been called kickball, but referees didn’t see it. Shocking, that college refereeing." – Alan Hahn (01:04)
  • Frustrations about coaching strategy (“You gotta foul…you’re up three.” – Hahn, 03:15)

• Breakdown of Recent Tournament Games

  • Excitement over VCU’s comeback against North Carolina, criticism of Hubert Davis’ coaching, and discussion of game strategy in tense overtime finishes.
    • "There was a point where it looked like [UNC] could have won in regulation and then VCU just would not go away. Made a huge three, and then North Carolina answered, and then that’s how you got to overtime." – Alan Hahn (02:32)
    • “It's a tough one for Hubert Davis… he’s getting called out for his rotations.” – Alan Hahn (02:57)

• Bracket Standings & ESPN Celebrity Pool

  • Extended ribbing and status update on ESPN’s internal bracket contest—who's actually a “celebrity,” and some tongue-in-cheek bitterness about who's included or excluded.
    • "I'm at 91.4%. I have 160 points." – Alan Hahn (05:20)
    • “You’re the handsomest guy on an afternoon drive show in New York!” – Don Hahn (05:42)
    • “They just don’t think highly of you.” – Peter Rosenberg (05:51)
    • Ongoing jokes about Alan’s omission: “So nobody told me there’s a deadline to be a celebrity.” – Alan Hahn (08:03)

• Bracket Math: Max Points & Strategic Lament

  • Comparing potential point outcomes, sharing regrets about bold picks, and self-deprecating humor about past bracket success (or lack thereof).

2. Caller Segment: Knicks, NBA Playoffs, and Basketball Insight

• Knicks Playoff Prospects & Fan Optimism

  • Caller "Spike" lays out an optimistic path for the Knicks, digging into injury reports, matchups, and specific players' impact.
    • "I see a path. I really do… Now I hear Hart’s out tonight with the knee… but he’ll play." – Caller Spike (11:46)

• Alan’s Analytical Breakdown

  • Hahn provides detailed analysis of player performances, matchups, and why the regular season has become a “nuisance” for the Knicks at this stage.
    • “He had the Knicks playing faster—up tempo. A lot of movement, you know, like he was forcing you to run with him.” – Alan Hahn (12:12)

• Don’s Healthy Knicks Skepticism

  • Don goes full New York cynic: “As a Knick fan… you should be fearing everything, should be afraid of the dark if you’re a Knick fan at this point.” (14:14)
  • “You're fooling yourself. You’re lying to yourself, which is the worst kind of lie.” – Don Hahn (15:18)

3. March Madness Culture Clashes

• Sportsmanship Rant: Alabama “Running Up the Score”
  • Heated reactions to Alabama’s late-game antics against Hofstra—throat-slashing, showboating, and controversial late three-pointer in a blowout.
    • "At the very end… a guy comes in and he takes a corner three for Alabama to make it 20. You don’t need to be taking that three." – Alan Hahn (25:24)
    • “I think there was less than 30 [seconds].” – Don Hahn (26:01)
    • “They acted like a bunch of jerks. And I don’t like the throat slash.” – Don Hahn (27:41)
    • “You’re a 4 beating a 13. You’re supposed to do that. It's a mid-major.” – Don Hahn (27:40)
    • "There was a time where that dude would have had the ball thrown off his head." – Alan Hahn (26:29)

4. The NFL Draft: Obsession & Culture Critique

• Pittsburgh’s “Virtual Learning” for the Draft

  • The hosts react incredulously to Pittsburgh schools closing for the NFL Draft—using it as a springboard to lampoon America’s NFL obsession.
    • "What did you say, Alan? This is a different—I didn't know this level existed." – Peter Rosenberg (19:04)
    • “This is how you get the next generation of fans… now they’re fired up because they love it.” – Alan Hahn (19:12)
    • “It’s the party that everyone’s got to go to… it's almost like there’s something wrong with you if you’re not all in.” – Don Hahn (20:29)

• The Draft as “Sports Comic Con”

  • Comparing the event to a convention, with skepticism about the lengths fans will go to just to stand in massive crowds to “experience” the draft in person.
    • “It’s a convention. That’s what the draft is.” – Alan Hahn (21:29)
    • “Yo yo convention.” – Peter Rosenberg (21:32)
    • “I want someone—show me the guts. If you’re planning on taking the trip to Pittsburgh just to cheer... I need to hear from you.” – Peter Rosenberg (21:44)

5. Callers Respond: Ritual vs. Reality of Fandom

• Caller “Dan,” Steelers/Lifelong Fan

  • Explains making the draft a family tradition, but admits he doesn’t really know what he’s getting into with a massive crowd.
    • "I'm one of those yo yos, guys... but so when it came to Pittsburgh, my son said, hey, let's go... it's kind of like a guy's weekend." – Caller Dan (29:28)
  • The hosts tease but ultimately respect the family angle, differing between that and fandom as identity performance.

• Caller “Danny,” Old-School Draft Nostalgia

  • Reminisces about the draft days at Radio City—made “football day in the middle of April” but notes it’s a different beast now.
    • “We set up our chairs, went back to our cars, tailgated, had a blast...” – Caller Danny (45:16)
    • Recognizes change: “To go to Detroit or Lambeau or Pittsburgh… all crammed together, just seems...” – Don Hahn (45:50)
    • Riff on the veneration of “draft trinkets” and obsessive fandom as performative narcissism.

• Don’s Take: Fandom or Narcissism?

  • Extended riff on measuring one’s fandom as a competition, not passion.
    • “Everything Dave [Rothenberg] does… is to show how big a fan I am… it's all just a blank measuring of how big a fan you are.” – Don Hahn (33:25)
    • “I am as invested in the Giants, wins or losses, as Dave Rothenberg is. But I'm not a mental patient. That's the difference.” – Don Hahn (34:08)

• Alan’s Question: Is Fandom Performance Another Ego Game?

  • “If you’re telling me that that depth of fandom is motivated by what it does for you... That's narcissistic, right?” – Alan Hahn (35:26)

6. Soccer & World Cup Preview

• Caller “Rod”: European Soccer Odds and World Cup Picks

  • Praises Don’s gambling strategy; tips Spain and breakout Barcelona star Lamine Yamal for the next World Cup.
    • “As far as I'm concerned, he's the best soccer player I have seen at that particular point.” – Caller Rod (42:44)

• Hosts’ Reflections

  • Quick appreciation for how the World Cup makes new international stars known to American audiences.
    • “The World Cup is one of those sports that always makes new international stars and gets those stars who are big in Europe to [U.S.] casuals.” – Peter Rosenberg (44:16)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On College Basketball Officiating:
  • “Shocking, that college refereeing.” – Alan Hahn (01:04)
• On Alabama’s Postgame Conduct:
  • “They acted like a bunch of jerks. And I don’t like the throat slash.” – Don Hahn (27:41)
• On Pittsburgh Closing Schools for the NFL Draft:
  • "This is how you get the next generation of fans..." – Alan Hahn (19:12)
• On the Nature of Today’s NFL Draft:
  • “It's the party that everyone’s got to go to... almost like there’s something wrong with you if you’re not all in.” – Don Hahn (20:29)
• On Performative Fandom:
  • “Everything Dave [Rothenberg] does… is to show how big a fan I am… it’s all just a blank measuring of how big a fan you are.” – Don Hahn (33:25)
  • “If you’re telling me that that depth of fandom is motivated by what it does for you... That's narcissistic, right?” – Alan Hahn (35:26)
• On Going to the Draft:
  • “You’re not going to have a guitar, but you want to be able to tell people you did it right.” – Don Hahn (32:36)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|--------------------| | 00:57–03:55 | Live Hofstra-Alabama updates, officiating complaints, coaching debate | | 04:46–09:24 | Bracket standings, celebrity pool banter, ESPN internal jokes | | 11:18–15:18 | Caller Spike on Knicks, optimism and concern, Alan and Don’s NBA playoff outlook | | 17:01–18:08 | Alabama’s attitude vs. Hofstra, gritty vs. mouthy | | 19:04–20:29 | Pittsburgh's school closure for NFL Draft, cultural critique | | 25:24–27:52 | Sportsmanship rant: “run up the score” & late-game showboating | | 29:28–32:29 | Caller Dan: Making the NFL draft a family ritual | | 33:25–38:34 | Fandom, performative obsession, narcissism in sports fans | | 42:44–44:38 | World Cup preview, soccer gambling, Lamine Yamal praise |

Show’s Tone

• Classic New York: fast, irreverent, always slightly incredulous but deeply loving of sports culture.
• Lively, locker-room style banter with a healthy dose of sarcasm and nostalgia.
• Celebratory but not uncritical—hosts relish calling out the absurdity in modern sports fandom.

Summary

This hour is a snapshot of contemporary sports talk—part live game reaction, part existential joke on the culture surrounding brackets, draft parties, and obsessive fandom. Don, Hahn, and Rosenberg blend their distinct personalities for a segment that is as much about the rituals of sports as the games themselves. Regular fans tuning in will find a mix of old-school skepticism, appreciation for new stars, and pointed commentary on what being a "real" fan means in 2026.