Don, Hahn & Rosenberg Podcast: Hour 3 (Dec 10, 2025)

Main Theme / Overview

Hour three of the show features lively debate over the Knicks’ participation in the NBA Cup semifinals—specifically, whether Knicks fans should root for their team to win a cup that some view as an empty accomplishment—and a special interview with WWE superstar Gunther ahead of his high-profile match with John Cena. The hosts dissect sports culture, fan insecurities, media-driven narratives, and the intersection of sports and social media ridicule, all with their trademark blend of insight and humor.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Sports, Celebrity Deaths, & Their Cultural Impact

• The guys reflect on moments when the world “stopped” for major celebrity or athlete deaths, sparked by the anniversary of John Lennon’s death (02:22), and discuss the rarity and enormity of such events.
• Comparison of John Lennon’s impact to modern stars: Michael Jackson, Elvis, Kobe Bryant (05:00, Alan: “My dad said at the time, since Kennedy, I’ve never seen the world stop like this. When Kobe passed.”).
• Kobe’s death: Still seen as a seismic, global event, especially due to its shocking, tragic circumstances.

2. Monday Night Football Memories & Late Starts

• The hosts muse about late kickoff times, linking back to the Lennon news breaking during a late Monday Night Football broadcast (06:40). They debate whether the 9pm starts were better for fans.

3. Justin Herbert's Postgame PR Mishap

• The crew analyzes Chargers QB Justin Herbert’s awkward refusal to do a postgame interview, blaming both player inexperience and team PR mismanagement (07:26, Don: “That’s totally on Chargers PR, period.”).

4. Knicks in the NBA Cup Semifinals: Banner Anguish

[Main Segment: 08:20–24:16]

The Central Question

Should Knicks fans root for their team to win the inaugural NBA Cup, or does the risk of future ridicule over a “non-championship” banner outweigh the momentary joy?

Key Details

• Peter introduces the fan debate: Some Knicks fans (like show contributor John Winthrop) actively want the team to lose rather than hang a Cup banner they’ll be mocked for ([09:03], Peter: “He literally said, I’m rooting against them.”).
• The win/loss would not affect the regular season record; it’s a “Game 83” ([09:26], Don: “This would be game 83 at the end of the year.”).

Host Reactions and Debate

• Alan and Don push back against the insecurity, comparing the Cup to other “yo-yo” banners (division titles, sell-out streaks) that are commonly hung with little derision ([11:17], Don: “How is it any different than if the Rangers raise a Metropolitan Division championship or a President’s Trophy banner?”).
• Big E (show caller/producer and Knicks fan) confesses he would cringe at an NBA Cup banner, fearing ridicule from “NBA Twitter” and the national media ([13:31], Big E: “Oh, yeah, absolutely... I already know what NBA Twitter, what people on ESPN are going to be talking about.”).
• Don and Peter counter: Being trolled is inevitable; fans should want their team to win every big game in front of them ([14:47], Don: “...Come on, man, you got nothing. To sit there and root against your team...”).

Social Media's Role

• The group notes that the proliferation of trolling is largely a function of social media—the concern is less about local rivals and more about national ridicule ([18:14], Peter: “...now you’re so worried about criticism from the markets you never would have heard before if not for what, but social media.”).

Fan Call – Jay in the Bronx

• Jay delivers an impassioned rationale for always rooting for wins ([21:47], Jay: “I want to win everything in front of us. I’ve never seen us win anything of significance, and I’m 50 years old. If there’s confetti falling on us, I want it.”).
• Don expresses support, calling out the “culture of losing for draft picks/coaches” and saying rooting for defeat is self-defeating ([22:43], Don: “...to sit there and root for your team to lose...because there’s going to be a few trolls, they’re going to troll anyway, man.”).

Memorable Quote

• Don (to Knicks fans):

  “You know, like, then the trolls win. ...Let’s think about how they’re controlling you, that where you’re going to sit there...even in its rawest form, a game against the best team in the NBA...and to root against them because you’re afraid...some fan 3,000 miles away is going to go...Honestly, I feel sad.”
  — (20:16–20:27)

Consensus Emerges

• Rooting for your team’s defeat to avoid Twitter memes is “insane” and only empowers trolls. Winning—even a minor trophy—is always preferable.

5. Gunther Interview: WWE Superstar Ahead of Cena’s Last Match

[Interview Segment: 27:38–39:02]

Context

• Alan introduces Gunther, who will face John Cena in Cena’s presumed retirement match at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington, D.C.

Key Moments & Quotes

• Gunther immediately flips the narrative with a heelish twist:

  “Well, what an honor is it for John Cena to have me as his opponent?”
  — (28:37, Gunther)

• On the pressure of facing Cena:

  “I’m just going to show up and try my best to ruin the party.”
  — (28:41, Gunther)

• Alan and Peter explore Gunther’s wrestling philosophy, including his noted physical style (e.g., leaving McAfee’s chest “glowing like a lobster”):

  “I say usually not, but in Pat’s case, I enjoyed it a lot because...he wanted to have a professional wrestling match. So that’s what I gave him. ...And, yeah, I enjoyed his struggle throughout.”
  — (31:10, Gunther)

• Reflecting on retiring Goldberg and now facing Cena:

  “I can claim I, yeah, I choked off Goldberg in his last match and now I’m going to take it a step further. ...Now the big goal...is to support John Cena on Saturday.”
  — (32:16, Gunther)

• Gunther’s admiration (and initial annoyance) at Cena’s style growing up:

  “My biggest memory of John...I was really annoyed by that guy that wore his short jeans in the ring...even back then I was always a...traditionalist, and even back then it was like, I do not like that guy. ...Who am I to judge? The guy had a great career.”
  — (32:58, Gunther)

• How Gunther sees the symbolism of facing Cena:

  “I think at the end of the day...it’s almost like the biggest possible passing of the torch, because I think John represents a certain end of a generation...and I’m the opposite of that. ...And I think it’s the path and the torch in terms of what WWE is going to look like in the next years.”
  — (34:13, Gunther)

Lightning Round

• On the pronunciation of “Gunther”:

  “I don’t have one. ...Everybody can feel free...to pronounce it how they want to do it.”
  — (30:02, Gunther)

• On balancing parenthood with wrestling:

  “It helps balancing out my mind...Changes the purpose of life a little bit and definitely helped me also becoming better in what I do.”
  — (37:49, Gunther)

6. Show “Friend Group” Drama & Exclusion

[Segment: 43:10–52:44]

• The guys get personal about clique-ish dinner invites and exclusion from station events.
• Don (lightheartedly but with a sting) laments being left out of a group dinner; Alan explains the dynamic as organic friend groups instead of deliberate exclusion, but Don presses for honesty.
• The exchange is equal parts joking therapy session and genuine reflection on workplace relationships.
• Peter summarizes:

  “Maybe, just maybe, they’re worried about being embarrassed in public.”
  — (47:02, Peter)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Knicks fans fearing ridicule for an NBA Cup banner:
  “We got all these franchises that hang yo-yo banners...the NBA’s making you do this. So anybody that mocks it, like, who cares? We know we got bigger fish to fry.”
  — Don Hahn (16:22)

• The inevitability of being trolled:
  “Because you know what they’re going to do if you lose? Same thing, man. Can’t win a title. Can’t even get this banner. How are you going to win? You can’t even win this banner.”
  — Peter Rosenberg (20:41)

• Gunther on wrestling icons:
  “I think it is...almost like the biggest possible passing of the torch, because I think John represents a certain end of a generation...and I’m the opposite of that.”
  — Gunther (34:13)

• On group invitations and workplace camaraderie:
  “I’ve known people there longer than Peter’s known. Why am I excluded?”
  — Don Hahn (48:17)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:22 – Remembering where they were when major deaths (John Lennon, Kobe) were announced.
• 09:03 – Knicks fan debate over NBA Cup, rooting against their own team.
• 13:31 – Big E explains why he’d “cringe” at an NBA Cup banner for the Knicks.
• 21:47 – Jay in the Bronx’s call: Rooting to win everything, always.
• 27:38 – Gunther interview begins; WWE, John Cena, wrestling philosophy.
• 34:13 – Gunther on the “passing of the torch” moment.
• 43:10 – Show devolves into playful but real group dinner invite drama.

Tone and Style

• The show is conversational, irreverent, and often openly silly, but punctuated by moments of authentic sports insight and personal confession.
• Plenty of ribbing, self-deprecation, and old-school New York sports talk flair.
• WWE banter is a highlight for hardcore fans, delivered with both knowledge and the meta-awareness of wrestling’s “anything goes” nature.

Conclusion

This hour of the Don, Hahn & Rosenberg show is a microcosm of contemporary sports fandom—torn between pride and social-media-induced insecurity—with comic interludes, strong opinions, and a marquee wrestling interview. The podcast’s chemistry shines as the hosts mix nostalgia, culture-war sniping, and genuine sports passion, while Gunther’s unapologetic honesty and old-school streak provide the perfect outsider’s counterpoint to the NBA and New York sports melodrama.