Don, Hahn & Rosenberg: Hour 3 – Old-Time QBs

Original Air Date: September 23, 2025
Podcast Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the legacy and expectations around old-time and current NFL quarterbacks, with a special focus on the New York Giants' move to start rookie Jackson Dart. The hosts reminisce about the league’s challenges of finding "the guy" at quarterback, debate how fans’ expectations have shifted in the modern era, and play a lively game reviewing the best (and most mediocre) QBs in the history of each NFL franchise.

The show’s tone is distinctly conversational, nostalgic, self-deprecating, and often irreverently funny, with the three veteran sports personalities swapping memories, stats, and playfully ribbing one another and callers.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Jackson Dart Era Begins in New York (02:03–08:47)

• Fan Reactions and Expectations

  • Giants rookie QB Jackson Dart will be starting Sunday against the Chargers.
  • Hosts advise caution and patience—"don't microwave this thing"—reminding Giants fans that legendary QBs often struggle early and require time to mature.
  • Don La Greca (04:16):

    "Are they excited because they know he's going to do well? Are they just excited that now there's relevance to an 0-3 football team? There's a reason to watch on Sunday, to now not just follow the final score, which is probably going to be a loss, but see how your quarterback's progressing, get a glimpse of the future."

• Comparisons to Giants QB History (05:51–08:47)

  • Cites slow starts for both Eli Manning and Phil Simms, who faced doubts early before becoming franchise QBs.
  • Warned against overreacting to either early success or struggles.
  • Don La Greca (06:34):

    "The guys that get off to great starts, history shows you don't amount to anything. The guys that struggle early, if you're patient, end up becoming franchise quarterbacks."

2. Patience vs. Impatience: Quarterback Development Then vs. Now (07:23–08:47)

• Historical Changes
  • Teams used to give QBs years to develop; now, public and media pressure demand quicker results.
  • Drafting and developing talent is a process; fans need to return to that mentality.
  • Alan Hahn (08:12):

    "It takes a couple years until it hits and then once it does, as you saw, it hit for the Giants pretty big. But you don't do that today. And I kind of think that mentality has got to return. It's just harder to do..."

3. Deep Dive: Which NFL Franchises Have a QB Legacy? (10:06–21:02, 41:20–42:42)

• Segment Overview

  • The trio goes division-by-division, playfully debating and ranking the all-time best QBs for every NFL franchise, finding that "having a true franchise quarterback" is rarer than most think.
  • Notable for the mix of serious debate (“Is Eli really the Giants’ best ever?”) and comic relief (mispronounced names, “Giuseppe Demoufe”, quips about forgotten QBs, etc.).
  • Frequent ribbing over who remembers which “old timey” QBs.

• Notable Quotes & Moments

  • Peter Rosenberg (10:06):

    "How many franchises are mid, historically, when it comes to the quarterbacks? How few of the franchises have truly great quarterbacks in their past?"

  • On the Jets' legacy:

    "The Jets? One pretty good one, if we’re honest." (10:48)

  • Hall of Fame Barometer:

    "If you’re in the Hall of Fame, he’s not mid." (Don, 10:53)

  • On Chicago:

    "Is there a true great Bears quarterback? ... The answer is no." (18:12–18:33)

  • Green Bay’s continuity:

    "They got Bart Starr, they got Brett Favre, they got Aaron Rodgers... Best so far, I think." (17:19–17:26)

• Memorable Exchanges

  • On the Dallas Cowboys:

    "When you add it up, they're actually among the better ones we've named because even in their down periods, your Romos, your Prescott's, they've had guys who can play." (Peter, 16:52)

  • Multiple callbacks and running gags about mispronouncing the famous NY deli “Zabar’s,” intertwined with the quarterback talk.

4. Call-In Segment: Old-School Quarterback Memories (28:12–34:31)

• Listeners contribute forgotten names and trivia

  • Callers suggest overlooked quarterbacks (e.g., Roman Gabriel, Daryl Lamonica, Otto Graham, Earl Morrall).
  • Hosts add further trivia; Don recalls that Roman Gabriel coached the Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks, the only pro franchise to never win a single game (29:03).
  • Don La Greca (29:06):

    "Coach the Raleigh Durham Skyhawks of the World League of American Football. To this day the only professional sports franchise that never won a game..."

• Playful banter about just “shouting out names” at this point (30:47).

5. (Re)Defining Greatness: The Eli Manning Question (33:13–47:08)

• Is Eli Manning Underappreciated? (33:13+)

  • Debate on whether Eli is underappreciated because he was never “the best” in the league, even with two Super Bowl wins.
  • Alan Hahn (34:53):

    “The good teams – have good offensive lines and defensive lines. That's how you win."

  • Don La Greca (35:08):

    "I never understood the Eli hate, but I really thought after all these years of bad football and bad quarterback play, we would start to appreciate Eli a little bit more."

  • Discussion: Can you find any other player in any sport whose “peak” was not considered all-time great, yet who still won multiple titles as a main character?

• Comparison Attempts (36:25–46:57)

  • Struggles to find true analogs for Eli.
  • Brief digressions into other sports (hockey goalies, Yankees core) but consensus is that Eli’s profile—never a #1 QB, yet a main piece in two championships—is extremely rare.
  • Nick in Connecticut (45:45):

    Talks about Yankees' core four, but most agreed it’s not the same; in team sports, multiple championships as a main character almost always mean “all-time great.”

  • Return to the theme: Even after years of mediocrity post-Eli, fans seem slow to retrospectively appreciate his accomplishments.

6. Other Notable Moments

• Calling Out Omitted Names (31:02, 41:20)

  • Twitter/Listeners remind hosts about Steve Young (San Francisco 49ers), Michael Vick (Falcons/Eagles), Carson Palmer (Bengals/Cardinals), and others.
  • Peter (31:04):

    "Tell Twitter to go shove it."

  • On Vick’s unique profile:

    “Vic at his best, when you watched, he was a video game. He was faster than every player on the field, had the biggest arm in the league by a mile.” (Peter, 42:34)

• Light-hearted food tangents (25:03–27:46)

  • Banter over Zabar’s black and white cookies as part of the show’s irreverent, New York flavor.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• "The guys that struggle early, if you're patient, end up becoming franchise quarterbacks."
  — Don La Greca, 06:34

• “Don’t microwave this thing, man. It’s not how it works.”
  — Don La Greca, 07:16

• "How many franchises are mid, historically, when it comes to the quarterbacks?"
  — Peter Rosenberg, 10:06

• “Is there a true great Bears quarterback?... The answer is no.”
  — Alan Hahn & Peter Rosenberg, 18:28–18:33

• "I never understood the Eli hate, but I really thought after all these years of bad football and bad quarterback play that we would start to appreciate Eli a little bit more."
  — Don La Greca, 35:08

• “In the history of the sport isn’t considered one of its greats. But yet he did it.”
  — Alan Hahn, 44:22

Important Segments & Timestamps

• Jackson Dart’s Impending Start & Fan Expectations: 02:03–08:47
• Historical Patience with QBs vs. Now: 07:23–08:47
• Which Teams Have (or Lack) All-Time Great QBs: 10:06–21:02
• Callers Recall Forgotten QBs: 28:12–34:31
• Debating Eli Manning’s Place in History: 33:13–47:08
• Missed Quarterbacks: Listener Feedback: 41:20–42:42

Episode Tone and Language

The hosts are passionate, playful, often tongue-in-cheek, but always deeply knowledgeable. They frequently poke fun at themselves, each other, and their listeners. The conversation transitions seamlessly from sharp sports analysis to inside jokes, nostalgic asides, and classic New York cultural riffs (food, radio, sports heartbreak). The podcast feels like eavesdropping on veteran sports fans deep in argument at a classic NYC deli.

Summary for Non-Listeners

If you missed the episode, you’ll appreciate:

• A deep, highly entertaining survey of NFL quarterback legacies—franchise by franchise, Hall of Famer by Hall of Famer (and “mid” by “mid”).
• Timely reminders (both cautionary and optimistic) for Giants fans about the difficulty and importance of developing quarterbacks—rooted in the examples of Eli and Phil Simms.
• A lighter segment with callers and hosts swapping old-school names, anecdotes, and trivia.
• Extended debate over how rare it is for a player (like Eli Manning) to be central to multiple championships without ever being considered “the best” at his position.
• Plenty of classic New York attitude and friendly trash talk.

For those who love football history, NYC sports, or just good radio, it’s an episode full of wisdom, banter, and the stuff of barroom sports debate.