Don, Hahn & Rosenberg: Hour 3 – “Stubbing Your Toe & Dave Rothenberg”

Date: January 5, 2026
Podcast: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg (ESPN New York)
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
Special Guest: Dave Rothenberg

Overview: Main Theme & Purpose

This episode dives deep into the state of the New York Giants—focusing on GM Joe Shane’s recent comments, a critical evaluation of the team’s management, draft strategy, and philosophy about “winning versus tanking.” The “stub your toe” analogy (used by Shane) becomes a recurring point of discussion, sparking humor and debate among the hosts and guest Dave Rothenberg. The crew also discusses Giants head coach candidates, what New York needs to become competitive, and the unique pressures and culture surrounding New York sports.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rangers' Outdoor Game and Stadium Jokes

• The hosts open lightheartedly, discussing Knicks and Pistons climbing in the NBA, and joke about the undefeated streak of the Rangers in outdoor games.
  • [00:23] “Rangers home for the Mammoth as they’re trying to build some momentum off the Winter Classic win.” – Peter Rosenberg
• Fun with the idea of an outdoor Madison Square Garden, playing in Central or Bryant Park.

2. Joe Shane’s Press Conference & “Stub Your Toe” Analogy

• Joe Shane, Giants GM, maintains his role and is tasked with hiring a new head coach.

  • [01:34] Joe Shane audio clip: “I’m honored and humbled…to see this process through.”

• Shane lists criteria for the next coach: leadership, football acumen, player development, accountability, and communication.

• Shane on the appeal of the Giants’ job:

  • [03:01] “...I made mistakes. I’m fortunate to have great ownership here where you’re allowed to stub your toe and try to course correct...” – Joe Shane

• Hosts react with humor and exasperation:

  • [03:36] “We’ve all stubbed our toe.” – Peter Rosenberg
  • [04:03] “You know what it felt like? It felt like seven wins in two seasons... My franchise quarterback handed to the Philadelphia Eagles and they won a Super Bowl.” – Peter Rosenberg

• Analogy Spirals Out of Control:
  The crew riffs on how bad “stubbing your toe” is as a metaphor for the organization’s woes.

  • [04:24] “Stub your toe? How about massive heart attack?... Rectal bleeding?” – Peter Rosenberg, mocking the analogy

3. Mistakes in Giants Drafting & Decision-Making

• Detailed review of Giants’ 2022 draft mistakes, focusing on picking Evan Neal over a series of now-successful players.
  • [08:12] “At number five they took Kayvon Thibodeaux… and then… Evan Neal.” – Don Hahn
  • They proceed to list, with mock regret, seven players taken after Neal who would have been better picks.
  • [09:28] “I just named seven straight players better than that guy.” – Don Hahn
• Critique of the current organizational attitude toward “learning from mistakes” rather than demanding accountability.

4. Fan and PR Perspective – What Should a GM Say?

• Rosenberg and Hahn act out more suitable, humble apologies for media, critical of Shane’s “stub your toe” line.

  • [10:51] “My tenure here has been embarrassed. I am very fortunate that I have ownership that's patient. It’s unacceptable to the Giants, it’s unacceptable to the Giant fans, but more importantly, it’s unacceptable to me...” – Peter Rosenberg, offering the speech he’d rather hear from Shane
  • [11:23] “Because that’s what I wanted to hear. So that’s what I would say.” – Peter Rosenberg

• They lament that front office people who aren’t fans or players often lack authentic connection and communication with the fan base.

  • [12:23] “He’s not coming from a fan perspective... He is coming from an X’s and O’s.” – Peter Rosenberg

5. Should the Giants Have Tanked? The Draft Pick Debate

• The “tank vs. culture” debate: Is it better for the Giants to win late-season games or to lose and gain a higher pick?
  • [16:17] “James Winston would have beat the Raiders…” – Alan Hahn, joking about the logistics of “tanking”
• Sensitivity around owner John Mara’s health and desire to win, which the hosts agree precludes intentional losing.
  • [17:08] “You couldn’t do it because you don’t know if that’s... you don’t know what that game is to him.” – Don Hahn
• The emotional and practical divide: Organizational logic (trade value of higher pick) vs. the emotional respect for ailing ownership.

6. The Great Giants Draft Debate with Dave Rothenberg

• Rothenberg calls in to explain his agony at the Giants’ recent “meaningless” wins, costing them top draft selections.
  • [27:19] “I'm just sick about the Giants winning both... Winding up with...”
  • [28:11] “If I get more of those guys, I’d prefer to get more of those guys.” – Dave Rothenberg (on trading down for more picks)
• Rosenberg counters that the draft is a “crapshoot” and it’s not clear how much value a higher pick really brings.
  • [28:29] “It’s still a crapshoot... for you to be so annoyed about it when you know how up in the air the whole thing is just seems to be folly to me.” – Peter Rosenberg

Notable Quotes:

• [34:24] “You should be sick about the situation that they’re in... having high picks doesn’t solve it if you’re completely incompetent.” – Peter Rosenberg
• [30:41] “I think Joe Shane is back, because of the health situation with John.” – Peter Rosenberg

7. Ownership, Stability, & Giants Culture

• Extended riff on John Mara’s health, legacy, and his impact on the franchise’s present decisions.
  • [32:25] “When you see him get the game ball, how happy he was to beat the Dallas Cowboys... don’t you gotta go beat the Cowboys?” – Peter Rosenberg

8. Head Coach Options & The “Retread” vs. “Rising Star” Debate

• Deep dive on candidates for the Giants’ next head coach:
  • Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns): Pros and cons, “coach of the year” credentials vs. in-game management blunders.
    • [36:30] “Does that guy go to the top of your list?... It’s an achievement, right?” – Don Hahn
    • [37:58] “The fact that Stefanski was coach of the year two times with Cleveland almost means you should go directly to the hall of fame because it’s such a pathetic franchise.” – Dave Rothenberg
  • Jesse Minter and Clint Kubiak (younger, less experienced): Are they risks New York should take?
• Debate over trusting “retreads” vs. betting on young coordinators, especially with a young QB and the high-pressure NY market.
  • [48:49] “You have a quarterback that’s learning how to be the CEO of a team and you’re going to have a head coach that’s learning how to be a head coach all at the same time. No, thank you. In New York.” – Peter Rosenberg

9. Jets/Culture & Coaching Carousel

• Side discussion on Jets’ management and “the curse of Woody Johnson,” the difficulties of being a head coach in New York for either franchise.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [04:24] Peter Rosenberg, on the “stub your toe” analogy: “Stub your toe? How about massive heart attack? How about hemorrhaging from the eyes? What else could we come up with? Rectal bleeding...”
• [09:28] Don Hahn: “I just named seven straight players better than that guy [Evan Neal].”
• [10:51] Peter Rosenberg, what the GM should say: “My tenure here has been embarrassed. I am very fortunate that I have ownership that’s patient. It’s unacceptable to the Giants. It’s unacceptable to the Giant fans. But more importantly, it’s unacceptable to me. By the grace of God, I’ve been given a second chance here. I’m gonna make good on it. And if not, I know I’m gonna get shown the door...”
• [34:24] Peter Rosenberg: “You should be sick about the situation that they’re in, and I can tell you having high picks doesn’t solve it if you’re completely incompetent.”
• [37:58] Dave Rothenberg: “The fact that Stefanski was coach of the year two times with Cleveland almost means you should go directly to the hall of fame because it’s such a pathetic franchise.”
• [48:49] Peter Rosenberg: “You have a quarterback that’s learning how to be the CEO of a team and you’re going to have a head coach that’s learning how to be a head coach all at the same time. No, thank you. In New York.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:34–03:46] Joe Shane’s “stub your toe” comments and press conference reaction
• [04:24–05:56] Humorous debate on the toe analogy and what real Giants suffering “feels like”
• [07:55–09:34] Giants’ draft history autopsy: Evan Neal vs. the field
• [10:51–11:23] What GMs should say—Rosenberg’s impromptu speech
• [16:57–18:27] Should the Giants have tanked for a better pick? Mara’s influence and emotion
• [27:19–36:42] Dave Rothenberg segment: pain of being a Giant fan, draft logic vs. emotion, arguments over tanking and hope
• [36:30–40:47] Giants head coach candidates: Stefanski, Minter, Kubiak, and team philosophy
• [48:49–49:34] Pitfalls of hiring young, unproven coaches in New York

Concluding Thoughts

This hour weaves humor, exasperation, and authenticity as the hosts and guest grapple with the never-ending cycle of Giants mismanagement, the “culture vs. draft position” paradox, and the uniquely unforgiving cauldron of New York sports. Listeners are treated to insightful retrospectives, irreverent analogies, and pointed debates about leadership, communication, and what sort of future the Giants—and their fans—can hope for.

The show closes with the sense that while hope springs eternal at the start of each NFL offseason, New York’s football culture makes every decision, win or loss, a referendum on the soul of the franchise.