Don, Hahn & Rosenberg: "Hour 3: The Mets Are Done"

Date: September 15, 2025
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
Summary by Segment with Timestamps

Episode Overview

In this hour, the hosts delve into the fractious state of New York baseball—especially the Mets—debating fan expectations, mediocrity, and the agony of perennial underachievement. The conversation rolls into the Giants’ and Jets’ confounding football seasons, transitions to fatherhood moments and fandom legacy, and closes with spirited debates about game strategy, coaching, and even some parenting in NYC playgrounds.

Tone: Classic Northeast sports radio—passionate, disappointed, comedic, and brutally honest.

1. Mets Meltdown & Fan Frustration

[00:43–08:51]

Key Points:

• The Mets’ latest collapse and the emotional fallout.
• The “miracle” culture and why Don is fed up with it.
• Critique of playoff chances: “The Mets are not good. Stop having the conversation about a run.”
• Frustration with celebrating a walk-off win amid an 8-game losing streak.
• The hosts’ desire for a dominant, not “miraculous,” Mets team.

Notable Quotes:

• Don Hahn [01:56]: "The Mets are not good. So can we stop having the conversation? I'm sick and tired of the damn conversation. Maybe we'll make a run. Stop it. You're not a good baseball team, all right?"
• Don Hahn [04:01]: "I'm tired of the miracle. I'm tired of the Amazing moniker. The Miracle. You got to believe. It's all B. I'm tired of it."
• Don Hahn [04:27]: "Even in ’86 when they were actually dominant, they still had to pull it out of the rectum like 17 times to finally win!"
• Rosenberg [08:12]: "That's the appeal. It's always been the appeal of the Mets," (on the team’s ability to never be fully out of it, frustrating as it is.)

Memorable Moment:

• Don’s impassioned rant against "You gotta believe" and the little-engine-that-could identity, wishing for the “Dynastic Mets.”
• [04:23] Don: "Can it ever be something else? How about the dominant Mets? How about the really good Mets?"

2. Emotional Labor of Fandom & Family

[08:51–13:23]

Key Points:

• Being a sports fan in New York means enduring false hope and moral victories, not championships.
• Passing down fandom: Don’s son Marco becomes invested in Giants games.
• The tension of raising a kid in mixed-fan friendship circles (fear of Marco “going Eagles” for less homework).
• How childhood moments watching games with parents shape lifelong fandom.

Notable Quotes:

• Don Hahn [10:39]: "It was a great moment for me yesterday. My son’s watching the game with me... He wanted to go out and play football. This is a baseball kid."
• Rosenberg [12:23]: "Apples and trees, man. Like, he sees dad. And that’s what I’m gonna be."

3. Parenthood: NYC Playground Edition

[13:23–18:49]

Key Points:

• Allen shares stories about his 8-month-old daughter Maya’s first trip to the park, including shoe logistics and playground etiquette.
• Discussion about judging other parents—“big kids” hogging baby swings.
• Parenting around safety: warnings about young kids going down slides incorrectly and common playground injuries.
• The challenge of navigating parent-to-parent social interactions.

Notable Quotes:

• Allen [15:41]: "I'm already here to judge. This is the moment that you go, 'Honey, no, there’s a little baby there. The little baby should use this.'"
• Rosenberg [18:13]: “Kids break their legs all the time going down a little bit—like, little ones.”
• Allen [18:51]: "Figuring out how to interact with other parents is going to be a lot. That's not fun because you're dealing with strangers again."

4. Giants & Coach Dilemma: Play-calling and Frustration

[19:01–24:20]

Key Points:

• Caller critiques Giants’ coaching: not running enough, poor clock management, soft defenses late in games.
• Don and Rosenberg discuss end-of-game decision making and the burden on coaches and QBs.
• Frustration over Giants’ inability to deliver in "winning time."
• Brief praise for wide receiver Malik Nabers' performance.

Notable Quotes:

• Caller [19:42]: "The biggest problem with this team is how can you have this much talent on defense and stink as bad as...what are you doing at the end of the game dropping guys back in coverage?"
• Don Hahn [20:56]: "When it came winning time, that's the problem."
• Allen [24:20]: "Malik Nabers is him. Yeah. And that's why when he went in the first round..."

5. Yankees Roundup & Changing of the Guard

[25:12–28:33]

Key Points:

• Yankees’ series recap: Tipping pitches and rookie Warren’s struggles.
• Shift at shortstop from Volpe to Caballero—future implications for roster.
• Prospects and the "next big thing" syndrome in the Yankees organization.
• The inevitable cycle: Each “next” prospect has a brief stint of hope, then is replaced.

Notable Quotes:

• Don Hahn [26:25]: "Caballero is going to be your starting shortstop for the foreseeable future."
• Rosenberg [26:29]: "It'd be interesting to see if they move on from Volpe in the off season..."
• Allen [27:49]: "Whoever the next one is, hopefully won't be the Martian. The next young..."

6. Callers on Coaching & Giants' Crunch-Time Choices

[28:33–39:58]

Key Points:

• Callers reflect on the Mets’ history (quirkiness, perpetual underdog).
• Giants: Is Coach Brian Daboll done? He reportedly sounds defeated.
• Deep dive into Giants’ decision to kick or go for two late in game—Hosts debate analytics, risk, new NFL overtime rules, and kicker abilities.
• General laws of modern football: Coaches can be completely undone by singular moments.

Notable Quotes:

• Caller [29:39]: "He sounded like a man who knew he was going to be fired by the end of the season."
• Allen [33:44]: "It's 25 seconds. There's no way you're giving that point up. Take the point, right?"
• Don Hahn [35:06]: "With three timeouts and 25 seconds left, with a guy that’s got a leg that can kick a 70 yard field goal, I can somewhat wrap my mind around going for two, but because I’m guaranteed a possession in overtime, why do it?"

7. The Kicking Era & Analytics in NFL Strategy

[37:32–47:22]

Key Points:

• The 2020s: Era of long field goals—percentage of 60+ yard FGs made now dwarfs Hail Mary success.
• Analytics now push coaches to try unprecedented kicks rather than Hail Mary passes.
• The athletic leaps in the NFL: QBs & kickers now regularly make throws and kicks once thought impossible.

Notable Quotes:

• Rosenberg [44:24]: "Since 2009, 193 Hail Marys were attempted...16 ended up in a touchdown. That's 12%...But for 60+ yard field goals—34 were made out of 114. That's 27%.”
• Don Hahn [46:43]: "The greatest quarterback in the world back when we were growing up would throw a ball like 70 yards and like dislocate his shoulder... The athletic ability—it’s completely changed.”

8. Lighthearted Banter, Pop Culture & Sign Off

[47:35–end]

Key Points:

• The phrase “full frontal” and whether it’s appropriate for describing a radio show, leading to jokes about The Full Monty and hypothetical podcast nudity.
• Playful debate about who would pay to see the hosts naked.
• Final plugs for upcoming shows and station events.

Notable Quotes:

• Don Hahn [47:55]: "When people say the term full frontal, do they ever use it about anything except generally full frontal nudity?"
• Allen [48:25]: "You think there'd be women out there that would pay to see us naked?"
• Don Hahn [48:36]: "We can entertain in other ways, right?"

Takeaways

• The hosts’ longing for legitimacy for the Mets echoes through all NY sports frustrations—“stop selling us hope, give us quality.”
• Parenting and sports are deeply intertwined, both as sources of joy and disillusionment.
• The evolution of sports analytics and athlete capabilities are forcing coaches—and fans—to rethink risk and reward, whether it’s field goals, Hail Marys, or how to raise “good” fans in New York.

For listeners who missed it:
You’ll get a thorough, entertaining run through the emotional rollercoaster of modern New York fandom, flavored with personal stories, analytical debates, and classic sports radio humor. Whether you’re a lifetime Mets sufferer, a Giants optimist, or struggling to navigate baby swings at the playground, this hour delivers both empathy and catharsis.

Quick Reference Timestamps:

• [00:43] – Mets Rant Begins
• [04:01] – Don’s “tired of miracle” declaration
• [10:39] – Don’s bonding moment with son
• [15:41] – Playground parenting
• [20:56] – Coaching critique, Giants
• [24:20] – "Malik Nabers is him."
• [26:25] – Yankees’ shortstop shakeup
• [33:44] – Giants field goal/two-point debate
• [44:24] – Field goal vs. Hail Mary stats
• [47:55] – “Full frontal” comedy sequence