Don, Hahn & Rosenberg

ESPN New York Podcast

Episode: Hour 3: WBC, WBNA & Geno
Date: March 13, 2026
Featured Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg

Episode Overview

In this third hour, Don, Hahn, and Rosenberg take their signature New York sports banter through timely topics: the perceived irrelevance of the World Baseball Classic (WBC), high-stakes drama surrounding a potential WNBA lockout, and the surprising return of Geno Smith as New York Jets quarterback. The trio blends sharp analysis, passionate debate, and classic New York sports skepticism, all while keeping the energy high and the conversation unpredictable.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. World Baseball Classic (WBC) Apathy

Discussion Theme:
The trio explores why the WBC fails to capture fans’ attention, especially in the U.S., and contrasts it with other international sporting events.

• Truth Serum Moment:

  • Rosenberg makes Allen admit whether he will watch the USA vs. Canada WBC quarterfinal.
    • Allen: “Absolutely not.” (02:09)
    • Allen admits he’ll only check the score if prompted by a friend.
    • Rosenberg and Don agree: outside of die-hard baseball fans, most Americans just aren't invested.

• Manufactured Significance:

  • Don: “This feels so manufactured now that I just can't... this is of no significance whatsoever.” (03:33)
  • Allen finds some meaning, but ultimately, their lack of engagement is mutual.

• WBC’s Organizational Problems:

  • Don is frustrated by the U.S. management’s lack of seriousness:
    • “The manager had no idea what was going on... sending players in and out, like, oh, this guy's going to leave now and go back to his team.” (03:43)
  • Allen suggests the indifference from players—leaving mid-tournament for spring training—shows why the WBC doesn’t resonate.

• Comparisons with Other Tournaments:

  • Rosenberg reflects on how NHL’s “Four Nations” event underwhelmed him as a hockey fan:
    • “It was an appetizer for the Olympics. I'm like, all right, not bad.” (05:05)
    • He notes that fans will watch, but without passion for the outcome.

• Notable Quote:

  • Don: “Every moment was so intriguing and they were so in that it. It won me over and it won other people... The players, they told me, yeah, this matters to me. It was personal.” (05:54–06:04)
    • Contrasting this with the WBC's lack of similar energy.

Timestamps:

• [02:09] - Will you watch WBC?
• [03:33] - Manufactured significance
• [05:05] - NHL Four Nations comparison
• [06:04] - What made other tournaments work

2. WNBA Labor Tensions & Risk of Lockout

Discussion Theme:
The hosts discuss the potentially dire ramifications of a WNBA lockout amid unprecedented growth in the women’s game.

• WNBA Growth At Risk:

  • Rosenberg warns: “If you have a lockout, it could do irreparable damage. It really could do. This is tremendous.” (08:09)

• Player vs. League Pressure:

  • Don frames it as a dangerous “dance”:
    • “Who’s the pressure on more? The players, who could end up losing momentum, or a league that has to worry about losing what they thought they were gaining, and sponsors going, ‘well, now we can't trust that this thing's good’?” (08:45)

• Drawing Historical Parallels:

  • Don brings up the 1994–95 NHL lockout, which destroyed the league's momentum after years of high visibility:
    • “It was irreparable, the damage... The W cannot afford [that].” (09:54–10:13)

• The Dilemma:

  • Rosenberg: “You want to get back to work... you don't want to lose the momentum that you have. So somebody’s got a blink.” (10:46)
  • Don: “You got to keep nibbling at it... This is not the time to say I need all of it. Get as much as you can, but then get back on the court.” (11:16–11:59)

• Name Checks:

  • The recent surge attributed to “Caitlin's part of it, but... Angel has a big part.” (11:47)
  • “There's still more stars coming in from college.”

Timestamps:

• [08:09] - Lockout warnings
• [09:54] - 1995 NHL Lockout analogy
• [11:16] - Incremental wins advice

Notable Quotes:

• Rosenberg: “It’s really a very difficult call, but hopefully they get it solved sooner than later.” (11:59)

3. Geno Smith Returns to the Jets: Redemption or Re-Run?

Discussion Theme:
Geno Smith officially speaks as a Jet again, and the hosts question whether his homecoming can defy the familiar script of Jet misfortune—or will just be another chapter in it.

• Geno's Optimistic Outlook:

  • Geno Smith:
    • “I got a lot of years to play, and I’m looking forward to... building this thing from the ground up brick by brick.” (19:43)

• Redemption Narrative:

  • Allen: “Given what Geno has been through... His plan in his head is to upend the entire plan, is to be, like, so good on this team that they're like, we might have to give him an extension.” (19:56–20:24)

• Skepticism Over ‘Feel-Good’ Offseasons:

  • Don: “The Jets are really good at the offseason, really good at developing any type of optimism in the offseason... Then they start playing football and you go, yeah, no, that ain’t right.” (26:02)
  • Don warns not to get sucked into hope:
    • “This sounds good, but you're not going to get me. I'm not, I'm not going to do it.” (26:02–26:44)

• Tension Between Hope and Jets’ History:

  • Allen: “The possibility of a redemption is one is an indescribable thing in sports.” (28:09)
  • Don (cautious): “This is setting up... and you know, I told you what happens next. The Jets happen next.” (28:24)

• Jets’ Structural Challenges:

  • Don highlights core issues:
    • “This is also a quarterback that does throw it to the other team a lot, maybe too much. And...when he sees a blitz he will turn tail and run.” (26:39–26:44)
  • Allen and Don agree: This isn’t set up to be a high-powered offense, and Geno’s age and volatility need contingency planning.

• Debate Over Tanking vs. Building a Culture:

  • Rosenberg and Don push back at fans (like Rick D. Pietro) who favor tanking for a draft pick:
    • “At some point, you have to show that you’re a functioning franchise.” (29:44)
    • “How has all the losing worked out for you? Two quarterbacks in the top three... You’ve tried it your way for 50 years.” (40:40–40:51)

• Detroit Lions as a Proper Comparison:

  • Don: “The best comp is the Lions... They made the trade. They didn’t draft a quarterback, but they drafted well in other areas.” (37:57–38:08)

Timestamps:

• [19:43] - Geno’s optimism
• [20:24] - Redemption hopes
• [26:02] - Offseason optimism warning
• [28:09–28:24] - New York sports & redemption
• [29:44–40:51] - Tanking, losing, and the Jets’ identity

Notable Geno Smith Quotes:

• “I’ve got a lot of years to play, and I’m looking forward to getting back into the building and building this thing from the ground up brick by brick.” (19:43)
• “I’m a lot better than I was a few years ago, and I know that for sure. And this opportunity, again, the team that drafted me... a chance to showcase who I am and what I’m about. Not just to the fan base ...but to my teammates, really, and to the people in the building who I go to work with every day.” (24:33–25:18)

4. Rapid-Fire Non-Sports Segment: Movie Talk & Boston Accents

Discussion Theme: Typical for the show, the sports talk gives way to energetic, comic movie debates—particularly about Scorsese’s “The Departed” and the notorious Boston accents.

• Accents Dissection:
  • Rosenberg: “It still bothers me that of all the Scorsese movies, that's the one that wins Best Picture... it’s not Goodfellas. It’s not Casino.” (17:38–17:49)
  • Group riffs on bad Boston accents—Baldwin, DiCaprio, Nicholson—concluding that over-the-top accents added a comedic feel to the serious crime flick.
    • Don: “It added a little bit of a comedic appeal to a serious... Guns and Tough Guys movie.” (18:38–18:42)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|-------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:33 | Don Hahn | “This feels so manufactured now that I just can't... this is of no significance whatsoever.” | | 08:09 | Rosenberg | “If you have a lockout, it could do irreparable damage. It really could do. This is tremendous.” | | 11:59 | Rosenberg | “It’s really a very difficult call, but hopefully they get it solved sooner than later.” | | 19:43 | Geno Smith | “I got a lot of years to play, and I’m looking forward to... building this thing from the ground up brick by brick.” | | 28:09 | Allen | “The possibility of a redemption is one is an indescribable thing in sports.” | | 29:44 | Don Hahn | “At some point, you have to show that you're a functioning franchise.” | | 40:51 | Allen | “You’ve tried it your way for 50 years.” |

Flow & Tone

This episode features a classic New York sports talk blend of sarcasm (“I’m not going to do it—this is always the story with the Jets”), playful ribbing (“If he was spending that much time watching Jet highlights, it explains why he was so bad last year with the Raiders” (30:51)), and moments of genuine passion—especially when discussing the cultural stakes of the WNBA and the never-ending hope and heartbreak cycle for Jets fans.

Summary Table of Major Segments

| Time | Topic | Highlights | |-----------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------| | 02:09–06:16 | WBC apathy & tournament parallels | Manufactured drama, lack of investment; previous examples| | 08:09–11:59 | WNBA labor dispute/lockout risk | Losing momentum, player/league tension, historical notes | | 19:43–28:39 | Geno Smith & Jets redemption | Geno’s perspective, host optimism vs. skepticism | | 29:44–40:51 | Tanking & culture in Jets franchise | Long-term franchise pathology, comparisons to Lions | | 16:04–19:03 | Movie accents (mini-segment) | Bad Boston accents in The Departed, comic breakdown |

Final Thoughts

This hour is a quintessential Don, Hahn & Rosenberg show: unsparing in their critique, but always with an undercurrent of hope—whether that’s for the WNBA to avoid repeating history, for the WBC to someday matter to U.S. fans, or for the perennial punchline Jets to finally write a redemption story with Geno Smith (however unlikely that may seem). The combination of sharp sports insight, pop culture detours, and good-natured New York cynicism makes for a fast-moving, fun, and thought-provoking listen.