Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – October 14, 2025

Hour 3: Yankees Feelings & Movies
ESPN New York | Hosts: Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg, Don "La Greca"

Episode Overview

This episode dives into two central themes:

1. The Fallout for Yankee Fans as the Blue Jays fall in the playoffs, and how that affects New York self-perception and future planning.
2. "Perfect Movies" Debate, as the crew, callers, and Tessa debate which films truly bring "all the feels."

With their signature blend of humor, passionate sports banter, pop culture tangents, and listener calls, Don, Hahn & Rosenberg keep the conversation lively and relatable.

Key Discussion Points

1. Yankees Fans React to Blue Jays’ Postseason Collapse

• Feeling Worse or Better?

  • Should Yankees fans root for the Blue Jays now?
    • Rosenberg (02:31): “I think it would make my team look better if the Blue Jays won. …It makes the Yankees look bad that the Blue Jays have lost two games at home… The guys you couldn’t touch are getting batting practice in the first two games. …I’d be red hot if I were a Yankee fan.”
    • Alan (03:19): “Not great. No, not great at all. …Seeing them getting just absolutely boat raced... is not a good look either because now it really makes you question things about the Yankees.”
  • Emotionally Avoiding the Series
    • Peter (03:19): “I have purposely avoided this series… I just—I don’t have—It’s almost like a nauseating feeling because of the way the season ended for the Yankees. I don’t want to see the Blue Jays do well.”

• Was Toronto Just Extra-Prepped?

  • Alan (04:15): "Toronto looked at the series with the Yankees as their World Series… They got ambushed, they got jumped in Toronto, and that series was over in a blink. Now that they’re in a real series, you’re seeing they're not as good as the Yankees seemed to make them look."

• Lingering Questions About Yankees’ Direction

  • Caller Chris (11:25): "I kind of want the Blue Jays to get destroyed … because that means that Brian Cashman can look at it—‘We’re not as close as we think we are. We need to make a lot of adjustments.’ That’s what I feel."
  • Rosenberg (12:00): "God bless you, Chris. It doesn’t seem like Cashman is motivated by that."

• Cashman & The Yankees’ Assessment Mindset

  • Peter (12:17): “His assessment of the team rarely feels like it’s something that he—he takes the macro view. Instead, he just looks at numbers and pretends the numbers tell me that’s not who we are, when in fact your eyes tell you.”
  • Rosenberg (14:15): "At this level, it’s like trying to convince somebody not to believe in God. If they believe, they are totally in."

Timestamp Highlights

• [02:31–06:51] – Yankees/Blue Jays Postseason Fallout
• [11:19] – Caller Chris on Cashman’s big-picture responsibility

2. Postseason Baseball Talk

• Dodgers’ Resilience vs. Others’ Inexperience

  • Rosenberg (06:07): “The Dodgers have no bullpen and yet…just shows you how talented they are.”
  • Peter (07:03): “You can be that team that's just good every year, but when they get to the playoffs…they don’t have the experience of success that makes you believe them. They gotta show you something.”

• Postseason Stats for Stars

  • Debates Ohtani and Judge’s lackluster playoff numbers.
  • Peter (09:32): "Ohtani's postseason batting average is .200, his slugging .378, OPS .723."
  • Rosenberg (10:18): "Another example of a surefire Hall of Famer that just can't come close to duplicating those numbers in the postseason."

Timestamp Highlights

• [06:51–11:12] – Dodgers as the standard; star postseason struggles

3. "Perfect Movie" Debates & Pop Culture Banter

• Call-In Battles for the Best Feel-Good (Non-Animated) Movies

  • Caller Dove (16:01): “I have to hold you accountable, Peter. Did you finally watch Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid?”
    • Peter (16:23): “I didn’t. …It will happen.”
  • Caller Dove (16:56): “In terms of perfect movies that give you the feels, I’d offer Forrest Gump.”
    • Allen (17:09): “I’ll push back. …It ends with you in kind of a terrible mood. Like Back to the Future hits all the feels and you’re happy at the end.”
    • Peter (17:30): “The ending, though, is very sweet. I mean, his son tilting his head…”

• Forrest Gump vs. Back to the Future

  • Allen (17:44): “…three hours. Doesn’t get, feels like it doesn’t get buried. …just interesting enough.”
  • Rosenberg (18:15): “You see the kids age… It always gets referenced in movies and television. Everybody in the world has seen this. Everybody enjoys it for—not everybody loves Forrest Gump.”
  • Peter (19:02): “Both movies have a bit of an American timeline…some nostalgia. …Forrest Gump is, like, oddly sillier. …It’s overacted.”

• Michael J. Fox’s Range And Legacy Debated

  • Peter (21:20): “You’re going to tell me that you don’t see Alex P. Keaton in every single... it’s always Alex P. Keaton, just a different version.”
  • Allen (22:01): “Tom Hanks had the advantage and good fortune of having a 40 year career.”

• Courtroom Movie Moments

  • Caller Steve (25:28): "The perfect movie ever is My Cousin Vinny. …There isn’t one wasted second of writing in that entire movie."
    • Allen (26:13): “It’s a great movie.”
    • Rosenberg (26:31): “Nothing beats a good courtroom scene at the end of a movie, right? A Few Good Men. My Cousin Vinny, you muffin me…”
    • Discusses ‘A Time to Kill’ as a standout courtroom drama.

• Why "Lion King" Gets Disqualified

  • Tessa (29:38): “Guys, what’s wrong with Lion King, the original? Who has not sang that part when the monkey held Simba up? …That’s one of the great… It just—no, it is definitely up there.”
  • Rosenberg (30:30): “The reason I will not include it in this conversation is because cartoons are cheating, right?”
  • Allen (31:25): “First time I saw Lion King was freshman year of high school with my girlfriend…very different experience.”

Timestamp Highlights

• [16:01–22:25] – Movies that give "all the feels," key arguments and side-bar debates
• [25:28–28:21] – The courtroom genre: From My Cousin Vinny to A Time to Kill
• [29:38–31:47] – Lion King, animation, and emotional “cheating”

4. Football Talk: Giants Moves, Rookie Quarterbacks & Trade Deadline

• Can Giants Find WR Help?

  • Allen (36:09): "The Giants are now at a place if you are Joe Shane… Are you finding receivers? Are you thinking—I got to get my guy a target with Neighbors out?"
  • Peter (36:26): "Maybe you start investing now instead of waiting for the off-season."
  • Rosenberg (45:33): “Why wouldn’t you want to give your quarterback the best chance to succeed?... If there’s a receiver that shakes loose … I’m not giving up a lot of draft capital.”

• Notable Names—But Not Exciting Ones

  • Peter (46:02): “Tyler Lockett. …Tennessee’s going nowhere, right? I mean, Brandon Cooks, no… Jacoby Myers. …Jets would love someone to take Lazard...”
  • Allen (46:34): “I know a perfect destination for Alan Lazard... send him right over to Pittsburgh.”

Timestamp Highlights

• [34:44–36:09] – Giants future, rookie QB growing pains, Jackson Dart's development
• [36:09–47:48] – Giants WR options, trade deadline possibilities

Notable Quotes & Moments

On Yankees’ Blues:

• Rosenberg ([02:31]): “It would make my team look better if the Blue Jays won… but I think it makes the Yankees look bad that the Blue Jays have lost two games at home…”
• Peter ([03:19]): “I have purposely avoided this series. …It’s almost like a nauseating feeling because of the way the season ended.”

On Cashman’s Reluctance to Change:

• Peter ([12:17]): “His assessment of the team rarely feels like…he takes the macro view. Instead, he looks at numbers and pretends the numbers tell me that's not who we are—when your eyes tell you.”

Comparing Movie Emotions:

• Allen ([17:09]): "Back to the Future hits all the feels and you’re happy at the end. ...It's Forrest Gump, the journey on the way out is tough."
• Rosenberg ([18:50]): “Not everybody loves Forrest Gump. ...It is a little hokey.”
• Peter ([19:02]): “Both movies have a bit of an American timeline to them. ...Forrest Gump is, like, oddly sillier. It's overacted. Bubba's overacted. Lieutenant Dan's a bit much. It's...”

On Animation and Cheating Emotions

• Rosenberg ([30:30]): “The reason I will not include [Lion King] is because cartoons are cheating, right?”

On Giants’ Trade Deadline Approach

• Peter ([36:26]): “Maybe you start investing now instead of waiting for the off-season.”
• Allen ([46:34]): “I think I know a perfect destination for Alan Lazard...send him right over to Pittsburgh.”

Listener Interaction Highlights

• Chris from Barnegat ([11:19]): Wrestles with rooting for a division rival and the hope that a Blue Jays meltdown forces Yankees management’s hand.
• Dove (now in Boston) ([16:01]): Holds Peter accountable for movie-watching promises; launches the "perfect feel-good movie" debate.
• Steve in the Car ([25:28]): Asserts "My Cousin Vinny" is flawless screenwriting.

Tone & Style

• Camaraderie + Candidness: Constant ribbing between the hosts, plenty of pop-culture asides.
• Passionate, Self-Deprecating Sports Talk: Emotional investment in Yankees, Giants, and Jets, with equal parts sarcasm and sincerity.
• Diverse Topics, Seamless Shifts: From playoff pitching stats, to movie nostalgia, to trade deadline speculation.

Timestamps Guide for Key Segments

• 02:31–06:51: Yankees/Blue Jays playoff fallout
• 11:19–14:45: Callers and the Cashman/Yankees conundrum
• 16:01–22:25: "Perfect movies" and the feels debate
• 25:28–28:21: Courtroom movies and iconic lines
• 29:38–31:47: Lion King and the animated films question
• 34:44–36:09: Giants, rookie QB growing pains
• 36:09–47:48: Giants WR options, trade deadline

Closing Thoughts

This episode is essential listening for any New York sports fan struggling with postseason heartbreak, craving honest talk about team management, or simply enjoying timeless movie debates. Whether it’s dissecting how your rival’s loss reflects back on you, wondering if Cashman “gets it,” or reminiscing about the greatest courtroom scenes in cinema, Don, Hahn & Rosenberg make it all feel like a hanging at your neighborhood sports bar—complete with laughter, jabs, and real talk.

“Back to the Future hits all the feels and you’re happy at the end.”
— Alan (17:09)

“It’s like trying to convince somebody not to believe in God. If they believe, they are totally in.”
— Rosenberg (14:15)