Don, Hahn & Rosenberg — Hour 4: Last Call Crew

Date: March 9, 2026
Theme: The Value of Fandom — Personal Priorities in Sports, Respect for Different Opinions, and What Makes a Game or Team Meaningful

Episode Overview

In this lively “Last Call Crew” hour, Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg dig deep into a sports discourse ignited by a morning show spat between “Dave and RJ.” The debate: Is it “crazy” to prefer following your favorite team’s regular season over the collective spectacle of March Madness? With characteristic candor, humor, and New York flavor, the hosts dissect what fandom means, the hierarchy of sporting passions, and why respecting others’ sports priorities matters.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Dave vs. RJ Sports Fandom Debate

[00:15–09:45]

• Setup: Don is “troubled” by a heated morning segment where RJ chooses to watch the Buffalo Sabres’ playoff push over the opening weekend of NCAA March Madness, to Dave’s disbelief.
• Don’s Take: The spat shows “he doesn’t actually respect hockey, even though he alleges that he does.”
• Speaker Quote:
  • Don: “It shows that you either don’t respect hockey or you don’t respect RJ’s love of the Sabres.” [02:44]
• Fandom is Personal:
  • The group agrees vested interest trumps “big event” excitement. Deep fandom reorders priorities—watching your team, even if not mainstream, beats national hype for neutral games.
  • Peter: “You can’t remove the power of the vested interest. It’s all about the vested interest.” [04:02]
• Is It About the Sport?:
  • Don wonders if Dave would challenge fans of other sports the same way. “Would he have said that to Ray if Ray wanted to watch the Knicks over NCAA?” [13:10]
  • The consensus: It’s less about the sport and more about respecting “how people fan.”

2. Respect for Others’ Passions

[05:50–17:10]

• Peter on Social Pressure: There’s an intimidation in sports culture—if you don’t love March Madness, “you’re a moron.” If you skip a second of football, “you’re not an American.”
  • Peter: “There’s an intimidation that goes on. You have to love the first two days of the tournament. You’re a moron if you don’t.” [15:27]
• Don’s Honesty:
  • Admits to low interest in some championship games: “If I was Don the Mailman, starting the third quarter [of the Super Bowl], I might have put on MASH.” [16:20]
• The Gray Areas:
  • Not every big game is magical. Many March Madness games are “chalk all day,” and not everyone cares about “two colleges he doesn’t care about…in an empty building at 2 o’clock.” [11:16]

3. Callers Reflect on the Debate

[29:22–40:55]

• Griffin in Connecticut: Sides with RJ; “Dave owes him an apology” for dismissing RJ’s Sabres fandom.
  • Griffin: “To him it feels like probably a decade since his team was good…Dave is saying it’s bigger than the NCAA tournament. I don’t get where Dave’s coming from.” [30:26]
• Don’s Take: Not everyone enjoys things the same way:
  • “If somebody doesn’t like steak, do I jump them? Not everybody enjoys things the same way you do.” [31:32]
• Steve in Queens: “For someone to say that your team being in the NHL playoffs isn’t as good as the top college teams is ridiculous. Pros are the best thing.” [34:05]
• Anthony (Producer): Would still watch the Rangers’ regular season, even though it’s a “horrifying nightmare” because of his fandom and “scouting mode.” [36:55]

4. March Madness “Drop Madness” and Radio Show Banter

[41:00–46:55]

• The crew jokes about on-air “drops” and which are their personal favorites, with Don clowning on old sports announcer calls (“If I made that mistake on the case show, he might have taken a swing at me. He’d be disgusted.” [44:23]).
• Teasing Friday’s “Drop Madness” segment, the group delights in the ridiculousness of some sportscasting lines and their own show’s unique humor.
• Peter: “If that’s not number one, I’m walking.” [45:38]
• Don: “They can’t all be conference tournament champions.” [45:43]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Don on the Power of Fandom:

  “Why is his love for the Giants different than RJ’s love for the Sabres other than it’s different sports? …You can’t wrap your mind around the fact that somebody might like something more than football or that somebody might like something more than the first weekend of the dance when you don’t have a team in it.” [03:30]

• Peter on Social Pressure:

  “There’s an intimidation that goes on. You have to love the first two days of the tournament. You’re a moron if you don’t. You gotta love every second of football, otherwise, you’re not an American.” [15:27]

• Don on His Own Fandom:

  “If I didn’t do this show…going into the third quarter [of the Super Bowl], I might have changed the channel…does that make me a bad guy?” [16:05]

• Griffin (Caller):

  “He probably thought this would never come in his lifetime, that they would be good and they’re having a phenomenal year.” [30:36]

• Don on Tolerance:

  “How do you kill somebody for having an opinion unless you’ve got, I don’t know, issues with yourself.” [32:05]

Timestamps: Important Segments

• Dave and RJ Argument (Hockey vs. March Madness): 00:45–09:45
• What Shapes Our Sports Priorities: 04:05–06:15
• Peter on March Madness Social Pressure: 15:27–17:10
• Super Bowl Disinterest & Fandom Individuality: 16:05–17:30
• Caller Griffin Defends RJ’s Fandom: 30:20–31:15
• Caller Steve on Pro vs. College Passion: 34:05–35:30
• Producer Anthony on Rangers Fandom: 36:55–38:50
• Drop Madness + Banter: 41:00–46:55

Tone and Banter

• Language: Blunt, playful, distinctly New York, loaded with sports talk bravado and “we bust your chops because we care” energy.
• Examples:
  • “He just said that’s different—why, because it’s your team?”
  • “Would he have said that to Ray if Ray said I’d rather watch the Knicks…?”
  • Joking about sports drop-clips: “You don’t think it belongs? No. Little yo, yo, monkey boy.” [45:10]

Takeaways

• Fandom is deeply personal, and it’s crucial to respect how others prioritize their sports passions.
• National sporting “events” are fun but can’t replace the loyalty and drama of following your own team, especially after long years of losing.
• Gatekeeping what someone “should” enjoy diminishes the spirit of sports.
• The Don, Hahn & Rosenberg show thrives on debate, banter, and good-natured ribbing, making for an honest and relatable discussion on why we love the games (and teams) we do.