Hour 4: Mets Not Changing & Game 7s

Summary

Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 4: Mets Not Changing & Game 7s (May 1, 2026)

Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
Theme: Mets’ turbulence, managerial accountability, and high-stakes NBA/NHL playoff scenarios

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Overview

In this vibrant and wide-ranging hour, Don, Hahn, and Rosenberg touch on two primary themes: the ongoing struggles of the New York Mets and the franchise’s decision not to make managerial changes—despite another rough start—and the anticipation and analysis surrounding possible Game 7s in both the NBA and NHL playoffs. The hosts bring their signature blend of sports expertise, humor, and New York swagger, peppered with notable quotes about accountability and playoff chaos.

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1. Family & Broadcasting: A Personal Touch

[00:53–02:27]

• Rosenberg shares a touching moment Facetiming with his wife and daughter, noting how his daughter enjoys watching him do radio.

• Discussion of whether hosts’ own kids want to follow in broadcasting. Don says his kids have little interest, but highlights his daughter Emma’s excellent narration in marine conservation videos.

  “She does videos when they release turtles to the sea and she narrates them … your narration voice is incredible.” —Don La Greca [01:48]

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2. Mets Turmoil & Management Decision

Mets’ Woes and Stearns’ Stance

[02:28–06:18]

• With the Knicks dominating headlines, the crew shifts to the Mets, questioning David Stearns’ (Mets president) resolve to keep manager Carlos Mendoza, following a 10–21 start and a recent 12-game losing streak.

• Stearns’ statement via an interview draws close scrutiny:

  “We know our record is not what we want … we don’t view this as a manager problem and we don’t intend to make a change.” —David Stearns (quoted by hosts) [03:25]

• The crew analyzes the phrasing—“don’t intend to make a change”—with Peter Rosenberg pointing out its hedged language:

  “When you say we’re not ‘intending’ to make a change, it means you’re giving them another chance still, which is shocking but that’s what it says to me.” —Peter Rosenberg [04:30]

• Don dives deeper, suggesting Stearns is shouldering the blame as the architect and not scapegoating his manager.

• They also note a lack of players grumbling (off-the-record complaints), a classic sign that locker-room unrest is not driving the firestorm (yet):

  “That stuff usually leaks out when there’s some internal player frustration about leadership. That hasn’t come out.” —Don [05:54]

• With the Mets heading to Anaheim, the group jokes they’ll “get to hide for a while on the West Coast,” but Rosenberg notes even the struggling Angels see the Mets as “food.”

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3. Listener Insight: A Jaded Mets Fan

[08:55–09:51]

• Producer Jacob weighs in, skeptical that Stearns’ current support for Mendoza will last given the team’s ongoing woes (injuries, poor pitching, weak offense):

  “I intend to not be a piece of you-know-what at my job sometimes, but you know it just happens…” —Jacob [09:02] “I do think he’s still probably gonna be let go eventually. … That’s why this Knicks win has carried me over for the weekend. Anything the Mets do this weekend won’t ruin my mouth.” —Jacob [09:14]

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4. Playoff Game 7s: Predictions & Enthusiasm

Setting the Playoff Table

[13:19–21:47]

• With the city buzzing over the Knicks, the show pivots to the NBA and NHL playoff landscapes.
• Hahn tees up the stakes for Knicks fans: which opponent after the Sixers–Celtics Game 7?

  “If Philly wins, the Knicks host Game 1 Monday against the Sixers. If the Celtics win, the Knicks will be in Boston Monday to take on the Celtics.” —Alan Hahn [13:48]

Will We See More Game 7s? The Panel Predicts

• Fun, rapid-fire round where hosts and panelists assess whether different NBA and NHL series will go to a Game 7, discussing injuries, home court/ice, and recent form.

• Notable buzz:

  • Orlando-Detroit NBA Series (“Game 7 is definitely being forced … Franz Wagner is a big piece to that Orlando Magic offense.” —Jacob [15:20])
  • Montreal-Tampa Bay NHL Series (Montreal “closes it out tonight, in Montreal.” —Anthony [16:12])
  • Cavs-Raptors NBA Series (Jacob predicts even without Ingram, Toronto will force Game 7: “Toronto’s defense has been spectacular.” [17:16])
  • Sabres-Bruins NHL Series (“The Sabres get it done … I think actually going on the road will help Buffalo.” —Anthony [18:46])
  • Lakers-Rockets NBA Series: Lakers up 3-2, Rockets surge. (“LeBron will feel this energy; he felt the need to close out this young Rockets team.” —Jacob [20:48])
  • Vegas-Utah NHL Series (“No game seven.” —Anthony [21:44])

  The hosts joke about a good “ends tonight” playoff theme song for decisive games.

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5. Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Stearns’ ambiguous commitment:

  "We don’t intend to make a change is probably the key phrase here.” —Don [03:44]

• On the locker room silence:

  "You're not getting any grumbling … that stuff usually leaks out when there’s some internal player frustration. That hasn’t come out.” —Don [05:54]

• On the Mets’ reputation:

  “The Mets are food. When other teams see the Mets on the schedule, they're thinking we're getting it right here.” —Alan [06:35]

• Jacob’s frustration:

  “The way our pitching looks, along with anorexic offense … I’m just not into it.” —Jacob [09:14]

• On high Game 7 stakes:

  “That might be the highest rated first round NBA playoff game in the history of the sport because LeBron James is facing something that we've never seen before: potentially losing a 3-0 lead.” —Alan [20:25]

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6. Key Timestamps

• [00:53] Rosenberg shares family FaceTime moment / Kids and broadcasting
• [02:28] Shift to Mets, David Stearns' “we don’t intend to make a change” statement
• [04:30] Parsing Stearns’ wording, impact on club
• [05:45] Discussion about typical player grumbling (or its absence) when managers are in trouble
• [08:55] “Jacob, you’re a Mets fan” segment—pessimism about team direction
• [13:19] Playoff table set: Knicks opponent, stakes, anticipation
• [15:18] Game 7 predictions round begins (NBA, then NHL series staggered in discussion)
• [20:25] LeBron and the Lakers' potential for an historic Game 7
• [21:52] Episode closeout: “best time of year … see you Monday”

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7. Tone & Style

• Classic New York sports radio—passionate, irreverent, analytical.
• Panel is self-deprecating, realistic about their teams, never afraid to piece apart official statements.
• Community vibe—listeners and producers drawn in for reactions.

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Conclusion

This episode puts a magnifying glass on Mets management's approach in the face of disaster and flips to playoff madness, as the crew’s predictions and debates span basketball and hockey. Between the off-beat family moments and earnest gripes about their local teams, Don, Hahn, and Rosenberg reaffirm why New York sports talk remains unmatched for energy, candid analysis, and spontaneous fun.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

a million bucks this is the don hahn and rosenberg podcast that sounds like heaven to me listen live weekday afternoon starting at three on eight eighty espn the espn new york app and your

[C]

smart speakers i'm on facetime right now with my wife and daughter and my daughter is so happy watching me do radio like she's now getting hi honey she literally like when she sees me get on the headset and start talking she like already gets it alan like that something's going on watch she's going

[D]

to start putting headsets on and just talking randomly thinking everybody can hear her

[C]

do any of your kids want to

[D]

follow in your footsteps no it's amazing

[C]

none of them have an interest in

[E]

broadcasting well i don't know what cali's

[D]

gonna do cali's a talker but you know she's eleven so she doesn't really have like that it's like she's more focused on just playing sports and having fun so but the older ones no they really aren't although i will say this emma has a great voice way better than mine really you think emma

[C]

has a better voice than you she

[D]

has a great voice and she's like she does what she does right now for new york marine conservation she she does videos when they re release like turtles to the to the sea after they help condition them and she narrates them for people who are watching streaming wise and i've always told her like your narration voice is incredible wow but that's that's yeah but it's not like that's really cool though yeah it's awesome but it's not like she would ever like do something like this

[C]

like like

[D]

actual you know yeah radio yeah i don't i don't think it's it's of her interest

[E]

so we haven't done a

[D]

lot of anything other than knicks today which is of course expected after a game like that a historic game but

[E]

there was some interesting mets news you

[C]

you you of all people want to bring up the david stern stuff you

[E]

well it but it's not no no this is but this is i mean

[D]

we've been talking about this so it's it's david stearns kind of closed the door on something that had been hinted and speculated and he had a an interview with anthony tacoma right mlb dot com and when asked about of course the fact that their managers are already been fired in baseball the mets are off to a ten and twenty one start and they had a twelve game losing streak recently and stern said we know our record is now what we

[C]

want to hear we have the stearns

[D]

don't we no we don't oh we don't so this was a this was an interview that they did oh this

[C]

is dacomo set it on our air

[D]

yeah yeah but we know our record is not what we want this is from stearns and we know we're capable of more we don't view this as a manager problem and we don't intend to make a change so we don't

[E]

intend to make a change is probably

[D]

the key phrase here because he's saying this is not on mendoza we don't

[E]

view as a manager problem that's that's parallel to what the players have said

[D]

when the media has asked the players

[E]

he's saying the same thing this is not a manager issue but the choice

[D]

of words here and we don't intend to make a change how do you read that peter is is that saying

[E]

it like that's a soft way of saying it versus and we're not making

[D]

a change he's saying we don't intend to make a change or am i reading too much into it

[F]

what's the

[E]

exact wording again and we don't intend

[D]

to make a change versus saying and we're not making a change we're not making any changes well no no i

[C]

mean it's it's i think you're reading it exactly right i mean when you say we're not intending to make a change it means you're giving them another chance still which is shocking but that's what it says to me yeah well

[E]

he said it's not a we don't view it as a manager problem so i think stearns is saying what the players are saying too it's us and stearns kind of telling on himself right we know we're capable of more this team should be better it's not it's not the manager's fault it's the players fault he's saying it the team i

[D]

built they're not getting it done and you can't put this on the manager so i'm not going to blame him so i'm not firing him i don't intend to move on from my manager

[E]

interesting i would that's as strong as

[D]

you could possibly say it without like

[E]

but leaving it a little bit open

[D]

to it doesn't mean we won't but right now we don't intend to do

[C]

it in the words of my man dylan from love on the spectrum interesting that is not what i would i mean you heard where don's at right

[D]

now he's done yeah he's so done

[C]

because if you if you're saying it's not mendoza and by the way again

[E]

the players are saying it too though you're not getting any grumbling normally by

[D]

now there'll be somebody who would have

[E]

already told the reporter something off the

[D]

record about how you know the room doesn't really respect him he doesn't say

[E]

anything you know this thing was tailspinning last year he did nothing now we start the season we're still tailspinning and he's still doing nothing you know that stuff usually leaks out when there's some internal player frustration about leadership that hasn't come out yeah so it kind of

[D]

suggests that stearns is owning it

[C]

they're in anaheim tonight yes so again you know listen it's on the road it's not it's not a homestand but they'll

[D]

they get to hide for a while in the west coast well and also

[C]

in play in theory what should be some winnable baseball games the angels are twelve and twenty right i mean now again believe me the mets are food when other teams see the mets on the schedule they're thinking we're getting it right here yeah exactly so you know

[G]

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[D]

mets fan sometimes do you do you

[E]

agree with what stearns is saying here

[F]

i mean as soon as he read i mean the quote that he intends to i was like oh i intend to not be a piece of you know what at my job sometimes but you know it just happens you know

[C]

i disagree i don't think you ever

[F]

do that yeah but i do i do think he's still probably gonna be lego eventually like i don't see this thing getting better just based on the injuries that we had the way we're playing and then the way our pitching looks pitching was a concern last year and it still continues to be a concern this year like that along with anorexic defense and i mean offense and how this team looks sometimes i'm just i'm not into it that's why this knicks win has carried me over for the weekend anything that the mets do this weekend won't ruin my mouth

[C]

and with that we'll take your calls to close this thing out on a friday on a big knicks friday one eight hundred nine one nine three seven seven six this is a chance a final few minutes to shout about your new york knicks it's don hanna roseberg oh oh hold on i did forget something very important you did yeah a few things first of all i got to tell you guys something first about sail gp the ultimate race on water all right where international teams go head to head in f fifty catamarans flying over sixty miles an hour all right you think he knows taking the win in bermuda make your pick on the espn new york app all right get it right and you'll be entered to win an exclusive meet and greet with sail gp athletes at their team base at the mubadala new york sail grand prix make your pick now and get closer to the action with sail gp sail gp high speed high stakes the ultimate race on water landing in new york may thirtieth and the thirty first in a quick game time interesting brought to you by tullamore dew irishewitz because when it's game time it's tully time i love that that exists now shout out to all my love on the spectrum fans they'll appreciate it the mets are in la as we just had to take on the angels coverage immediately following pat o' keefe on eight hundred eighty at nine the yankees and the orioles starting a series at seven o five in the bronx tullamore dew the original triple distilled triple blended and triple cast matured irish whiskey be sure to grab a tullamore dew or try the new tullamore dew honey during today's action gloss up to enjoying tullamore dew responsibly it's

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[B]

dot com thanks for listening to the don hahn and rosenberg podcast i didn't

[G]

listen to anything you just said catch

[B]

the show on demand whenever you want just just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts

[E]

we're taking you into the weekend with little han solo with

[D]

you eight hundred now at nine three

[E]

seven seven six and you know what as we look into the weekend i mean this we're in the playoffs now for the winter sports the nba the nhl and we're in that point now of the first rounds where we have some we have a game seven for sure tomorrow that game seven of course is the is going to be very interest interest there's going to be a high interest in new york in this

[D]

area for this game because it's the

[E]

sixers at the celtics seven thirty nbc right after the kentucky derby and that of course is the winner will play the knicks if philly wins the knicks host game one monday against the sixers if the celtics win the knicks will be in boston monday to take on

[D]

the celtics to start that second round

[E]

series but guys i figured let's play a game of how many other game

[D]

sevens are we gonna get oh i

[E]

like this see in the nhl we'll also have a game one on saturday

[D]

night on abc with the flyers and the the hurricanes but we've got game

[E]

sixes across the board tonight which means we could have game sevens on sunday so i'm gonna go back and forth nba nhl we're going to give you the games and we're going to vote and decide whether or not this is

[D]

going seven or it's ending tonight ready

[E]

all right all right i'm ready first game of the night nba by the way all nba tonight's on prime all nhl is on espn that's right so detroit at orlando orlando's up three two home team up three two needs one win and they're done they get into the next round big eight one upset or pistons win and they force a game seven at home on sunday key injury no franz wagner for the magic big injury so are we getting a game seven or is orlando pulling off the huge upset knocking off the top

[D]

seed and ending this in six at

[F]

home i think game seven is definitely being forced franz wagner is a big piece to that orlando magic offense they look stagnant at some times and i don't think him being out will hope that anymore so i'm choosing the pistons to force a game seven all right

[D]

the number one seed stays alive and boy what a what a big game that would be in detroit for the pistons number one seed that like they're on the they're on the verge right now of a huge upset all right

[E]

let's jump over the nhl at seven o' clock at the exact same time

[D]

tonight which is in moments from now

[E]

tampa bay the lightning at the canadiens montreal up three two this can be

[D]

watched on espn two by the way

[E]

this has been a hell of a series anthony does this series get a game seven or do the canadiens end

[D]

it tonight i'd love it to but

[M]

they're dogs at home montreal dog plus one hundred really at home this lightning team is not the lightning team of old john cooper still might be the greatest coach in the nhl that we have right now but there's something missing they haven't had victor headman i think that as much as i'd like to i say no game seven montreal closes it out tonight in montreal all right

[D]

it ends tonight bc if we want to make this a thing we have to have like the it ends tonight song like we play there

[E]

because i

[D]

like this as a little playoff thing

[E]

to do all right back to the nba the seven thirty tip off cavs raptors this is the to be series

[D]

of all of the nba playoff series

[E]

cleveland won their game at home to make it three two it was not pretty this series has not been pretty i just saw a key injury for the raptors no brandon ingram heel injury he's out now for toronto at home does cleveland close this out or can toronto force a game seven jake i

[F]

do think brandon ingram is a key injury for this team uh but toronto's a tough place to play on the road in the playoffs they're going to have the whole country around them they i do think they're going to probably force a game seven even without them now this toronto's defense has been spectacular yeah you know jamal shed you got scotty barnes they have they're not big up top and both jarrett allen and evan mobley haven't been able to take

[D]

advantage of it don't like it when they're not big up top you know scotty barnes has been absolutely dominant in this series they haven't had an answer for him but ingram is such a big scorer for them i don't know

[E]

this is going to have to be

[D]

a grinder i think but you know

[E]

what you have james harden and donovan mitchell and they too many times have these playoff collapses and playoff lapses in

[D]

their history can they overcome it tonight on the road so jake is saying we are going to have a game seven that's by the way jacob wants

[E]

game seven that's two already that he

[D]

wants on sunday again seven thirty tonight cleveland at toronto on prime back to

[E]

the nhl we go another seven thirty this one on on the espn proper this is a series of course for the ages sabers this is going back

[D]

to the adams division days you have

[E]

the sabres and the bruins bruins stayed alive with a posternach overtime goal to make it three two buffalo does have a three two advantage but they're on the road and anthony are we getting a classic old school game seven between

[D]

these two rivals another home dog in

[M]

the bruins i can't do it to rj no the sabres get it done they close it out that was an amazing game five was amazing posernach scoring the way that he did kind of taking life out of that building i think actually going on the road will help buffalo that barn is rocking all the time and those fans have been waiting a long long time i think that they are the better team in this series they've shown it more than boston has boston is not as strong as they've been in the past much like tampa bay i think the sabres get it done as much as i'd love it no game seven can you

[E]

imagine the bruins season ending on a

[D]

friday night and the celtics season ending on a saturday night oh no oh what a weekend you could have up there at td garden just shutting it down you hate game sevens you've now called two series i love game seven

[M]

but if the people are listening to us for any type of advice in the betting markets i got to be honest with what i'm looking at here

[D]

yeah you are and by the way follow peter because his bets lately oh yeah made him some money all right

[E]

last game tonight jake in the nba again all this on prime nine thirty

[D]

i'm telling you you need to watch

[E]

this one lakers at rockets game six lakers up three two they were up three zero mind you nobody has ever come back from an zero three deficit to win a series in the nba teams have forced as much of a game seven but never have come all the way back rockets still without kevin durant lakers got back austin reeves you will not have luca but they have lebron and reeves and now they have to try to win on the road to avoid a game seven which is

[D]

a rarity when you're up three zero

[E]

but that game seven if there is one if you think there's going to be one jake that might be the highest rated first round nba playoff game in the history of the sport because lebron james is is facing something that

[D]

we've never seen before potentially losing a

[E]

three zero lead do you see this series moving to a game seven or does it end tonight hey ty butler

[F]

i need you to listen in because i think the lakers will close out tonight this is there we go game seven i chose game seven for the cavs and raptors i chose game seven for orlando and pistons lakers will close out tonight now austin reeves looked a bit rusty his first couple games i think lebron james will feel this energy he felt the need to close out this young rockets team don't have a kevin durant i think sengun sometimes plays out of control in the post and the rockets go on these spurts where they don't score the ball well i mean if you see how they play

[E]

a man it's all been defense yeah

[F]

if you see how they play amend thompson they give him so much they're packing the paint basically okay well we

[E]

got one more we got one more so you're saying it ends tonight nhl anthony with fifteen seconds to go vegas and the and utah the mammoth vegas up three two ten o' clock espn does it end tonight or do we

[M]

get a game seven been impressed with utah i believe in torts in vegas

[D]

no game seven no game seven all

[E]

right enjoy all the games tonight this is the best time of year everybody have a great weekend see you monday

[B]

thanks for listening to the don hahn and rosenberg podcast i don't want to

[E]

know how the sausage is made but

[D]

i just want to know it's good

[B]

hear more of don allen and peter weekday afternoon starting at three on eight eighty espn the espn new york app and your smart speakers if you've ever

[A]

wanted real energy without choking down something that tastes like regret bucked up is the answer the flavor is the thing people keep coming back for insanely delicious which is not a phrase usually associated with energy drinks and they're built on real simple science backed ingredients clean energy that actually works without the garbage you don't want bucked up is so confident you'll love their drinks they're giving away an island vacation just to prove it that's the kind of brand this is no purchase necessary giveaway ends may thirtieth enter and find your closest bucked up at buckedup energy dot com grab a bucked up and feel like a million bucks