Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 4: NFL Announcer Lineup & Bellinger

Date: January 10, 2026
Podcast: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg (ESPN New York)
Hosts: Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg, Don La Greca

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the NFL Wild Card weekend's matchups, focusing on the announcer lineups for each game, and then pivots to hot-button New York baseball topics—particularly Cody Bellinger's free agency and the Yankees' approach. The trio also touches on New York Giants' coaching possibilities and finishes with an update on the Knicks’ upcoming road trip. The conversation is lively, playful, and filled with familiar camaraderie, with quick-witted banter and some classic New York sports skepticism.

KEY SEGMENTS & INSIGHTS

1. NFL Wild Card: Play-by-Play Announcer Lineup (00:29–13:27)

Saturday Games (00:29–03:09)

• Rams at Panthers (4:30 PM, FOX)

  • Announcers: Joe Davis, Greg Olsen, Pam Oliver, Christina Pink
  • Peter Rosenberg's take: "The Panthers are a Thursday night dream. But...with Matt Stafford and Devonte Adams and a sexy Rams team...the swagger is back." (00:29)
  • Playful hype about Greg Olsen: "Big Greg is in the house!" (00:48)

• Packers at Bears (8:00 PM, Prime Video)

  • Announcers: Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit, Kaylee Hartung
  • Notable: Only the third time ever these division rivals meet in the playoffs.

Sunday Games (03:13–09:08)

• Bills at Jaguars (1:00 PM, CBS)

  • Announcers: Jim Nance, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson
  • Rosenberg praises Nance: "His week to week energy, intensity and knowledge is incredibly impressive. I really do." (04:19)

• 49ers at Eagles (4:30 PM, FOX)

  • Announcers: Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady, Erin Andrews, Tom Rinaldi
  • Rosenberg dubs it "the Ricky Watters Bowl" (06:00), joking both teams have fanbases that don't know true heartache: "I want them both to lose. These are two fan bases who just don't understand what it's like to feel the pain in a real way." (06:28)

Sunday Night (10:56–13:27)

• Chargers at Patriots (8:15 PM, NBC)
  • Announcers: Mike Tirico, Chris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark
  • Hosts joke about the abundance of Collinsworth: "We got more Collins. We got Chris Collinsworth, folks." (11:42)
  • Sideline atmosphere: "Both sidelines have chicken broth and hot chocolate." (12:11)

Monday Night (13:00–13:27)

• Texans at Steelers (8:15 PM, ABC/ESPN)
  • Announcers: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters, Laura Rutledge
  • Rosenberg torn: "I'm absolutely rooting for Houston given that they're my six-point play...but when I watch old man Rodgers, he's just one of my favorite quarterbacks I've ever gotten to watch. It's going to be hard to root against him." (12:44)

Memorable Quotes / Banter

• On Jim Nance:
  • "Classic smooth. And just doesn't miss a beat." – Alan Hahn (04:36)
  • "He's also one of the greats. Just not my particular cup of tea." – Don Hahn (05:22)
• On Al Michaels:
  • "I think he's mailed it in." – Don Hahn (05:09)
  • "He's just thinking about what steak am I having them wheel in for my meal." – Peter Rosenberg (05:19)

2. Yankees & Cody Bellinger Free Agency (18:47–22:46)

Overview and Yankees’ Position

• Michael Kay's Perspective (clip):
  • "If he took the Yankee offer, he would be in the top five average annual value of outfielders in Major League Baseball right now." (18:57)
• Yankees’ offer: Reportedly $30M per year, but not over seven years.
• Yankees’ Dilemma: Should they bend to Bellinger’s desire for a longer deal?
  • Don Hahn: "You're really dancing with the PR hit of a second consecutive year losing a great player...But the Yankees are still working within a budget and overpaying for players is just not good business." (19:45)
• Age & Risk: "All these fans that are like, oh, give him whatever he wants, give him a seven-year deal, they're the ones that are going to complain if he's a useless player at 35, 36, 37 years old, landlocking them." – Don Hahn (20:15)
• Potential for a salary cap coming to MLB, which could make long contracts extra risky.

Other Teams in the Mix

• Mets, Dodgers, Giants, and Blue Jays all rumored to be interested.
  • "They can't sign everybody. So it's just now that there's an offer on the table, we'll see if they'll go there." – Don Hahn (22:27)

3. Giants Coaching Search & John Harbaugh Rumors (22:46–25:52)

Latest News

• Giants have met with Kevin Stefanski and Antonio Pierce.
• Harbaugh Rumors: Giants' biggest target.
• Sal Palantonio’s (NFL expert) take:
  • Harbaugh's issue in Baltimore: constant churn at offensive coordinator, not maximizing Lamar Jackson.
  • "If you're going after Harbaugh, the first question I'm asking is, who's your OC? Who's your play designer? Who's going to sit on the bench after the series is over with Jackson Dart and go over the Microsoft tablet?" (24:20)

Continuity Question

• "Could Mike Kafka stay on as OC? Dart's played well with him as his offensive coordinator...you're always looking for continuity. Would Harbaugh be willing to do that?" – Don Hahn (24:45)

4. Knicks Upcoming Road Trip & Outlook (25:52–28:00)

Knicks Schedule

• Starts a Western road trip vs. the Suns, then Trailblazers, Kings, Warriors.
• Alan Hahn emphasizes importance of getting Karl-Anthony Towns involved:
  • "He has to touch the basketball. He has to feel part of it. I think they've gotten away from it...he's a little like a wide receiver; if you don’t throw him the ball early in the game, he gets frustrated." (26:44)
• "This is a get-right trip." – Alan Hahn (27:38)

Playoff & Season Tone

• Not an especially demanding trip; time for Knicks to rack up wins and regain confidence.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On NFL Announcers:

  • "He's been around for so long...I just found them kind of corny." – Don Hahn on Jim Nance (04:40)
  • "That tea is too mild." – Don Hahn on Nance's style (05:34)

• On the sports fan experience:

  • Rosenberg, on Eagles and 49ers fans: “These are two fan bases who just don't understand what it's like to feel the pain in a real way.” (06:28)

• On dealing with big contracts:

  • "Fans say: ‘Give him whatever he wants’...they’re the ones that are going to complain if he’s a useless player at 35, 36, 37." – Don Hahn (20:15)

• Giants’ coaching search:

  • "If you're going after Harbaugh...who's your OC? Who's your play designer?" – Sal Palantonio (24:20)

TIMESTAMPED HIGHLIGHTS

| Timestamp | Segment Topic | Notable Quote / Moment | |-----------|----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------| | 00:29 | NFL Wild Card Announcer Hype | "Big Greg is in the house!" – Rosenberg | | 04:19 | Jim Nance Discussion | "His week to week energy...is incredibly impressive."| | 05:09 | On Al Michaels | "I think he's mailed it in." – Don Hahn | | 06:28 | 49ers/Eagles Fanbases | "I want them both to lose." – Rosenberg | | 12:44 | Monday Night Quarterback Loyalty | "It's going to be hard to root against him." – PR | | 18:57 | Yankees’ Offer to Bellinger | "He would be in the top five...outfielders..." – MK | | 20:15 | Long Bellinger Contract Risk | "They're the ones that are gonna complain..." – DH | | 24:20 | Giants/Harbaugh OC Question | "Who's your play designer?" – Sal Palantonio | | 26:44 | Knicks/Carl-Anthony Towns | "He has to touch the basketball..." – Alan Hahn | | 27:38 | Knicks Road Trip Tone | "This is a get-right trip." – Alan Hahn |

FINAL NOTES / TONE

This hour radiates with playful rapport, deep knowledge of New York sports, and honest, no-spins takes (with plenty of ribbing, especially about sports announcers and tortured fan bases). There’s also a nuanced focus on decision-making for both teams and players (Yankees and Bellinger, Giants and Harbaugh), emphasizing smart management over fan appeasement or recency bias. The show wraps with a reminder that, for New York teams, the journey is always eventful—and that sometimes, as with the Knicks’ trip, it’s about getting right rather than being spectacular.

For full energy and laughs, listen for the interplay around announcer clichés, the "cup of tea" debate, and the resigned wisdom about long-term deals with aging stars.