Hour 4: Strange Lyrics

Summary

Don, Hahn & Rosenberg Podcast

Episode: Hour 4: Strange Lyrics
Date: April 2, 2026
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
Overview
This episode dives into the problematic and peculiar lyrics of popular songs from the 1980s, with the hosts humorously reflecting on how societal standards have shifted—and exploring why so many hit tunes from that era wouldn’t fly today. They also briefly discuss football draft prospects, particularly Ty Simpson and Jeremiah Love, and touch on Mets and Giants news. The signature blend of sports, pop culture, and unfiltered commentary makes this a lively, memorable hour.

---

Main Discussion: Strange (and Creepily Problematic) Song Lyrics

1. Classic Rock and Power Ballad Lyrics Under the Microscope

• Background: The hosts open with playful banter about the infamous Benny Mardones song—“Into the Night”—and quickly spiral into broader commentary on how many hits from the past had questionable, even disturbing themes, especially around age and relationships.
• Key Songs Dissected:
  • Benny Mardones – “Into the Night”
    • Discussion: The song’s lyrics about a 16-year-old girl and its awkward music video prompt reflections on changing norms.
    • Quote (Don Hahn, 01:40):
      “If Benny Mardones is knocking on my door when Jalen's 16, he's not making it back to his car.”
  • Winger – “Seventeen”
    • Discussion: The hosts note the brazen lyrics and the mismatch between performer age and subject.
    • Quote (Don Hahn, 02:35):
      “Daddy said she's too young, but she's old enough for me ... Where are these daddies like going to Kip Winger and just beating on his face? Just taking the handsome out ...”
    • (Rosenberg, 02:47):
      “He was a good looking guy. Not anymore.”
  • Heart – “All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You”
    • Discussion: The hosts highlight this “role reversal” song, equally odd from today’s perspective.
    • Quote (Don Hahn, 10:34):
      “Oh, yeah. Just picks up like a boy ... it's raining and she just decides, I'm gonna take him to a hotel, have my way.”

2. The Cultural Context: Why Was This Okay?

• The 1980s as 'Anything Goes' Decade
  • Quote (Rosenberg, 06:56):
    "It was the anything goes decade. And then we realized we probably need to have some parameters.”
  • Quote (Don Hahn, 07:01):
    "Yeah. And we're gonna ... have to answer to these at some point."
• Parody & Comedic Reflection
  • Pete Holmes' take on Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire” is referenced as an example of how present-day comedians re-examine and poke fun at these songs’ subtexts.
  • Quote (Don Hahn, 06:23):
    "He does a bit ... with Springsteen, the song I'm on Fire—'Oh, girl, is your daddy home? So you all alone?' Creepy."

3. Generational Divide and the Era’s Blind Spots

• Realization & Retrospection
  • Quote (Don Hahn, 08:08):
    “It just shows you in the 80s, like, was anybody paying attention?”
  • The hosts marvel at how lyrics that barely drew criticism at the time are now clear red flags.
• Listener anecdote (Rosenberg, 05:18):
  Recounts leaving a relationship after hearing Winger’s "Seventeen" on a potential girlfriend's answering machine.
  • Quote:
    “That was the song on her answering machine. I'm like, yeah, I'm good.”

4. Today’s Perspective on Past Songs

• Double Standards and the Shift in Norms
  • Continual questioning of why songwriters and record companies didn’t flag these topics.
  • Mock disbelief at how no one thought to push back on the appropriateness.
  • Conversation includes reading and reacting to lyrics on air for comic effect.

---

Sports Corner: NFL Draft – Ty Simpson and Jeremiah Love

(15:27–20:39)

1. Ty Simpson (QB) Prospects

• Phil Simms compares Ty Simpson to Bo Nix (Quarterback):
  • Talented but not elite—a realistic, if unremarkable, comparison.
  • Quote (Phil Simms, 15:48):
    "He has a really, really good NFL arm and he's very athletic. ... I came up with Bo Nix."
• Jets Implications
  • Not a glamorous pick, but could be a solid, functional starter.
  • Quote (Rosenberg, 16:56):
    "You got a capable starter ... But is he like your 10 years my quarterback situation? I don't know."

2. Giants: Jeremiah Love (RB) Potential Impact

• Phil Simms’ Endorsement:
  • Enthusiastically supports Jeremiah Love, highlighting his readiness and fit for modern NFL offenses.
  • Quote (Phil Simms, 18:08):
    "If the Giants take him, I won't even have one negative thing to say about it. ... I love it."
• Team Fit/Harbaugh’s Philosophy:
  • Discussion centers on how the Giants’ new offensive plans align with having a physical running back.
  • Quote (Rosenberg, 19:45):
    “John Harbaugh wants to play physical at the line of scrimmage style. And everything they're saying about Love is somebody that's going to step into the NFL and make an impact immediately.”

---

Baseball Quick Hits

(20:39–21:48)

• Mets Starting Lineup:
  • Lindor, Soto, Bichette, Polanco, Robert Jr., Vientos, Simeon, Alvarez, Taylor—Peterson starting.
  • Quick preview of coverage start times and upcoming Yankees recap.

---

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On retro lyrics:
  • Don Hahn (01:40): “If Benny Mardonis is knocking on my door when Jalen's 16, he's not making it back to his car.”
  • Rosenberg (06:56): "It was the anything goes decade."
  • Caller/Guest (09:09): “Oh God. What happened?” (reacting to reading 80s lyrics live)
  • Don Hahn (10:50): “I'm surprised, really. I'm honestly surprised we made it. ... We fortunately did.”
• On shifting standards:
  • Don Hahn (07:01): “Yeah. And we're gonna ... have to answer to these at some point.”
  • Rosenberg (06:48): “The 80s was the end of olden times.”

---

Segment Timestamps (Key Discussion Points)

• 01:11–08:08 "Strange Lyrics" Main Segment: Deep-dive on creepy 80s rock lyrics, cultural context, and reactions.
• 15:27–20:39 NFL Draft Talk: Ty Simpson/Bow Nix and Jeremiah Love analysis for the Jets and Giants.
• 20:39–21:48 MLB Update: Mets starting lineup and upcoming game coverage.

---

Tone & Style

• Humorous, nostalgic, and refreshingly blunt.
• Hosts combine pop culture nostalgia with sports expertise and don’t shy away from poking fun at themselves, the industry, or the past.

---

Summary

This episode mixes wry reflections on the inappropriateness of past pop music with serious (yet relaxed) discussion of New York sports news. It’s a reminder of how much has changed in both culture and sports, and how much fun can be had with a knowing look backwards.

Transcript

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[Don Hahn]

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[Don Hahn]

That sounds like heaven to me.

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[Don Hahn]

Game time is brought to you by Telemardu Irish Whiskey because what it's getting game time. Coverage of Rangers Canadiens begins on 1050 at 6:30 and we'll join the Lakers in thunder in progress after that. Mets are in San Francisco facing the Giants with coverage on 880 following Ty Butler at 9 and the Devils host the Capitals on ESPN plus at 7:30. Telemardu the original triple distilled, triple blended and triple cast matured Irish whiskey. Be sure to grab a Tullamore due or try the new Tullamore Dew honey during today's action. Glasses up to enjoying Tullamore do responsibly. Benny. No, it's a Benny. I think it's Maldonis.

[Rosenberg]

Oh, this song. That song is a creepy, creepy song. No, no, the line, the line. Don, she's just 16 years old.

[Don Hahn]

Leave her alone.

[Rosenberg]

Leave her alone. They say.

[Don Hahn]

Now there's a video. I don't know if you ever saw the video.

[Rosenberg]

It's incredible. Adds to the creep, it just makes it creepier.

[Don Hahn]

Right, and he's got like one of those, you know, old mullets where you're kind of bald in front, long hair in the back.

[Rosenberg]

It's not business in the front, it's nowhere.

[Don Hahn]

Right. He's clearly his 30s and you know, he's singing about a 16 year old knocks on the door. The father answers, send him on his way. He's lucky he didn't get his head snapped off his neck because I got to tell you, if Benny Mardonis is knocking on my door When Jalen's 16, he's not making it back to his car.

[Rosenberg]

No, definitely not.

[Don Hahn]

All right.

[Rosenberg]

No, no, that's what I mean. But it was different in the 80s.

[Don Hahn]

Well, it was different. Do you know how many songs involve like 16 years old? Yeah, she's 16. You're beautiful and you're my.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah, but that's supposed to be sung them from the perspective of a 16 year old boy. True, Benny, they're saying that song is about a young boy as well. But I'm sorry, Benny, then you can't play the character in the video.

[Don Hahn]

And I guess it depends on the state you're in. But you know wingers. She'.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah, 17.

[Don Hahn]

What was the next slide?

[Rosenberg]

Daddy said she's too young, but she's old enough for me.

[Don Hahn]

I'm telling you. Where are these daddies? Like going to Kip Winger and just beating on his face. Just taking the handsome out because he

[Phil]

was a good looking guy.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah, he was.

[Don Hahn]

Not anymore. Yeah.

[Rosenberg]

Like slamming his face into the wall a few times.

[Don Hahn]

What was that line from? From Raging Bull. Oh, he ain't no pretty no more. Oh, my.

[Phil]

If. Just.

[Don Hahn]

If Kip Winger's singing about jalen.

[Rosenberg]

She's only 17. Yeah.

[Caller or Guest]

How old is he, Daddy?

[Don Hahn]

Let's say he was 19. He's flying around the stage. She's only 17. Daddy says she's too young, but old enough for me.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah. He's basically endorsing the idea immemorial.

[Don Hahn]

Kip Winger.

[Caller or Guest]

I don't. This doesn't hit the same as. I don't know who Kip Winger is

[Rosenberg]

by the end of the video. This video is made in mem.

[Caller or Guest]

In the same video.

[Don Hahn]

No. You never heard the band Winger.

[Caller or Guest]

I don't know if I know he

[Don Hahn]

had the audacity to name the band after himself. At least Van Halen had two. Van Halen.

[Caller or Guest]

Right? Right.

[Don Hahn]

I don't know.

[Caller or Guest]

Right.

[Don Hahn]

Right there. He might had a brother in the band who decked. This is like 19. What was it? 86, 87. If it was again, the 80s music in the 80s.

[Rosenberg]

Death.

[Don Hahn]

Pure death. I. I'm excited tomorrow.

[Rosenberg]

80s because music.

[Don Hahn]

The 80s on eights got the. The countdown. They're doing 1982. That's right in my wheel.

[Rosenberg]

Oh, my God.

[Don Hahn]

You start getting deep in the 80s about this before just absolute filth music.

[Rosenberg]

Is this on tomorrow?

[Don Hahn]

Tomorrow at 9. And then they repeat it throughout the weekend.

[Rosenberg]

That's my favorite thing.

[Don Hahn]

All right, so Kip Winger. I don't know. But aren't the record companies saying, listen, I know you're a little caught up in the whole art thing, but do you know what you're saying?

[Rosenberg]

Yeah. Do you get what you're. The story you're telling?

[Don Hahn]

All right, so he's 64. So he was born in 61. So let's say that out that they song come out.

[Rosenberg]

Because I would have been 15 when that song came out. 15 to 16 years.

[Don Hahn]

I gotta see. Because it was. It was definitely there.

[Rosenberg]

Actually. No, I remember this now. I was 17 when that song came out. Because I knew a girl at that time who, you know, we had answering machines. Yeah. 89.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, my God.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah. Yeah, he was 27 years old singing that song.

[Don Hahn]

You can't be 27 singing that song.

[Caller or Guest]

Well, but is it about a personal time from his past and he was singing about when he was 17.

[Rosenberg]

Don't really think he's telling.

[Don Hahn]

Do you really want to take the chance that people in 1989 are going to break down his song? It's not American Pie, all right. Or are they just going to assume that he's a pedophile?

[Rosenberg]

Don't. Donna. As I was saying, this is the, like, you know, you get the red flags with people you meet. The red flag I got was this girl we had back then answering machines that had. You could record a song, right?

[Caller or Guest]

Oh, yeah, of course you would.

[Rosenberg]

So one time I, I gave her a call that was the song on her answering machine. I'm like, yeah, I'm good.

[Don Hahn]

But you know what?

[Caller or Guest]

But she just liked the song.

[Don Hahn]

Sure. How old is she?

[Rosenberg]

Sixteen.

[Caller or Guest]

Why wouldn't. What's weird about her liking the song? I, maybe I don't understand the song. What would be weird for a 16 year old girl to like the song?

[Rosenberg]

Well, check the lyrics and then get back.

[Caller or Guest]

Yeah, I don't know what the lyrics are, so you're putting me in a weird spot.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, well, listen, God love him, God bless, but it just shows you in the 80s, like, was anybody paying attention? Who was the comedian that was in that show on hbo? Crashing.

[Caller or Guest]

I don't remember.

[Don Hahn]

He's. I want to give him credit. It was, it was, it was on HBO maybe a few years ago. I want to be able to get his name. Oh, Pete Holmes. Okay, all right. You know Pete Holmes?

[Caller or Guest]

Sure, I do.

[Don Hahn]

He does a bit like with Springsteen, the song I'm on Fire. Oh, girl, is your daddy home? So you all alone?

[Rosenberg]

Creepy.

[Don Hahn]

And he does it. It's like, why wasn't the producer like in his ear going, bruce, have you seen these lyrics? What are you singing about?

[Rosenberg]

What are you talking.

[Don Hahn]

What's the matter with you? But there was a time where I

[Caller or Guest]

was like, that's the problem. That's. Well, that's what makes these things both creepy and funny because you start applying now to then and it doesn't work.

[Rosenberg]

The 80s was a very.

[Caller or Guest]

The 80s was the end of olden times.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, big time. It's a brave new world.

[Rosenberg]

It was the anything goes decade. And then we realized we probably need to have some parameters.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah. And we're gonna have to, we're gonna, we're gonna have to answer to these at some point.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah, that's happening now.

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[Don Hahn]

Oh, oh, oh, oh.

[Phil]

Riley

[Don Hahn]

Auto Parts.

[Caller or Guest]

Oh God.

[Don Hahn]

What happened?

[Caller or Guest]

I'm reading the lyrics.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah, yeah. I didn't call back. Let's. I didn't leave a message.

[Caller or Guest]

No, no, I don't mean those. I'm reading on fire Verse four. Oh, let me.

[Rosenberg]

What are your.

[Caller or Guest]

What's your fakacta song, Ian?

[Rosenberg]

It's a winger.

[Caller or Guest]

She's 17 lyrics.

[Don Hahn]

All right, hold on.

[Rich Eisen]

I'll be the judge.

[Don Hahn]

All right, let's.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

You want to read them out loud?

[Commercial Announcer]

Yeah.

[Caller or Guest]

I saw sparks fly from the corner of my eye and when I turned it was love at first sight I said please excuse me I didn't catch your name It'd be a shame not to see you again oh, and just when I thought Just when I thought she was coming to my door she whispered sweet and brought me to the

[Don Hahn]

floor There you go.

[Caller or Guest]

She said I'm only 17 I'll show you love like you've never seen she's only 17 daddy says she's too young but she's old enough for me.

[Rosenberg]

He's 27, 28 years old. As he's singing this, as he's singing,

[Caller or Guest]

Come to my place, we can talk it over. Everything down in your head.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah. So that was the 80s.

[Don Hahn]

So that was. Yeah, that was the 80s.

[Rosenberg]

And this all came because we played the. The Benny what's his name song.

[Don Hahn]

Mardonis.

[Rosenberg]

Mardonis. And that song is also heavily creepy. You know what? We have a list. Top five heavily creepy song. Yeah, I think we.

[Caller or Guest]

Oh, you know what? That would be something Don Hart did,

[Rosenberg]

a song that is also the reverse of it, but also creepy. All I want to do is make

[Don Hahn]

love to you oh, yeah. Just picks up like a boy. Street.

[Rosenberg]

Well, he's a boy and he's. And he's in this. He's. It's raining. And she just decides, I'm gonna take him to a hotel, have my way. It's. Listen to that song. So it was.

[Don Hahn]

I'm surprised, really. I'm honestly surprised we made it. And so you know what? We should say, some people didn't make it through the 80s. No, we fortunately did. And you know what? We needed people like Anthony Pusick to be born in the 90s to say, you know, no more guys. It stops now.

[Rosenberg]

Right?

[Caller or Guest]

And also, don't even bring up the 90s.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah. All right, close it out with your calls. 1-800-919-3776, don on a Rosenberg taking up until Ty Butler at 7 on ESPN New York.

[Rosenberg]

Hey, guys. With Xfinity, you already enjoy ESPN as part of your TV lineup with live games, daily sports coverage and expert analysis. And now the ESPN Unlimited plan. Unlimited is available at no additional cost, giving you access to additional ESPN content in the ESPN app, including more must see action like WWE Premium live events, on demand programming and originals. To explore, visit xfinity.com your subscriptions to activate ESPN Unlimited access. Then start watching in the ESPN app More from ESPN all in One place.

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Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Caller or Guest]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

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[Rich Eisen]

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[Don Hahn]

Now, Bill Sims was on Barton Carlin earlier getting closer to the draft. So Phil was asked about Ty Simpson. This should perk Allen up. Phil, can you give me a player currently in the NFL that compares to Ty Simpson?

[Phil]

He has a really, really good NFL arm and he's very athletic. He runs around, he plays, he's tough as hell, all that. And I was trying to think of who is he in the NFL And I came up with Bo Nicks. That's about the only, I thought the closest I could get. You know, guys that move around. Well, he's a little better athlete, I think moving than Bo Nix is. But I think Bo Nicks is just, he plays big, throws it down the field and those are things that work well I think with Ty Simpson.

[Don Hahn]

What does that do for you?

[Rosenberg]

I mean nothing.

[Don Hahn]

You're dead inside of the jets.

[Rosenberg]

The comps are, you know, so Bo Nix. But a Bo Nick's comp like Bonix is pretty good. It does. He's not blowing you away.

[Don Hahn]

Right?

[Rosenberg]

He's pretty good.

[Don Hahn]

So if he doesn't get hurt, the Broncos might be in the Super Bowl.

[Rosenberg]

Right, Right. So he's pretty good. But we all know that their defense is why they were where they were. But, but I'm, look, I don't have great expectations of Tyson, but if you,

[Don Hahn]

but if you draft Bo Nixon or Ty Simpson. Ty Simpson and he becomes Bo Nixon, you drafted him 33rd overall. You're doing backflips.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah, it's pretty good. You gotta, you got a capable starter that if everything else with your team is good, you have a chance to, you know, to do something. But is he like you're, you're 10 years my quarterback situation? I don't know.

[Don Hahn]

I will see I guess what Bo Nicks can be.

[Rosenberg]

But no, that's interesting stuff.

[Don Hahn]

Phil says Ty Simpson would fit the jets, but may not be what the team wants.

[Phil]

You know, the Jet, I think he can fit into their offense that they're going to create very easily if they do drafting because you know, we got Musgrave and Frank right there, they're going to run a very traditional offense. All the movement, everything you want to see. I think it's a really good spot for him, but might not be exactly what they want.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, I don't know what they want.

[Rosenberg]

They know what they want. Which to me is at least. At least I could say that. Which I. You didn't always get to say that in the past, but I do trust. I think Darren Muji has a plan. I think they do know what they want. It's. They're not going to reach for a quarterback in this draft.

[Don Hahn]

Right.

[Rosenberg]

But I do think they're going to draft a quarterback. It just depends on who and where. But I don't. It doesn't feel like it's going to be the first round.

[Don Hahn]

Now, the Giant side of things, Phil Simmons has asked, do they need another wide receiver or Jeremiah Love?

[Phil]

More Jeremiah Love. If you want to turn your team around, maybe the fastest way to do it is have a great running back. And I think Jeremiah Love is a great running back who will, day one, adapt NFL style, running back, whatever you got to be. And if the Giants take him, I won't even have one negative thing to say about it. I will just go, wow, I love it. I really do that with Jackson Dart and, you know, getting everybody, Malik, neighbors, outside, getting him back, man, this could change the football team quick. And of course, I love the fact that they got these two offensive coordinators there, too. Greg Roman's going to show Jackson Dart some new ways to run a quarterback keeper or whatever it is and not get hit. Showing a lot of Lamar Jackson because he didn't take many big hits either. Jeremiah Love with that, this football team and an improving offensive line, that would be so exciting, I think, for Giant fans.

[Don Hahn]

Right.

[Rosenberg]

He's got to get past Tennessee, of course, but.

[Don Hahn]

And that's kind of where you figure he's going to go. They don't need a running back.

[Rosenberg]

They don't need a quarterback.

[Don Hahn]

I mean, a quarterback they need, you know, they could use a running back and that's the way that they've been doing it for years. But again, he would be.

[Rosenberg]

That's, you know, the Derek Henry thing all over.

[Don Hahn]

Exactly. Now, I don't want to sound like a broken record. I'm all for the Love pick. Fifth overall is high. But don't let's not have a conversation four years from now. You know, we just paid Carter. We just paid Dart. We're gonna have to franchise Love because we just don't have the money and

[Rosenberg]

he's a running back and you know,

[Don Hahn]

and now and then all of a sudden he's gone because you had to pay other guys and he's a running back and we don't want to spend a lot of money on. No, if you're going to pay him,

[Rosenberg]

here's why it's different. And I don't mean to cut you off, but because we're pressed with time, the difference, I think this is because Harbaugh plays that style.

[Don Hahn]

Okay.

[Rosenberg]

Line of scrimmage, physical football. This guy fits that. I think previous regime, right. You remember was it was not something that Dable really wanted in his offense was a guy like Saquon that was a, you know, he, he was running a different offense that they used Saquon but they weren't going to feature him. And that's why it didn't make sense to pay him.

[Don Hahn]

Right.

[Rosenberg]

Because that wasn't how they wanted to play. John Harbaugh wants to play physical at the line of scrimmage style. And everything they're saying about love is somebody that's going to step into the NFL and make an impact immediately. That's why taking him at five with a young quarterback and a young offense makes a ton.

[Don Hahn]

Oh yeah, listen, the Saquon comparisons are there, right? But back then they needed a quarterback and there were quarterbacks in the draft and the Giants were in a rebuild. Just didn't know it at the time. Time now for the amazing starting lineup, which is brought to you by Ramsey Mazda. The two guys that love each other, Lindor and Soto at the top of the lineup. Lindor leading off playing shortstop. Soto is in left field batting second. Bichette's at third and batting third. Polanco is the DH batting cleanup. Robert Jr. In center field batting fifth. Vientos is at first, batting sixth, playing second base and batting seventh is Simeon. Catcher is Alvarez and rounding it out is Taylor in right field. Peterson makes the start for the mets, who have a 9:45 start. Mm. And then the pregame will be at 9:00 o', clock, right after Ty Butler. That was the amazing starting lineup brought to you by Ramsey Mazda. Get more for your money at Ramsey Mazda. Like a new 2026 Mazda CX50 or Mazda CX90. Choose wisely. Choose Ramsey Mazda. Well, we'll only have the Mets to break down, but we can preview, of course, the Yankees or not preview, actually recap their opening day.

[Rosenberg]

Right.

[Don Hahn]

A little bit later on in the show and we'll give you all the details on the weekend coming up as well. Yeah, and more Drop Madness.

[Rosenberg]

Rain possibly tomorrow, too. We hope that doesn't ruin things.

[Caller or Guest]

But April, well, Drop Madness is going to continue on no matter what, rain or shine.

[Don Hahn]

That's right.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah, you're right. It never gets rained out. That's the beauty of the game.

[Don Hahn]

Always nice to listen to Ty Butler. He's going to be coming up next. We'll talk to you guys tomorrow again at 3. Donna Rosenberg, ESPN New York thanks for

[Podcast Host]

listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg Podcast.

[Caller or Guest]

I don't want to know how the

[Rosenberg]

sausage is made, but I just want to know it's good.

[Podcast Host]

Hear more of Don Allen and Peter weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8, 880, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers.

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