Hour 4: Young Fandom

Summary

Don, Hahn & Rosenberg: Hour 4 - Young Fandom Released: April 9, 2025

In the fourth episode of the "Don, Hahn & Rosenberg" podcast titled "Young Fandom," hosts Don LaGreca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg delve into the complexities of sports fandom, personal experiences with team loyalty, and the evolving dynamics between hosts and their audience. The episode navigates through nostalgic stories, critical analyses of team performances, and reflections on the nature of being a true fan in today’s sports landscape.

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1. Personal Journeys into Fandom

The conversation kicks off with the hosts sharing their individual paths to becoming fervent sports fans. Don LaGreca recounts his childhood experiences, emphasizing the emotional impact of aligning with a team different from his family's preferences.

• Don LaGreca shares a poignant memory:

  "I put the Ram hat on... My dad comes home from work, it's like, what do you... Why aren't you wearing a Giant hat? You’re a Giant fan. I know, but they didn't have a giant hat." (05:08)

This anecdote highlights the early struggles Don faced in establishing his own sports identity separate from his family’s expectations.

Similarly, Alan Hahn reflects on his introduction to sports fandom, particularly baseball and hockey, showcasing how early exposure shaped his loyalty:

"I'm a child and I'm watching this thinking, why are people running all over the field..." (07:05)

2. Navigating Family and Personal Expectations

The hosts discuss the delicate balance between familial expectations and personal passions. Don elaborates on the emotional toll of not wanting to disappoint his father:

"I made it my life's work never, ever to disappoint him..." (10:34)

In contrast, Alan shares his experiences of growing up with parents who supported his independent choices, fostering a sense of autonomy in his fandom:

"Once you're in, you're in." (16:19)

3. The Role of Hosts in Shaping Fandom

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to the responsibilities of sports broadcasters and podcasters in managing fan expectations. Alan Hahn articulates the challenge of providing honest, critical analyses without alienating listeners:

"My job is to know more than the fan so I can enlighten or at least give the fan information that they might not..." (21:59)

Don counters by emphasizing the importance of authenticity over blind encouragement:

"I'm sorry, I can't live in a delusional world or I, I can't live in anti how I feel." (22:53)

This dialogue underscores the tension between maintaining journalistic integrity and catering to fan desires for unwavering support.

4. Critique of Team Performance and Fan Mentality

The discussion shifts to the New York Knicks’ playoff prospects, with Don criticizing a pessimistic outlook:

"I think when you set the tone like that, it's just a loser's mentality." (17:55)

Peter Rosenberg echoes this sentiment, advocating for a balanced perspective that combines optimism with realism:

"I could be a die-hard fan, yet be critical of my team. I could be a die-hard fan and not believe they're gonna win. That doesn't make me less of a fan, Don." (21:08)

5. Current Events and Broader Reflections

The hosts briefly touch upon a tragic event—the nightclub roof collapse in the Dominican Republic—expressing empathy and the universal impact of such disasters:

"Sending love to everybody, all of our Dominican listeners and everybody who's connected to that..." (35:25)

This segment serves as a moment of solemn reflection amidst the predominantly sports-focused conversation.

6. The Evolution of Sports Media and Fan Engagement

Towards the end, the podcast explores the integration of nostalgia and modern media strategies in engaging listeners. Don highlights the return of legendary commentators, Sam and JD, for a Rangers-Flyers game, blending past and present to enhance fan experience:

"So it's been 19 years and it's a great pairing..." (40:43)

Peter Rosenberg adds a humorous take on media sponsorships, illustrating the sometimes absurd nature of modern advertising:

"McDonald's meets the Minecraft universe with one of six collectibles..." (39:02)

7. Final Thoughts and Future Directions

In closing, the hosts reiterate their commitment to providing honest, engaging content while acknowledging the continuous evolution of their show:

"We're building a show... It's trial and error. It's figuring things out. It's getting better and better." (23:51)

They emphasize the importance of chemistry among the hosts and the ongoing journey to refine their format to better serve their audience.

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Notable Quotes

• Don LaGreca (05:08): "I put the Ram hat on... I thought you were a Giants fan."
• Alan Hahn (07:05): "As a child, I can’t fathom. This was an ALCS game..."
• Don LaGreca (10:34): "I made it my life's work never, ever to disappoint him."
• Alan Hahn (21:59): "My job is to know more than the fan so I can enlighten..."
• Peter Rosenberg (21:08): "I could be a die-hard fan, yet be critical of my team."
• Don LaGreca (22:53): "I'm sorry, I can't live in a delusional world..."
• Don LaGreca (40:43): "It's been 19 years and it's a great pairing."
• Peter Rosenberg (39:02): "McDonald's meets the Minecraft universe..."

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Conclusion

"Hour 4: Young Fandom" offers a rich exploration of what it means to be a sports fan in today’s world. Through personal stories, critical analysis, and candid discussions, Don, Hahn, and Rosenberg provide listeners with a nuanced perspective on fandom, emphasizing the importance of honesty, emotional connection, and the evolving nature of sports media.

For those who haven't tuned in yet, this episode is a compelling listen that blends heartfelt narratives with insightful commentary, making it a valuable addition to any sports enthusiast's podcast repertoire.

Transcript

[Don LaGreca]

I was never really a runner.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The way I see running is a.

[Don LaGreca]

Gift, especially when you have stage four cancer.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm Ann.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm running the Boston Marathon, presented by bank of America.

[Don LaGreca]

I run for Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

[Peter Rosenberg]

To give people like me a chance.

[Alan Hahn]

To thrive in life, even with cancer.

[Don LaGreca]

Join bank of America in helping Anne's cause.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Give if you can@b of a.comSupportAnn what.

[Don LaGreca]

Would you like the power to do?

[Peter Rosenberg]

References to charitable organizations is not endorsement by bank of America Corporation. Copyright 2025.

[Alan Hahn]

This is the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Don LaGreca]

That sounds like heaven to me.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Listen live weekday afternoon starting at 3.

[Alan Hahn]

On 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app, and your smart speakers. Don.

[Don LaGreca]

I'll be licking the television screen. Licking it like it's ice cream.

[Alan Hahn]

Don. Oh, the type of music I listen to would make you cry. And Rosenberg, I expect to be called ball coach.

[Don LaGreca]

This isn't North Dakota. This is New York.

[Alan Hahn]

This is Don, Han and Rosenberg. Rosenberg on 8 80, ESPN and the ESPN New York app.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, boy. Like it like you dream about.

[Don LaGreca]

About the open to the show.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Are we starting over? By the way, I just decided from hearing the intro, guys, I want to do another four hours. What are your thoughts?

[Alan Hahn]

I'm good.

[Don LaGreca]

No, yeah. I mean, he's got a flight to catch. I got a Ranger game. Otherwise, yeah, sure, I'd do radio.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, why not?

[Alan Hahn]

Don't put this idea out there. You know, I know what. There's some wackadoodles out there that do these radio marathons, and it doesn't end well.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, by the way, the last time. The last time we had a conversation like this even, something changed immediately, and we were doing it. So you know what? I take it back. I was joking.

[Don LaGreca]

I tried to do it. The reason I had a Comrex in my house is because on the 10th anniversary of the station, I got the idea. Let's do, you know, 24 hours at dawn, celebrate the 10th anniversary. I was the first voice.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You want to go full Cory Booker.

[Don LaGreca]

And so they sent the Comrex to my. This is like pre Covid, like Comrex in my house. I'd be able to do a show from the house. And got it all hooked up, ready to go. And they go, oh, so you'll do this, but you're not. You'll be a guest on Mike and Mike. You'll be a guest on Colin Cowherd.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

I was like, no, I want to do 24. No, no, can't. We can't take those guys off the air. Like, I'm not doing it.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, I'm with you.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, what would you. Let's celebrate. Don's, you know, 18 and a half hours, you know. No, it's like, you don't do it that way. It's like easy money with the diner open 23 hours. You're doing 24 hours. You do 24 hours. That is a big deal. Out of it. I was going to have, like, a charitable thing, like get the teams to give me players and they can promote their charities and all that stuff. It was a great idea, and it died, and I'm over it. That was 12 years ago.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Died right there on the vine 13 years ago.

[Alan Hahn]

Do you think that they brought it up and, like, Colin was like, no, I'm not doing it. Not having him on the whole show. Well, come on. As a guest.

[Don LaGreca]

No, I'm just saying, would it be so bad that in New York that day Micah, Mike and Colin Cowherd didn't run?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, God.

[Don LaGreca]

But I. I could have.

[Alan Hahn]

You suggested.

[Don LaGreca]

But you could have played their spots, and I could have read whatever live reads they had. I mean, everything. Everything would have. Every box would have been checked.

[Alan Hahn]

No.

[Don LaGreca]

You know what I would have done? I would just not tell him. That's weird. We're not getting New York in New York today.

[Alan Hahn]

New York needed to hear Colin Cowart for those two hours. Those had to have it, and they were. They were screaming for it.

[Don LaGreca]

And now that the idea died. All right, why? I'm different than Alan and actually a better person. Love my father more.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, we're going to do this.

[Don LaGreca]

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

[Alan Hahn]

No, no. Fine.

[Don LaGreca]

No.

[Alan Hahn]

No.

[Don LaGreca]

Alan, you want to go here Now? The reason I say that is because Alan went against his parents. They're all Met fans and Ranger fans, and he decides to go now, keep.

[Alan Hahn]

In mind, I was.

[Don LaGreca]

You had a mind. You had a working, functioning brain. All right, so. But I was young. I wasn't that young, but I would say my. I was probably 11.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What's the 11?

[Don LaGreca]

11. But struggling between whether it was 10 or 12. I think it was like 10 or 11. So this is probably 1978. 79. I go. We used to own a sporting goods store called Red Duck. I've told that story before.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes, I've heard about Red Duck.

[Don LaGreca]

Fortunately, we ended up having to sell these two women boys, and they called it Sports Nuts.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Sports Nuts.

[Don LaGreca]

Sports Nuts. Right. And so my mom wanted to go in to see how it was going, and I wanted to get this late 70s. Alan will remember because you might not even have been born. Those NFL hats, the knitted in the back, in the front, they had the solid line with the thinner line on top. And then you'd have the logo of the team. Like, that was the hat. Love that hat. The NFL brought it back a few years ago. The coaches were wearing it. Gorgeous hat. Wanted to get a giant one. Didn't have a giant one.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, come on.

[Don LaGreca]

But I'm 11 year old kid. I gotta get something. I. My mom has to buy something for me. So I took a look at the hats that they had and they had a. An la Ram one.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Okay.

[Don LaGreca]

So I said, all right, I want that. I'll wear that. So I put the hat on.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This is the, the old ramp. Just the classic logo.

[Don LaGreca]

Classic.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like you dream about wear it.

[Don LaGreca]

And I was obsessed with baseball hats back then. Like, one of my favorite days of the year was when, Lily, when they gave you your hat. I like wore it to school. Like, I just loved hats. So I got the hat on. My dad comes home from work, it's like, what do you. What's that? I said, it's a Ram hat. Why aren't you wearing a Giant hat? You're a Giant fan. I know, but they didn't have a giant hat. And I want that housing. Yeah, but you're not a Rams fan. You're. I thought you were a Giants fan. Wow.

[Alan Hahn]

He went there with you.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I love it.

[Don LaGreca]

He turned around, left the room. Never put the hat on again. Just to see the disappointed look on his face, like, crippled me emotionally.

[Alan Hahn]

Like, I And your mother's, like, I just bought him that hat. Let him wear the hat. Like, I guarantee you he caught hell for that. Guarantee you.

[Don LaGreca]

And so that's how my mind worked. Like, I didn't want to disappoint my dad.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Your mind's eye.

[Don LaGreca]

And he was a Giant fan. He was a Met fan. I was not gonna stray. My brother, on the other hand, was always the black sheep. He was a Yankee fan. This is a lot of things he did that irritated my dad to no end. I've joked that my dad would still be alive if not for my brother. And unfortunately, I just did not have that in me to do it. And that's kind of how I went. You were the exact opposite. You wanted to punish your parents.

[Alan Hahn]

No.

[Don LaGreca]

Emotionally crippled.

[Alan Hahn]

It had nothing to do with that.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, you did it. Little Don legreca wore the Ram hat. Never put it on again. I still squirm every time I see the Rams. Like, it's still bothered when they moved back to la, I felt it again.

[Alan Hahn]

Some are born to lead, some are born to follow. I completely understand where you're coming from.

[Don LaGreca]

See, I like what you did there.

[Alan Hahn]

In my situation, my parents gave me the freedom and I give them all the credit in the world for this because like I said, it was as a little kid, it was, you know, just blotchy colored TV in our house in Ronkonkoma and there's Chris Chambliss and people are trying to tackle. It was insane. Just. It's an image I'll never forget.

[Don LaGreca]

There are kids that wouldn't understand.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm a child and I'm watching this thinking, why are people running all over the field and this guy's trying to run the bases? Like, again, I'm a child. I can't fathom. This was a ALCS game. And he hits an unbelievable. Like, I can't. You gotta understand, at that age, you don't know what you're watching. You're just seeing lunatics running all over the place. And this poor man just trying to get from third base to home, right? And they're forearming people. And so it was jarring for me and I was like, that's unbelievable. This team, people are crazy around them. And then like the more you heard Yankees and I get relatives, I had uncles and you know, it'd always be like out of Yankees, you know that. So I just started just thinking the Yankees are. Must be this big deal. And then the following year, of course they get to the World Series and you know that whole thing and 78 of Bucky Dan Red like it just.

[Don LaGreca]

The time was perfect for it.

[Alan Hahn]

The timing was perfect. Now, now the Ranger story is different. So, and this is the truth, my mother will probably right now listening, laughing because she has a photo of me as a three year old wearing a Mets hat in my pajamas. They gave that, they gave me that hat. They had me where it took a picture. It's not a choice. It was them doing it. But once I wanted to root for the Yankees, they were like, hey, you make your own choice. 79 Similar story. The Rangers beat the Islanders. My parents die hard, Ranger fans. And I really didn't choose anything hockey wise. At that point, all I knew was baseball. And we're watching again. We're watching the game. The Rangers beat the Islanders. The Islanders had the best record in the league. They were the best team in the league. And yet they couldn't beat the Rangers. They were thrilled that the Rangers pulled off this win. There's an image on the screen again. I'm a. I'm moved by things like this. Of. Of Clark Gillies, Dennis Povin. They're. They're exhausted. There's a picture of. Of podvin almost leaning, laying against the boards, as if he's just distraught by this loss. The emotion of it caught my attention, and I was like, wow, they're just so hurt. Look at these guys. And I said, aren't they from Long Island? And my parents said, yes. I said, well, that's where we're from. Why don't we root for them? They said, well, because they were from the city. My parents were from the city, so the rangers are always in our team. I was like, I kind of want to root for them. I feel bad for them. And they won the next four Stanley cups.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah. There you go. Your timing is impeccable.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, it's two times the timing worked out. Now 81. The jets, they give me randomly. They give me a Jets jersey for Christmas. It was like Sears used to make these. God awful. Like, it said the team name across the top in block letters and the number. So, like, the Cowboys had. I think it was. Was it a 10 or 11? I think it was 11. And it said cowboys.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Alan Hahn]

The Giants had it. Everybody had one. For whatever reason, they bought me a Jets one. Richard Todd. Nobody watched football in the house. Nobody cared about football in the house. Just randomly. Christmas. Got it. They happen to have the strike that year, but they had that sack exchange. They were good. And that's the mud bowl year. So it's the first time that I said, I'm gonna root for that team. And it let me down terribly.

[Peter Rosenberg]

How do you feel, Don? Do you feel that he. Allen, represented himself in a way that you can respect?

[Don LaGreca]

Oh, yeah. It's just a different perspective. I'm just. My father never forced me. It's not like a Dave Rothenberger. I'm throwing you out of the house unless you root for the Giants.

[Alan Hahn]

I've heard those times.

[Don LaGreca]

I just saw. I just saw that he was hurt.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, it meant.

[Don LaGreca]

It meant a lot to. He was. But he was a good person. He wasn't gonna tell me. I couldn't. But I just saw that disappointment. I never wanted to disappoint my dad. Never saw him sick a day in his life, like. And that he was the strongest human being alive. To me, to see him be like, well, that's disappointing. I thought he was a giant fan. I'm like, I made it my life's work never, ever to disappoint him so. But he never said, you gotta be this, you gotta be that. Because again, you let David do whatever he wanted.

[Alan Hahn]

Again. Your emotion was based on that. Mine was more based on what we were watching, and I was caught up in it.

[Don LaGreca]

The other thing that took me back, like, we have DirecTV, so whenever there's a storm or something, it pixelates, and you gotta go to standard def. And whenever we go to standard def, watching a game, especially hockey, Marco will go, why is the TV glitchy? And I'm thinking, if you grew up, when I grew up, you'd be going nuts.

[Alan Hahn]

This is amazing.

[Don LaGreca]

You're just watching sports, like, even before cable, like hd. And now it's jarring if you watch something that's not in hd. Oh, yeah, it's God awful. But, like, my kids don't know anything, but. So why is the TV glitchy? He thinks it's broken.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I love that Don is still hanging on to the actual satellite dish, too. You know, not everyone does that anymore. You're still there.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, Don, do you remember the days of the antenna on the roof?

[Don LaGreca]

Of course.

[Alan Hahn]

And then if it was bad weather or even having to go up and turn the antenna, I never had direction.

[Don LaGreca]

Unless my dad did it and didn't tell anybody.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, you probably never noticed it, but yeah, my. My dad, once in a while would have to go up and. And it would have to be turned in a certain way. And you can get this. This station.

[Peter Rosenberg]

By the way, a lot of people don't know this. Allen's dad was actually Clark Griswold. That's.

[Alan Hahn]

You know, there's a lot of similarities at times.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Really? There were some Clark. There was some Clark in here, and I love Clark.

[Alan Hahn]

He had a lot of Griswold tendencies.

[Don LaGreca]

They have a lot of Christmas decorations on the.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, yeah, he made them.

[Don LaGreca]

He made them. Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

He was a carpenter, so he would make things.

[Don LaGreca]

Oh, my God, guys.

[Alan Hahn]

Crazy. Yeah. You had to see it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm so jealous. This is like you had a.

[Don LaGreca]

You had a.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This is a real dad. Respectfully to my dad, after this segment.

[Don LaGreca]

The first thing you should do when you leave this building is call dad. You enjoy throwing up every five minutes. Claude. Clark. I thought so.

[Alan Hahn]

Thank you. I agree. I agree with Don.

[Don LaGreca]

What?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Call my dad.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don LaGreca]

Because we just had great stories about our dads, and we can't do that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, you're right. I call my dad quite a bit, and he obviously just. Was just visiting. But you know what, guys? I will.

[Don LaGreca]

But thank you for that. I needed that drop because you were.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Getting a little emotional.

[Don LaGreca]

I thought so.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's the level of disrespect. And no remote, by the way. This is how Cassidy Hubbard should have handled Michael Malone.

[Don LaGreca]

You enjoy throwing up every five minutes. Claude Clark. I thought so.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's so damn good.

[Alan Hahn]

We had the Family Truckster.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We did. Of course.

[Alan Hahn]

That's why that movie's so relatable. There's so much about it. I'm like, yeah, I definitely have lived this. I've done this.

[Don LaGreca]

All right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Speaking of relatable, let's talk to Danny on Long Island. Hey, Danny.

[Don LaGreca]

It's quite a tale that Alan tells.

[Alan Hahn]

Is there any possibility, I'll ask this to Don, that Allen was just a front runner? Like, when people ask me why I.

[Don LaGreca]

Became a Steeler fan, it's because I was eight years old when Franco picked.

[Alan Hahn]

The ball off the turf.

[Don LaGreca]

And I.

[Alan Hahn]

And they were on TV and I was a front runner.

[Don LaGreca]

So I won four Super Bowls.

[Alan Hahn]

Chris Chambers hit a home run. Yeah, I saw it as a. What was I, five years old, six years old? And I went. I was like, oh, I like that. I mean, you want to congratulations to your parents. Congratulations to your parents to let you stay up that late. Because I was in bed sound asleep and I'm older than you.

[Don LaGreca]

I think that was about Midnight on.

[Alan Hahn]

Child 7 with Howard Cosell. I was. I think it was. We were all sleeping on the couch. Whatever it was, it just a major.

[Don LaGreca]

Cosell steppage on that home run. If we could find Keith Jackson, one.

[Alan Hahn]

Of the great broadcasters of all time waits his entire life to get a pen winning home run, and he and Howard Cosell threw him out of the booth. It's tremendous. Other topics to discuss. Congratulations on Richard. That call went 3 minutes, 33 seconds and covered six different topics totally unrelated. It was fantastic. I loved every minute of it. Peter, great interview with Q Tip.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, we're doing anniversaries. 50 years ago this week, I was.

[Alan Hahn]

In the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum watching.

[Don LaGreca]

Dr. Julius Irving win the ABA championship.

[Alan Hahn]

For a dollar fifty. How about that? Wow. Fifty years ago. And that's it, guys.

[Don LaGreca]

Great show as always. Very entertaining.

[Alan Hahn]

Peter, I love the interview is that that's the last pro basketball championship in New York.

[Don LaGreca]

I won't listen.

[Alan Hahn]

I took him up front. I grew up now I'm a Steelers fan. I watched The Nets win two ABA championships. I meet Dr. J at an event the Steelers went for the Mets winning 86. Get this series in 73. I'm 20 years old. I got like seven, eight, nine championships in my back pocket. I've had three in the last 50 years.

[Don LaGreca]

You know, it's just.

[Alan Hahn]

It dried up awful quick.

[Don LaGreca]

But at least I stayed with my teams. I don't. You know, I can't.

[Alan Hahn]

Once you're in, you're in.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah. No, that's the one thing we can all vacillate back and forth. Like, I'm like. Marco is rooting for both the Mets and the Yankees, and he also likes the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks and Golden Knights and Bruins if they're home. And because he likes the black jerseys and the set I gave him, Tate, he's got six months. Make a decision. And then. And then you have to stick to it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That has to be on the air, I think.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, I think.

[Don LaGreca]

Kind of like declaring what school you're gonna go to.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, I like that. Now, listen, national funding Day.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He might get nervous. So maybe you don't do it live. Maybe just record it on your phone. But I think you have to say, today's the day. Set out the hats. Whichever hat you put on, Don, that is a piece of memorabilia for him to have for the rest of his life. That was the day I officially said, I'm all in. Or he says, go scratch dad and doesn't make a decision.

[Alan Hahn]

Just puts the Yankee hat on. Love it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Let's go to do it.

[Don LaGreca]

Oh, and Michael's already offered legend seats, so he's bribing the child. He's still recruiting.

[Alan Hahn]

That's great.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I think Michael may end up winning out with that. By the way, let's go to Lang in Connecticut. Hey, Lang.

[Don LaGreca]

Hey, guys. You know, I hate to.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I hate to damper the mood.

[Don LaGreca]

It's filled with nostalgia and fun feel.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Good memories from decades past. But something's been eating away at me.

[Don LaGreca]

For the last three hours, and I think it bears mention.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Alan, I don't know if your stance, if your approach to what you started to show, talking about, is maybe overly realistic about the Knicks playoff run so.

[Don LaGreca]

That in the 10% chance they exceed.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Maybe I'll be surprised, but I just don't agree with a philosophy of let's.

[Don LaGreca]

Resign to the fact that this team is not going to go as far as they can go, that they're going.

[Peter Rosenberg]

To be eliminated in the second round.

[Don LaGreca]

By the Celtics when it's mid April. I just. I think when you set the tone like that, it's just a loser's mentality. And I'm not saying I'm delusional, but let's just not even talk about it, let's just say, well, like, I have a show to do.

[Alan Hahn]

No, I have to talk about it. Like it's my job. So when, when people ask me what I think about the team and its direction and all that stuff, it's be easy for me to say, well, let's just see how it goes. Like if we did a half hour pregame show and I went well at the very beginning, like, what do we think? You know, we got the Knicks and the Pistons tonight. And I'll go, well, let's see how the game plays out. That's not good for TV or radio. I have to say something like, and I'm just giving you my 20 plus years of experience of covering the team and the league and what I see in the team as I watch them every single game all season. And my perception and my experienced, I suggest to me that this team, since not, it's not there yet, does it mean that they can't just suddenly figure something out, find something? I told you, there are times they look like, oh, I could see what this could be, but it's not consistent enough for me to believe or buy in that it's all there yet. And I do see the tendencies that worry me, which is what the front office should be seeing as well, which I'm sure they are, which involves, you know, depth of bench, what kind of punch you're getting off the bench. You know, it's just another transaction cycle of finding some pieces or moving some pieces around and seeing if you can take another step. I'm not trying to be like a negative Nelly.

[Don LaGreca]

I'm just, this is what I see. I understand, I understand and I appreciate that. What they need is a dog. When that overtime period started last night, the Knicks, they were playing as if they really lost. They didn't score for almost the first two minutes. The Celtics didn't really want it and the Knicks just laid back and they had this, they had this timidness to them. They're scared, they play, they're unsure of themselves. They play. So, but, but, you know, it's interesting. What do you want of sports radio? Because it sounds like you agree with Alan, but do you want us to be, hey, we're in New York and we have the Knicks on our station. So rah, rah. Go Knicks. They're winning it all. I mean, that's where the drop. This isn't Des Moines, you know, this is New York. This isn't North Dakota. This is New York. Like, yeah, in certain markets it's like, yeah, Go Thunder. We love okc. You want to hear your talk show hosts give opinion, and you sound like you agree with Allen, but I guess you want the host to just go on and say, hey, it's New York. The Knicks have a chance. The Knicks are going to win. We're just going to give you our honest opinion. And if we think they're going to win, we'll say it. If we don't, we're going to say that it hurts to hear, that's all.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It hurts because you love, Lang.

[Don LaGreca]

It hurts because you love. But I just don't want to live in a world where we're just going to be pom pom waivers. And I also don't like that from fans either. Like, I don't think there's any. There's a world. Like, certain fans are like, well, I'm a fan, so I just believe the team is gonna win until they don't. All right, well, then you're. Then you are delusional. Like, I could be a die hard fan, yet be critical of my team. I could be a die hard fan and not believe they're gonna win. That doesn't make me less of a fan, Don.

[Alan Hahn]

My job is to know more than the fan so I can enlighten or at least give the fan information that they might not cause, you know, you have your life and your job and all the things that you focus on. You don't possibly put in the same amount of time that I do because you can't. This is my job. So I always look at it as I'm trying to tell you what everything I see in here, what I'm, what I'm putting together and getting out of this so you have a better understanding of the team that you love. And I laugh that there's probably 35% of the fan base that thinks I'm making this all up or that I don't want to say what they are, they want to believe versus what. But like, and I'm down. You do this when you do the Rangers, that you are supposed to know more than everybody else. That's your job. Same as Michael K. If you don't trust Michael K on the Yankees, but then you just don't want to trust him.

[Don LaGreca]

As simple as that. But our world, when we do the pre and post or do the game as is, you keep it to the facts. Like, my job isn't to give opinions in the pre and post game show. My job is to give you the information that I have access to that you don't let you know what's going on to prepare you for the game or call the game or describe what happened after the game. But as a talk show host, I'm paid to give my opinion. And if my opinion is they're gonna lose, I'm gonna tell you that. Even if it means my favorite team's losing or the team on our stations losing or the team in our city is going to lose. So if he's mad at you for believing they're not gonna win and agrees with you, he's not really mad at you, he's mad at them.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. And he's. And he kind of said it at the end, right?

[Don LaGreca]

But, but, but he sounded like he wanted to turn on the radio and get like a rah rah speech. Feel better about how this team's still going to win. I'm sorry, I can't live in delusional world or I, I can't live in anti how I feel.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, we, we. We can have a segment called Affirmations. Yeah, we could do that. And then I can make. I can make you feel better about your team. Like, I used to love when there was, I think it was the big league used to do every year previews why your team sucks, Right? And then they would do this whole preview about why your team, and they would do it even about the best teams in the league. But, you know, I. That's. That's just not where we. Not where we live now. It's funny because what we started out the show with and, you know, when we talked about what we saw last night between the Knicks and the Celtics, and I explained how, you know, you're still in a building phase and there's some fans who just, they can't handle it. They just want the immediacy of it. They, you know, they use things like, I've waited for 52 years, which is always hilarious because it's as if, you know, they haven't tried in 52 years. There, there's ups and downs and everything else, but when I say that you're still building this thing, the response I get is, how are you building anything anymore? All the assets are gone. Do people not understand that building? Like, you know, what we're doing right now, the three of us, we're building a show.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's right.

[Alan Hahn]

Not adding to the show. There's nothing else. It's the three of us. It's the three of us,. It's Jake, it's Anthony. This is the show. But there's still a build that goes on here. It's trial and error. It's, it's figuring things out. It's, it's getting better and better. It's chemistry. It's learning from mistakes. That's also part of building. I don't understand why fans don't understand that, like, you can legit have a player that right now doesn't seem to be the best fit but can figure out, or you can figure out how to make them the best fit. Now you're like, they were going to trade that guy. It's a good thing they didn't do that, right? Like, like, I don't, I don't think fans understand Bill doesn't mean only roster moves.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's a, it's a great point and easily confused. But we can't, we're not North Dakota, Don. We're not, you know where we are.

[Don LaGreca]

New York.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's right.

[Don LaGreca]

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[Alan Hahn]

Need help filing taxes, but if you get stuck, we have live experts you can talk to. And who knows, you could hit it off and become long term tax friends. Staying up late at night talking about deductions, refunds, personal exemptions. Heck, you could even fall in love and create a little dependent of your own.

[Don LaGreca]

When?

[Alan Hahn]

One day. Or they could just answer your filing questions. Tax act let's get them over with.

[Don LaGreca]

Every idea starts with a problem. Warby Parker's was simple. Glasses are too expensive.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So they set out to change that.

[Don LaGreca]

By designing glasses in house and selling.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Directly to customers, they're able to offer.

[Don LaGreca]

Prescription eyewear that's expertly crafted and unexpectedly affordable.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Warby Parker glasses are made from premium materials like impact resistant polycarbonate and custom.

[Don LaGreca]

Acetate, and they start at just $95, including prescription lenses.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Get glasses made from the good stuff. Stop by a Warby Parker store near You.

[Alan Hahn]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Alan Hahn]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And if you listen to this song, Don, I encourage you to give it a listen later. The feel of it, musically, the lyrics, it's just. It just sounds like kids hanging out late night in New York City like 20 year olds just hanging out 18 year olds. It's. It's awesome.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, and then we had Q Tip on in case you missed it and I asked him a question I've wanted to ask any great artist that's been around for a long time. I always envision myself asking Metallica because they were kids when they, when Kill Them all came out. They were like 20. And now they're, you know, one of the, if not the greatest heavy metal bands of all time. And God, they're in the 60s now and you've got 40 years of experience, you are better at your job than you were when you were 20. So if Metallica went back to rerecord Kill Em all, wouldn't it sound like 40 times better with all the experience? And like Q Tip said that? No. Because in that moment, the age they were at that inexperience all led to how that album sounded. Maybe if it was more polished, it wouldn't be as good.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And you know, Tribe is particularly special because they got better over their first three albums, right. Now some people argue the second one is better than the third. I don't. I think third is their coup de grace. I think it's the. But either way, they're clearly both two and three are both better than one, right? Which is unusual in a lot of bands. The hardest thing is the debut is so good they can never find the magic of their debut again. They can never find the innocence of like we were just making music. Because if the. If Killer Mall's their debut.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So when you make that monster debut and now the label made millions and millions and every. You become an industry and there's a lot more eyeballs and people and hands in the pot, it can make it really hard. Tribe is amazing because the first one was pretty big. I mean, Benita Applebaum, Can I Kick It? I Left My Walt, Nel Segundo. These are really big songs. And yet Low End Theory, they got bigger and better. And then Midnight Marauder is the same thing. They kind of just like kept going. But I do think most people will tell you, even if they had more experience. They couldn't do it again, better because the inexperience was part of the magic.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah. There's a rawness to it, a grittiness to it. It's almost like art. Like if you look at a painting, there are paintings that just look perfect. I can paint you and it looks like a photograph. Like, that's how great it is. But somebody may paint it. It's not as perfect, but there was a lot more emotion in it. There was a lot more thought that went into it or an avant garde ness to it that just. You know what? It just hits so much better. Even though technically the other one looked like a photograph. Okay. But didn't have all of the other elements that made the picture great. It's. It's the same thing. I'm sure they're all. They would all be better.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Top five debuts in music history, Don. Could be a fun list for you.

[Don LaGreca]

Could be a list. Another great one that I thought about, but it's too. It's too in depth, is bands where their second album is better than their first. There's a lot of them.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's a lot.

[Don LaGreca]

There's a lot. Like. Like. Like Judas Priest's first album was rock and roll. It was. It's not that great. You know, as they were young, it was on a different label. It wasn't produced very well. And then it got popular and then they put more money into the second album. It was. But. And then it just. You could see it's. It's a lot better. But like, movies too. Like M. Night Shyamalan, that. That was his masterpiece. Sixth Sense was his masterpiece.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And he's literally been falling off a twist ever since.

[Don LaGreca]

But, you know, it's not.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So the point. Now that he puts out movies, they're like, made for tv, weird movies. I don't even.

[Don LaGreca]

But if you think. Think about it. Shouldn't your first album, your first book, your first song be better because you've been working on it your entire life? Like Q said, they were working on that album for three years. The concepts of that album were when he was 15 year old. 15 years old. Just thinking about it. Then when you make your second album, the record company's like, I need something in three months, man. Let's get going. I know, but meanwhile, literally, from birth until 18.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But you know that's a thing, right, that everyone says their debut is. You can't replicate it because you worked on it your whole life, Right?

[Don LaGreca]

Exactly. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But it is interesting because some people just get better and better. Talk about insane headlines that come up on your phone. I just looked down at my phone. Firefighters rescued a 32 year old man who weighed 68 pounds. Police say his stepmother locked him away when he was 12.

[Don LaGreca]

And how old is he?

[Peter Rosenberg]

32.

[Don LaGreca]

That's 20 years. Man, I'd like to get that guy on.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He's actually probably a regular.

[Don LaGreca]

He might be. I want to throw a name out for humor, but I don't want to cripple that one.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, it's not. It's a serious story. We should talk to the people. Let's talk to the people. Let's talk to the Griftster in Connecticut. Hey, Griffin.

[Alan Hahn]

Hey guys, how are you? Hey, you know Don, to Alan's point, if we were going to put a.

[Don LaGreca]

Yankee team, we would put the 2023.

[Alan Hahn]

Yankees after going 80 to an 80. That's more worse than the 20 than.

[Don LaGreca]

The COVID year season. That's true. But you were banged up and the injuries were a reason. You know a lot of these teams, the Rangers can't use injuries in exchange excuse for this season.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh yeah, no, they can. I'm wondering, did you consider the, the 2024 jets because they had high expectations last year. They were, despite missing the playoffs, they were like, oh, we didn't have Rogers. We still won seven games. We'll be better than this, better this year.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's a good point.

[Alan Hahn]

They blew the whole team up.

[Don LaGreca]

That. No, that is, that, that's a good. The reason I kind of stayed away from the jets to call Griff is because it wasn't, it was based on old Rhys Rogers. Like, like I'm talking about a team like you look at the Rangers President's trophy, go to the conference final, the same team comes back the next year and completely wets the bed. Now we put expectations on the Farve jets, on the Rogers jets, but what was it really based on? It wasn't based on anything they had done before Rodgers got there. It was, oh, Rodgers is going to be great. All right. Rogers tears his Achilles in the first game. What are you going to do about that? You're not firing anybody because of that. Yeah, it was a huge disappointment, but I was kind of looking at teams that like, why would we expect the Rangers not to be good, Peter, why? Same team that won a President's trophy, best record in the NHL. All right, you don't have to. That's tough to duplicate. It's tough to go back and be that good. But to drop off that much without catastrophic injury or something major Happening That's. That, to me, is crazy because even with the Rogers stuff, it still created expectations. What are you basing it off?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I did.

[Don LaGreca]

We think they're going to win a Super bowl because Aaron Rodgers won a Super Bowl a decade and a half ago.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's just. No, in retrospect, it looks crazy. We're going to need guys some years to process how badly that went.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, it's still in the works. Because if he goes to Pittsburgh and all of a sudden he finds vintage Rogers and they win like 13 games and go to the playoffs, doesn't that add to the story? The story's not dead until he decides to retire.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's true.

[Don LaGreca]

It's still evolving because it could be in darker places every moment and it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Could get right because it could get worse, right? You go to Pittsburgh, somehow Tomlin makes things right. We know they'll have a great defense. They end up going 10 and 7. They win a playoff game, all of a sudden you go, wait, so you could have won games of Rogers?

[Don LaGreca]

All right, now, the way it could get better is that he goes to Pittsburgh and is God awful. There you go. You can't get up from what happened earlier and the decision to go to him in the first place, but at least you can look good. The new regime will look great. Because I still think. Don't you think controversial is kind of a strong word? But the decision to let Rogers go, we'll see how that ages. So if he goes out there and plays great and Justin Fields is God awful, then they're gonna say, why do they let Rogers go? So it's ever evolving. And when it's the jets, if you had to bet it's not gonna age.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Assume it will evolve into the worst default. Yeah, that's a good point.

[Don LaGreca]

I'm seeing a lot of interesting facial expressions out of your.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, it's not good. It's not. It's not good. Pedro Martinez says that he has family that is still buried in the nightclub rubble in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He has family members who are at the nightclub. That death toll has continued to go up. Don, what a horrible story.

[Don LaGreca]

I mean, have we lost any hope that they can find anybody alive, or is it just a cleanup mission at this point? Like, I guess it's not been that long. I guess somebody could be trapped in the rubble and still be alive for sure. But clearly the death toll is gonna continue to climb. They're gonna find more bodies by hoping there's some nice stories that there's somebody that could have Survived.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's now, it's now over 124 people. Just a really, really awful story. I was talking to my friend Cass1 this morning on the morning show and he was just telling me about the level of the popularity of the club. The club was so popular, is so popular. At one point they opened a New York location.

[Don LaGreca]

Okay.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And there was like, it's just really the place to go. Like everybody has sort of been there. You know, this is not. You have a tendency to be biased when we hear a story in a foreign country, particularly if you're not someone who's connected to Dominican Republic. Of course, so many New Yorkers are. But if you're not, it's kind of harder to connect. But you have to understand this was like a really, really, really popular club that everyone has been to at some point. And to have it, the roof just completely collapse.

[Don LaGreca]

Absolutely horrible. And you see footage, it just happened like in just a second, a second.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And if you see the aerial shot done, the whole place, it's just the whole top of it is gone. Really, really scary. So sending love to everybody, all of our Dominican listeners and everybody who's connected to that, including Pedro Martinez and anybody who is worried about family there.

[Don LaGreca]

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[Alan Hahn]

Outdoor power equipment this spring. See what's new and exclusive like the 17 inch string trimmer with line IQ.

[Don LaGreca]

Technology that auto feeds to save you.

[Alan Hahn]

Time and the 22 inch select cut self propelled mowers with a multi blade system for Precise Cutting Shop Ego days happening now during Spring Fest at Lowe's. We help you save. Selection varies by location while supplies last.

[Peter Rosenberg]

McDonald's meets the Minecraft universe with one of six collectibles and your choice of a Big Mac or 10 piece McNuggets with spicy nether Flame sauce. Now available with a Minecraft Movie meal.

[Don LaGreca]

At participating McDonald's for a limited time.

[Peter Rosenberg]

A Minecraft movie only in theaters.

[Alan Hahn]

Thanks for listening to the Don Han and Rosenberg Podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Alan Hahn]

Catch this show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right, it's game time. It's brought to you by Tullamore. Do Irish Whiskey because when it's game time, it's Tully time. Mets lose to the Marlins. Yankees beat the Tigers. That already happened. Hockey Ranjay tonight at the Garden. I guess they're still playing the Rangers, that is they host the Flyers. Cover starting right here with Don on the pregame on 880tullamore. Dude, the original triple distilled triple blended triple cast matured Irish Whiskey. Be sure to grab a Tullamore Dew or try the new Tullamore Dew Honey during today's action. Glasses up to enjoying Tullamore 2 responsibly.

[Don LaGreca]

I know Ranger fans are disgusted by what's happened here, but you do get a little bit of a treat tonight. The game's on TNT and you're getting Sam and JD Reunited. It was a great idea from tnt. John Davidson is the president of the Columbus Blue Jackets, but he's been filling in doing some color with Steve Mears on the television side with the Blue Jackets. And of course Sam, you know, down to his last five games, it looks like actually it'll be less than that because he's not going to be doing Saturday's game. That's going to be on abc. But TNT came up with the idea of having Sam and JD Call this game, so that'll be very nostalgic. First time they'll be calling a game since 2006.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Wow.

[Don LaGreca]

So it's been 19 years and it's a great pairing. And even if you're not a Ranger fan, Islander Devil fan, or just a fan of sports, to hear those two guys together is going to be cool. So I know a lot of Ranger fans are going to hate watch tonight because they're mad at their team. But at least a little nostalgia here is the Rangers take on the Flyers and if you can't get in front of the TV, we got you here on 880. How about that?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Look at look with Don on the pre and post like you dream about.

[Don LaGreca]

That's right.

[Alan Hahn]

You know how in national games sometimes they say can I just mute the TV and have my announcers. Can I just hear Sam and JD and not watch the game?

[Don LaGreca]

Oh, the opposite of it came no visual but another game on.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Speaking of commentary, by the way.

[Don LaGreca]

Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Ballard texted me this last night. I missed this moment. Did you catch this great moment last.

[Don LaGreca]

Night in sports towns of New York.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It is his first tonight from Madison Square Garden. The NBA on TNT is brought to you by the new crispy tenders at CarMax. What the way car buying should be.

[Don LaGreca]

Can that be?

[Peter Rosenberg]

What is that? Wait a minute.

[Don LaGreca]

Hold on.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm holding.

[Don LaGreca]

Hold on.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Are they serving tenders with cars? Are there tenders in the car?

[Don LaGreca]

Because if there is, you're in.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We just had the marriage of two.

[Alan Hahn]

Different sponsors and it was ugly.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He has a great line here. Only you can laugh about it. Well, if that just goes to show you, I literally will read anything they.

[Alan Hahn]

Put in front of you.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Shout out to Harlan. That's great. Chicken tenders at CarMax. Hey, maybe that's a branding opportunity for K with his tendee situation and Anthony, you know what I mean? I have to do with the whole. I thought about this. When are the Yankees in Santiago? Do you know? And will Michael make the trip is the question. Because you know what I need to do?

[Don LaGreca]

What's that?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I need to link up Michael K with the world's biggest chicken tender fan, Dominic mysterio of the WWE and they need to do a review together. May 5th. Oh, it's here. That's here. Because that could be a real opportunity for cross promotion between Michael and the young.

[Alan Hahn]

They don't go there this year. They come here.

[Don LaGreca]

Maybe they should.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, consider it.

[Don LaGreca]

He could be around.

[Alan Hahn]

Dominic will be around when they're in town.

[Peter Rosenberg]

At some point maybe they could try tendies together at the stadium.

[Alan Hahn]

At the stadium.

[Don LaGreca]

I just. I'm very disappointed in Michael.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Why is that?

[Don LaGreca]

Well, the whole admitting that he get this ready. Succumbed to the pressure of having the cook there.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Good job.

[Don LaGreca]

Hear that? You got to tough it out, man.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He didn't use the name of a famous porn star.

[Don LaGreca]

It's not his.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Funny, usually he uses the name of a knighted porn star.

[Don LaGreca]

Or just don't tell us that you caved. Like we need to know exactly how you felt.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But he's an honest man. This is the thing. And he will not devalue these men.

[Don LaGreca]

Then if you're gonna sit there and do it. Who's the. Who's the chef that's on Fox?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't know. Gordon Ramsey, Gordon Ramsay?

[Don LaGreca]

Does Gordon Ramsay hold back?

[Peter Rosenberg]

What?

[Don LaGreca]

He's critiquing the studio. No, no, no, by the way. Because you know why? Because all the food critics that would criticize him, they didn't soft shoe it. They go right at you. They're right to your face. Your movie sucks. Your song sucks. Your food sucks.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I couldn't help but think this, and I feel like a bad guy saying this, but I already criticized Lee Goldberg's outfit today, so who am I to.

[Don LaGreca]

Say you're on a roll? You called.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, I didn't.

[Don LaGreca]

And the left handed, sort of.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, I didn't.

[Don LaGreca]

You said he was dressed as a.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes, it was a tough outfit. I maintained that. All I could think about when Michael was talking about the executive chef, standing next to him is someone being like, hello, my name is Pierre Mangeau. I am the executive chef. Oh, really? What a steamed restaurant. That's. That's right. I studied in Paris. I'm the executive chef at Cromerica park in Detroit, a place of fine cuisine. We have the chicken tendies, of course. Maybe you'd like to try my famous beef nacho dip that comes on top of pizza with an ice cream sandwich in the middle. I just.

[Don LaGreca]

It is true. Like, how heartbroken would he be?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I mean, that's what I like. He's saying executive chef as if he walked into the fanciest restaurant in Manhattan. He's at Cromerica park, for God's sake. What did you do wrong? What's it called? The school where they teach you to cook.

[Don LaGreca]

Culinary.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right. When you went to the. It must have been some online culinary institute, right? What's the 1,800number culinary institute you went to, where when you graduate, they go, he's our finest student. We'll be sending him out to Detroit, a job where all the great chefs start. Anthony Bourdain studied at Cromerica. That's right. Before he was at cnn.

[Alan Hahn]

You would think he takes pride in, like, the fancy stuff.

[Don LaGreca]

Not necessarily the tendies.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, no, he loved. Trust me. Well, not only that, he is the man. A lot of people know this. The guy who was standing in front of Michael, the executive chef at Crow America. He is the man who decided we have to add rainbow sprinkles to the helmet ice cream.

[Alan Hahn]

Michelin star tendies, we're talking.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's exactly right.

[Alan Hahn]

Can you get a Michelin Star on tendies.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He said, you know what? It's not enough that we put the ice cream in the helmet. I want to add rainbow sprinkies.

[Don LaGreca]

I'm just very disappointed.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Some jimmies, if you want.

[Don LaGreca]

I understand that he wanted to be honest, but part of being the critiquing is being brutally honest to start. That's why I said I thought about doing it with books, but I just can't. I can't go out. I know some of these people, they send me the books for free. I wouldn't have the heart to do it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, you'd have to choose people you don't know.

[Don LaGreca]

But I still don't want to be that guy.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I get it. Like, I do.

[Don LaGreca]

I'm not ready to. So I don't do it. Because otherwise I'm going to give everybody a 10.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I know. Well, listen, we saw it today because when I was critical of Lee Goldberg's outfit, you lied to America and you protected him because he's your friend.

[Don LaGreca]

I lied in the direction that it took. I was the one that pointed out that the goggles glasses he was wearing were extreme. I had no problem going after him. But you brought blank bag into the conversation. That's when I tapped out.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Now, for the record, I did not call him a blank bag. I said, he went into the store and said, excuse me, I'm interested in dressing like a blank bag. What do you have? And they went, well, I'd like to show you this tie. Lee, we love you, man. You do a great job. By the way, the weather's trash again in the coming days. This has been, with all due respect, Mother Nature is her. And I got problems.

[Don LaGreca]

The frustrating thing, the last two days have been gorgeous, but freezing.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, gorgeous for what?

[Don LaGreca]

Ice.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But John, John Kyle, Paul, Steve, we'll get you tomorrow on the last call. Crew, we're out of here. Hockey Ron J. The Rangers next, right here on 880. See you tomorrow at 3pm Good night, everyone.

[Alan Hahn]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast. I don't want to know how the sausage is made, man. I just want to know. It's good. Hear more of Don Allen and Peter Weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app, and your smart speakers.