Cliff Harris on Vicious Hits, Jerry’s Ticking Clock & Big Ten’s Playoff Grip | Just Wondering

Welcome again to Just Wondering. I'm Norm Hitskas on this week's show. College football begins this weekend. What's the race for the national championship look like? In in fact, what things could keep some teams from being the national champion? And then an interview with Cliff Harris, one of my all time Cowboy favorite players. And finally, Jerry Jones says he's willing to make a preseason deal giving away some of his future. What are the reasons Jerry seems so willing to do it this year when he hasn't in the past? That's our show coming up. And now a word from our title sponsor. Eying retirement? We aim to turn your nest egg into a paycheck with half the amount you've been led to believe. Fluent Financial combines in house portfolio design risk management with income generating investments designed to aid your financial independence. Our goal is to develop an effective portfolio strategy to help you retire sooner and have a better lifestyle. Fluent Financial can also implement a program that allows business owners to install a cash balance plan, which may potentially reduce income tax payments. You've worked hard to become successful. Let us help develop an effective portfolio strategy that works for you. Learn more today about Fluent Financial. Retire sooner, better lifestyle. For more information or to schedule a meeting, visit fluentfinancial.com or call (972) 852-4800. 12 teams will be invited to the college football playoff again this year. Though in subsequent years, that number will jump. With the season starting this weekend, the list of the most likely winners looks very familiar with the same list of most likely winners last season. There are no Cinderella's that need apply here. All the yes. You're gonna see Tulane or James Madison get invited to the field, but only because the rules of the playoff system make them invite a James Madison or a Tulane. But a look at the preseason ratings show you just where the power still resides in college football. Here are the top 13 rated teams to start this season. The big ten has the top two, Ohio State and Oregon. This is the first time in sixty five years that a conference in the preseason rankings had numbers one and two. There's a third big ten team at number six, Indiana. But check out the SEC. Seven of the top 13, numbers three, five, eight, nine, ten, eleven, and thirteen. Number 11, LSU, the estimates suggest that their roster will cost them nearly $50,000,000. Yes. Big bucks win national championships. And the others, Ohio State, Oregon, Georgia, Notre Dame, Texas, Miami, A and M, they're all gonna pay an estimated $40,000,000 for their rosters. So who wins? Well, let's look at that from a different angle. Whose schedules are the most difficult to navigate this season on the way to a possible national championship. The team with the most potential potholes, that would be Texas. They play eight games versus top 25 teams. Check this out. Ohio State, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Florida, Mississippi, then late season visits to LSU and A and M. OU, they play seven of the top 25. Playing six of the top 25, Ohio State, Michigan, Ole Miss, A and M, and LSU. But let's look at the other side of this coin. Who doesn't have many dates with top 25? Indiana, Alabama, Oregon have only four games against top 25 teams. The SEC is loaded with good teams, but such incredibly rugged schedules can wear down a team and make it potentially a bit harder to win the national championship. The Big Ten has won the last three national championships, and they've done so with three different teams, Michigan, Ohio State, Indiana. What if this year, they could do it with a fourth different Big Ten team? Number two preseason rated Oregon. The SEC likes to think of itself as the best conference in America, and the Big twelve and the ACC like to think they're competitive with the best. But until some conference team takes down the big ten, all those other conferences, they're just battling for second place. In 1993, Bob Samble opened the original Bob's Steak and Chophouse on Lemon Avenue. Thirty two years later, the original Bob still greets you at the original Bob's. And now his sparkling new Bob's and Craig Ranch from McKinney has opened same fantastic beef and fresh seafood at these two Bob's, each run by Bob, Bob's Steak and Shophouse. Everyone, this is captain crash, Cliff Harris, The former cowboy star safety, he was an undrafted NFL free agent out of that college football factory, Washington Baptist. You pronounce it right. He went on to have such an incredible career with the Cowboys ten years, the entire decade of the nineties, two Super Bowl championships, four first team all pro, six Pro Bowls. And that, by the way, is back when making the Pro Bowl actually meant something. Yeah. 1970s, all decade, first team player at safety, a ring of honor for the Cowboys. And then for reasons Cliff doesn't understand, and I don't either, and thousands of other people It don't took forty one years for the NFL to put them into hall of fame. Yeah, right. But I Yes, you are. Hey, thanks for your time, dear friend. We met fifty four years ago. Oh my gosh, Norm. About right now on practice fields at Cal Lutheran. Wow. That's right. At Thousand Oaks, California. Goodness gracious. Oh, I don't wanna talk about that. I don't wanna know how long ago that was really Well well, as you as you can see, I I have so much respect for my friend Cliff Harris that I have modeled my hairstyle after his. Well, I've had this style for a long time. Yours has been a shorter time, I think. Let me take you back to day one for you. You get off the bus at Thousand Oaks at Cal Lutheran, you're an undrafted free agent that first day. What are you thinking? Well, first, I got on the bus and and Pat Toumay, the defensive end that was drafted from Vanderbilt, said I I said, I don't know where I'm going. I was in the LA Airport. I'd never been in a place bigger than I had in my life, and he said, just follow me. And, I followed him. We got on the, on the bus or the whatever it was, the taxi and took us to Thousand Oaks. And oh my gosh, it's, what an incredible facility, from a kid out of Washtenaw Baptist, you know? So I've began to acclimate and, figure out the system, you know, norm, and and I figured out early. You know, that was a that was a, strike here for the NFL. Mhmm. And Gil Brandt had a 120 rookies out for the team. No. Wait. I'm stop you right there. People should listen to that. Take all the veterans and put them over here. And now you can only have, like, 90 people in camp. Right. A 120 rookies. Right. Oh. And what was happening was, you know, the you know, and then the strike went on for several weeks, and there were guys on the on the squad, on the rookie squad that were trying out that wanted to go home and they because they could see the talent level, and they knew that they couldn't match it. And they said, we wanna go home, and Gil Brandt wouldn't fly them home because he said it would make the lines too short. You know? So that was and then the and then the veterans came in, and it was like, you know, it's amazing because it was the guys that you've been watching on TV. And here I was a rookie out of Ouachita Baptist, Arkadelphia, Arkansas. And I've been watching these guys on TV, and I was going, oh my gosh. You know? These are just superstars. And I don't know. The the first day in practice, it was a man to man coverage. And you know the guy that I got? Bob Hayes, the fastest man in the world. Yeah. But you were the second fastest man. Well, you know and he ran Bob was a unique guy. He's a great guy, and he ran a little short 10 yard, 10 yard turn in, and I went over the top of him and knocked the ball down, and, and it made him upset him. He said, hold it. He said, hold it. I'm gonna go again. And I said, I want you to cover me again, rookie. And Bob Hayes did a little side fake and took off and as fast as he could running, he beat me. Damn. He caught him fast. You went undrafted out of college after a stellar career, but that wasn't the first time you were unwanted. How many college scholarships did you have on? Oh, you go back too far, Norm. Well, my I had I talked to the University of Arkansas. That's about as far as I got, and, they didn't they didn't do anything with me. But, I was only offered one scholarship, and that was from Ouachita Baptist. But my son and my brother both got scholarships at the University of Arkansas until they figured out the family, I think. You know? So I was happy for that. You spent ten spectacular years in the league. But at 31, you suddenly quit to join the oil business, the business you're still in. Yeah. Or at the height of your career, why did you just suddenly walk away? Well, I I knew that, you know, all of a sudden, they drafted Randy Hughes out of Oklahoma, he was an all American. And, you know, when something like that happens in the second round, and they drafted several other safeties down the other part of it, I was thinking, you know, there is a time that I'm that he's gonna they're gonna replace me with a younger guy. Of course, Randy Hughes ended up not being the safety. Someone else came in and became safety, but, I just saw the writing on the wall and I didn't want to linger and, and coach, I went in to talk to coach Landry and he told me, I said, I'm gonna retire next year, coach, and go into the oil business. And he said, Cliff, I I thought you would play several more years. I've gotta, I've gotta make preparation for it. And I said, well, coach, if if Charlie Waters if if Charlie gets hurt, I'll come back and play. If and he said, okay, I'll make a deal with you. That'll work. So I was I had to he said, you have to stay in shape, and I did. I stayed in shape, and I was, you know, praying for Charlie. Come on, Charlie, stay healthy, and, and he did that year. But, and so I got to stay in the energy business, and it and it's it's done well for me. The prime topic that I wanna discuss with you is well Oh, boy. Cliff Harris is very soon to be 78 years old. He's healthy. There's no long term effects of having played pro football. But do you think fans, people in general, understand the kind of price the players must pay for playing that game? Well, Norm, you know, today's game is a different game than, than the game that we played. And the game we played was a vicious, I mean, very intense game that there was no penalty for crushing a guy and knocking him out. And that's what I did for in several occasions to, I mean, because it was legal, you could knock guys, knock guys out if it was a legal hit and flop them onto the ground. And, and, but in today's world, I think that they pay the guys so much and put so much emphasis on staying healthy that, that they definitely have to keep their great players in healthy and and it makes sense. And the the the owners pay a lot of money for that. And so therefore, the referees call, oh my gosh. I mean, the most ridiculous fouls. The poor defensive backs have they have no mercy. I I I feel for those defensive backs in today's world. And I can tell you right now, I feel for you guys, and, I know the pain that you're going through. And I'm I'm a proponent for making hitting harder available to you. But it's turning into a game that's just like tag football to me. Cliff, it is I can't imagine how hard it must be to see what's happening to so many of your teammates. Yes, sir. They're paying for playing. Yes, sir. Well, you know, it was it is a vicious game, and I'm fortunate I'm fortunate to be healthy today because we've lost so many of our guys, and so many guys are are hurt. And, I mean, you know, when you think about John Nyland just recently passing away and, you know, Walt Garrison and several others that were my friends and Lee makes me really grateful for the the health that I have today. I'm still going in early. Did today. I went into the 07:00 meeting at the Kelsey Warren's energy transfer, partners, meeting, and there were 20 people in there, and I'm I'm glad I can take a part in that and sit and listen. I don't bring anything to the party, but I at least I get to go in there and hear the the the strategy and the technology and all the things that are going on. Cliff, as you said, you see what's happened not only with players dying, but the last several years of their life being so difficult for so many. Yeah. Do you worry about yourself still? Well, I do. But I I do get out and exercise. I walk, you know, a couple miles or more every every day or as many days as I can. And, I'm fortunate enough to have a green belt behind my house, and I walk in that green belt and with my dog. And and even you know, the thing that's weird about this, Norm, you know, it's a 100 and whatever, seven today, and it the heat doesn't bother me. So I get out in that heat, and I'll walk, you know, a couple miles in that in that heat. And and I think, obviously, it's been good for me, and I'm just a very fortunate, blessed guy. I've always been felt that way. God has blessed me in a in a good way. Looking back on it, do you think the players of your era were very well taken care of? Oh my gosh. No. I I don't. I mean, I know that, you know, no, they they weren't at all. Not financially and not physically. And, I mean, you know, they're just stories of, you know, I mean, had a broken thumb and a a bad knee, and you and then they want the starters to start, you know, and keep them in. And, today, you know, they take them out. I mean, it's take them out when when they should, rightfully should, when they're injured. But, goodness gracious. And I don't know. I just think it's a different game today. A better for the players today. Oh, yeah. Definitely better for the players today, and and it's an inner still it's an entertaining game. I enjoy watching it. I watch the Cowboys, and, I pull for them, and and but I'm not over the top, you know, enthusiastic about it, but I I still really enjoyed the games. Cliff, you spent ten years in cowboy uniform. In those ten seasons, the cowboys won five of the seven NFC championship games they were. Can you believe that in the last thirty years, they've never been to a single NFC championship game? Wow. Gosh. I didn't recognize that or realize that. I I have a different perspective on it. I look at the, the career my career and the Cowboys of my era think, well, we went to five Super Bowls, and we won two of them, and we should have won all five of them. That's the way that I look at it. And, we, we had a great team, and, I mean, a a great team, and a great and a great coaching staff. And, you know, I I think that the you know, I mean, I'm just I may be biased because I am a defensive player, but I think think that defense will win Super Bowls. So and, and because that's what really what it gets down to because how good of defense you you have. Because you have to be a a great offensive team to get there, but the defense controls the victory. Just my opinion. I might be biased being a defensive guy. Well, Cliff, let me tell you. You you graduated with a double major in college. One of them was math. I'm gonna give you a piece of math. In the 60 Super Bowls that have been played, if you'd have simply taken the team with the better defensive ranking in the regular season, Got it? Simple to do. Which team had the better defensive rank? You'd have won 49 of those six teams. God. Well, that's an interesting statistic. Mhmm. I believe that. You know? Because I think that, you know, you have you you have to get to the playoffs and the Super Bowl by playing great defense and stopping an offense. And so that means when you get to the Super Bowl, you've got the two best, you know, defenses in the nation. And, it's the you know, I talked to Roger Staubach, my good friend and quarterback, and and told him that he needed to score more points in the Pittsburgh game. It makes him upsets him, you know. You know, Cliff, looking back on it, with all the difficulties and everything, the game of football has been extraordinarily good to you, hasn't it? No. It has without any question. I'm very fortunate, to be, one, to come out of pro football and be as healthy as I am. And but it also gave me opportunities in business that created opportunities in business that I might not have had if I had come out of Ouachita Baptist with my math and physics degree. And I was going to be a doctor and when I went into college, and the labs knocked me out. So but I'm I'm so fortunate. I'm very happy to be where I am today. I've got a great family, lovely wife, and the kids are all doing well. And I'm I'm I'm grateful for where I am today. Cliff, God bless you. God bless you, Norm. I look forward friends a long time. Yeah. We've known each other. You look good. You're just young. You look young today. So what was I'm glad I'm glad we're thinking well today. Hope. What was the the t shirt we had fun with back in camp? I got you and Charlie t shirts, and one said snowflake, and the other one said blizzard or something. Oh, I like That's, you know, that's that's gonna be in your memory. That know, that's probably something yeah. Because we really, people would link us together for sure. You know, Charlie is a great guy. He's living in Florida now, and he's happy. Walks his dog every day on the beach, and, we went down to visit with him last summer, and he's, he's doing very well. He needs to be into the Dallas Ring of Honor. He they need to put Charlie Waters. Jerry needs to put he's got the interception record. I mean, he has been a he was a great player, Norm, you know, and and I I I think that, you know, he really needs to be in there. And they need Jerry needs to recognize him or whoever makes that decision needs to recognize Charlie Waters. Well, God bless you that you finally got all the recognition you deserve, my friend. Thank you, Norm. Always great to visit with you. I enjoy visiting with you. Never have any trick trick trick questions for me. Next time. Next time you will. You'll get one. I'll get one. All the trick questions next time. Okay. See you, Cliff. See you, Norm. Podcasters, the football season starts in just a couple of weeks. College football debuts right at the end of August. Do you bet college football games? I've been handicapping games for more than forty years now. And the last couple of years ever since my retirement from talk radio, I've been selling my picks. The price is ridiculously cheap. We ask $200 That's for the entire football season, college and pro, and the NCAA basketball tournament thrown in. How well have we done the last two years? Five twenty seven winners, four thirty four losers, if you're a $200 game player, after the juice is subtracted from losing plays, if you're a $200 player, that's right at a $10,000 profit. Dollars 200, the picks get emailed right to you every Friday, and several times during the basketball playoffs, obviously. How do you sign up? That's easy. Send an email to my stepson, Zach Danz and he'll get right on it. The email is Zachary. Dans, DANZ@gmail.com. Zachary.dans@gmail.com. Let's go out and have another winning season. Are you just wondering where your next spectacular vacation will be? Relax. Feel the sun on your body. Let your cares melt away at the all inclusive Cerenian Bay Resort in Southern Belize. It's literally built right on the sand. The ocean, your ocean, is just a few barefoot steps away. Laid back luxury, terrific food, a swim up bar, a spa, air conditioned gym, unimaginable service, fishing, snorkeling in gorgeous turquoise waters. Do you want relaxation or do you need adventure? You choose at Ceridian Bay. Mary and I have been there three times and this summer will be number four. Take a cozy bungalow for two or bring the whole family to villas that can accommodate up to 14. Sirenianbay.com, S I R E N I A N. The sand and the sea are just waiting for you to get here. The Cowboys play their preseason finale this Friday. No starters will play in the game, but the subs have looked very good. Now, albeit that's against the backup players from teams that are mediocre at best. But overall, the vibe in the cowboy camp has been good. Very good. So good, in fact, that Jerry Jones says he might be willing to trade part of his team's future assets to fortify this year's club. Jerry's not much into doing that stuff usually, and he doesn't have much in the way of 27 draft assets. The Cowboys next year have a late number one, a numbers two and three round picks, no fourth or fifth round pick, two sixth rounders, and no seventh round pick. So why is Cherry now willing to part with part of the future when he's been reluctant to do so at points of seasons past? I think there are three reasons. Number one, his offense. He saw it last year. It's very, very good. Even though some of the yards and points were piled up late as the team played catch up. This is a good offense. And if the two tackles hold up, potentially a top five offense. But offense doesn't usually win championships in the NFL. Usually, defense wizards. And I think that's reason number two. I believe what Jerry seen in camp under the new wizard defensive coordinator Christian Parker has really, really energized Jerry. He sees the trades he made, and the free agency sign, and the kids they drafted, and he thinks this team combined with that really good offense might just be willing to get to the championship game. And the final reason Jerry Jones might be willing to give up the future for the present, his age. Jerry will be 84 years old in seven weeks. He, like others of us you might call elderly, realized there's a clock ticking. He won the Super Bowl last after the '95 season. He was 54 years old. He won it with Barry Switzer, but it was with the remnants of the team, the juggernaut assembled and coached by Jimmy Johnson. I think that really peeps Jerry that people blame him for all the failures since then. But they think of all the successes back then as Jimmy's and not Jerry's. What's happened since that ninety five Super Bowl? They haven't even made it to an NFC championship game in thirty years. In those three decades, a total of five playoff wins. Five. The fans fans blame Jerry for that. I believe Jerry is hearing his personal clock ticking. And he desperately wants to win a Super Bowl ring. A ring that people will think of as Jerry's and Jerry's alone. Thank you for watching today's episode of Just Wondering with Norm Hitskas. I'm Norm, and know that every day I'll be just wondering about something. And I'm Mary Hitschkef, and I'll be just wondering too. This is a Stolen Water Media production.