Cowboys’ Defense Still Wretched & Dale Hansen’s No-BS Jerry Jones Take | Just Wondering

Hi. This is Norm Hitskyus, and welcome again to this week's Just Wondering. First, we'll look at the Cowboys' victory over the Texans, and in particular, some of the press response to that win. And then we spend the rest of this episode with one of the legends in television, sportscasting, and DFW history. Quiet, laid back, never has an opinion about anything. Dale Hansen. Now a word from our title 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. On Sunday, the Cowboys got a very much needed thirty four thirty victory over the Houston Texans, the still winless Houston Texans. My first take on this game, it looked exactly like last year's team. The offense had to keep scoring and scoring and scoring and scoring and scoring and scoring to cover for a defense that was having trouble keeping the other team from scoring. And it's that defense in particular that we should be concerned about, because that's where the Cowboys must improve to have a good season this year. We knew the Cowboys offense was a good one, But the defense, does it look any better to you? First of all, let's look at the Houston offense. They allowed Houston six scoring drives. That brought Houston's season average, the 30 points they scored against the Cowboys, now brought their season scoring average to 21 points per game. They had gotten only six against Cincinnati and only 17 against Indianapolis. Yes. They scored on Buffalo, but if you look carefully, a lot of teams score on Buffalo. But this Cowboy defense yielded 7.6 yards a play. I'm sorry, but that's wretched. That's absolutely pitiful. And that brought Cabo... The Cowboys season record to allowing 6.4 yards every time the opponent snaps the ball, and that is clearly the worst in the National Football League. Oh, And CJ Stroud, their quarterback, he'd been really struggling. He... In losing efforts, he'd averaged 266 yards per game. The Cowboys allowed him to hit 21 of 31 for 347 yards. Remember now, he'd been averaging two hundred six six yards before this game. The cowboys did sack him twice on Sunday, but Stroud had been sacked 10 times in the first three games this year, so two sacks on Stroud wasn't exactly setting the world on fire. And, again, no turnovers. The the Cowboys just don't turn the opposition over, And Houston contributed 13 penalties for 90 penalty yards. Now I'll just say a couple or three of those penalties look really bogus to me, but you've known from past episodes how bogus I think some penalties are in the National Football League, including the fact that they call pass interference about as often as we flush Saddam Hussein out of his hideout. Dak was terrific. He was twenty twenty five in the second half. He threw 45 passes without an interception. 32 of the 45 complete. And the Cowboys needed every moment of Dak's fine play to survive against the Houston team now o one four. But you know what interested me? It interested me in the press reaction to that game, and in particular, the Dallas Morning News. They call that game a statement win. Oh, please. A four point win on the road against a winless team when your offense had to keep scoring and scoring and scoring and scoring to cover for a defense that looks no better? I'm sorry. That's that's not a statement win. Hey. Beat the Rams later on. Beat the forty niners later on. Sweep the Eagles later on. Those are statement wins. But I'm sorry. This doesn't qualify as a statement win. Next headline. Defense takes a step in the right direction. We've already talked about that. Was this really a step in the right direction to hold Houston to 30 points and 7.6 yards of play and not get a turnover? And then I finally look at the headlines. Lambs big game saves season. I'm I'm sorry. Just getting to two and two on the season does not save the season. Let's not overreact here. Maybe the headline writers misconstrued what the writers actually said because the writers don't write the headlines. But this this is buying into something that we shouldn't buy into yet. Beat Tampa Bay this week. They're limping along with an undrafted rookie quarterback having to play in place of the injured Bayfield... Baker Mayfield. And then go ahead and win Green Bay against a Green Bay team that cannot run the fall... Run the ball against paper mache defensive lines. That's where the season starts to get saved. It doesn't get saved being a winless team on on the road, but a win is a win. It doesn't matter how you got it. Hey. Minnesota barely beat Miami on Sunday. It's a win. Baltimore hung on to beat windless Tennessee Sunday. It's a win. Green Bay won at windless Tampa Bay. They desperately needed it. It's a win. Did the Cowboys need this win? Yes. They got it. Now let's start to see more improvement. What do you want from your favorite restaurant? Fantastic personal service, a cheery, welcoming, spotless atmosphere, and of course, great food. 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Dale Hansen's now five years into retirement after a legendary career anchoring sports on television in the DFW area. He also spent more than a decade in the radio booth analyzing Dallas Cowboy games. Hansen became famous for his sometimes controversial commentaries, several of which went viral and got him major attention and millions of viewers on national TV. Over the years, the accolades poured in, two time sportscaster of the year, four time Texas best sportscaster of the year, American women in radio and television TV personality of the year. He he also spent a lot of years on radio. He... His charity his charity efforts became legendary, and he spent recent time trying to take other people's money playing poker. So how are how are the cards running for you? Actually, they're they're running very bad. I'm not... But, you know, it runs... As you well know, I'm sure, they... They've been running hot and cold. I'm doing okay. I win a little bit. I lose a little bit. My favorite story, Norm, is I I I always play a lot of weird hands because I just love watching the cars go by. And I beat this young kid, with a stupid hand. I mean, I shouldn't have even been in the hand. And he looked at me, and he goes, you keep playing like that. I'm gonna take every dollar you've got. And this buddy of mine was sitting at the table, and he looks at this young guy like in his mid twenties. He goes, kid, I'm gonna tell you something right now. You're not gonna live long enough to take every dollar he's got. But, no. I I, I play at a place called, The Palace in Grand Prairie. I'll throw... Slip in a little plug here. I play at a place called The Palace in Grand Prairie. I I play, you know, once a week, maybe three, four times a month is all. But I I do wish my cards would run a little better than they have been lately. For many of your years, Dale, you spent time criticizing the Cowboys owner, Terry Jones. And I wonder, how is your relationship with him now, or do you even have a relationship with him now? No. I don't really have what I would consider a relationship right now. I think he would still... As you probably know, I'm I'm pretty sure he would take my call, if I called. I have no doubt that if I ran into him in a bar, he would buy me a drink. You know, Jerry, this is the thing I've always respected about him despite all the criticism. Jerry is like one of those little boxing dolls we used to have when we were kids, you know, the round bottom that you punch him and they bounce right back. That's Jerry. You can hit Jerry right flush in the face with your best shot, and he bounces right back up for more. And I respect the hell out of that. I mean, I really do because as you also know, a lot of people in our business don't respond that way. But I don't have any any real... I haven't talked to Jerry. I... I'm not even sure when the last time I was that I ran into him. And he's still every bit as bad a general manager as I thought he was thirty years ago. That that brings me to my next question. It's more than thirty years since the Cowboys debuted into an NFC championship game. Yeah. I'm pretty sure. Super Bowl. Jerry gets a lion's share of the criticism for that. I take it you believe that criticism is due. Yeah. I do. Be... Because I had Troy Aikman on my podcast, recently, and and Troy pointed out, and I've been saying this basically from the beginning. You look at the history of what Jerry Jones has done. He brings in Jimmy Johnson, who who could have gotten a job anywhere in the NFL. Jimmy Johnson was the hot coach at the time. And for about four and a half of those five years, Jimmy called all the shots. Basically, whole five years. Jimmy called all the shots. They then have that big split up. Since that time, he's had, what is it now? Seven more coaches, eight more coaches. And only one of them only one of them, Bill Parcells out of Barry Switzer, Chad Galey, Dave Campo, Bill Parcells, Wade Phillips, Jason Garrett, Mike McCarthy, and and now Brian Schottenheimer. I guess that's nine. Only one of those coaches, Bill Parcells, could get another job and was wanted any place else in the NFL. I mean, nobody was trying to hire Chan Gailey. Nobody was trying to hire Dave Campo. Nobody was trying to hire Barry Switzer, obviously. Nobody was trying to hire Wade Phillips. Nobody tried to hire Jason Garrett. Nobody nobody tried to hire Mike McCarthy at the time at the time. So he's he's kind of a tweener. And, obviously, Brian Schottenheimer, who I've got a lot of concerns about right now, twenty five years in the NFL and nobody thought, yeah, let's make him the head coach. Nobody thought, let's make Brian Schottenheimer the head coach. But Jerry Jones says, you know, I could get this Schottenheimer guy that nobody else has wanted for twenty five years, and he might be the answer. Jerry has chopped off the head coaches at the knees. This is basically, I think, what Aikman has been pointing out. He's taken away the authority of the coaches, which then seeps through the locker room. He then spends every training camp talking about winning Super Bowls, and the great line that Aikman had was, how about this? At training camp, instead of talking about a Super Bowl, let's talk about beating the Giants. And that was in, like, August. How'd that work out? No. They were talking about this might be the year, and they couldn't beat the New York Giants. They couldn't beat Baltimore. They shouldn't have beaten Houston. I mean, they they lose in Houston the other day, and Houston had to play about as stupid a football game as anybody can play, and they eke out a win at the end. That... That's how bad they are. And it it it just... It it drives me nuts because it is such an iconic franchise and still is. And I think Jerry Jones has created a culture where the head coaches really have no authority and respect. Players give it lip service, but you've seen it over the years. And I'm not close enough to it now with Brian Schottenheimer to say it absolutely, but I just don't think there's a respect and and adherence to policy there that that was that was there for Tom Landry and certainly for Jimmy Johnson. Dale, you're very close with Troy Aitman, have been for three decades, three decades two more now. Yeah. Yeah. He's been he's been getting, his share of criticism lately, and he's in his last year of his contract with ESPN on Monday Night Football. Do you think it's possible this is Troy's last year in the booth? I I guess it's possible. I don't understand it. Now I might be too close to it. I I... I've never really denied that that, I I I just I just think this is one of the really great young men that I've had the opportunity to know in my life. I think he's a tremendous broadcaster. I think he's the best in the game right now as an analyst. I really do. I think he's I think he's absolutely the best. But as you also know, working in the last year of a contract is not comfortable, and it's not very common. It's not very common for people they want to keep. You always do the contract before you get to the end. So there's something going on here. I I have all the respect in the world. I think Joe Buck is is is tremendous. But why do you give Joe Buck his 20,000,000 a year or whatever it is, and and you leave Aikman kinda swinging in the wind out there? I mean It's a signal. It's been much. Yeah. I think it's a huge signal, and he thinks it as well. I mean, he... He's concerned about it, and I think rightfully so. But, you know, the thing I find funny about this, ESPN has laid off so many people over the last year or so, and everybody's so cost conscious nowadays. Norm, you and I could broadcast the Super Bowl this coming year. They they just say the heck with it. We're not gonna have, is is this ESPN's year? I think it is, isn't it? They can they can have Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, and it will get, like, a 100,000,000 people watching the game. And you know how many people they would get watching the game if you and I did it? A 100,000,000. A 100,000,000 people. And and tell you what, I'll do it for less than $20,000,000 a year. I think you probably would as well. I've never understood that. There's no... Yeah. I mean, certain people would sit around and go, you know, Norman Dale, they're they're really not that good. But who at the end of the day would care when you say, yeah, but we gave we gave Norm $500 and we gave... Well, we gave Hansen a thousand. I think I get at least a thousand. We gave Norm 500. We gave Hansen a thousand, and a 100,000,000... Now, again, people would write in little columns. You know? Well, you know, Norm and Dale were kinda having too much fun, and Hansen didn't even know who this right linebacker was, you know, which is very possible. Norm had way too many stats, and I didn't care to have him identify what color the pinstripe he was on their pants. You know? I mean, I get it. But at the end of the day, a 100,000,000 people... We wouldn't lose a viewer. We wouldn't lose a viewer. And and I don't understand why the net... I'm not trying to undercut, Troy's salary here, but I swear to you, I I I don't understand why these corporate ownership groups sweat and worry so much about the bottom line. And then they go, hey, Tony Romo. How about... How does 20,000,000 sound? Hey, Tom Brady. How does 37,000,000 sound? Yeah. I mean, I don't know what Jim Nance makes. I think Jim Nance is is tremendous in so many ways, but I'm watching the masters. You know, I don't care I don't care if if it's, Bob Bob and Dan or whoever. You know? Bob Stern doing the masters. I'm still watching. Now I would sit there and go, I don't think Bob knows a damn thing about golf, but I'm still watching the masters. And I think Bob Stern would be willing to do it for about $88. But they go, no. No. No. We gotta give Jim Nance several million dollars because when he says, hello hello, friends. You know? I mean, would be so impressive. I mean, it's the craziest business model left in broadcasting today. Well, Dale, let me point out that ESPN is the company that used to be known for facts, depth, reporters all over the country, and they... ESPN has fired hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of professionals. And that money without... This is, believe me, not the tiniest bit of jealousy, but all that money's gone to Stephen Smith and Pat McAfee. Exactly right, Donna. What they've done, they've they've eliminated all their talent for the most part in my humble opinion and they throw it all into Stephen Smith and and Pat McAfee two guys quite honestly. Don't watch. I just don't and again, I get it. It's what makes the world go round, but I don't I don't understand it number one, but what I do think they figured out is they don't want they don't want Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick anymore. They don't want Stewart Scott anymore. They don't even really want Chris Berman anymore. They do have what's the whole guy said Vanzant Van pelt rather. Yeah, I think Scott Van pelt is really good. I'm hoping I'm assuming he's getting a pretty nice check, But for the most part, I I tune in to ESPN on occasion, and I'm like, have no idea who these people are. Well, have no idea. Yeah. Dale, one of the things in our lifetime that we didn't used to have is that there are wonderful journalism schools. Syracuse, Columbia, Missouri, I could go on, who every year churn out fifty, seventy five, 300, 900 kids who will work very cheaply because they're working for ESPN, and and they do a pretty good job. It... It's just that ESPN... Like the Cowboys. ESPN's got four, five really highly paid players over here. Yeah. All these early guys over here. Yeah. Exactly. No. I mean, and again, it is it is kind of the Cowboys model. I mean, it's a classic example. And then a guy like Jerry Jones says, the the head coach didn't really matter. You know, I I I go back to that Houston game. I I... I've had several instances already in this short season of Brian Schottenheimer decisions. I I thought he butchered, and he somewhat admitted he butchered the end of the Baltimore game that they ended up losing, on so many levels. I haven't heard anybody talk about the fact yesterday. They're down 10 late in the third quarter. They get stopped down by the goal line and they decide to go for it. Down 10. They don't make it and a penalty bails them out. A penalty bails them out. By the way, let's point out Yeah. A penalty that I looked at and I thought, are you sure? Yeah. I I I don't see it. I thought there were several. I I... I'm not I'm I'm not that guy. I don't like bagging on the referees, but I loved it when they called, you know, hands to the face and they throw a replay and it was a Houston guy jabbing the Cowboys player. No call on that. No call. I mean, I thought the penalties were many of them, but at the same time, forget the penalties. At the same time, you decide we're going to we're down 10. We're going to go for seven here. And they don't make it. Penalty bails them out. They get another chance. Penalty bails them out again. And they make the touchdown. If there wasn't the penalty, if there wasn't the penalty, and the penalty didn't impact the play at all, didn't impact the play at all. Now Houston takes over the ball up 10, burns off a few more minutes, maybe even scores again, game's over. I mean, it I'm screaming at the TV. I mean, this is the stupidest thing ever. And then he gets bailed out on the penalties. And everybody's like, you know, I think this might be the year. They bounce back because there's such a there's such a warrior group in that locker room. We bounce back from Brazil. We're going to beat Tampa Bay, which they should obvious. I mean, I think this is the year norm watching that. Yeah, as long as they score 35 to 40 points a game. The other team gets 13 penalties and the defensive coordinator says, they're down like at the seven yard line. Tell you what, let's do. Let's make sure that CD lamb runs wide open. Let's put like a nickel back on him and we'll give him the inside track for the post and that what are the odds are going to throw the ball to CD land, right? I mean, come on. I mean, come on. I mean, Reginald Samples over in Duncanville is sitting there saying, that makes no sense to me. That makes no sense to me. This is, this is legendary Dallas forecaster Dale Holmes. Short break. We come right back. Lots of other topics for Dale. 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 Cerennian Bay. Mary and I have been there three times, and this summer will be number four. Pick a cozy bungalow for two or bring the whole family to villas that can accommodate up to 14. Sirenianbay.com, sirenian. The sand and the sea are just waiting for you to get here. My wife, Mary, is the cocreator of Full Moon Healing Balm, and I guess I'm the reason this terrific cream was developed. A few years ago, I began getting these huge ugly blood blotches just beneath the skin of my arms and hands. The condition's called senile purpura. And no, you don't have to be senile to experience this embarrassment. It happens as you age. And then to cover it up, we begin wearing long sleeves even when it's hot. It took two years working with a New Jersey lab to refine the all Finally, Dale. Yeah. Did you retire too early? No. I think I retired at exactly the right time in hindsight. I had a very, very I don't talk about this a lot, Norm, but I will for you. I had a very difficult six or seven months after I retired in September '21. A very hard time because, yeah, that was too early. I mean, technically, I I was still good. I was still doing what I do. I was I was still... I think whatever my game was, I think I was still at the top of my game. I could have gone for another year or two. I think that's about it, quite honestly. But the combination of where my business has gone, local media has gone, you mentioned about the college kids. There is such a drop in the number of kids that are pursuing the great career that you and I have had. I mean, I am sure you did as well, but I knew I wanted to do this when I was like 13 years old and I never really wavered on that, except for that period of time when I didn't think it was possible. So I was doing, know, was a bill collector and a food salesman and employment agency counselor and whatever. But once I got into this business, I never wavered. I mean, the firings, I never gave up, even considered. Okay, I've been fired. Let's try to find another job doing something else. Now, there's a tremendous drop in number of kids that are applying for journalism degrees because we have lost the respect of this great industry that we may or may not ever be able to get back. But no, other than first six or seven months, it was incredibly hard. I called our mutual friend Randy Galloway because one thing I was done covering the Cowboys and I've been proven to be right that I'm not interested in covering this team anymore. Kind of kind of, you know, missed the World Series would have been nice, but you know, still. But I called our mutual friend Randy Galloway about five, six months into this. And I was the old man sitting in my recliner watching TV all day. And I called Randy and I said, what the hell do you do? I mean, what do you do every day? And Galloway says to me, I get up every morning with nothing to do. I do nothing all day and I do it incredibly well. And I laugh so hard. And that's what I do. I get up every morning and I love this freedom norm. I love this freedom. I shave maybe once or twice a week. Maybe I haven't I I had to do a banquet the other day where I had to call this right. I always wear a ball cap. Have I've combed what little hair I have left. I've still got enough that somewhat requires combing, not a lot. But I realized I had to do this banquet back in my hometown and my hair wouldn't comb. I mean, I literally couldn't get my hair because I haven't combed it in over a month. I haven't combed it in over a month. So my hair would just, you know, mean, mean, I look like a doll. I mean, with my ribbon hair sticking up. I get up in the morning. I decide if I'm gonna go up to the palace to play poker. I'm gonna go up to Javier's tonight with my friend, you know, judge Boyer. We'll we'll have a little soda pop and probably smoke a cigar and hope my doctor doesn't see this. But tomorrow, I have no idea what I'll do. Wednesday. I have no idea, you know, Thursday. Okay. Watch the Cowboys game Friday. I've got season tickets to the Waxahachie High School football team and they're really good. The way, keep an eye on these kids. Saturday, I've got a banquet, but no, I I wish I was 41 norm. I wish I was still hanging out with Aikman on Sunday nights after another Cowboys win. I wish I was going over for the media day to interview Dirk Nowitzky. I wish I was in Florida with Steve Bouchel at spring training. But I had that time. My time is up. And yeah, I wish I could go back and do that again. But no, Time to go. It was time to go by far. And now a word from our title sponsor. Today's episode has been brought to you by Fluent Financial, retire earlier, live better, and by Bob's Steak and Chophouse on Lemon in Dallas and in Craig Ranch in McKinney. Bob's, a Dallas tradition for more than thirty years. Thanks for listening to today's episode of Just Wondering. I'm Norm Hitschkes, and know that every day, I'll be just wondering about something. And I'm Mary Hitschkes, and I'll just be wondering too. This is a Stolen Water Media production.