Is being likable enough to lead an NFL team?

In this episode of Just Wondering, Norm Hitzges takes a thoughtful look at Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer and asks a question many fans are quietly wondering: can a “Mr. Nice Guy” succeed long-term in the NFL? Norm breaks down coaching styles from Tom Landry to Bill Belichick, and introduces the idea of the “thundering velvet hand” — leadership that blends discipline with care — while questioning whether Schottenheimer strikes the balance players need to win.

Then the focus shifts to the Dallas Mavericks, where injuries to Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving force a hard reset. Norm lays out a blunt plan: forget the playoffs, invest in young players, and start building for the future. From developing Ryan Nemhard and Brandon Williams to eyeing draft position and long-term roster construction around Cooper Flagg, Norm explains why patience now could pay off later — even if it’s not the plan fans hoped for.

It’s a candid, realistic look at leadership, culture, and decision-making in Dallas sports — the kind of thinking that doesn’t chase headlines, but might just point the way forward.

Chapters

00:00:00 – Opening thoughts and today’s big questions

00:01:27 – Is Brian Schottenheimer simply too nice?

00:02:53 – Coaching styles: fear, respect, and leadership

00:04:21 – The “thundering velvet hand” explained

00:05:14 – Why likability may not equal long-term success

00:05:14 – Transition to the Mavericks and roster reality

00:07:46 – Anthony Davis injured again and plans unravel

00:08:29 – Forget the playoffs: time to invest in youth

00:09:30 – Building next year’s lineup around Cooper Flagg

00:10:16 – Trade flexibility and long-term roster vision

00:11:02 – Why this plan offers a real future

00:11:13 – Sponsors and closing reflections

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It’s another Cowboys postseason press conference, which means plenty of smiles, sound bites, long explanations… and absolutely no real change.

In this episode of Just Wondering, Norm Hitzges breaks down Jerry Jones’ latest round of optimism, focusing on the Micah Parsons trade, the financial gymnastics that come with it, and Jerry’s ongoing belief that he can “bust the budget” his way back to a Super Bowl. Norm questions whether trading elite defensive talent while handing out massive contracts elsewhere actually solves anything — or just pushes problems further down the road.

Norm also takes aim at the Cowboys’ strategic contradictions: a defense everyone admits was bad, a running game that actually worked, and an offensive approach that somehow ignored it. If your defense can’t stop anyone, shouldn’t your offense help protect it? Apparently not in Dallas.

Then it’s on to the numbers — the strange, fascinating, and occasionally absurd stats from this weekend’s football games. From Carolina winning a division while being outscored, to San Francisco thriving without a pass rush, to Jacksonville’s late-season dominance and the one number that decides whether Houston wins or loses, Norm connects trends, history, and logic in a way only he can.

Dreams, data, and disappointment — just another week in Cowboys country.

JWw-NH SL Ep 84

Chapters

00:00:00 – Another Cowboys postseason press conference begins

00:01:29 – Smiles, sound bites, and decades of disappointment

00:02:12 – The Micah Parsons trade and why the math doesn’t work

00:03:47 – Paying receivers instead of elite pass rushers

00:05:08 – Jerry picks the next defensive coordinator (again)

00:06:46 – “Busting the budget” and pushing money down the road

00:08:14 – Who pays if this plan fails?

00:09:02 – Protecting a bad defense with smarter offense

00:09:47 – The Cowboys ran well… so why didn’t they run more?

00:10:24 – Passing too much and wearing down the defense

00:11:08 – Jerry the dreamer vs. Jerry the general manager

00:11:53 – Four Super Bowls, ten years, and reality setting in

00:13:35 – What a real GM’s job actually looks like

00:14:26 – Sponsors, healing balm, and practical solutions

00:16:29 – Nick Saban’s massive coaching tree

00:17:21 – Carolina wins a division while being outscored

00:18:04 – Eric Dowdle’s bizarrely identical seasons

00:19:01 – San Francisco wins big without a pass rush

00:19:53 – Jacksonville’s dominant eight-game streak

00:20:49 – Old rivalries and playoff history

00:21:43 – The magic number for Houston: 20

00:22:52 – Final thoughts and wondering what’s next

Today on Just Wondering, Norm does what every sports fan secretly wants to do — he makes himself the general manager of the Dallas Cowboys. Fair warning: you’re probably not going to like some of the moves. Norm doesn’t like all of them either.

With the salary cap looming and bills coming due, Norm walks through what tough, realistic roster decisions actually look like — who stays, who goes, and why kicking the can down the road eventually turns into a financial brick wall. From Dak’s ballooning number to painful goodbyes on defense, this is a no-nonsense look at what roster discipline really costs.

Then, Norm shifts to the Dallas Mavericks and a familiar problem: Anthony Davis. When healthy, he’s elite. When not, he’s unavailable. With a massive extension looming and a rebuild quietly underway, the Mavs find themselves stuck between what they hope Davis can be and what he actually is right now.

It’s cap math, uncomfortable truths, and the reminder that being the GM is hard — even when it’s hypothetical.

Chapters

00:00:00 - Norm Makes Himself Cowboys GM (You Won’t Like This)

00:02:02 - The Salary Cap Reality Check

00:05:14 - Tough Cowboys Cuts and Contract Decisions

00:07:32 - Who Stays, Who Walks, and Why

00:09:45 - The George Pickens Decision Nobody Wants

00:14:07 - Full Moon Healing Balm and Aging Gracefully

00:15:23 - The Mavericks’ Anthony Davis Dilemma

00:19:40 - Big Picture Decisions and Dallas Sports Reality

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