Hangin' with the Boys: No Heel Snippers

Tostita's Championship Plaza at Ford Center at the Star. It is a brisk twenty six degrees in Frisco, Texas, man, and it's windy, and it feels like fifteen degrees outside. Fellows, winner has finally arrived. It took midway through February hit here, but we finally have it. And welcome to the show. Hanging with the Boys presented by Wingstop. Natan Newton, Jesse Holly, Kurt Daniels, Shining Gross. How are you Chris Beam on the ones and two is how you Fellows feeling got

the Super Bowl behind us? We can start the season. We can move forward. Man, what a game? Did y'all see that coming? It's just so amazed that, uh the MVP Todd Bowls. Man, it's just amazed me how he won at a you know, African American coach on defense. Wow, that that was so great man. Yeah, that whole defense should have got MVP. Right, Yeah, we see, I know I got you stopped there like wow. But you know what, I'm talking all defense. So everything y'all talk about to day,

it's gonna be about defense. For na see what you're going with this? I see yeah, this is oh yeah, this is a this is a little foreshotow and a little bit of Brady. Tom Brady is so smart. And Shannon said this yesterday when I called him, because he is the only one that responds. Everyone not smart enough to realize that I was going all defense when I call y'all, he said, he said, I'm like, wow, Shadow, did you like that defense? He like, well, that's what

I called you about to talk about defense? Y'all? Are you ready? Why why nobody in the Dallas area is ready to talk about defense? Fellas, we're ready, Nate, we've been talking about all year. Have you not been on this show? It just hasn't been in a positive half. They half let me stop clouding, man, Let's have a great show. No no, no, But I like where you're

going with this. I like I pick up what you're putting down and how defensively, While yes you had Tom Brady and yes he's the golden boy defensively to be able to mount up and shut down a prolific offense like the Kansas City Chiefs, I mean, despite they were missing their two tackles and their receivers dropped a ton of passes, defense won that football game. The defense shut down the most high powered offense in the National Football League.

We can all agree on that there isn't an offense that's more high powered, more ready to score points and bunches than the Kansas City Chiefs. And they were basically a team they played two weeks earlier, you right, and they they top bowls. To your credit what you were saying, they put together a masterful game plan. Man, you know,

it seems just so. And I'm going when you going, Nate to have linebackers that can run and play and you know, tackle and not have to do a dance move out to every single play, but just get back up and line up and go to business, you know, go back to work. I mean to have guys in the secondary to be able to do something that they were doing. Then your guys up front, they their benefits. When you know that behind you, my guys are gonna

be able to cover and be able to tackle. I could pin my ear backs, my ears back and just go to work up front. And we saw it on display on all three levels defensively for the temp Me Buccaneers in that Super Bowl game. I just that was something that I was kind of surprised about. Jesse, you mentioned those linebackers. I mean, you know, the front flour is getting a lot of publicity for obviously they played a great game and put that pressure on on the Homes.

But I was just surprised. I really didn't know those guys very well, but just to see how fast they were, how physical they were, they could, you know, come up for the run or drop back for the past. I mean it, I don't know. In some ways, I kind of thought maybe the Cowboys were okay and linebacker and you know, they really needed to fortify that front. They still do, but man, what a difference it makes when you got some guys there in the middle. It can

really do both. I'm telling you something, man, And Jesse, you've been in meetings like this, and I've definitely been in meetings like this when you're divas a coordinator and you're head coach, walk in and say, fellas, we're gonna bracket these two guys. They automatically told you that four guys was not going to participate in the regular game plan. We have two guys on the wide receiver, who have two guys on the tight end. The rest of y'all, y'all will have to play play the run and tag

along with the pass. And when you got four guys, you can't. You cannot. You can only say that when you have four horses up front that can get it done. And they had the proper four horses up front, and and on, and one guy played with with with seven fingers. He played with seven fingers. Though he was assoted that that Mahomes scrambled for four hundred and ninety seven yards is like the most all season that without it, that's

not even you know, gaining yards. He scrambled in the backfield four hundred and ninety seven yards in that game with all that pressure he was getting. That's just say, bro, I'm gonna tell you something, man, guess, Washington, I don't even see what they participated. They gotta beat thirty one to twenty three by this team. New Orleans got a

decent offense. They got beat thirty one twenty Green Bay thirty one twenty and that's with three interceptions by the quarterback in the second half they was only able to monitor. And then this thing that they did. One of the greatest young quarterbacks we've seen in a long time. I mean, but it's too bad. We're gonna they're gonna get cherry picked because they won't be doing that again on defense, because they gonna get took They got two guys, Burrett

and another guy as free agents. They gonne they gonna Kyle does free. I mean, like you said, they had two guys on taking out Hill, they had two guys taken out well. I mean, why couldn't Kansas City, I mean there had to be somebody open. I mean, why couldn't they go to that short passing round? I mean, what was it? Just just too much pressure? It was it? See from the first play, from the first play, they tried to run a screen and they was on him,

like Barrett was on the fifty eight. Like nah, we ain't giving up screens, we ain't giving up the shorts. And then they was like, okay, we're going to bracket these guys. So when you bracket the guy, you take away virtually, you take away Kelsey out of the middle of the field and all those things where teams were given where we'll let him catch it in front of us. Well, he's a beast to tackle and he can get down to see me. He can run, so you take away

the shore, ending long on him and Hill. Now you asking guys that are twos and threes to beat these other guys. And they felt they choose the threes were equal because their number two quarterback is only a Burnham I mean rob wire receive. He's only just to get down the field guy. So when he was trying to throw them along and they're all over him, that wasn't happening. Uh. Their offensive line, I think they had a herd offensive line.

That's no excuse you to the Super Bowl now, baby, you don't be coverd and the COVID and everything as it's time the ball. So yeah, how much a factor did that play though? I mean Ken City lost their their left tack fisher. They lost him in the Yeah, I think it had I think it had some factor in it. But the thing that's this Ken City office

is predicated on, it's the big play. And they they almost they pull you to deep waters and let you drown with the big plays and they and they want you to match their big playability and most teams can't. But when the big play isn't happening, and the thing that usually gets you going and the short game is Travis Kelsey getting throughout this entire year, he's been unguardable.

So when your big players are not happening, and they had a couple of them where you know, Pat was just a little bit off, and that's because the rush

was coming and he wasn't able to set and throw. Um. There was about three or four of them that if he was able to connect, would have been touchdowns, and then that would have put you in that foot race again and say, all right, now they're up twenty one seven, or they're up twenty one's fourteen or twenty one all and and and it's a battle back and forth, and they'll, you know, but when that deep game is not going, when they can't when they can't hit you over the

head with the long passes and stuff like that. Then they go and look, say, okay, let's find Travis Kelsey in the middle, because those receivers have lifted the defense. They have run these order routes, and now the defense is lifted. Now I got which all year long, Travis Kelsey has been unguardable underneath. And I'll take my matchups all day long. I don't care if it's a Devin White, I don't care if it's whatever the linebacker you want to name. I like my chances with Travis Kelsey against

that linebacker. And they just said, listen, we're not giving that to you. And if you're gonna connect with number receiver number two or three down the field, that we'll live with that. But we're not gonna let Tyreek Hill give us the peace on all day long and rush and have two hundred and thirty yards receiving like he did in the first matchup. And we're not gonna let Travis Kelsey have one hundred and fifty yards like he

did in the first matchup. We're gonna take these two guys out and you don't even have to beat us with the running game because we trust our front four or Pringle or one of these other guys. These secondary guys will have to beat us, but these two guys won't be able to beat us. And they just couldn't connect on that, and and they bank on that, They bank on being able to say, you guys are in a foot race, and we are much better and much more equipped for foot race, and then you know, one

hundred yard dash than most teams are. They could never get it going. And Tom Brady is so methodical. When you watched that two minute drive right before the half, it takes me back to when the Cowboys played the Patriots in New England and then they methodically walked us down the field and they scored a touchdown and threw a touchdown pass to Aaron Hernandez was six seconds left.

The very next year, I'm in New England and just so happened that we're reviewing that game and to hear the backstory of how they knew they wanted to have the ball in that position to win a game with the time and how much time they were going to leave on the clock for the opposing team, and I just had a flashback because they said, we want to leave you with ten seconds or less when you get

the ball back. That Dallas game, there were six seconds left when they got the ball back after that touchdown to try to you know, come back and win the game. We couldn't. And then before the half you saw the City got the ball like six or seventh's let to go and a half And that was that, Like Tom Brady is so good at that. He's so good at that, And that to me was really the nail in the coffin. Like before the second half we started, I was like, this is it. Like if they score here, this is it.

Because even if Kansas City comes back out and scoring in the third quarter, you gotta give a ball back to Tom Brady and he's going to systematically walk you down and burn up as much clock as he can. He's not going to turn the ball over and they're just gonna find a way to smother you and suffocate you. And they did that in the second half, and man, it was it was. It was a great defensive effort by Tampa Bay. It it was fun to watch defensively. You do a real quick insanity check on this show.

I just want to do, is there anyone on this show that does not agree with me? Thinking that Tom Brady is hands down the greatest NFL quarterback of all time. Does anyone disagree with that? On the show? I mean, they has a guy who won list may have, he may have. Let me let me say this right here, man,

let me say this right here. When you have a guy like Leonard Fournette that everybody in the league kicked to the curb except one guy, h tom Brady told him right before the playoffs, get your hard hat on. Let's getting it. You would be in the film room with me. You would not leave the field until I lead the field out of practice. And because I need you, I need you to brain they linebackers down. We don't want to worry about taking the top off and getting

the linebackers deep. I want you to bring them so I can work with Grunk and with Antonio Brown across that middle. And he worked with these guys, and you heard a story after story after story all week of tom Brady said this. Tom Brady told me this. Tom Brady calmed me like this, And I'm saying to myself, Jenna Uninus, move over, baby, you've met your match. Montana, move over, man, give him some room. You've got a

guy that thinks like you think. And Dion Santas told me seven or eight years ago, he said the master, he said, nope, everybody get killed for doing this. And Tom Brady been doing it for twenty years now, dinking and duncan and taking what the defense give him, and he wins game. And we criticize every other quarterback for managing games, but we don't. We don't. We don't criticize the goat. Just think about it now. He would deep and dunk you down the field and nobody says nothing, Oh,

he don't have a long game. Well, you threw more long balls than anybody. But when he needed a deacon dunk against Green Bay, he did it. When he needed a deacon dunk against this uh team here, he did it. You heard Jesse say eighty five years ago against Datasy dincon dunked. Come on, man, yeah, win the game. His stats in that game were pretty pedestrian overall. I mean, you're exactly right, he takes what the defense gives you.

But the thing that impressed me through that whole week, like he said, night you heard these stories come out about him, you know, send him text to players. I think one guy was crying after the FC championship or the yeah, the champion NFC championship, And he said, you know they stop it, no crying. We still got a game to win, you know. And it made me wonder, you know, that's the kind of leadership. You wonder if the Cowboys have you know, and how long have they

not had it? But you know, again, he's the He's the greatest. And anything he says, guys are gonna listen. Maybe he's got the skins on the wall, where like nobody in Dallas really has that. I'm gonna tell you something. I'm gonna tell you something. Man, Troy Aikman had it even when we were losing. It's called that unbreakable will that when I walked through those doors, no matter what I've done off the field, when I walked through these doors of the place that I'm employed at, my whole

attitude changed. And for those eight to nine or maybe ten hours you're there, all you see is football in me and right, Tom Brady has the skins. But this is something he even told his owner when they drafted him. He said, I'm something special. You will enjoy me while I'm here. He told his owner that he said I would give you all that I got. So cowboys had that sense, akeman, I mean, did you see that kind of stuff in Romo Jesse Earton? Do we see it

in Dak Yes? Um, But there's different degrees of it. And again, Tom, you know, only Tom Brady can tell a guy, hey, who's never been to the championship. We've never been to bow, We've never want an NFSC championship. Hey, listen, don't don't cry. We ain't done. Like I know, this is probably the pinnacle of where you've been at in your career. But I'm just here to tell you this is this is number ten for me, so I know, I know what it's going to take to win this

against that team. So dry your eyes. We still got work to do. And in that moment, you know, you look at this guy and you go, oh, snap, he knows what he's talking about, and you kind of, you know, you kind of lock in. It's a different story when the guys that you're trying to go to battle with they're all on the same page in the sense of, you know, Tony could never tell a guy hey, don't no, no, listen,

dry your eyes. We gotta want to sup Bowl. I know it takes to get there because he's never done it. Same you know, same thing with Dak Wow. They both have leadership. They they're all kind of on the same playing field when it comes to the elevation of playing the playoffs. Not the people around Tony Romo, the people around Dak Prescott. You know, Jason Witten couldn't tell those

guys that because he never done it. So it's different when you hear it from a guy who's done it not only once, twice, six times right now, You go okay when he speaks it kind of reverberates with a different tone, you know, across the locker room, because like this is a guy who's actually done it, opposed to a guy who's saying it and you're you know, you know he means well, but you're like, yeah, dude, like enjoyed this with me, you know what I'm saying, Like

we never been here before, and Tom was like, enjoyed this little moment, but we got we got a bigger picture. Let me ask you this right here, And this is a question to all you guys. I see Tom Brady and a few commercials, but I might ask you this right here. And it's no bar but nobody because we all make money off of the Dallas Cowboys. But during the offseason, every time we hear about Tom Brady, it's in connection to what is it football? Or is in

connection to other things? Who got in trouble this past offseason, the most trouble for breaking COVID rules. He did he did. Now we saw Dak try to do the same thing, but it was just out of control when Tom Brady was taking these guys to not his home but to a football field, high school football field. Every time you hear tom Brady, even when you hear the bat oh he massaged the footballs, what was it in connection with?

You don't have enough guys on this team, And I can honestly say this, you know, and don't worry about it. They don't love the game enough to to step up to somebody and say this is what you should do. People that the game stays around the game, you know, And I, like I told people, I didn't understand and truly appreciate the game until late in my career. So it can happen for everybody. But you got to have enough horses around you that's pulling in the right direction.

So when that one get out of line, just like you know, Bob slip. You know you got a dog that's behind you in the back, that know what's going on, and one in the front. So if you get out of line with that one that's in the front that's putting that one in the back, gonna snip your heels and get you back in the line. Ain't no hells snippers, hill, Bro, Dad can lead all he wanted. He got no hells snippers. Bro, what's wrong? What's a laughing? I'm trying to be I

like that analogy. I like that that is that should be a headline. Nick should write that this year the Cowboys ain't got no hell snippers. That would get some that would get some clicks. All right, I tell you what you brought this up date. We'll let We'll let Kurt get into it when we come back. Talked about the off season breaking breaking protocol. There's gonna be a lot of talk about how they handled the off season this year with the handled it handled it last year.

The president of the NFLPA came out back at the I believe the end of December and talked about how they should have less of a off season program. Because it was beneficial and then listed a lot of reasons why I want to get y'all's take on this, and Kurt, get your notebook ready because you got all the talking points on this one. So we'll turn it over to you. But let's let's talk about it because it's a very interesting conversation and I think we're gonna have different points

of view on it. So stay tuned. We'll get into that. We'll get into a lot more when we come back to take our first break. We'll be right back on Hey with the boys. He's your family, a Cowboys family. Have you taken holiday photos at the start? Was your wedding theme? Blue and silver? Have you convinced your kids them is spelled with a d if? So every game day feels like a vacation to you, so treated like one, whether you're traveling to the game or watching from your

favorite vacation spot. Will Cup plays to Stay on Hotels dot Com. Proud partner rob the Dallas Cowboys. Just like all of you, we at Seki can't wait until we're back in the stands at full strength, cheering on the Cowboys and singing along to our favorite songs. Again, we're using this time to make discovering, buying, and selling tickets

to events in Dallas easier. Plus, every ticket purchased on Sieki is protected by our buyer Guarantee, which means you wing your money back or better if your event is canceled guaranteed. Download the Seki gap today, and when the time is right, let's go SEEKI grab some autobus gear and get ready for hang with the boys. From rugged venture coolers to tough as nails elevation tumblers, we've got what you need to keep your game day drinks frosty

and your football feast eyes cold. And with case is, screen protectors and power accessories, you can defend your phone and stay connected to every play gear up at auterbox dot com and amp up the fun of every Cowboys game that's autterbox dot com. Dear, it's nineteen oh eight. Don't you think we should get electricity and stop using candles to see it night? It's just electricity lights up the room fast, It's more reliable than candles blowing out,

and people seem to love it nationwide. Well, candles, dare, did you just run into the wall. I have a new candle. Please. Historically Switching to new technology is a no brainer today. It's AT and T five G, fast, reliable, secure, and nationwide. Switch to AT and T five G. It's not complicated. Five get requires compatible plan may not be in your area. See att dot com Slash five G for you for details. Back to hang in with the boys watching the game and old basketball shorts and baggy

sweats is for amateurs. If you want to relax like a pro, Upgrade to the comforter Tommy John Lounge where it looks awesome fields even better. It's got pockets for snacks in his machine. Washable, Freddy, unpredictable, not chokes Field Shop loungewhere at Tommy john dot com. Foward Slash Cowboys for fifteen percent off your first order Tommy john dot com Forward Slash Cowboys. Nate wears them while he drinks his coffee and bangs his cup loudly. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Shan,

I'm so sorry. It is okay this this hey, I mean, Jesskin can cuss and do all these things, and you never mentioned that. Well, he doesn't do it on the show. That's why, that's right, he doesn't. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm Jesse. Actually did not sorry, Jesse. He put the symbols in there. I'm just the bus driver and you're the rowdy children on this show. So everyone, so I'm a tattle. I'm a big tattletal makes a big tattle till I'm gonna tell y'all something right now.

Who are listening at home? If you do not want it broadcas not to Nathan Daniel because it's gonna come out. Hey, let me ask you this. Jesse, my my, my uncle. Listen to this show and uh, in the crop pot, ribs and all of that. I said, I wanted some shrimp. I wasn't gonna try to fry some shrimps. I was calling around to ask how to do that. He said, Well, asks Jesse, he may put it in a crop pot. I said, Jest, put anything else. I put him in the air fry, though I was. I tell you, I

tell you who who natives to our group. You know how you have those friends where you always have to say, hey, make sure you know, don't this is public knowledge. Don't tell anybody. I wouldn't tell anybody that unless you tell them that and give them that disclaimer. There is a very good possibility that something will be talked about that you say off the air that like, but you just gotta make sure you put that in there because if not, there's a chance that what you talk about we'll get out.

So I'm sorry. I apologize. Nate's friend. It's okay. It's okay, because I don't think you've ever said anything on the show that we were like, man, why did you say that on the air yet? Oh, I've got something that your mom said that I was. I'm not gonna do. I'm not gonna do that. I'm not gonna do. I'm letting mother girls tell tell that story, which she gets back on the show. Okay, okay, all right, Kurt, talk us through this, uh j C. What is it? Treader?

Treader however pronounced his name. The president of the NFLPA had some comments. You send us the article over over this week, and uh, it's very interesting. I talked to Nate about it, uh yesterday and he had some interesting comments. And I want to know what you guys, so give us kind of the cliff notes version of what the president of the NFLPA had to say. Kurt, Yeah, you just said that, you know, well, this past season due to COVID, A lot of the off season programs were

they didn't happen. You know, there was no ta's, there's no mini camp, it was all done. The meetings were done virtually, there's no you know, offseason workouts of any kind. Training camp was shortened up a little. Preseason games were obviously gone. What the president of the NFLPA was saying that this should be the new norm. That that I

think he said. His quote was, I believe the changes implemented this season have demonstrated that we can put an entertaining product on the field while further reducing wear and tear on our players bodies. And so you know, he felt that, you know that the games weren't that sloppy starting out, that there was high scoring, they were fun

to watch. And because of that, um, you know, if there wasn't a need to have players there all summer, coming in in the spring to do these off season workouts and so, um, you know, it kind of flew into the radar. But in reading this, I definitely want to get you know, Nate, you and Jesse's inions on as former players. Yes, they would save some wear and tear maybe, but wouldn't it really affect the quality on the field. Ah, Like I told Shannon yesterday, the love

of money would not let this happen. Merchandise has to be sold, players have to be visible, TVs have to get their cuts and their takes and to to to build up until this season. They may cut back some days or maybe some hours or when the players gonna be on field, but the ownership would not let this

go because they need their dollars. Now. When it comes to the production part, I mean you guys remember earlier in the year we had a record pace of torn acls and achilles injuries that we saw earlier in the football hitting from guys bodies who just haven't adjusted. And the more the more time off away from the facilities that you give these professional athletes and I use the

term professional loosely because some of them don't act professional league. Oh, mate Newton, the more time that you give them off, the more and more you're going to see showing up out of shape, trouble off the field. See, it's easy. It's easy to say, oh yeah, sure, let's not have these things when there's a pandemic and you cannot go anywhere, right when you're when you're when you're forced to stay in the home and ridiculed. If you're caught outside of

your home, it's a whole other thing. If you're saying, let's not have these off season workouts and I'm free to go party and hang out and do all those other things and not have to report anywhere until June or July, that's when you run into the guys. We already saw guys coming out of shape when there was no access to the facilities. So when you continue to give guys these ability, disability to not have to show up to a designated place, we are creatures of habit.

We are creatures of routine. As professional and as profound as we may be as athletes, we need direction. And when we do not get direction, we get wayward and that can lead to terrible outcomes. You'll have more players showing up to train the camp out of shape, trying

to work themselves back in shape. That the injury numbers will go through the roof, and you'll start seeing more off the field incidents happening, and in regards to DUIs and domestic situations and you know, fights, and because when we when we don't have direction, and I don't mean everybody, this is not This isn't it is abroad for everybody, But there's a large majar of young, immature, very rich players who do not know how to handle themselves without

a sense of direction. And so while it may seem good on the surface, like oh yeah, see, we don't really need this, we saw earlier in the year the product that was put on the field. It was ugly. It was really really ugly. We saw the injury numbers earlier in the fear the earlier in the year those were and they were all like acls, they were all like seizing ending injuries. I think that's a bad idea, I really do. I think structure for athletes, especially football players,

and Nate you can speak to this. I know for me that structure is something that was so paramount for everything that we do. And when you take that away, and you know, and Gronk joked about it, he said, yeah, well what I did was I ran on a Monday and I just put on three different shirts and sent it in. I'm not gonna check and everybody's not Grounk, But do you think that's the mentality right that is here? Is Rob Gronkowski and he's like, I'm not doing all

that running every day all day. I'll work my way in the shape as the season goes on. And this is Rob Gronkowski is one of the best tight ends in NFL history. And he said, well, I just put on the same I put on the three different shirts on the same workout in one day just to satisfy my coaches need for me to work out three days a week. Let me say something, man, you're gonna let every guy that's three hundred pounds plus free for five months.

You're gonna let every guy that's three hundred pounds So when they come in camp looking like this thing, we let go here eight weeks until our season. Who I couldn't pronounce his name because people thought I couldn't. I didn't want to, and I would not pronounce his name. Now, if you want a bunch of olds running round you're camp, have at it, have at it. And then when it's

when it's all said and done. Now, this is where it's gonna really lead to, is now you're gonna start saying we don't need all these weeks of training camp because they already talking about cutting back on training camp so now all of these fat dudes walking walking the camp and the coach is going crazy with the ownership and you saw that, Well we need like three weeks now just to get in shape. Nah, it ain't gonna work, brother, I'm telling it. Then the dollar bills that the ownership

wonna lose all the bills. Now, it will work if if if the player associations come back and say, well, we know we wanted forty nine or fifty percent will get We'll take forty six percent. That okay, hands up. I think you're giving back some punts they ain't get. They ain't going for that, bro. Yeah, it's it's definitely a collective bargaining agreement. And I think part of that. You may say, you know, the owners want an eighteenth game.

They want they're gonna have seventeen this year to make up some revenue, and they're they're shooting for eighteen, and this may be a bargaining chip where the players say, yeah, we'll play that eighteenth game, but we're not gonna you know, we're not gonna have so much time in the offseason. We're required to be there so and a lot of guys gonna get cut and a lot of fat guys gonna get cut. I'm just selling you. They agree to that,

we'll continue to be the dumbest union. And all of sports, the baseball, basketball, hockey, all laugh at our our players union, all of them. They all laugh at our because the NFL players Union is the weakest, the most divided, and the dumbest. And if you if you think adding an eighteen game and taking away more practice time is going to be better for you this listen, these these these athletes, now they don't want to work. They don't want to work when you gotta work, and now you're gonna give

them more free time. You're you're you're asking, you're begging, you're inviting trouble for your league. And that's just my pediment. And to Nate's point, the NFL has done an amazing job over the last ten to fifteen years to make the NFL a twelvemonth a year's sport. If you think about it, it's not by accident. Jimmy Johnson, think about it.

Every day Jimmy Johnson came into the league. You've got you know, the only really downtime is between after the Super Bowl and when free agency starts, which is the

middle of March. Think about it. You got free agency in March, you got the draft in April, you got OTAs in May, you got OTAs in mini camps in June, you got training camp in July, in August, then you roll into the season, and then the end of the season, you got the Pro Bowl, and then you got the Super Bowl again, and then it's a twelve And they've done a tremendous job with the draft, taking the Draft from this boring who cares whatever, to turning it into

this three day you can't miss this event, at least on the first night. Anyway, they've turned it into this drama that they've you know, they start teasing a month out and now it's that's turned into an event on its own. So they're they're slowly building every month to be a huge event. And like Nate said, if you take offseason activities out of that, that takes two or

three months of programming off the table. Because they're in the news, they're leading off Sports Center every day, they're they're being talked about, they're building their brand, they're making money for the league, which in turn makes money for the players. So, like Jesse said, if they do this, They're they're they're not thinking big picture from a players standpoint, and they're they're making the pie smaller. So if they do it, I think, like you said, Kurt, it's a

bargaining chip. It's something that they'll give and take. But I don't think there's any way they just do away with offseason activities. It doesn't make sense on either side to me. What if what if this season has all the appearances that it's going to be much like last season because of COVID restrictions. I mean, how much is this going to hurt the Cowboys? Then we need to go sign Tom Brady so he can go get a football field from us. And I'm being honest, man, I'm

being honest. We we we were allowed to tell our fans that, and it's it's four or five other new coaches last year that didn't have this disaster we had, but we were allowed to tell our fans, Okay, we got injured, we had a new coach, we had new this players then buy in, well, everybody else bought in right again, So it's nowhere in the world. If I'm coach McCarthy, I just begin fined. I just write a letter to the to do people in New York, big park avenues and look at her man. I got to

work this year. I got to go to work. I have to go to work. And these lawyers got to go to work. And most of these coaches, like, I mean, you take your half. The league is probably turning into younger coaches who understand, who understand the zoom etiquette in the way of teaching. But most coaches aren't built like that. Most coaches are more built on let me get my hands on these players. Let's get on the football field.

Let's actually see this thing in motion with live people in person, bodies, own bodies, pads on pads, helmet on a helmet. That's how they function. And when you take that away and you ask them to go and do things virtually, they're they're not good at doing thing virtually. They're not good at doing the thing over the computer where guys are sitting in another room. No, I want to be able to see the white of your eyes. I want to be able to hear the grunts that's

happening in the football field. I want to be able to correct on the run. I want to be able to see the players and go you know what, This guy can't cover in the flats, this guy can't really cover. That guy can't really run routes. This guy really cannot block, you know what, he can't throw. But I don't get a chance to see that if all my officeson has done virtually or cut down to a very limited amount.

And then you're getting training camp and you make it even harder on yourself because I got up, the speed picks up. But also now I gotta try to evaluate players, make a roster, oh, and get ready for a football season. Like that's that's that's that's hardening itself. Just to evaluate the players and get a roster. Now you gotta add into how do I gain plan for my next opponent in the next three or four weeks and one training camp.

That's that's not And you know this is the big thing that everybody say, whether they do it in college where if you bamma, is your really word? Is your clips? Are you really word? Okay, you just go out and say, hey, that's the number that dude there's a future first round pick can't play with us. Yeah, but but they but you still get winner, you still get winner winner workouts, you still get spring But what I'm saying is they say that the college player come from virtually zero to

a thousand miles an hour. Well, you can't put that product, Like you said, Ja, you can't put that product because this guy may look good playing at Bama. But what if you come in and, like you say, can't run a correct route. And here's Jack Thorne to a space but a guy supposed to be But in college you can get there because the supreme after of the comability. But here you can't get there against Tampa Bay because Dan. I'll ascue, just to give you an idea how far

things have come. I was watching an interview with Tom Landry, probably back in nineteen seventy six, seventy seven, something like that, and it was the second week of training kit that the rookies had been there two weeks. It was the first week, first week of the veterans. That Saturday, after the first week, they're playing a full fact blue white, full contact scrammage is tackling to the ground, full contact. And then they had six preseason games before they actually

seen eight weeks. It was eight weeks. It was eight weeks when I got there, it was six weeks. But before I got there. It was eight weeks and we had two hundred and forty guys and by the time I got that, it was down to one hundred and sixty, you know. And it was a blood bath. It was a blood bath. It was a blood bath. I mean you you got in there, man, you got your swarter, you got the gladiat as soon as you got them. Bro.

It's like they didn't ask me, was I shape? They just found some paths where they weren't really path They put together some paths because they don't have nothing fat for the fat guy got a couple of pads they just put I came into the league. Tell into that. Go ahead, go ahead, I said. I came in the league on the tell into that. Like when I got into the league, we were still doing we were still doing two days. Rookie minicamp. I was ready to quit. I said, this is this is they they ran us

into the ground. Rookie. That's worse than fourth low. Yeah. I'm like, I'm like for the government, Scotts, I don't know about this man. And it was through pads two a day. It wasn't all this two a day walk through stuff. No, no, no, it was full pads, hitting, tackling every day. Wasn't no schedule off day. You know, you got your off day when coach felt like you did enough to get an off day. It wasn't like no every third day or every fifth day you got

a day off day. It was so funny, man, we was in We was in California a couple of years ago, and they had did the three day acclimation deal and then on the fourth day, that morning they did a walk through. Right then that afternoon they had practicing, like four guys miss practiced some of the veteran off day. It just came through a walk through, and then the first day they bo And I love it because now all teams had that option before we did. The Cowboys

never had that option. Coach Landry here listening to coach Joss music killing. We didn't have all we had to go like one week, we went like ten days straight before we had an off date, and that was just half a night off. So let's take our last huh,

let's take our last break. When we come back, we need to congratulate one of an An eighty eight did something really big and overdue and well deserving over the weekend let's talk about who the next person will be to do that same feat as a Dallas cowboy, and then whatever else Kurt wants to talk about in the last segment, come back find out what all that is.

The more on hanging with the boys. Just like all of you, we at Seki can't wait until we're back in the stands at full strength, cheering on the cowboys and singing along to our favorite songs again. We're using this time to make discovering, buying, and selling tickets to events in Dallas easier. Plus, every ticket purchased on Seeki is chected by our buyer Guarantee, which means you get your money back or better if your event is canceled guaranteed.

Download the Seeky Gap today and when the time is right, let's go SEEKI. It's game day. You know what that means. First, cubob prep steak pepper Runnion, Steak Pepper Runnion. Next, a counter clockwise lamp around the rule. Now the lucky grease stained jersey goes on and leslie the dance, you know

the one. This is a game day ritual no matter where you are, whether you're traveling to the game or watching from your favorite vacation spot Foolka plays to stay on hotels dot com and keep the tradition alive and well. Hotels dot com proud partner of the Dallas Cowboys. Grab some outerbox gear and get ready for hang with the boys. From rugged venture coolers to tough as nails elevation tumblers, we've got what you need to keep your game day

drinks frosty and your football feast eyes cold. And with cases, screen protectors and power accessories, you can defend your phone and stay connected to every play you're up at auterbox dot com and amp up the fun of every Cowboys game that's autterbox dot com. Dear, it's nineteen oh eight. Don't you think we should get electricity and stop using candles to see at night? It's just electricity lights up the room fast, It's more reliable than candles blowing out,

and people seem to love it nationwide. Well, candles, dare did you just run into the wall? May I have a new candle? Please? Historically, switching to new technology is a no brainer. Today it's AT and T five G fast, reliable, secure, and nationwide. Switch to AT and T five G it's not complicated. Five get requires compatible plant may not be in your area. See Att dot com slash five G for you for details. Back to hang in with the boys.

You know what you should probably do when this weather clears up and it's safe to drive, You should probably go tour at and T Stadium. It's the home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can go run on the field, you can see the locker room, and a lot. More tours are available daily, so check out details visit ATT stadium dot com slash tours one of these segments. I will I will let you know about all of my experiences at the stadium, and Jesse, I can tell you

how nice that locker room is. So fellas. Finally, Drew Pearson got into the Hall of Fame over the weekend, long overdue, much deserved. I've seen, I've seen news and seen reports that do up next possibly on the Hall of Fame ballot? Could be Tony Romo and DeMarcus Ware. Are those possibly or either either one of those gonna get in? Either one of those worthy? Shouldn't they get in first time? Ballot? Are those the next two guys

that we'll get in? Kurt, Well, you think where or should For sure, I think he's one of the all time leaders in sacks. He should be a problem. Romo is going to be one of those kind of bubble guys guys where you know, if he'd if he'd won a title, you know, he'd probably in. You know, you look at compare him to Eli Manning, I mean statistically and as a quarterback, he's probably uh, you know better, but you know Manning's got the ring. So um, Rumo is probably going to be one of those Hall of

Very Goods type guys. Hmm, yeah, I think. I think DeMarcus Ware is a is a shoe win like that that's hands down, without the question d Ware will wear a yellow jacket sooner rather than later. Um first ballot. Uh, it depends on who all he's going up against. UM, but for sure he's getting in there. Uh, Tony might be on that Drew Pierson route to the Hall of Fame.

If he gets in, it's probably gonna have to be one of those centennial type deals or you know down the line where maybe the ballot isn't as thick of letting people you know, uh into that year. Um. I think he has some really good nose but ultimately, and we we say that it shouldn't be, but quarterbacks are judged on rings. And you can have all the numbers you want in the world, but did you get that blak blak? And for Tony he was, he wasn't able to secure it. And so there will be a lot

of quarterbacks. You look at the Eli Mannings and the Ben roethlis Burgers of the world. Um, when they begin to retire and start making their march towards the Hall of Fame, you know, it all depends on who's Tony's rown up against. And you know, maybe in a couple of years, but I don't I don't think initially when he's when he's available to get in, he won't. He won't get into it. It'll take some time for him to get in. Yeah, I wanted to ask you, Jesse and eight two if I don't know how much you

watched Drew Pearson. But he wasn't all that bad. Give you six foot one eighty something, he wasn't all that fast. So yeah, a lot of the highlights I saw him looked like he was kind of more of a body catcher and type than you know, But what was he like a fantastic route runner. You just have a fantastic quarterback throwing to him. I mean, what what made him

so great? I guess his swag, his swag and the norm be Mike Irvin said something one time and Jess and making expound on it a little bit better than I can. Mike Irvin said, ain't that. You gotta be a great route runner. You just gotta be where you're supposed to be when the ball needs to be there. And that's what That's what he was to Roger. You know, him and Roger just can look at each other and they knew what was gonna happen. So and he could

always make that catch. You know, you had Butch Johnson who was much faster. You had a lot of other guys, Golden Riches, I think, guys like that that was much faster, better route runners. But he was that complete package. And he was the guy that Roger bleed and the most to make it happen. Tony Hill a young Tony Hill that could fly, you know. So he was that guy

just much more like Michael Irvan. We had a lot of guys that were faster, that could do anything, but when the ball was supposed to arrive at a certain place and we needed to play Michael Irvan was that guy. Hey, Kurt, I got a question for you. We were talking to

Hall of Fame stuff. It seems like recently, when you know former Cowboys have been up for or going to be up for the Hall of Fame that they you know, it seems like they get inducted into the Ring of Honor is kind of a launching pad to help them get into the Hall of Fame. Do you do you see with Tony and DeMarcus, you know, being up for possible Hall of Fame nominations. Do you think that we'll see them inducted into the Ring of Honor this officer or this year? Oh? I don't that's a good question.

I mean, they obviously will be at some point, um, but I don't know if it'll be this year or not. It may depend, you know, if we have fans on the stands, if they want to a big, big kind of production out of it or not. But when they're go in, I'm not sure, but they'll definitely go in. I mean, you've got those two, You've got Whitna'll be going in here in a few years. I mean, there's some guys coming up that that will definitely be included.

You know, there's some guys from the past that you wonder if you know a lot of people would like to see included, Neverson Walls type or Tutall Jones or Harvey Martin, you know, and you wonder if they'll ever get a chance at it. You you all the greats of the Stillers and all the greats of the Raiders in and you know, I used to jokingly saying it's conspiracy theory against the Cowboys. I used to that that thing is real, that that that that thing is real.

I mean, we have more, we have more major guys in broadcasting around the league, in NFL, in major spots for these guys being in places that they're in, and and and I think sometime when you are that local guy that has that vote, you'd be like, here's my chance to make my mark, And it won't be for the Dallas Cowboys. Just think we own CBS, we own Fox. We got Troy, we got Tony Romo, we got Moose John So, we had got guys all over the place. We got Micael Irving, we got Dian and Sanders doing

his thing. We got guys all over the place. Now, whether you want to say they are eye guys or not, they're a guys. Yeah, oh guy from from you. You know, I was kind of disappointing against Cowboys fans. They said, you know, Lynch go into the Hall of Fame and Woodson not even you know, get get close. I guess he got kind of close. But that's another guy you'd like to see from the Cowboys get in there, is

Darren Woodson. So you know, I say, the much money is mister Jones is made for these guys much big ideas as he's brought or you know, you would think, you know, and yeah, people say, well, Nate, you now you you acting like the rest of the guys. You right, I am. I'm a Dallas Cowboy doing through. So you write, I am acting like the other guys. You know, his conspiracy theory against the Dallas Cowboys. Tony Romo should get on it. Just broadcasting alone put him in there for that. Now,

that's true. He changed a game. Tony Romo changed the game when he became a broadcast. He definitely changed the pay scale. That's right. Yeah, you got seven minutes. What are we talking about. Well, there's a couple of news items that came out just within the last couple of days. I thought i'd throw out you to get your opinions on you know, I don't know if you guys heard

Russell Wilson kind of made some news yesterday. In fact, you know a lot of rumors out there now that he might be requesting a trade behind the scenes, and he's not happy with Seattle, and that you know, he wants more say in free agent signings, that sort of thing. It's just just all kind of you know, the rumor mill kicking up, or do you think there's a chance to you know, Seattle would let Russell'll get out of there. Let me say this before we start quarterbacks, y'all may

not want to listen to those fat office alignment. Things ain't nice in that real world, like you think. Now everybody's gonna follow that on that apple pie like Tom Brady. Trust me when I tell you this, things ain't always nice outside defense. Now stay your old pastor, bro. But let me also say this. I love I love it too. I love it. I love the fact that players have finally come around to understanding just how much power they

actually have in this league. And while most people will say, well, you guys need to shut up in dribble or shut up and just play. You make whatever whatever. I love the fact because at the end of the day, no matter how much these quarterbacks are play make, the ownership makes three times that, four times that from their play on the field. So while people may say, well you make a hundred he made one hundred million dollars, cool

Seattle made six hundred million dollars. They made whatever. It is. So if there's a situation, because teams when they are done with you, when you when your soul your services are no longer needed for that team, they don't give you. They don't give you many options. They just say, fruit, we're done with you. See you, You're out the door. So I am so happy and glad to see players understanding that now and saying, you know what, things aren't

the way that I want them to be. So I'm out, just like you would do me if I wasn't performed up to where you wanted me to perform, you tell me get out. So I'm gonna see myself out because you aren't doing things that make me happy as your franchise player. So I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it, and I know I know that some of these owners they're not used to the

to the pushback. And we won't get into the history of the NFL because it was an interesting thing that I did watch prior to and I'm sorry, I'm sorry to kind of cut us cut into your your thinker, but there was there was, there was an interesting thing that I watched, and maybe one day we'll get deeper into this thing because it has a it has a kind of a racial understanding of the NFL and where

the NFL started. And I didn't know that there was a period where the NFL had kind of black ball black players from playing in the league for a lot of these teams, and you start to just think to yourself, right, this was like happening like in the nineteen I think it was like nineteen thirties and forties, And you look at some of the people and ownership of teams, like the owners of those teams who are in their eighties and nineties, like they grew up in that era, Like

they grew up in that era of how football was played back then, like they were their foundation was taught in that era. So again that's another college and for another day. But it just gives you a better understanding of house. Sometimes you say, well, why isn't there any black coaches and black you know, ownership and and and and things of that nature, and GM stuff like that. And he started looking at the history of the NFL and now who's running the NFL, what the owners and

the people in power. A lot of them come from from that area. So I am extremely happy when I see guys like Russell, Wilson and Westbrook, I mean, Westbrook and Watson kind of take back that that power one say no, if you're not, if you guys aren't gonna do right by me, then I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna flex my power and go elsewhere. But give them a bit father u is. Some reminisce okay, Green Bay won't help with their Sarah Caap and their quarterbacks, saying okay,

when I need to help. Last year in the draft, y'all went out and repay me with a quarterback my future backup. So if y'all want me, guess what we're going to do some restruction of contracts. So I'm with you there, I mean, but the reason I said that right there, because it's not a lot of teams built for that that that quick success. Yo. Ray's saying, let people know how value bare. I'm with that as a player, but be calfol, which which team you choose that you

may not be walking into a worse situation. Wouldn't it make sense for owners to talk to a guy like Wilson to get his perspective and opinion on free agents. I think he has said that, you know, he's a player,

he's seeing these he's up against these guys. He may he may know things about them more so than a general manager sitting in the in the office, you know, opening up a can of way the way they look at it, like they told Aaron Rodgers before the mccarthur deal when he went in and said hey, what about this and what about that? And they told him you go play and we'll get players. But he never forgot that. Aaron rodgersnell forgot that. So when his time came, he's like, okay,

now what so now they listen to him. I think Russell Wilson should be on that same level if he walked into your office and say, hey, coach, you know, what do you think about this? What do you think about you should at least conversate with this guy. You shouldn't be like hey man, players playing coaches coaching Scott Scott's because you know what, it don't always work that way.

And the successful guys, I like the guys like Tom Brady who learned how to do it and went to Green and went to Tampa Bay in his coach their head coach said, man, I let Tom take over some practices to a certain extent, because when you have a player with that dominance and that ability to know what he wanted, what he needs from his receivers and running backs, you gotta let him go. And if Russell has that knowledge now and then and Aaron has that knowledge, and

let them go. I mean, you don't let them take over your practice, but you have a segment way these guys can be show their powers, you know, because they do it on the field for you, why don't let them do it in practice too. I think I think you're seeing, Kurt. I think you're seeing a shift in the way that the league is gonna look in the coming years. You saw it in the NBA when players started talking in the off season and they started creating

these super teams. I think what Jesse said, you're you're starting to see and what Nate said, Your quarterbacks are getting so smart that they're running their own offense. They're calling their own plays there. They have so much feedback that the coaches are starting to let them run their own kind of their own offense. I think they're realizing

the United States coming back. Yeah, And I feel like they're starting to realize that, Hey, you know, if they're not gonna help me win and give me what I need, then I'll go somewhere that I can. I can do what Brady's done. I think he's changed the way the game's gonna look because now you're starting to hear you know, Watson wanted out of where he's at. Now you're hearing Russell Wilson, and I think it's gonna your elite quarterbacks that can go run an offense and run a team.

I think you're gonna start seeing ownership listen to these guys and say, hey, come be my quarterback and I'll give you more control. Hey, Aaron, you want out of Green Bay, come here and I'll give you total control of the offense within what the coach wants to do. I think you're gonna see that more and more. I think this is a big gonna be a big deal in the NFL in the coming year. So because wide receivers couldn't push it to wed, it needed to be

done in the running backs. But quarterbacks, elite quarterback. Just think we got thirty two teams, we got all these colleges, and every year we still want to talk about one or two quarterbacks coming out of the draft when there's a plethor of other positions. But everybody's looking for one elite quarterback that can take them to the next level. Are you smiling as a coach to see this guy in envision your game plan? Are you mad enough and willing enough to adjust what you do so this quarterback

can take you to the next level. A lot of coaches ain't willing to do that yet. Yep, fell us. It has been fun. The hour goes by way too fast, and it's not often enough. But you know what, before we know it, we'll be back doing this thing daily because the season will be upon us really quick. I can't wait, especially to get this cold weather out of Dallas. It's not supposed to be this cold in the South. I love her. I've been hybernating, man, were so supporting.

Get now we seeing a liquor winner. All October, no November. We had seventy degrees in December, seventy in January, we get four or five days of a little bit cold. All of a sudden, now we're done. This winner. We just hate is I've been hibernating and they lost the time. Most fairs hibernate lose weight a gainway. Yeah, I'm gonna say, yeah, your hybernated. You're supposed to stop eating Nate. That's how it works. Yeah, you're right, You're right about hybernate. Me

eat more Nate, Jesse, Kurt, Chris Beef. Thanks for keeping us on the air. We'll be back next Thursday, same time, eleven thirty from Frisco or somewhere in the Metroplex. This has been hanging with the boys, see you fellas,