It’s Monday, December 29th, and Norm is just wondering when college athletics quietly turned into an arms race for billionaires.

With championship games approaching, the sport looks less like tradition and more like open-market chaos. Players are transferring for the third and fourth time, skipping bowl games without a second thought, coaches are being fired at record speed, and the NCAA appears to be standing off to the side whistling nervously.

But the real concern arrives in Lubbock.

Norm walks through how a massive, perfectly legal cash infusion turned Texas Tech into an overnight powerhouse—and why that should make every college sports fan uneasy. When one billionaire can spend $20+ million on transfers alone, what happens when ten of them decide to compete? And what happens to parity, recruiting, and the very idea of college athletics when championships can simply be purchased?

Then, some genuinely good news: the 25th annual Normathon delivers once again, raising more than half a million dollars for the Austin Street Center for the Homeless—proof that money can still be used the right way.

One part warning, one part gratitude, and entirely on brand.

Chapters 00:00:00 - A New Alarm Bell for College Sports 00:00:22 - A Word From Our Title Sponsor 00:01:26 - College Football Has Officially Gone Off the Rails 00:02:08 - The Transfer Portal: Musical Chairs With Scholarships 00:03:13 - Playoff Confusion and the Toothless NCAA 00:03:39 - Who’s Actually in Charge Here? 00:04:21 - Texas Tech’s Sudden Rise (And Why It Matters) 00:05:07 - $20 Million, 21 Transfers, and Instant Contender Status 00:06:35 - Cody Campbell’s Vision — and His Checkbook 00:07:22 - Congressional Influence and the Bigger Picture 00:08:27 - When Billionaires Start Buying Championships 00:09:08 - This Isn’t New… It’s Just Getting Bigger 00:09:33 - The New Recruiting War: Cash vs. Cash 00:10:20 - A Quick Break for the Sponsors 00:11:01 - Senile Purpura (Still Not a Great Name) 00:12:16 - The Good News: Normathon 25 00:12:49 - Auctions, Guests, and Community Support 00:13:30 - $545,192 Raised in One Day 00:14:00 - 25 Years, $10.65 Million, and Countless Lives Changed 00:14:36 - Thank You, Truly 00:14:58 - Closing Thoughts and See You Wednesday

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It’s the day after Christmas, and while the wrapping paper is still on the floor, Norm is already wondering about the one gift Cowboys fans didn’t ask for: finishing the season 8-8-1.

After questioning why the NFL insists on hijacking Christmas Day (nothing says “holiday spirit” like wall-to-wall broadcasts), Norm dives into a Cowboys win that somehow felt like every other Cowboys game. A fast start, long scoring droughts, penalty problems, defensive issues, and just enough competence to keep everyone arguing about whether this team is “close.”

Dallas beats a battered Washington team, but not convincingly enough to feel good about it. Dak shines. The running game shows promise. Penalties pile up. The defense remains allergic to takeaways. And the big question lingers: if the offense is elite and the defense is awful… isn’t .500 exactly where you’d expect to land?

Norm breaks it all down with stats, context, and his usual brand of dry realism—then wraps things up with the truth Cowboys fans may not want to hear, but probably already know.

Chapters

00:00:00 - Merry Christmas… Now About That 8-8-1 Record

00:01:24 - Can the NFL Leave Christmas Alone for One Day?

00:01:57 - A Familiar Cowboys Script (This Time With a Win)

00:02:32 - Fast Start, Then the Scoring Vanishes Again

00:03:47 - Dallas Finally Bows Its Neck Late

00:04:22 - Dominating the Stats, Confusing the Result

00:05:04 - Six Sacks, Eleven Penalties, and Self-Inflicted Wounds

00:06:27 - Takeaways? Still Missing in Action

00:07:08 - Dak Prescott Continues His Excellent Season

00:07:40 - Malik Davis Steps Up in the Run Game

00:08:11 - Young Defenders Show Flashes

00:08:36 - Free Agents, Futures, and Tough Decisions

00:09:15 - George Pickens, CeeDee Lamb, and Offensive Reality

00:09:45 - Are the Cowboys Underachievers… or Exactly What They Are?

00:10:26 - A Quick Word From Our Sponsors

00:12:02 - Final Thoughts on a Perfectly Average Season

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It’s the holidays, but The Clubhouse doesn’t leave you empty-handed. Rob heads back to the Dallas Comic Show for a special Christmas episode featuring one of the most fascinating resumes in Hollywood—actor and voice-acting legend Phil Morris.

With more than 200 IMDb credits, Phil shares incredible stories from a career that spans Mission: Impossible, Star Trek (yes, all of it), Seinfeld, Batman, Doom Patrol, Smallville, Love, Death & Robots, Fire Country, Disney animation, and beyond. Along the way, he dives into studying Wing Chun under Bruce Lee’s lineage, what it really takes to be a voice actor, why humility matters more than talent, and how manifesting your next role might actually work.

This is a deep, candid, funny, and wildly nerdy conversation—perfect for the holidays and required listening for fans of film, TV, animation, and the craft of acting.

Kick back, relax, and enjoy this extended Clubhouse Q&A with Phil Morris from Dallas Comic Show.

The Clubhouse christmas

⏱️ Chapters 00:00:00 - Holiday Welcome & A Special Clubhouse Q&A 00:00:58 - Introducing Phil Morris at Dallas Comic Show 00:02:17 - Working with His Father on Mission: Impossible 00:04:07 - Peter Graves, Tennis Matches & “Protegé” Stories 00:05:12 - Wing Chun, Bruce Lee, and a 35-Year Martial Arts Journey 00:07:17 - How Martial Arts Shape Acting and Discipline 00:08:47 - Seinfeld, Jackie Chiles, and Channeling Johnny Cochran 00:11:04 - Star Trek: From Childhood Roles to DS9 and Voyager 00:12:28 - Doom Patrol, Smallville, Scooby-Doo & Geek Credentials 00:14:31 - Voice Acting vs On-Camera Acting Explained 00:16:42 - Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles & Missed Potential 00:18:36 - Vandal Savage, Zod, Batman & DC Animation 00:20:06 - Advice for Aspiring Actors & Voice Performers 00:23:15 - Why Acting Is Not a Hobby 00:25:24 - Larry David, Curb, and Behind-the-Scenes Seinfeld Stories 00:28:25 - Marvel, DC, Superheroes & Childhood Influences 00:31:00 - Fire Country, Character-First Acting & Longevity 00:33:12 - Bucket List Collaborations & Manifestation 00:34:48 - Eddie Murphy, Disney, and Being Mushu Before Mushu 00:37:22 - Hard Truths About the Business & Staying Power 00:38:22 - Where to Find Phil Morris & Closing Thoughts

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