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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- Tremendo espectáculo entre Jake Paul y Anthony Joshua, aunque de boxeo tuvo poco Joshua noqueó cuando quiso después de perdonar por más de tres rounds

- Los Cowboys pagan sus errores defensivos con la eliminación Ahora a cerrar temporada ¡Al Máximo! dicen jugadores y entrenadores

- Esto y más ¡Al Máximo!

t’s Wednesday, December 24th, and Norm Hitzges is in a festive mood—by which he means grateful, reflective, mildly alarmed, and just a little concerned about the future of local sports.

Norm opens with an invitation to one of the most meaningful traditions in DFW radio history: the 25th annual Normathon, raising money for Austin Street Center for the Homeless. Twenty-five years, more than $10 million raised, and a full day of broadcasting fueled by generosity, great guests, and some truly ridiculous auction items (yes, including a racehorse stake and a Pat Green house concert).

After that, Norm pivots—because of course he does—to three quick sports hits: • a gut-punch playoff loss for Texas A&M • the end (hopefully) of Jake Paul’s cosplay boxing career • and a Rangers bullpen decision that has Norm quietly clutching the armrests

It’s Christmas Eve. There’s goodwill. There’s charity. There’s also concern. Welcome to Just Wondering.

CHAPTERS 00:01:31 – The Normathon Returns: Year 25 at The Ticket 00:02:13 – Why Austin Street Matters (And Why We Keep Doing This) 00:02:59 – 25 Years, $10+ Million Raised, and Counting 00:03:51 – The Auction Lineup: Trips, Racehorses, and Once-in-a-Lifetime Experiences 00:05:23 – Pat Green at Your House, Lone Star Park Suite, and Lunch With the Musers 00:06:46 – The Crown Jewel: Signed Cowboys Legends Lithograph Set 00:07:26 – How to Join In: On Air, In Person, or In Spirit 00:08:08 – Bob’s Steak & Chop House Sponsor Read 00:08:37 – Full Moon Healing Balm Sponsor Read 00:09:54 – Sports Hit #1: Texas A&M’s Playoff Heartbreak 00:11:24 – From No. 3 in the Nation to “Did That Really Happen?” 00:12:03 – Sports Hit #2: Jake Paul Finally Fights the Wrong Guy 00:13:08 – Anthony Joshua Ends the Gimmick (For $96 Million) 00:14:16 – Sports Hit #3: Why Norm Is Alarmed About the Rangers 00:15:00 – Sean Armstrong Leaves for Cleveland… For Cheap 00:15:38 – If You Can’t Pay $5.5M for Your Best Reliever, That’s a Problem 00:16:21 – Sponsor Close: Fluent Financial & Bob’s 00:16:43 – Wrap-Up: Follow, Share, and Merry Christmas 00:17:24 – Stolen Water Media Sign-Off

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Mac became eligible to vote for the Baseball Hall of Fame a few years ago, and on this latest ballot he changed his mind about the people who are linked to steroid use.

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In this special Christmas edition of Signal 51 Chronicles, John Henry and retired Fort Worth police sergeant Jake White dive into one of the most infamous Texas true crime cases: the 1927 Santa Claus Bank Robbery in Cisco, Texas. A man in a Santa suit—ex-con Marshall Ratliff—walks down Main Street with kids in tow… then steps into the First National Bank of Cisco and detonates chaos. What follows is a bloody gun battle, hostages used as human shields, a stolen-car escape, and what newspapers called one of the largest manhunts in Texas history—including posses, Texas Rangers, and pursuit by airplane.

Plus: the holiday “police blotter” kicks off with a modern-day crime spree involving $1,700 worth of stolen brisket, porch pirates as “gamblers,” and the kind of petty theft stories that make law enforcement sigh into their coffee. If you love Texas history, true crime, bank robbery stories, and old-school lawman cases, this episode is your next listen.

Chapters

00:00 - Signal 51 Christmas Special Begins: “Santa Claus Bank Robbery” 00:49 - Remote Recording + Holiday Banter: “Technology Is Driving Us Apart” 01:35 - Christmas Shopping Confessions: “Tick Tock… Ho Ho Ho” 03:33 - Police Blotter: The $1,700 Brisket Crime Spree (Buda/Kyle/Manor/Austin) 05:35 - HEB Talk + Small-Town Police Reality Check 07:18 - Jake’s Grocery Store Bust: The “Worst Thief Known to Man” Cigarette Grab 09:10 - Porch Pirates Are Gamblers (And You’re Not Getting a MacBook) 11:18 - Holiday Theft Stories: Ribs, Self-Checkout, and “People Gotta Eat” 12:54 - Today’s Case Setup: “We Got Bank Robber… It’s Santa” 13:35 - Cisco, Texas 1927: Santa Walks Main Street Before the Bloodiest Bank Robbery 14:22 - Marshall Ratliff Identified: Ex-Con in a Santa Suit + The Plan Unfolds 15:13 - Cisco Boomtown Backdrop: Oil, Growth, and Tension in the 1920s 16:30 - $5,000 Dead-or-Alive Bank Robber Reward: Why Robberies Turned Lethal 17:19 - The Crew: Huntsville Ties, Ma Ferguson Pardons, and a Last-Minute Sub 18:57 - The Santa Suit Origin Story: Borrowed in Wichita Falls (Suspicious Landlady) 19:42 - Inside the Bank: “Get ’Em Up” — Guns Drawn, Vault Forced Open 20:21 - Escape Sparks the Shootout: Hostages, Human Shields, and Gunfire in the Alley 22:16 - Getaway Collapses: Flat Tire, Wounded Davis, and the 14-Year-Old Who Took the Keys 23:29 - Texas Manhunt: Posses, Rangers, Winter Flight, and Arrests Near South Bend/Graham 24:42 - Ratliff’s Aftermath: Trial, Insanity Act, Escape Attempt, and Rising Public Fury 25:20 - Mob Justice: The 1929 Lynching and the Fort Worth Funeral Watch 28:23 - Robert Hill’s Escape and Capture: Mexico, El Paso, and “My Ears Got Me Caught” 31:07 - Sentencing + Redemption Arc: 99 Years, Conditional Pardon, Full Pardon (1964) 32:47 - Case Closed: Christmas Farewell + A Reminder That Reform Can Happen

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Norm tips the cap to Cooper Flagg turning 19 and casually dropping 40 in the NBA—then immediately pivots to something far less impressive: the Dallas Cowboys doing the exact same thing again.

If this season feels familiar, that’s because it is. Early points, a brief lead, then the defense opens the floodgates while the offense stalls out like it hit an invisible wall. Norm walks through the Chargers loss, the Vikings loss, the Lions loss—pick a week, it’s the same movie with a different jersey color.

The numbers are brutal: 112 points allowed in three weeks, one sack, five punts forced, and a defense threatening to challenge 1960 for the worst in franchise history. Yet the reflex response still seems to be “fire the coordinator and move on,” rather than confronting the uncomfortable truth that a lot of these players simply aren’t good enough.

Norm asks the question no one in the front office seems eager to answer: does Jerry Jones actually understand how mediocre this team is—or are we about to spin the coordinator wheel one more time and hope for a miracle?

CHAPTERS

00:00:00 – Happy Birthday, Cooper Flagg (And Welcome Back to Cowboys Reality) 00:00:41 – Fluent Financial Sponsor Read 00:01:45 – Cowboys Groundhog Day: Same Game, Same Ending 00:02:36 – 6–8–1 and Stuck in the Middle of the Draft Again 00:03:18 – “It’s the Scheme” vs. “It Might Be the Players” 00:03:56 – McCarthy Gone, Zimmer Gone, Schottenheimer Here… Same Results 00:04:39 – Chargers Game Recap: Fast Start, Zero Finish 00:05:33 – Three-Week Stretch of Defensive Horror 00:06:29 – One Sack, Five Punts, and 20 Opponent Scores 00:07:11 – No Pressure on Goff, McCarthy, or Herbert 00:08:03 – Diggs Back, Revel Struggling, and No Answers 00:09:01 – Chargers’ Backup Offensive Line Still Runs Wild 00:09:57 – Defensive Box Score: Who Showed Up… and Who Didn’t 00:10:37 – How Many New Starters Does This Defense Need? 00:11:01 – Bob’s Steak & Chop House Sponsor Read 00:12:01 – Full Moon Healing Balm Sponsor Read 00:12:57 – Sponsor Close 00:13:19 – Follow, Share, and Keep Wondering 00:14:00 – Stolen Water Media Sign-Off

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