Hour 2 – Bears Mishandled Head Coach Hire, Todd Archer

Summary

Summary of The Dan Patrick Show – Hour 2: Bears Mishandled Head Coach Hire, Todd Archer
Release Date: January 7, 2025
Host: Dan Patrick
Co-Hosts: Fritzi Seaton, Marv Paulie
Guest: Todd Archer, ESPN NFL Nation Cowboys Reporter

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1. Texans' Wild Card Traditions and Humorous Observations (01:50 - 02:19)

The episode kicks off with Dan Patrick and Fritzi Seaton humorously dissecting the Houston Texans' tradition of playing early Wild Card games on Saturdays. This light-hearted segment includes a playful wordplay where Dan jokes about finding the word "turd" hidden within "Saturday," setting a jovial tone for the show.

Notable Quote:
Dan Patrick (02:01):
"I can't help but focus on a word inside the word. So go ahead, Seaton."

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2. Critique of Chicago Bears' Coaching Hire Process (01:00 - 05:19)

Dan Patrick launches into a critical analysis of the Chicago Bears' handling of their head coach search, specifically targeting their approach to interviewing Mike McCarthy from the Dallas Cowboys. He expresses frustration over the Bears seeking permission from Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones to interview McCarthy, highlighting what he perceives as organizational inefficiency and poor decision-making.

Notable Quotes:
Dan Patrick (02:10):
"Why is this what my eyes are choosing to focus on? Like, this is the important part of this. The Texans playing the early game on Saturday. Saturday Day. Yes. A tradition Unlike any other."

Fritzi Seaton (05:11):
"In Chicago two years ago, when the Bears interviewed Dan Quinn for their coaching job, they flew him in coach. Not first class, not a private jet coach."

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3. Listener Poll: Best Coaching Vacancies in the NFL (06:11 - 06:26)

The hosts reveal the results of their listener poll regarding the most desirable coaching vacancies in the NFL. The Chicago Bears lead with 51% of the votes, followed by a tie between the Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots. The New Orleans Saints and New York Jets receive fewer votes, with the Jets trailing significantly.

Notable Quote:
Fritzi Seaton (06:12):
"The Bears, Jaguars, Jets, Patriots, Saints. Right now, the Bears, they have about 51% of that vote right now, followed by the Jaguars and Patriots are basically tied."

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4. Listener Call: Why Aren't the Vikings Considering Aaron Rodgers? (05:19 - 09:00)

A listener named Jordan calls in with a provocative question: why the Minnesota Vikings aren't considering signing veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He suggests trading Sam Darnold to acquire Rodgers, positing that this move could significantly boost the Vikings' performance. Dan Patrick thoughtfully considers the proposition, ultimately leaning towards franchising Sam Darnold and discussing the complexities involved in such a trade.

Notable Quote:
Jordan (07:50):
"Why aren't the Vikings considering Aaron Rodgers? They've got J.J. McCarthy on the bench and I know he's a hot trade piece, but why not let Sam Darnold go, sign for the highest money contract he can get, bring in Aaron Rodgers for a year or two and let J.J. McCarthy recover."

Dan Patrick (07:55):
"I think I would franchise Sam Darnold and then I would have him."

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5. In-Depth Conversation with Todd Archer: Mike McCarthy and Jerry Jones (21:18 - 30:24)

ESPN's Todd Archer joins the show to delve deeper into the tumultuous situation surrounding Mike McCarthy's potential move from the Dallas Cowboys to the Chicago Bears. Archer discusses the possible motivations behind Jerry Jones's indecision and the implications it has for McCarthy's career. The conversation explores whether Jerry Jones intends to retain McCarthy or if the Bears' interest is genuine, considering McCarthy's expiring contract.

Notable Quotes:
Dan Patrick (22:03):
"But why has Jerry left him dangling here? You either want Mike McCarthy or you don't."

Fritzi Seaton (21:18):
"It certainly made it interesting for Jerry Jones to have to make a decision sooner than he would want to make."

Todd Archer (25:53):
"The head coach of the Dallas Cowboys has the biggest say in the franchise if they choose to be the loudest voice in the franchise."

Dan Patrick (30:24):
"Thank you, Todd. Good to catch up with you again."

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6. Listener Call: Addressing High School Sports Betting (17:00 - 38:24)

Art, a high school teacher, raises concerns about the increasing prevalence of sports betting among high school boys. He observes that many students are engaging in point spreads and parlays without parental knowledge, often using parents' accounts or their siblings' social security numbers. Art seeks advice on how to address this potentially escalating issue.

Dan shares his personal experience with gambling addiction, emphasizing the importance of education and intervention. He advocates for schools to bring in experts or reformed gamblers to speak to students, offering real-life cautionary tales to deter betting behaviors.

Notable Quotes:
Art (33:01):
"I've asked all the teachers around, and everyone... we're like, yeah, we're starting to notice that a lot."

Dan Patrick (37:00):
"I have DraftKings, and I've told you my gambling situation. I quit cold turkey, but I needed to because I got caught up in it. I did make money, thankfully, but I was betting money that I didn't have."

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7. Discussion on Coaching Styles and Historical Legends (44:10 - 45:28)

The conversation shifts to the evolution of coaching styles in the NFL. The hosts reminisce about legendary coaches like Tom Landry, highlighting their stoic and unemotional demeanor on the sidelines. They contrast these styles with contemporary coaches, noting a shift towards more expressive and sometimes less composed behaviors.

Notable Quotes:
Dan Patrick (44:12):
"When I think of, like good looking coaches and really good professional coaches, I think of Tom Landry."

Fritzi Seaton (45:05):
"Mike Nolan wore a suit."

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8. Final Discussions and Teasers for Upcoming Segments (46:55 - End)

As the hour approaches its conclusion, the hosts tease upcoming segments, including a discussion with Ian Rapaport from NFL Network about teams that didn't make the playoffs but are in prime shape for the next season. They also preview continued debates on the Bears vs. Cowboys coaching saga and other pressing NFL topics.

Notable Quote:
Dan Patrick (46:58):
"Final hour. Back after this."

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Conclusion

Throughout this episode, The Dan Patrick Show offers a comprehensive and engaging exploration of current NFL coaching dynamics, with a particular focus on the Chicago Bears' flawed head coach hiring process and the intricate relationship with the Dallas Cowboys' Mike McCarthy. The hosts provide critical insights, blend humor with serious analysis, and actively engage with listener concerns, making the show both entertaining and informative for sports enthusiasts.

Transcript

[Dan Patrick]

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[Fritzi Seaton]

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[Dan Patrick]

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[Dan Patrick]

You are listening to the Dan Patrick show on Fox Sports Radio. It's hour two on this Tuesday. Gang's all here, ready to go. The minister of humor, Fritzi Seaton, Marv Paulie, yours truly, the backroom guys. Seaton just ruined one word for me. Now, whenever I see this word, certainly when it comes to sports, I'm going to think of a word inside of a word. We were looking at the Houston Texans, and as tradition would have it, the Texans always play on that wild card Saturday when they're in the postseason, they're always the early game. It's a tradition unlike any other. So Seaton goes, I'm looking at the list of all of the times the Texans have been in the wild card playing the early game. And he said, I can't help but focus on a word inside the word. So go ahead, Seaton.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Yeah, I just never noticed it, but for some reason when I saw that graphic on tv, it was there like.

[Dan Patrick]

A dozen times, the word Saturday and all in a row.

[Fritzi Seaton]

And for some reason, I just. I don't know how I never noticed.

[Dan Patrick]

This before, but I saw the word turd written in Saturday and it's all I could see was 3:30 turd, 3:30 turd, three:30 turd.

[Fritzi Seaton]

3, 30 every year, 3, 30 turd, 330 turd.

[Dan Patrick]

Wow. Why is this what my. My eyes are choosing to focus on?

[Fritzi Seaton]

That's what my brain is saying.

[Dan Patrick]

Like, this is the important part of this. The Texans playing the early game on Saturn. Saturn Day. Yes. A tradition Unlike any other 877-3-DP Show Email address [e-mail] Twitter Handle a DP Show. We'll check in with the Dallas Cowboys because Mike McCarthy, I guess, was an extended an invitation to interview for the Bears job, but now he has to wait to see what Jerry Jones is going to do. It's embarrassing, and Mike McCarthy deserves better than that. But Jerry, for some reason, either you're going to keep him or you're not. And now the Bears may be interested whether it's real or not, but maybe somebody's doing Mike McCarthy a solid there. But his contract expires in a week. Then he doesn't need permission, but Jerry's going to make him squirm, I guess, and then he's going to have to wait. Bears are going to. I don't know why the Bears didn't just wait. Wait a week, and then Mike McCarthy's either with the Cowboys or not. You don't have to ask for permission, but the Bears want to let their fan base know. We are interviewing everybody because this is a franchise that didn't talk to Jim Harbaugh last year. Former Bears quarterback Jim Harbaugh, national champion winner Jim Harbaugh, didn't talk to Bill Belichick. Okay, this to me is malpractice. This is where you have to do this for your franchise, whether you're going to hire Jim Harbaugh or Bill Belichick. Boy, I want to know what you think of my organization. That's all. You can go in and be open minded and say, hey, give me your pitch. What do you see? What do you think? Now I've got what Harbaugh thinks of the Bears and I've got Bill Belichick and what they think. And you know what? I didn't pay anything except for maybe first class travel in a hotel. That's it. Maybe a dinner. Why wouldn't you do that? Why wouldn't you bring in Harbaugh? Why wouldn't you bring in Belichick? Bring in Mike McCarthy. Let them. I want him to tell you what he thought when he, he was in Green Bay when he played against the Bears. Granted, maybe none of those players are still there, but just the organization, what he would do, what he thought of Caleb Williams, all of those things. You're, you're crazy not to factor that in when you bring in people to interview for a job because you get all of that information for free. And they chose not to do that last Year. I think now what they're saying to their fan base is, okay, we're going to bring in everybody we can. Ben Johnson, Mike Brable, Mike McCarthy, maybe there's a couple other coordinators out there. Maybe bring in Pete Carroll. Bring them all in. Yeah. Paul, a couple weeks ago, it broke.

[Fritzi Seaton]

In Chicago that when the Bears interviewed Dan Quinn for their coaching job two years ago, they flew him in coach. Not first class, not a private jet coach.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah. Dan McNeil had this in his book and talked about just how they screw up their coaching decisions. You bring in Dan Quinn and you bring him in coach. Now, maybe they screwed that up and they said, hey, we're going to bring in, you know, Dan Quinn coach. And then somebody in the front office, maybe a secretary, goes, okay, we're gonna fly in Dan Quinn coach. No, no, no. We. You should have been first class, not Dan Quinn coach. Okay. 8773-DP-SHOW, email address [e-mail] Twitter handle the TP show some phone calls coming up. Five head coaching vacancies as we speak in Rapaport. A little bit later on on the best job that's open now. That's our poll question from hour one. Give me the results, Seaton. Yeah, we got up there right now, which is the best job, the five.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Options you were just mentioning.

[Dan Patrick]

Bears, Jaguars, Jets, Patriots, Saints. Right now, the Bears, they have about 51% of that vote right now, followed.

[Fritzi Seaton]

By the Jaguars and Patriots are basically tied. Saints and then jets are in last.

[Dan Patrick]

Jets are last. Yeah. Jets only have about 5% of the vote. Nobody wants that job. See, I figure if Rex Ryan wants it, then give it to him. Definitely. Yeah. Like I want somebody who really wants that job. Whenever you're ready for daddy to come home, I'm right here. I'm right here. Just say the word. Say good morning, those watching on Peacock. Thank you for downloading the app. We say good morning to our radio affiliates around the country. IHeartRadio, Fox Sports Radio. I harp on this a lot. It's called getting on my soapbox. But I'm gonna do it again because I love to have a team that can run the football. Top 10 rushing yards per game this season. Ravens playoffs, Philly playoffs, Washington playoffs, Tampa playoffs, Green Bay playoffs, Detroit playoffs. Then you get to Arizona and Indy didn't make the playoffs. The Buffalo Bills are nine on that list. And Atlanta barely missed the playoffs as well. These teams run the football. Gotta have balance. You gotta be able to at some point get some tough yards, control the clock and Sometimes your best defense is your offense. And that's why I look at these teams. That ability to be able to be two dimensional. You can't buy into play action if you don't buy into the fact that they don't have a running. You can't go, oh, are they gonna give the ball to Zeke Elliott? I don't care. By the way, do you see where the Chargers, I think are picking up Zeke Elliott? Yes. You were going to add something. I was going to ask did I miss my Chargers on that list of teams that can run the ball? Okay. Teams that made the playoffs, not inside the top 10 in rushing. Chargers, Texans, Broncos, Steelers, Vikings, Rams. So the Chargers with J.K. dobbins, I would have thought. I think that's the ultimate game plan for Jim Harbaugh. The Texans with Joe Mixon. The Broncos don't run the ball very well. Steelers, they, I think they were on the, just on the outside of the top 10. Vikings have Aaron Jones. Rams have Kyron Williams. Yes. Todd. Yes. Confirming Ezekiel Elliott added to the practice squad of the Chargers. Just case someone gets hurt in the playoffs or something. Okay. Zeke Elliott, he was once a thing. Not anymore. Not anymore. All right, couple of phone calls in here. We'll check in with the Cowboys situation. Like what's the hold up here? And if you're Mike McCarthy and he did get the opportunity to coach the Bears, would you stay with the Cowboys if you can or would you go to the Bears? I don't think he's going to get the opportunity to do both if he wants to. Seems like, like I don't know what happens in Jerry Jones's mind where he goes, oh, that's right. I gotta, I gotta hire a head coach. Well Mike, why don't you just stay here? Like what you waiting for me looking back over game plan or highlights, having a straw boat here just seems a little odd if you're Mike McCarthy and he deserves better than that. He does. Jordan in Ohio. Hi Jordan. What's on your mind? Hey Jordan. Dan, I'm a longtime listener, long time caller. Five nine and a moist 185. I want to give a huge shout out to you Dan and the Danettes. 2024 was an extremely tough year for me and my family. But your guys's humor and ease me easy listening definitely got me through it. Like just listen to you every day hearing your intelligent sports talk that, that definitely got me through some of the hardest times of 24. Now the next question I have is a food for thought. One, why aren't the Vikings considering Aaron Rodgers? They've got J.J. mcCarthy on the bench and I know he's a hot trade piece, but why not let Sam Darnold go, sign for the highest money contract he can get, bring in Aaron Rodgers for a year or two and let J.J. mcCarthy recover. I mean, I know that would make Aaron Rodgers a total carbon copy to Brett Favre's take. Yeah, I can't go down that road. Thank you, Jordan. And you can't spell Jordan without Dan, but I'm going to distance myself from that one. I think I would franchise Sam Darnold and then I would have him. Let's see if he can do it again. I think a lot really hinges on what happens when they play the Rams. I really do because he did not look good at all against the Lions. Now, I'm going to give credit to the Lions, but Sam Darnold, this according to Dan Orlovsky of the Mothership, missed five touchdown passes in that game. According to Dan, missed five touchdown passes. I think if they bow out, there might be. Now you do have Danny Dimes in Minnesota, so you could use him as a bridge, a cheap bridge. But here's the thing. This is a window of opportunity and I keep talking about this. It closes rapidly. You want to win that? They might be the Detroit Lions. You know what the Lions did last year? Maybe the Vikings look at that and say, hey, let's run it back again. Maybe. But Detroit's going to be better next year. They are. Green Bay is going to be good. Chicago may figure it out. Yes, Detroit might be better next year. They might also be looking at like a whole new coaching staff once everybody leaves after this year. But all that talent's still going to be there. Yeah, I got a healthy defense next year. You still have all your skill, position guys. Everybody's under contract. You got Penny Sewell under contract, Golf Jameer Gibbs on a rookie deal. I'm on Ross St. Brown. Like they're going to be dangerous no matter who's coaching them. You're still going to have Dan Campbell in there. Yeah. You want to ball to the balls a bit right now. Lions better this year and next year. Well, they could end up with the same result of winning a Super Bowl. They could, they could. Or, or, or. Gabe in San Antonio. Hi, Gabe. What's on your mind today? Hey, Dan, I wanted to comment on the the poll question. But first, real quick, hook em Horns this Friday night. Will Howard was 02 versus the horns when he was at Kansas state. He's gonna be 03 for his career this Friday. I'm thinking the horns plus the five and a half on both. Well, no, no, no, no. You can't take the five and a half.

[Fritzi Seaton]

What am I laying them?

[Dan Patrick]

How does that go? No, no, no. It's just straight up, Gabe. Oh, straight up. I'm taking the horn. Okay, you can't go. Hey, I'm going to take my Longhorns and I need the five and a half. No, no, no. You take the Horns and that's it. Yes, sir. Yes. Okay. Thank you. On most desirable coaching vacancy. It's not vacant yet, but like you talked about with Mike McCarthy, it's America's team, the Dallas Cowboys. You have your quarterback, your wide receiver, your pass rusher. You're a couple pieces away from winning the division. Sirianni and the Eagles are about to implode. Jaden Daniels is going to have a sophomore slump. Cowboys, NFC east champions next year. Dad. Wow. Okay. You're. You're betting the Cowboys NFC east champions. And you got Texas winning Friday night. You got it. Parlay. I'm going to bet against you, Gabe, in your parlay there. I think the Cowboys can be an attract. You just have to be built for that job. Certain jobs, you have to be built for it. And you gotta, you gotta be willing to surrender to Jerry Jones. You gotta be submissive. Head coaches aren't submissive. Head coaches have to be a vocal leader. You have to respect them. Remember when you had the Wade Phillips, Jason Garrett transition? What a disaster. Hey, we got your coach in waiting, but you got a coach who's still there. Jerry has done this time and time and time and time and time and time again. Yes, I do kind of love Jerry Jones.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Like his statements recently kind of sort.

[Dan Patrick]

Of along the lines of, like, why do you think I bought this team? Because I want to run it. Yeah.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Like, no, I'm. There's never going to be a moment.

[Dan Patrick]

Where I'm not the gm because that's.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Why I bought this. And I said, this is my new job.

[Dan Patrick]

This is what I want to do. I love that he didn't buy an expensive Porsche for somebody else to drive it. He wants to have the top down and he wants to be heading down Rodeo Drive. Let Jerry cook. Yes. That's why I bought this.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Because I want to do this.

[Dan Patrick]

It's spoken like a true billionaire. Because I want to do this. Yes, Paul, but that's like saying I'm.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Going to buy a hundred million dollar yacht and I'm going to be the Captain.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah. Who is the captain now? Yes, Marv.

[Fritzi Seaton]

And in Jerry's mind, I'm sure he thinks he's a football guy that just got rich. Like, he just got wealthy with the oil thing. He played football with Jimmy Johnson at Arkansas. So he's like, no, no, I'm not like the rest of you owners. I'm a football guy that just happened.

[Dan Patrick]

To stumble into oil. Yeah, I'm smarter than all you. That's when, you know, when, when players will say to the media, did you ever play like Jerry can say? Yeah, played at Arkansas. Was he a defensive lineman? Was Jimmy Johnson a defensive, was Jimmy Johnson like a nose tackle? I think they were defensive linemen, weren't they, Marvin?

[Fritzi Seaton]

Checking.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay, let me take a break. We'll come back. We'll check in with the Dallas Cowboys. We got more of your phone calls. Ian Rapaport of NFL Network will join us a little bit later on as well. We're back after this. On the Dan Patrick Show, Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our [e-mail] and within the iHeartRadio app, search FSR to listen live. Hey, it's Steve Covino and I'm Rich Davis. And together we're Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. You can catch us weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific, on Fox Sports Radio and of course, the iHeartRadio Apple. Why should you listen to Covino and Rich? We talk about everything, life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world. We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture, stories that, well, other shows don't seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends for the last 20 years and still work together, I mean, that says something, right? So check us out. We like to get you involved, too. Take your phone calls, chop it up, as they say. I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on Fox Sports radio and the iHeartradio app from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the live show, just search Ko Vino and Rich wherever you get your podcast. And of course, on social media, that's Covino and Rich. Wasn't that delicious? So good. Your bill, ladies. I got it. No, I got it. Seriously. I insisted. I insisted. First, don't be silly.

[Fritzi Seaton]

You don't be silly. People with The Wells Fargo ActiveCash credit card prefer to pay because they earn.

[Dan Patrick]

Unlimited 2% cash back on purchases. Okay, Rock, paper, scissors for it. Rock, paper, scissors. Shoot.

[Fritzi Seaton]

No the Wells Fargo Active Cash credit card. Visit Wells Fargo.com ActiveCash Terms apply.

[Dan Patrick]

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[Fritzi Seaton]

It certainly made it interesting for Jerry Jones to have to make it, maybe make a decision sooner than he would want to make. If he grants permission, does that tell us that Mike McCarthy is is not going to be back? If he doesn't grant permission, does that tell us he is going to be back? There are so many different things you can come up with through this coaching search. I go back, expect anything when it comes to this because I go back to the last time Jerry had a coach with an expiring contract in 2019, when he interviewed Marvin Lewis and Mike McCarthy before making any announcement on Jason Garrett status. So that's kind of where we are right now. Who the heck knows where they go into how long it can take? I would think if it happens, it has to happen here soon.

[Dan Patrick]

But why has Jerry left him dangling here? You either want Mike McCarthy or you don't.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Right? You should be able to operate on parallel tracks during the course of a season and have a hypothetical list available in your desk drawer to say this is where I want to go when the season ends. We saw, we've seen other teams already make moves either designed to keep their coaching staff in GM or go out and make this call. Jerry has a Netflix series coming out called the Gambler, right? That's supposed to come out at some point here in 2025. I don't know if he's much of a gambler anymore. This is just not how he operates. He takes his time on things and doesn't make the bold moves that everybody expects him to make. Maybe that will come back here soon and I'll look like a fool for saying that, but I don't know why that this wasn't a decision that could have been made yesterday, certainly can be made today and hopefully by the end of the week. McCarthy's contract expires, Dan, on Wednesday. Cowboys have exclusive negotiating rights through January 14th. I would think if I'm Mike McCarthy, I want to know by Wednesday because I want to know, should I look into the Chicago thing? Should I look into these other jobs that they, that these people who might want me as coach.

[Dan Patrick]

But Todd, you've been around this franchise a long time. How much does Jerry love the. The attention like his. His team stays in the news cycle constantly because he doesn't wrap anything up. Michael Parsons contract won't be wrapped up quickly. Dax wasn't CDs, wasn't your head coach here. It almost feels like I want you to keep talking about my franchise.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Yeah. And that's how you become $10 billion franchise, I guess, in some respect. Right. Because everybody's talking about it. Everybody, good and bad. Right. It's the Cowboys fans are going to be Cowboys fans. The people who hate the Cowboys are always going to hate the Cowboys. So you have so many eyeballs on you that you draw attention to you. And I think Jerry, he has said it, he loves that attention that is on his franchise. At some point, it's not conducive to winning football games, although he'll point out that they are the fifth or sixth most winning his team in the last five, six, seven years. But ultimately, Jerry bought the Cowboys in 1989 to win Super Bowls, and they've not won1 since 1995. So what. What are they in here just to win games or are they in here to win Super Bowls?

[Dan Patrick]

Is it a good job if it's open?

[Fritzi Seaton]

This is where I might differ with people who say it might not be a good job. I will say it is a good job. The head coach of the Dallas Cowboys has the biggest say in the franchise if they choose to be the loudest voice in the franchise. Now there we can go back to 1998. I think Chan Gailey didn't want Randy Moss. The Cowboys didn't draft Randy Moss. You know, there have always been some little hiccups along the way. Bill Parcells didn't want to. They still signed to what was the corollary move to that they. They cut Larry Allen. That was a guy that Bill did want around. So that was one for one right there. But this is a good job beyond because it's one of 32, because it is the Cowboys. And this is a roster that really was hit hard by injury. But you have A quarterback that'll be coming back. You have a number one wide receiver. You have Micah Parsons. You have other pieces in place that can win with you with a quick turnaround. But it's incumbent on Jerry to do more in the offseason than he did last year, where their biggest free agent signing was either Zeke or Eric Hendricks. They have to do more than that to, to supplement this roster. They can't just rely on improvement from within. But if the head coach wants the power or, I don't know, I say power wants to say and put the work in. He can have the say to get what he wants the majority of the time.

[Dan Patrick]

But if you're a Cowboys fan and you hear, hey, this is why I bought the team, I want to be the gm. I want to run the team. Like, would Jerry Jones have fired Jerry Jones?

[Fritzi Seaton]

Well, he hasn't done it yet, so I would say no, I'll say. And I don't want to come across like I'm defending the way Jerry operates this. But in Jerry's mind, the GM is the guy who cuts the check, so that's why he keeps the title. The GM of the Cowboys is really Will McClay. He's the guy that does the work, that of what a general manager does. And if you look at how they've Drafted Since Will McClay has been here, since 2014, it's been among the best in the NFL. So we get hung up on the title, but Jerry is not going into the draft room and saying, who do you want? Who do you want? Who do you want? No. You guys want this guy? No, no, I want this dude. And we're going to take that guy. That's not how it works, and it's really not how it's worked here for quite a long time. I'll go on my 20 plus years of covering the team, it truly has been a, a conglomeration of efforts to get the right, get the guy everybody wants. And we can point to another example of Jerry not getting what he want when they drafted Zach Martin in 2014 and not Johnny Manzo.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, I know. I remember that. Because he wanted. He wanted. He likes that shiny object there. And I go back that I think he wanted Connor Cook and Connor Cook was taken, and then they took Dak Prescott, Right?

[Fritzi Seaton]

Yeah. Not. And not just Connor Cook. They tried to trade back, trade back into the first round and take Paxton Lynch.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, so.

[Fritzi Seaton]

So those are two, two moves that the Cowboys are glad they didn't make, and they ended up getting Dak Prescott with Not only their, their, their second fourth round pick, the compensatory pick, it took a defensive end out of Oklahoma with their first fourth round pick that year over Dak Prescott.

[Dan Patrick]

You go back to Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones. That relationship, could it have worked.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Longer than it had?

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah.

[Fritzi Seaton]

No, I don't believe so. I think Jerry wanted out and again, that was before my time here. But I haven't talked to a lot of people have been around and talked to Jimmy about it and talked to Jerry about it. I think Jerry wanted. I think Jimmy wanted to go somewhere else too. I think his time here was done and I think he realized there's only so long of a shelf life a coach can have. Clearly he and Jerry had differences of opinion and on who did what in the separation of powers and things like that. I think it lasted as long as both sides wanted it to last and it was time for them to split up.

[Dan Patrick]

But if you look in the history of the NFL trades that were made, where do you put what Jimmy did? I'm giving Jimmy the credit for Herschel Walker deal now. I'm sure Jerry gets credit too. But the importance of that trade compared to other trades in NFL history, where does that rank?

[Fritzi Seaton]

I mean, I don't know how it's not. I'm going to say it's number one because I can't think of another one that would top it. Just because that was the start of everything for the 90s Cowboys and at the time when they made that trade, nobody, everybody decided was for these players and didn't realize the pick element of it. And then how everything kind of that team was built through that trade for a number of years and the guys that they got out of that so they have a tour at the Star where the people can come in and it's famous, right, because everybody wants to take a tour of the Star and, and then see the players and things. But there's one segment of the Herschel Walker trade, so that tells you what the Cowboys think of that trade and what it meant to them in their history. So. But yeah, without that trade, there probably is not a Super bowl run of the 1990s.

[Dan Patrick]

The Vikings don't have a tour where they focus on the Herschel Walker deal. Just letting you.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Their tour involves Randy Moss going to them and not to the Cowboys.

[Dan Patrick]

Percentage that Mike McCarthy is back is what if you were going to put a number on this.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Yeah, I talked to some people in the organization the last couple of days and before the game. I think the people that I spoke to said he will be back and it might have been 65, 35, talking to people after the game on Sunday. And just what hasn't come out of the organization or out of the meetings with Jerry. It's probably closer to 5050 at this point.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, boy.

[Fritzi Seaton]

And by the time we end our discussions, it might be back to 70, 30. He's staying because this is such an in the wind, as Micah told us yesterday. He's in the wind just like us. So the players really don't know what's going on here either.

[Dan Patrick]

Thank you, Todd. Good to catch up with you again.

[Fritzi Seaton]

You got it. Thanks, Dan.

[Dan Patrick]

Appreciate it. Todd Archer, ESPN NFL Nation Cowboys reporter. So got an exclusive negotiating window there with Mike McCarthy after tomorrow and see if they're going to bring him back. Multiple reports say Mike Vrabel will be in Chicago tomorrow to interview with Bears. A formal interview. Oh, has he already talked to the Patriots? I don't see anything reported there, but they're going to bring in Mike Vrabel. It's going to be fun. Yeah. Musical chairs. I still think the Raiders are going to make a move here. I think Mike McCarthy's back for some reason. I think it's one of those where you go, okay, do you think it's going to happen that they would let him go? Yeah, but it's the Cowboys and Jerry Jones. I think they'll keep him and I think it makes sense to keep him. I do. I think he's a good coach. I just. Sometimes it's. It feels like he gets blank, he gets kicked, you know, and it's not fair to him. But you sign up and you know that. And I'm assuming that, yes, he knew what he was getting into. It's like when you're the Yankee manager, you know what you're signing up for. You can't go. Damn. I didn't know that they really cared this much. I didn't know ownership got involved. Yeah. Seaton. Yeah. Like that's the job, right? Yeah.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Being the guy that gets kicked.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, that's. That's what it comes with. See Bill in Cincinnati. Hi, Bill. What's on your mind today? Adp? I'd like to nominate Forrest Greg as my coach. But the most one, it looks like a coach. He was the only guy that could stare down Anthony Munoz and have Anthony say, yes, sir. I don't think he had to stare down. Anthony might be the best offensive lineman I ever saw, but Forrest Gregg played for Vince Lombardi and you saw him on the sidelines. He coached the Bengals and he looked like a former offensive lineman who played for the Packers. Yes, Marvin, what about Bud Grant? Bud Grant? Yes, Bud Grant. We got the photograph there on Fritz's desk. I love that Bud Grant didn't want heaters on the sidelines. You know, they were outdoors, Metropolitan Stadium, and that became part of the Vikings. Like, I. I loved the Vikings growing up, you know, Joe Cap, Fran Tarkington. But they. They could never, you know, they'd run into the Steelers and nobody lived to tell about it. When you ran into the Steelers in the postseason. Yes, Paul, The Vikings had Bud Grant.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Back to honor him when he was 88 years old.

[Dan Patrick]

There's a picture of him on the field.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Everyone's bundled.

[Dan Patrick]

The players have those neck things and face things.

[Fritzi Seaton]

He's wearing a Vikings polo shirt and a baseball hat.

[Dan Patrick]

He looks comfortable. Oh, man.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Cold's afraid of him.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah. Art or Ari in Dallas? Is it Art or Ari? Art. Hey, Art, what do you have? So I'm a high school teacher, and I've been noticing something recently that I don't. I wanted your opinion on, I guess, a PSA type deal, but I'm noticing a high, high amount of boys that are on their phone doing sports betting, and their parents have no clue that they're doing that. And these kids are talking about point spreads, parlays, and they're. They're going behind their. Their parents back. They're using their parents, Social Security, or their older brothers. And like, it's. It's all day long, these kids have their assignments up while they also have point spreads up. What have you said to them? So I've asked them if their parents know about this, and some of them say yes, some of them say no. At this point, it's on their personal device, not their school device. So at that point, it's like, how much of this is with the school? So I've tried to write some stuff to their parents as well, too. And I've also told some of the kids, like, if your parents know that you're betting, how much do they know that you're betting? How often? Because these kids, like, all day long. And I have the privilege of working at two different high schools, and I've asked all the teachers around, and everybody else is starting to say the same thing. We're like, yeah, we're starting to notice that a lot. But, Art, I think it's incumbent upon you, if you can, to gather other teachers, maybe the principal, and say, this. This could be a larger problem than we realize. And we need to collectively come together, and we need to have somebody come in and talk to the students. There's always a lot of, you know, you know, gamblers who have, you know, they're in rehab, gamblers anonymous. You know, there you can get somebody to come in who'd be willing to talk to them. And I think it's really important that they hear not from you, because they may not listen to you with this, but they'll listen to somebody who lost everything, who started out betting $10, $25, $100. And I think if you could do something like that, this might be something where these kids, years from now, look back on that and say, thank you. Thank you, Art, for helping us correct. And the other thing, too, is just for all the fathers that are out there listening, like, take a look at your teenage son's phone because of the fact that this is what they're doing right now, and double check and make sure that they're doing that. Thank you, Art. Yeah. Look, I have DraftKings, and I've told you my gambling situation. I quit cold turkey, but I needed to because I got caught up in it. I did make money, thankfully, but I was betting money that I didn't have. And I can see where it starts. All of a sudden you lose a couple of hundred, then you double up on Sunday, and then you come back on Monday night. I know how this works. And everybody says the same thing. I'm betting with money I have to lose. Okay? You get. You get caught up in this, and that's where you got to be aware of it. Because, you know, I was probably 23, 24 years of age. If you got somebody who's 15, 16, 17, you don't have the wherewithal. And I didn't even have it at that age. But just be aware of these situations because this is going to be a problem. And it may already be a problem because you get people who think they can win. You will never, ever win. Unless you quit after making, you know, you cash on a big bet. That's it. And you need. You need the cold, hard truth with this. Because once all of a sudden you're down 500, then all of a sudden you're probably stealing stuff to pay for this. You don't want mom and dad to figure, like, it can go. It can go down a road that is ugly, and it can impact a family. And I think if you are a teacher and you have that ability to be able to talk to them, bring in somebody who is a reformed gambler because they will give you horror stories. They'll give you the truth of what happens and you really have to get, you know, get their attention. Scared Straight. There used to be a documentary years and years and years ago that was about, hey, if you don't get your act together, you could end up in prison with us. It was called Scared Straight. And you could see the reaction on these kids faces. It's like this isn't my dad saying something to me or a teacher. This is somebody who's in prison saying you could end up here. Scared Straight. Take a break. Back after this. Be sure to catch the live edition of the Dan Patrick show, weekdays at 9am Eastern, 6am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio in the iHeartRadio app. Wasn't that delicious? So good. Your bill, ladies. I got it. No, I got it. Seriously, I insist.

[Fritzi Seaton]

I insisted first.

[Dan Patrick]

Don't be silly.

[Fritzi Seaton]

You don't be silly. People with The Wells Fargo ActiveCash credit card prefer to pay because they earn.

[Dan Patrick]

Unlimited 2% cash back on purchases. Okay. Rock, paper, scissors for it. Rock, paper, scissors, shoot.

[Fritzi Seaton]

No. The Wells Fargo Active Cash credit card. Visit Wells Fargo.com Active Cash Cash Terms apply.

[Dan Patrick]

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[Fritzi Seaton]

Just the five current openings.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay, let's go around the room. The best coaching vacancy right now in the NFL is what, Todd? The Chicago Bears.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Even though it's a tough division, you.

[Dan Patrick]

Know, we got Caleb there.

[Fritzi Seaton]

I'm assuming he's going to improve and not regress.

[Dan Patrick]

Big city expectations aren't huge. I like Chicago Bears job. The expectations are huge. Even though the Lions and Vikings and packers are not huge. No, they had them as a playoff team. The fans thought they were going to be a playoff team. They had the number one pick. They thought they were going to be a playoff team. Expectations will not diminish. Next year they'll be even heightened. Now we're going to assume that the pay is the same for all the coaches, all these vacancies. The pay is the same. So Fritzi has the Bears as the most attractive job. Seaton. Yeah, I mean, I think it's probably.

[Fritzi Seaton]

The Bears because they already have some.

[Dan Patrick]

Pieces and they seem a little further along in the rebuild process than like say the Patriots. They got one guy and then a bunch of openings. They got a lot of money, though. Yeah, they do. They got a lot of money to spend. I just. I don't know why they didn't spend that money this past year. All right, Marvin. Best opening, best vacancy.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Because of that reason about the money. I have the Patriots. Oh, they got their quarterback.

[Dan Patrick]

They got a bunch of money to spend.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Hopefully they spend it wisely.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, I just. I don't know if I want to go into that situation knowing that the guy before you was a one and doner and are you going to spend the money because you. I mean, this is a like a three year build out here. And will they be patient in a three year build out here? Paulie? Best opening is.

[Fritzi Seaton]

I'm not going to say the Bears because of their questionable ownership. Their focus on a new stadium instead of making a good football team, should be the other way around. I'm going to go with the Patriots. Quality ownership, quality history, lots of money, very good young quarterback.

[Dan Patrick]

I would say the Bears, because you do have your quarterback. If you believe you got your quarterback, you got a couple of good receivers. I thought that they were going to be a playoff team this year or at least right on the cusp. I thought that they would be a nine win team when they were four and two that you lose to. They lost in London. They also lost to the Commanders. And then after that it just went downhill from there. And I think that's where you're like, oh, boy, this is, you know, even this last game of the year. And they were a big underdog against Green Bay. And I said, wait a minute. Everybody's playing for the Bears, right? And I said this to Paulie, I said, I. This doesn't. That point spread doesn't seem right. I thought the Bears could win this game. They ended up winning the game. It's a rivalry game. It's like the Saints against the Buccaneers. I would have taken the Saints and the points. I would have taken the Bears against the Packers. Yes, Paulie, the.

[Fritzi Seaton]

The Bears lead the league in irony. Winning the last game against your big rival to give a weird sense of hope to your fan base. If you go back, remember the loss against the Commanders. I think that was week seven or eight and they had the game and Jaden Daniels was going to lose to Caleb Williams, weirdly. And the defensive back was looking the wrong way. And the touchdown, it went completely south after that.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Wild.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah. Yeah. They. You lose in London, you lose on last second. And that's one of those losses. And we talked about this. Sometimes a loss is more than just one loss, that it lingers. It's like one and a half losses or two losses and it stays there. And then you keep thinking about that loss. People keep questioning, how did you lose that game? Why didn't you cover that? Why didn't you do this? Why was he doing that? Then all of a sudden, it just kind of permeates. It's just there. It's almost like smoke that gets into your clothing even after you've washed it. And it doesn't leave. Sean in Oregon. Hi, Sean, welcome back. Hey, Dan, thanks for taking my call. You know, I heard you earlier talking about guys that want to be a star and stay in the limelight. And I heard you guys talking about guys that, you know, they don't look like coaches.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Well, this guy that wants to stay.

[Dan Patrick]

In the limelight and he looks like the janitor, it's Bill Belichick. When I think of, like good looking coaches and really good professional coaches, I think of Tom Landry and how Tom Landry was just. He was the coolest of them all. Yeah, yeah, we talked about that demeanor. Suit and tie, hat. Looked like he was either going to church or just coming from church. And of course, played in the stadium where they had the opening so God could watch the Cowboys. Yes, Todd.

[Fritzi Seaton]

I was always fascinated as a little.

[Dan Patrick]

Kid how stoic they could be winning 38:3 or losing 38,3. And he would look pretty much exactly the same. Never got excited, just had the same face on. Yeah, yeah. You know, a lot of these coaches, you know, they. They coached emotionally. Tom Landry didn't. He was just like, all right, wait, are you winning? I don't know. Later. You getting blown out? I don't know. Yes. Marvin.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Was he the last coach to wear a suit?

[Dan Patrick]

Hank Stram wore one. Lombardi wore one. Trying to think. Ditka wore a sweater, I think, and a tie. Yeah. Paulie.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Mike Nolan, the coach, maybe 15 years ago, the 49ers, he would wear a suit, and then the NFL made him wear, like, the gear that they were going to sell each week. Mike Nolan wore a suit.

[Dan Patrick]

Was he the last suitor? Yes. End of the suits. Okay. Yeah. You would see Hank Stram and then he had little pocket square, the, like Kansas City chief logo. Lombardi would be out there, but Lombardi would be like a short sleeve shirt, white shirt and a tie out there. Everybody then they probably went to church. And then they went to their game on Sunday. Blanton Collier with the Cleveland Browns. I remember he had a hat. You know, I did like a nice coat, trench coat out there. Now you look. You know, Belich's got his sleeves cut off. It's like he just woke up from a bender. Got a football game. All right, might as well just wear this. This is what. You know when you're in college and you wake up and you're going to be late for class and you're like, I'm just going to wear this. I remember wearing warm up pants in class. Like, hey, it seems good to me, the tearaway pants. Yeah. At least. No, I didn't have tear away. I always wanted tearaway pants. That's what she said. All righty, Final hour. Coming up, Ian Rapaport from NFL Network will join us. The team that didn't make the playoffs, that's in the best shape going into next year. We'll talk about that coming up. Two hours in the books, the minister of humor, Fritzi Seaton, Marv Paulie, yours truly. Final hour. Back after this.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Some people just know they could save.

[Dan Patrick]

Hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate first. Like, you know to check. You have the tickets in your wallet first before you drive. Two hours to the big game.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Seriously, you had one job. Now the closest you'll get to the.

[Dan Patrick]

50 yard line is parking lot D.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Yeah, checking first is smart.

[Dan Patrick]

So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate Savings. Vary terms apply.

[Fritzi Seaton]

Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois.