Eventually, the bill always comes due.

In this episode of Just Wondering with Norm Hitzges, Norm Hitzges and Mary Hitzges walk through two modern sports realities that look very different — but are built on the same idea: pushing limits until something breaks.

Norm begins with the Dallas Cowboys’ looming 2026 salary-cap crisis. With the projected cap sitting just over $300 million, the Cowboys are already $30 million over, before accounting for key free agents they want to keep. Norm explains how Dallas has once again boxed itself into a corner by restructuring contracts, pushing money into the future, and concentrating massive cap hits among a small group of stars. The discussion centers on the uncomfortable math surrounding Kenny Clark’s $21 million cap hit, the franchise’s reliance on “robbing Peter to pay Paul,” and why restructuring deals feels easy now — and painful later.

From there, the episode shifts to college football, where the definition of “career” is quietly being rewritten. Norm breaks down the unusual case of Miami linebacker Mohammad Ture, who is returning for an eighth season of college football at age 25. Thanks to redshirts, injury waivers, COVID eligibility, and NIL money, Norm explains why staying in college can now be more financially rewarding — and less risky — than going pro for some players.

It’s an episode about consequences, incentives, and systems stretched well beyond what they were designed to handle — whether it’s an NFL salary cap or the idea that college football is still just for college kids.

Chapters

00:00:00 – Just wondering about another Cowboys cap problem

00:01:27 – The 2026 NFL salary cap: $300 million — and Dallas is over

00:02:08 – Who still needs to be paid

00:02:34 – “Robbing Peter to pay Paul” explained

00:03:23 – Cutting contracts to create cap space

00:04:12 – Kenny Clark’s $21 million problem

00:04:56 – Why letting Clark walk creates backlash

00:05:37 – Nine players taking up $259 million

00:06:26 – Doing the math — and realizing it doesn’t work

00:06:43 – The March 11 free-agency deadline

00:07:23 – Pushing Dak’s money down the road

00:08:08 – Zach Martin’s retirement and dead money reality

00:09:01 – Can “busting the budget” actually lead to a Super Bowl?

00:09:48 – Sponsor break: Bob’s Steak & Chop House

00:10:14 – Full Moon Healing Balm

00:11:26 – College football’s newest oddity

00:12:19 – Mohammad Ture returns for his eighth season

00:13:18 – How eligibility rules made this possible

00:13:56 – Why the NFL isn’t as attractive anymore

00:14:14 – Making a career out of college football

00:14:55 – Sponsors and closing thoughts

00:15:36 – Final sign-off

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Every decision has a cost. Some just make that cost easier to see.

In this episode of Just Wondering with Norm Hitzges, Norm Hitzges takes on two issues that reveal how the NFL really works when money and principles collide.

Norm begins with what may be Jerry Jones’ biggest offseason headache: George Pickens. The Cowboys’ most explosive receiver is now a free agent, coming off his best season and expecting elite money — money that would further tilt Dallas’ budget toward the offense while the defense remains thin. Norm breaks down Pickens’ complicated history, the franchise-tag math, and why committing long-term dollars to another receiver could once again leave the Cowboys patching together the other side of the ball. History, Norm reminds us, still favors defense — even if Dallas keeps betting the other way.

The episode then pivots to something bigger than football strategy: free speech in the NFL. Norm reacts to the league fining Houston linebacker Aziz Al-Shaair for writing “stop the genocide” on his eye black during a playoff game. The fine raises uncomfortable questions about where the league draws its lines, what kinds of expression are encouraged, and which ones come with a price tag. Norm contrasts the NFL’s celebration of charitable causes with its punishment of political expression — and wonders aloud what freedom of speech actually costs inside a multibillion-dollar league.

It’s an episode about choices — who gets paid, who gets fined, and how often the league’s priorities are revealed not by words, but by numbers.

Chapters

00:00:00 – Jerry Jones’ offseason problems and today’s questions

00:01:29 – The George Pickens dilemma begins

00:02:22 – From troubled talent to elite production

00:03:47 – Pickens’ market value and CD Lamb comparisons

00:04:33 – Franchise tag vs. long-term commitment

00:05:30 – Offensive spending and defensive consequences

00:06:15 – Kicking the salary cap down the road

00:07:05 – “Busting the budget” — again

00:07:52 – Why Super Bowl history still favors defense

00:08:59 – Sponsor break and Full Moon Healing Balm

00:10:18 – Freedom of speech in the NFL takes another hit

00:11:10 – Aziz Al-Shaair fined for his message

00:12:07 – NFL Rule 5 and restricted expression

00:13:00 – The cost of saying the wrong thing

00:13:58 – Sponsor break and closing acknowledgments

00:14:19 – Final thoughts and sign-off

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What happens when college sports operate without anyone truly in charge?

Exactly what you’re seeing now.

In this episode of Just Wondering with Norm Hitzges, Norm Hitzges takes on two developments that point to a looming breakdown in college athletics — and neither one has a clean solution.

Norm begins with a court ruling involving former Alabama basketball player Charles Bediako, who declared for the NBA Draft, went undrafted, played professionally, and is now seeking to return to college basketball. A judge has temporarily ruled that the NCAA cannot stop him. Norm explains why this isn’t just about one player — it’s about the precedent. If this door stays open, what stops waves of undrafted football and basketball players from attempting pro careers, failing, and then pouring back into college sports with eligibility intact?

From there, Norm pivots to college football’s playoff mess. Despite widespread agreement that a 16-team playoff would have fixed most of this year’s problems, the SEC and Big Ten failed — again — to reach consensus. Instead, financial motivations, conference power plays, and a proposed 24-team playoff loaded with byes killed progress. The result: a flawed 12-team system that left deserving programs out while frustrating fans who just want fairness and clarity.

Throughout the episode, Norm returns to one central theme: the NCAA is powerless, university presidents won’t act, and conferences are chasing money at the expense of the sport itself. When no one’s willing to lead, chaos isn’t a surprise — it’s the outcome.

Chapters

00:00:00 – Just wondering about chaos coming to college sports

00:01:38 – The Charles Bediako case and a dangerous precedent

00:02:23 – Declaring for the NBA too early — and wanting back in

00:03:12 – A judge says the NCAA can’t stop it

00:04:00 – What happens if this ruling holds

00:05:00 – Undrafted players returning to college football

00:05:58 – “We are talking chaos here”

00:06:57 – The NCAA as a toothless tiger

00:07:48 – Sponsor break: Bob’s Steak & Chop House

00:08:25 – Full Moon Healing Balm and aging realities

00:09:10 – Why this year’s College Football Playoff failed

00:10:11 – Why a 16-team playoff made sense

00:11:20 – The Big Ten’s 24-team proposal and money motives

00:12:20 – Why 24 teams is “way too clumsy”

00:13:16 – Deadlines missed and progress stalled

00:14:03 – Remembering the four-team playoff disaster

00:14:52 – Power brokers vs. fans and the sport itself

00:15:16 – Sponsors and closing thoughts

00:16:08 – Final sign-off

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