So now what? The World Cup came and went in spectacular fashion. But now we hit the dog days of summer, and as we gaze out there on the sports horizon, what do we see? Of course, we see those squiggly lines that rise above the pavement. Is that a mirage? Nope, just a reminder that it is hot this time of year in Texas. We see a Texas Rangers team that is so reminiscent of the 2024 and ’25 teams. In fact, it begs the question: Was 2023 a mirage? Nope, I covered that team, the parade, and got a picture taken with the trophy, but that memory is fading in the mediocrity of three years of underachievement.
Then there are the Cowboys. They start training camp later this month in Oxnard, California. The last time they played in the NFC Championship game was January 14th, 1996; my daughter was eleven months old. Now she is a 31-year-old mother. My granddaughter will turn two on January 14th, 2027, days before America’s Team even has a chance to play in a game as meaningful as that 38-27 victory over the Green Bay Packers. So, is there any hope on the horizon there? Surprisingly, yes, there is.
I had a chance to take in a World Cup game with the great Daryl Johnston. The man we know as Moose grew up in Western New York and confided that the first organized sport he played was soccer. Still, as we watched and cheered Team USA to victory, we talked more about football than futbol.
Needless to say, we spent lots of time talking about the 90s teams as I inquired about several players that I have not seen in years. We also talked about the 2026 team and what DJ expects. He is ultimately impressed with the coaching staff and Brian Schottenheimer in particular. DJ finds Schotty to be the perfect mix of old-school mentality with a new-school approach. That is to say, players require different treatment in this day and age. Gone are the days when Jimmy Johnson shouts at a fallen, wheezing player, “The asthma field is over there.”
Still, DJ remembers the days with Jimmy fondly. During his rookie year, DJ recalls that he was walking out to the practice field, and Johnson came up to ask how he liked the strength coach he had at Syracuse. DJ remembers telling his coach, “I love him, but these guys won’t be able to accept or handle difficult workouts like that.”
Jimmy retorted, “You just got your friend hired.”
Enter Mike Wojcik. He is one of the most decorated strength and conditioning coaches in NFL History. He has six Super Bowl rings. Three of those won with the 90s Dallas Cowboys and three won with the early 2000s New England Patriots. Daryl is quick to point out that there are only two teams in NFL history to have three Super Bowls in four years, and Mike was the strength coach for both.
Sadly, though, the point of the story was that you just cannot work guys that hard in this day and age. So the challenge for Schotty is to straddle that fine line between working them too hard and not alienating them. DJ believes that Schotty’s ability to relate to this generation of players is as good as any coach in the league. Honest communication is the key. Think of how another former Cowboy, Dan Campbell, changed the culture in Detroit. Old-school mentality, new-school approach, and suddenly the Lions were in the 2024 NFC championship game.
Schottenheimer has been around professional football longer than Campbell and arguably longer than any coach in the league. Marty Schottenheimer exposed his son to the pro game at a very early age. Hence, the old-school approach. Combine that with thirteen stops along his coaching career and an innate ability to relate to people, and you get a uniquely qualified coach.
None of this guarantees that the Cowboys will get back to the promised land this year, but DJ believes in Schotty, and so do I. It worked for the Lions, my other favorite NFL team. They went 32 years between trips to the NFC title game. This year marks 31 years for the Cowboys. Here’s hoping we don’t have to wait one more.
Sports columnist John Rhadigan is the host of
The Rangers Podcast on DLLS Sports.
