Latest / Your Dark Companion Podcast / Aikman is AMERICA's Quarterback & Life After Football | Troy Aikman | YDC Ep 245

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Aikman is AMERICA's Quarterback & Life After Football | Troy Aikman | YDC Ep 245 · Your Dark Companion Podcast

• Nobody would have thought that I would be the one. Ryder, sports talk. Oh, with a big mic. Oh, okay. Alright. Yeah. Okay. Now I get it. We got a lightning strike, boys. What happened over there, Grego? We had a little lightning parked right outside the window. The Texas Rangers win the world series. Alright. Alright. Here's a tip for all these Americano League teams. Don't wait. You said tip. Yeah. T. Okay. With a p. I would Keep jamming. The the ticket colon, nothing but a big Gen X jerk off set. Is this a cool night or what? I know somebody would hear that and go, bullshit. I'm back, bitches. Really? It's happening. It can't happen yet. It can happen. I'm not ready. I am. I don't have makeup on. Alright. I guess I gotta get ready even if I'm not. Maybe your guest can give you a little TV makeup. Yeah. Maybe he will. Yeah. I put mine on before I came over. Well, hello one and all. And welcome to the July 27, episode number 245. Five Yeah. Of your dark companion. And we have got an extravaganza for you today because our guest is a guy who's coming up on his, I believe, twenty fifth year on television. Twenty sixth. Of this twenty sixth? Twenty fifth with the the number one crew. But, yeah, twenty sixth overall. Yep. Pretty good. Alright. Twenty six years. And before that, he did a little thing or two that you might remember, like, guide the Cowboys into a Super Bowl. Yeah. Like those three Super Bowls? Yeah. Do you like them? I hope you did. I hope you did. I hope you did very much. Well, he is the great Troy Aikman, and he has deigned us with his presence here in the nurturing by sphere of the mothership. How are you, man? I'm good. Man, I'm I'm real good. It's a it's a pleasure to see you. I'm a big fan, as you know. Well, I appreciate that, and it's great to see you as well. I guess you're all starting to gear up for another year at Fox on the games. Right? Yeah. ESPN, you know, the Monday night. But Oh god. I'm sorry. That's alright. I wrote down Fox. Still associate you with Fox. Yeah. Take two. Oh, screw me. I appreciate that. Yeah. Twenty what? Twenty one years at at Fox and now going into my fifth year at ESPN. And yeah, it's just it's this time of year. I've in fact, the Cowboys just reporting today to training camp and reached out to Dak and wished him well as he embarks on another season. But I I Mike, I'm a lot like what I was as a player that when this time of year rolls around, I I would get excited about the upcoming season as a player. And it's been that way as a broadcaster too. It's just a it's a you know, everyone gets excited for football, college, pro, and Mhmm. Not a lot to watch in the summer, but looking forward to it. When you were a player, you always had a real methodical approach, it seemed like. Yeah. I mean, what you were organized. You knew what you were doing. You were always a few steps ahead of where you might have been at the moment. You know? I mean, you were just always on top of everything. Are you that way in the broadcast booth? Yeah. I think so. I think it's I think it's kinda how I'm wired. You know? I I I think my approach really to to to life, it was this as an athlete and and as a broadcaster. I just try to simplify things as much as I can. I I I try not to to overthink things. And it's a it's a it's interesting that, you know, for instance, Jason Garrett was doing a show on the mechanics of throwing the football. And and and I said, Jason, I I I don't have a lot to add to that conversation. You know, you just grab it and throw it. You know, you don't evaluate it. And and today's athletes, today's quarterbacks, you know, they break down the throwing mechanics much like a golfer does his golf swing. And I just never was that way. I you know, a lot of things just came natural for me, and and I approach it the same way in broadcasting. I I I kinda my preparation during the week is the same as it's always been. I I I've tweaked a few things here and there, but my boards pretty much look the same over the twenty five years that I've been doing this. And Mhmm. You know, you you feel like if it got you this far, just just stick with it. You know? Don't mess with something that's working, and that's kind of my approach. Have people tried to get you off into another line? Like, you know, you're talking about the way things were in football where guys would suggest this or that, but you do it the way you do it. Have they tried to get you off into that and broadcast it? Not too much. You know, it's it's interesting. I I I'm obviously asked a lot as far as how the game has changed. The game of football has changed since I played, and it's it's changed dramatically. And but I think broadcasting in in a weird way has has changed as well. And and what I mean by that more specifically is the the influence that analytics has had on our sport has has impacted then us in the broadcast booth. Because when it first started happening, when you started to see some of these decisions that coaches were making with regards to analytics, it didn't make sense because people going for for on fourth down, going for it. Whereas they would always punt, you know, if they're outside field goal range, and they they just would not take on those kinds of risks. And so early on, when analytics was infused into our sport, I I I told our our producer and director, I may not agree with it. I'm not saying I don't agree with it. But in the event that I don't, I can't just say, look, I don't know what they're doing here. I've got to be a voice for the viewer. I've got to explain to the viewer, okay, here's why they're making this decision. And so the analytics in and of itself has really added another layer to our job in in being able to analyze what it is that a team is doing, why a coach is making a decision. Do we agree with it? Why do we not agree with it? Why do we feel it's the right move? Whatever that might be. But but at the end of the day, I do think that broadcasting and you tell me if you agree, but that I think viewers wanna watch the game. They wanna watch their teams. They they wanna feel like they're being informed. But at the end of the day, it is entertainment. And they just they just want the broadcasters to kinda stay the hell out of the way and let us watch our team play. And and and I try to do that. I'm not saying for those that are listening and saying, no. You get in the way. Yeah. You know, I try to stay out of the way as best I can. There's a middle ground in there somewhere, though. Yeah. You know? Because I think some of the analytic stuff and some of the new stuff that they've brought in is pretty useful. You know? I agree. Like, a lot a lot of the times, you or someone like you will bring some of that stuff up, and then a couple of plays later, you'll see it happen. That's right. You know? That's right. It's it's not without use, but there's a fine line there. Yeah. Yeah. And I I I agree with that. And some teams obviously use it more than than others. Some coaches that are real real firm believers in in the analytics, and they they follow it pretty religiously. And there's others who go more on field, but it definitely has had an impact. And I think in a positive way. I think the way the game's played right now, I think that if you did follow analytics, and I know there's people out there that would probably disagree with me, but I think in in for the most part, if you follow the analytics as to what they suggest, I I I think you're you're you're probably giving yourself and your team a better chance of winning the game. Alright. I wanna go back in the day a little bit and talk about some things in the past. This may or may not be the past. In fact, this may be going on right now. But are you a part owner of the San Diego Padres? No. No. I'm done. I was involved with them for about three years. And then what happened is is my managing general partner, Jeff Morad, was also one of my agents when I played. He he worked in the office with Lee Steinberg. Yeah. I remember that. And then he got into the baseball side of things as an agent, represented a number of baseball players that became his specialty. And then he put together a group that that was buying the Padres. And what happened is is when our ownership group took over majority interest, we were we were slowly buying out mister Moores, who owned the team. But once we gained majority interest, we had to then be approved by baseball. More specifically, Jeff Morat had to be approved by baseball as the managing general partner. And and he did not get approved. And and so we then we then sold the team. And and I just saw recently, it just sold for the most that Yeah. That a baseball franchise had ever sold for. So it it was a wonderful three years. What a what a great community, and what a great place to watch baseball in the summertime in the Owner's suite at I'm not even sure the name anymore. It was Petco Park. Yeah. But sitting outside in San Diego in 70 degree temperatures in the middle of July and August, that's that's pretty good. Yeah. You can do worse. You can do worse. That's right. The Mets made a run at you after high school, but you chose to go to OU and play football for now you're a very young man at the time. 17. Yeah. And I'm sure that, you know, when the Mets come down from New York and Oklahoma, your head was probably swimming a few times. Was that a difficult decision? Not not too much. The the the difficult part, Mike, was I had no representation. I've said this many times. My my father, he he treated me as a grown man from the time I was about six years old. And and and and from that, there's a lot of good that comes from that. You grow up fast. Mhmm. But you also give up a lot of childhood in the process. And so I'm I'm 17, and we were on a party line living out seven miles outside of town on dirt roads in in rural Oklahoma. And I'm talking to the representative of the New York Mets, and I was handling that transaction totally on my own without any guidance. I had been told, really, by my father the whole time I was growing up that I was going to college. Although he was supportive if I had decided I wanted to go play professional baseball right out of high school, he would have supported that. But when I asked him and him and my mom, hey, you know, what do you think? And and my dad would say, well, you know, hey, you're a grown man, you can make your own decisions. Okay, so so when they called me, it was a night before the draft. And he said, hey, we've got to know what you're going to take what it will take for you to forego going to Oklahoma and playing football and sign with us professionally. And I really had no idea. And I said, you know, it it'll take $200,000 I just why that number? I have no idea. But I said $200,000 And he said $200,000. He said, Darryl Strawberry, who was their best player at the time. He said, Darryl Strawberry doesn't even make two $200,000. And I said, well, if you want me, that's what it's gonna take. And and he said, have have a great football career. And that was that was the end of my baseball career. That night is when baseball ended for me. So I think they kinda made that decision for me. Were you known as a passing quarterback coming out of high school? I guess that's what I was being recruited for, although I was not heavily recruited. I was I was only I didn't even fill out my my five visits. I only had four coming out of high school. To where? I went to Tennessee, Missouri, Oklahoma State, and Oklahoma. I did have a recruiting trip planned for Arkansas, but Lou Holt had just left the University of Arkansas and went to Minnesota. And Ken Hatfield came in as the head coach, and he was bringing the Wishbone offense. And he called me up. It was a week before my official visit, and he said, hey, we're canceling your visit because we don't feel that you fit the offense that we're going to run. And and so and so I went to OU and and they were running the wishbone, which which obviously is not why I went, but I thought they were going to do some different things offensively. But we ran the Veer offense, for those that can remember what that offense was. And it was option football. I didn't really enjoy it that much in high school either, but it's what all the high schools were running. And so my my passing acumen really, more or less, got developed once I transferred from Oklahoma and went to UCLA. And how long was that before you started thinking about, I need to get to a place where they throw the ball a little more? Pretty early on. My freshman year, I did start a game at Kansas. We we lost that game. I was terrible. I was red shirting the week before. But I really thought that the following year is when I was told by Barry Switzer that they were gonna go to more of a pro style, high formation offensive attack, which is why I went there. And it's why Keith Jackson, was also in my recruiting class, for those that remember him coming out of Little Rock, he was the number one tight end in the country. Went on to play professionally, and he signed as well. Everyone always asked me, why did I go to Oklahoma? Well, Keith went there for the same reasons. But they decided that they were gonna stay in the wishbone. And it was at that time, even before I started as a sophomore, that I knew the offense really wasn't for me, but was gonna be the starting quarterback and thought I'd make the best of it. And then I broke my leg, ironically enough, the fourth week of the season against the University of Miami that was coached by Jimmy Johnson, who had recruited me to go to Oklahoma State. And and then Jamel Holloway came in off the bench as a true freshman, led the team to the national championship. He was the big eight offensive player of the year. And the writing was pretty much on the wall that I wasn't gonna play if I stayed at Oklahoma. And I wasn't I loved the school. I loved the university. My sister was was also attending Oklahoma. But I knew that if I was gonna realize my dreams of being a professional athlete that it was time for me to go elsewhere. And that elsewhere was UCLA. Mhmm. And in 1988, UCLA was in the Cotton Bowl. UCLA beat Arkansas, but the Cotton Bowl was remembered by most of us who were around at that time for being a chance for all of us to see the next quarterback of the Cowboys. Because that time, the Cowboys were really bad. They had the number one pick in the draft. They needed a quarterback, and that quarterback was you. Now the Cowboys were going through tough times. And as I say, they had no answer for their quarterback situation. Tom Landry came out to watch you in practice, didn't he? Yeah. And that kind of made it a huge story. So I would imagine that that might have been your first really big media circus. What was it like to get ready for that game with all that going? Yeah. That's a good question. It it was such a crazy time, of course, in in my life and and really what was going on with the Cowboys as you as you mentioned. Because that week, we practiced at Texas Stadium. Tom Landry, Gilbrant, and Tex Ram all were at practices that whole week. And and I did not have a very good practice one particular day. And I know coach Donahue coach Terry Donahue, my head coach at UCLA, he he was worried. He was worried about my frame of mind going into that ballgame after the way I practiced one day. And I remember getting woke up the following morning with a call from Gil Brandt. And he said, hey. Yeah. I just want you to know, we're gonna draft you first overall, and we don't care if you throw seven interceptions in this game. So you just relax and go play play your game. You're coming to Dallas. And we went out. Our defense played great. It was it was a it was a good win for us, but that week was memorable for me because there there there was an excitement in the air for me being in town and and the expectation that I was going to be the Cowboys next quarterback. So the whole week that I was here, I was getting a chance to kinda get acclimated to the city and and what it was gonna be like going from Los Angeles and and moving, you know, back to this part of the country. And it was wonderful. And then shortly after that game, I was interviewing agents. And during the three days, in the middle of the three days that I was interviewing agents, potential agents, the announcement was made that someone from Arkansas had just bought the Dallas Cowboys, and they were bringing Jimmy Johnson as as the head coach. So, you know, it was a whirlwind with coach Landry, who I thought I was gonna be playing for, and that regime with Tex Schramm to all of a sudden, you know, Jerry Jones being the one who actually signed my contract and made the pick and brought me to Dallas. How well did you know Jimmy back then? Pretty well. I was his number one recruit coming out of high school when he was at Oklahoma State. And so the very first night that a coach could come make a home visit, Jimmy was at my home in in Henriette, Oklahoma. And he made it very clear that that I was their number one recruit. I thought I was going to Oklahoma State. My whole senior year of high school, I was planning on going to Oklahoma State. But in fact, I took my recruiting trip, and I told Jimmy when I was leaving at the end of that weekend I was coming to Oklahoma State. I verbally committed to him, but I said, next weekend's the final weekend of recruiting, and I want to go to OU and see what that weekend's all about. He tried to talk me out of it, but I said, coach, I get one opportunity to go through this. I just want to go experience it. And while I was at Oklahoma, know, they bring out all the Heisman Trophy winners, and and it's a it's it's a big weekend. They do it right. But what I drove away from, I I wasn't certain coming from a small high school. I wasn't a 100% certain that I could compete at quarterback at that level. But I had enough confidence in in myself and my abilities that if it wasn't quarterback, I'd I'd figure it out at tight end or at linebacker or at safety. I I'd play somewhere. And but it was realize how hard that is for all of us to fathom? Yeah. No. And now but, you know, I when I got there, of course, they weren't recruiting throwing quarterbacks. But right away, I realized that I I could compete at that level. And but yeah. So Jimmy, he then was trying to recruit me to the University of Miami when I was leaving Oklahoma. And but I had such familiarity with California because I'd lived there until I was 12 before my family moved to Oklahoma that I knew that when I took my trip to UCLA, if if if I liked it on campus, and I had a good feel for the coaching staff and the players that I'd be playing with, because they were a talented team coming off a Rose Bowl win. Mhmm. I I knew that that's where I would go. And and so that's why I chose UCLA. So I had to call Jimmy a second time and tell him, hey, I'm not gonna make the trip to Miami on my recruiting visit. I'm I've already committed to UCLA. And then three years later, he's taken over as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. And and and so it it was just meant to be that at some point in time, Jimmy was gonna coach me whether I wanted him to or not. So you get to the cowboys after all that, and everything is changing. Tex Schramm, who had been there forever, is gone. Tom Landry is gone. We have a new owner, owner general manager, a concept most of us didn't understand and and maybe still don't. And Yeah. I don't remember if he was titled general manager at that time or if he or not. Yeah. He might not have I don't know if there anyone carried that title. Although Jimmy essentially was the general manager, as you know. But, yeah, things were different. And the one thing I'll say about that time, you remember the press conference, the first press conference that Jerry had Oh, yeah. When he was the owner. A lot of times, you'll hear people take over a big business like that or make these proclamations as far as this is how I'm gonna run things. This is how it's gonna be done. And then you look back ten years later, and that's not how it was done. You know, things were delegated more than Right. They they were intended to be. And but when you look back and listen to that press conference, he he was honest. And and he said he was gonna know everything that was going on. He moved his family from Arkansas to Texas. And everything that he said he was going to be involved with, he has been involved with. So Yeah. For better or worse. He made it very clear on day one. Yeah. And, you know, people tend to forget with those years what a slow roll it all was. With all the winning that would come after Yeah. That first year or two there, especially that first year, that was that was a pretty slow roll, wasn't it? Pretty pretty slow roll. That's a good way of saying it. Yeah. It was a tough year. It was tough year for me. It was tough year for everybody. I know it was a horrendous year for for Cowboys fans. You know, Mike, the the the second year was was even a harder year for me through the first 12 games or so of that season. Because what happens is is when when you come into the organization like I did, and the first overall pick is the quarterback and the team's not very good, it it's easy to say, well, I'm really not part of this problem because this team was that's why I'm here. This team was bad a year ago. This this was the worst football team in in the league a year ago, and that's why they had the first overall pick. But in year two, you start taking then some ownership yourself. And so year two, I knew that, well, now I am part of the problem if we don't get this turned around. Yeah. And so midway through the season, we were not playing good football. We were the worst offense in the league. I was not playing particularly well. And and that was probably my rock bottom of my NFL career. And and fortunately, shortly thereafter, we got on a four game winning streak that that put us in position to potentially make the playoffs. And we ended up losing the last two games. I got I separated my shoulder Mhmm. In the second to the last game of the year. Babe Lofenberg came in and took over. But but we saw some signs during that four game win streak that, hey, maybe maybe maybe we are starting to get better because there was never any real signs of life for the first year and a half Yeah. Of this football team. And and then things, you know, you say slow roll. When you're living it and you're in the middle of it, man, it it's it's dog years Yeah. Is what you're going through. But then when you look back in 1992 and and just four years removed, really three years removed from being the worst team in football, having won just one game and then to be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, that that was that was rather quick how how quickly that turned around for us. And and it's a good thing it did. I I I don't know I don't know what my mindset might have been had we not have gotten it turned around as quickly as we did. Was there one game or one moment that the light kinda went off over your head and you said, okay. This is gonna be alright where things seem to turn? Well, I think that when when when I look back and think of the game that that really kinda propelled us into our greatness, if you will, it would have been the game that we were on the road playing in Anaheim against the Rams in 1990. That we were heavy underdogs, and and somehow we found a way to win that game. That began the four game win streak. When when I felt like we had a legitimate fighting chance to be a really good football team, it was in the preseason the following year in 1991. And that was because we'd brought in North Turner as offensive coordinator. And for the first time offensively, we had some real direction. And and and I had some great coaching. Everyone did on our offense. The players, Emmett, Michael. I mean, it's one thing for me to say what what Norv meant to my career. But Michael says the same thing. Emmett says the same thing. Jay Novacek. I mean, everyone knew right away that this is a guy who really knows what he's doing and put us in a position to have the success that we did. So we went from the worst offense in football in 1990 to a top 10 offense the very first year with Norv, eleven and five. We made the postseason. And then after that, we were a top five, top three offense for the for the remaining run that we had over the next six years, making it to the playoffs and then the Super Bowl wins. What was it about him? Oh, man. He, you know, he one, he was he was brilliant, a brilliant offensive mind, a lot like the guys that we know of today, the Sean McVeighs and the Kyle Shanahans and those type guys. So he had that, but he but he had an ability to connect with with the players. And and that's as important as anything. And I think that to be a great coach, not only do you have to do you have to, you know, be good X's and O's and strategically, but you also have to be able to connect and be a bit of a salesman. You have to sell what your program is gonna be and what it's gonna look like and how are you gonna get players to buy in and do the things that you need them to do. And and he he was very understated, as you know, but he was very effective in doing that. And he did it throughout his career. One of the one of the truly great, great people. I mean, he's still one of my closest friends, but one of the great offensive minds that's that's ever donned a headset in the National Football League. Where is he today? He's living in Del Mar, just outside of San Diego, and he's living a good life. You know? He's he still gets around and sees teams. He still helps with some his son Scott has been in and out of coaching in the NFL. And so he's been involved with the teams that Scott has been a part of, but he also travels around. He's got a lot of connections still in the league and still follows it pretty closely. Alright. I'm skipping ahead a few years here. Okay. Did you see the Jimmy Jerry divide coming? Not really. I I guess I had a I had a front row seat when I guess before the media had a good idea as to what was going on. And it was really that '93 season after we'd won our first Super Bowl. Then in the middle of the '93 season, I I started hearing some rumblings, and and there were there were indications that that things were were not as great as what maybe they once were. And and it happens, you know? I mean, unfortunately, it's it's human nature that, you know, misery loves company. And so when you're losing, you know, everyone's sharing in the blame. And then when you when you start to win, then everyone wants to to take the credit and the disappointing double credit. Yeah. The the the the the frustrating thing for me, and I think I can speak for my teammates on this is, you know, every year towards the end of the season when the Pro Bowl votes came out, Jimmy would get in front of the team and tell everybody who made the Pro Bowl. And invariably, there was one or two players on the team that had Pro Bowl type seasons that didn't get voted in, so they were disappointed. And Jimmy would address that. He'd say, hey. I know there's a few players here that are disappointed that didn't make the Pro Bowl team, but if we do the things that we're capable of doing as a team, there'll be enough credit to go around for everybody. And and so our our team did put ego aside, you know, myself and Emmett and Michael and the others. I don't wanna exclude everyone else that was involved in those teams. But I believe that. The three of us, we we never Yeah. I never argued about not throwing the ball enough. Yeah. You know, Michael didn't he didn't cause a stir about not getting thrown the ball enough and and what have you. And so we all kind of checked our egos at the door. And unfortunately, the the two they were the two that were the leaders of of the group, they they couldn't do the same. And and that's the that's the disappointing thing for me. And I and I've I've learned it more as I've gotten older, but I I have a I have a belief that when when ego gets in the middle of anything, it's usually not for the better. And, and that was a classic example, as to that being true. And it was it was the demise of of what could have been really a a tremendous run. Of course, I'm asked, and I know a lot of Cowboys fans would like to think that we would have we would have won 10 Super Bowls had Jimmy have stayed. And who knows? Maybe we would have, but that's that we'll never know the answer to. But it sure ended a lot sooner than it should have. Yeah. I remember seeing all that come down, and it was it was it was almost surreal to me. Here is this organization that was so good. It was so far ahead of everything else, and I'm the age of the team was not really an issue as of yet. Everybody seemed to be in pretty good physical shape. There weren't a lot of, you know, guys who were slowing down because of injury or anything like that. That hadn't happened yet. And it just seemed preposterous to me that all that was in front of you guys, but yet here are the two guys at the top of the thing that all of a sudden, they're supposed to be such great friends, and all of a sudden, they're not getting along. Yeah. Well, and then you hear that the only reason they were roommates was because they went alphabetical order. Yeah. You know? And then then everybody was kinda distancing themselves as far as, you know Once they got here, they positioned themselves as, you know, we're we're really tight. You know? That's right. And, yeah, then then and then success got in the way of it all, sadly. But, you know, Jimmy and I are still very close. I went and saw him a couple of months ago. I get down to The Keys and see him once a year, and he's he's doing fantastic. He he not that we sit around and revisit, you know, the good old days, but, you know, he he harbors no ill will whatsoever. He's enjoying his life and as happy as as he's ever been. And, you know, but for those of us that were a part of it, you know, you get one crack at it. And so on the one hand, I I feel very blessed and fortunate to have been able to accomplish what what I was a part of with those teams. And then on the other hand, you look back and you say, you know, as good as it was, it it it could have been a lot better. And I wish it had been. You know, I would have liked because I you know, when Brady was playing for Bill Belichick, one of the things that that I would always say about Tom was that he had the good fortune of every day while he was in New England, when he walked in that facility, all he had to focus on was being the best teammate he could be and being the best quarterback that he could be. And that's what I got to do when I played for Jimmy Johnson because he took care of everything else just like Belichick did in New England. And and then that changed. You know? So not only did Jimmy leave, but then my role changed within the organization. Not that anyone came to me and said, hey, you're gonna have to wear another hat. I I kinda took that on myself because I felt it was what was needed. But with that, it it it added another dimension to me that was caused for a lot of frustration, really, for the remainder of my career. Yeah. And and, you know, I that I I wish had not have happened. I I I wish I could have been able to just be a quarterback and be the best teammate that I could be. You know, to those of us who were watching all this in the media, on the outside, wherever it might have been, it seemed like the culture of the club was such that that if you want on Sunday, everything was cool. And you could do whatever you want. Nobody was gonna say anything. But if you didn't Right. You were in for a pretty long week next week. With Jimmy. Yeah. With Jimmy. Yeah. I you know, Jimmy, as you know, he he was a psychology major. Yeah. And and he he was pretty proud of that. And I and I do think it served him well because I I think he's got a good read on people. I think he knows the buttons to push with each individual. And he knew that it it doesn't matter what level. There's a lot of people listening to this that maybe only played through high school. But if you think back to your high school days, there there were players that would get really upset when you lost. And then there were other players that seemed to be okay with losing. Yeah. You know? And and that doesn't change. I mean, that doesn't change in college, and it doesn't change in the NFL. There's always gonna be those players that it just seems like it's a little more important to them than it is maybe some others. And Jimmy, knowing that, he does he really took it upon himself to say, okay. Well, if we win, everyone he made it enjoyable. It was it was it was fun coming into work on Monday after a Sunday win. Yeah. But if you lost, to your point, he was gonna make it a living hell. And he and he did just so that for those players that that it didn't seem to bother them too much, well, they're gonna be bothered having to deal with him. And and it was effective. You know? He was he was brutal. He was brutal. And Jimmy, I know in talking with him in in as we have become so close over the years, You know, it he he used to tell me, hey. That really was not my nature to be the tough guy. And I still laugh at it to this day because I said, Jimmy, you were so good at it. You know? I mean, you can't tell me that that was an act. I mean, like, you can't I mean, you're you're in the wrong profession. You should have you you know, you would have been winning Oscars if if if that was the case. But That's a pretty hard sell there. Pretty hard sell. But but yeah. So he that's the way he he governed and and ran the team, and and he he got the most out of everybody. This is the great Troy Aikman with us today here on YDC. And we will have more with Troy coming up momentarily. You can kick back for a second here if you want to. Or if you need some water or maybe an ice eight or, you know, whatever you want. Yeah. We got the beer. Yeah. That's right. We do. And I got the water. So This is the time to take care of all that because right now, it's time for the dreaded and feared mid show read. Alright. The YDC Sunset Lounge Fantasy Football Draft is coming soon. Now interested parties, if you're interested in acting as a draft scout for one of our teams or you wanna co own a team with one of our hosts or maybe you just wanna grab a couple of friends and bring your team to our league. Whatever the case is, it's coming in early August. The Stolen Water Media Fantasy Football League draft live, and you can play a part. Stay tuned for all the details on this. I guess, we don't have them yet, do we? No. Okay. Also, you can be an interloper on the OG. Join me and Grego and Shoopy for an upcoming episode. You get to hang with us for the first half and fully take part in the conversation. Did you hear what I said? You've always wanted to be in on this. Here is your chance. A chance that you will never get anywhere else. Fully take part in the conversation for the second half. The second Thursday of each month, the OG is on location at Dudley Sports Grill up on Henderson, and it's live at five. And if you've always wanted to take on the hammer, pound your dashboard every time you disagree with me or whoever, or maybe you just wanna hang out with Shoopy, then get ready to be on the air with the OG, and let's just see what you've got. See how much you know about sports and all that that implies. Troy, you can bid too if you'd like. Absolutely. Yes. Also, you've heard me talk about the CBD house of healing for two years now. Let's see. For my aches and pains these days, this is what I've been using from the CBD House of Healing. They're, full spectrum salve stick, and it works for me. It's my little go to for these little aches that you get when you're when you're at this unfortunate stage of life that I'm in. Oh god. But you probably heard recently that the Texas Supreme Court upheld regulations that go into effect July 31 in just a few days. These regulations effectively ban the retail sale of all hemp derived consumable products. However, the CBD House of Healing is still your source for topical products like this, like the SavStick. Their line of skin care products and several other products to support your wellness. So swing by, continue your healing at the House of Healing. They are located at Northwest Highway in Plano Road in the southeast quadrant of that burgeoning or the northeast quadrant of that burgeoning intersection. Is that right? Yes. You'll find it. You don't have to read this now. Oh, I don't? Okay. Wait till the end. Alright. We'll wait till the end to re read this one and get this because we got the great Troy Aigman here. We don't get this every day. More blondes. You handle the drops over there? Damn right. He's got a few. Yeah. Wouldn't be shoopy without that. Yeah. What a stupid job. I'd pay you a lot for that job. Damn right you do. And thank you. So the Jimmy Jerry divide, did you did did you reach a point where you saw that it was just irreparable and it was there was no way to avoid it? Not not to that point. I I knew there was some conflict, but it I think Jimmy had every intention of coming back for the ninety four season. I I don't know what his intentions were going to be after that. I think he was looking for a way out, but it just so happened that then at the owners meetings with with what was the final straw when when Jerry said anyone of 500 coaches could have could have won the Super Bowl with that roster. I think Jimmy being the smart guy that he is, he saw it as an opportunity for him to get what he wanted and and exit maybe a year beforehand. And so I did talk to him before it was finalized that he was leaving. Made it clear to him that that I didn't wanna see him leave, and and none of my teammates wanted to see him leave. He had given some thought to coming back because he did wanna see if we could three peep. But I think the opportunity he felt was was the right time. And essentially, he could cash out and and and leave and which is what he did. So the way in which it ended, I I you know, a lot of people fault Jerry for that. You know, he's the one who's taken the brunt of the criticism for for what happened between the two of them. You know, Jimmy Jimmy had every much every bit as much to do with that as as Jerry. I mean, they're they're they're both adults. They both knew what they were doing, what what was potentially being given up. And and so I don't I don't hold that against Jerry at all. I I I hold it against both of them, but I I never did see the where it was irreparable in until the very end. And I and I'm not sure Jimmy felt that it it couldn't be kind of soothed over for as long as he wanted to then stay, but the opportunity was there, so he left. What happened happened. Yep. When you walked away from it, did you really think the time had come? And did you have any thoughts about going somewhere else? I did. I, I did have thoughts about going elsewhere. I I knew at the end of my time in Dallas, I I knew I was done playing for the Cowboys. I I just I had become too frustrated, Mike, with with how things were being done and the direction of the organization, the decisions that were being made. And I felt that, you know, I'm not one of these guys who gives a whole lot of thought as to whatever my legacy might be, but I also knew that that I had invested a lot of myself in gaining some level of respect while I played. Yeah. And and I felt like a lot of that was being taken away because of our play on the field and my play, quite honestly. And and it being impacted by decisions that I had no control over. So going in at the end of that season, I I knew that I was not going to be back with Dallas. But I but I thought that I might go elsewhere in play. And I'd actually gone to San Diego to see Norb. Norb Norb was the offensive coordinator at that time for the Chargers. Mhmm. And so I went and visited him. He was recruiting me, essentially, to sign with with the Chargers. And I I met with Dean Spanos, the owner. I met with some other people in the organization. I did not meet with the general manager. And so I thought that was gonna be an opportunity for me. But instead of signing me, they signed Doug Flutie. He had just been released by the Buffalo Bills, and this general manager had just left Buffalo. He was in his first year with the Chargers. So he took the the quarterback that he was familiar with. And so at that point, it became really clear because there was an interest in going getting reunited with Norv. And I knew that he would give me an opportunity to have success again. I did get a call from Mike Shanahan, who was with the Broncos, and he asked if I would be interested in signing with the Broncos. And I told him I would if if in fact I had an opportunity to be the starter. They just signed Brian Greasy to a multiyear deal, and he said, well, Brian is is the starter going into the season. So I can't I I can't tell you that it would be open competition because it won't be. And I said, well, Mike, if that's the case, I said, I'm not interested in going anywhere and being a backup. And and and to his credit, he said, that's fine. He said, hey, if you wanna use us in any way to help you get a deal with someone else, feel free to use us however you want. So I thought that was nice on his part. But not being able to go to with NORV, that's when I that's when I decided to retire. And and then a few years later, Dave Wanstadt then was the off or the head coach at Miami. Mhmm. And Norv was his offensive coordinator. And and Dave came to me and asked if I would be interested in coming out of retirement and playing for the Dolphins. That was three years after I had retired. And I was in broadcasting, and I and I was going to do it. I I had told Dave. I said, I'm I'm gonna train as though I'm coming out of retirement, and I'm gonna play. And then their general manager, Rick Spielman, he got cold feet and and decided not to sign me. And it ended up being the best thing because Dave and Nor felt like they were a quarterback away from really being a contender. They had a really great defense at that time, and they they had they were missing more parts than they really knew. And and that team, I think, went five and eleven that year. And so in hindsight, it was I'm I'm happy that Rick Spellman did not sign me. And so I stayed with television and continued in that direction. But those were the two two times that I had considered it. Andy Reid had called me at one point when Donovan McNabb broke his leg and asked if I would come and sign with the Philadelphia Eagles in the middle of the year. And and that wasn't much of a decision for me. I slept on it, gave it a little bit of thought, but that there wasn't much consideration for me on coming out of retirement and playing for the Eagles. Is there a reason because of the rivalry or because you didn't feel like No. At that point, I think at that point, I was in maybe I'd been out of football for two years. I don't think it was it wasn't it was before the Dolphins opportunity came along. You can say it looks like 2002 season, about midway through? Yeah. It was the middle of the season and and I hadn't thrown a football, you know, like Roger Staubach, when you know, he and I owned a NASCAR team together and we would we would have these meetings with our employees and there'd be a football in the room and and Roger would he'd have to ice his arm down at the end of the day because he'd thrown so many footballs to these employees, you know. I'm pretty sure he still throws a football every day. And I would be the guy saying, hey, Rod, would you put the football down? I mean, we we know you play quarterback. You know? I mean, let's go. Let's get like, anyone who knows me, like, I want I'm I wanna go. Like, let's wrap this thing up and leave. And we couldn't get Roger focused on anything because all he wanna do is to play catch, you know? And he's sending guys out on routes and and and so I I just have never been a guy who wants to just sit and throw a football, you know. And so, yeah, when I when I was thinking about with the Eagles, I had not I literally had not thrown a football in two years. And Oh, there goes my big idea. I was wanting to see if I could interest you in a game of catch after business. I was gonna I was gonna say not now. Very fortunate to have put up tire. Doing over here. Was happening. So We'll take down the tire. Never mind. Screw it. Yeah. Alright. Can I ask you a few things about your present job? Sure. Do you like it? Love it. Love it. Yeah. Love it. Yeah. Yeah. Alright. Inside ticket humor there. Sorry. You like this gig? Do you remember the first time anybody who could actually do it talked to you about getting into broadcasting? Oh, man. Yeah. Vaguely. I you know, they had NFL Europe, and and I was asked NFL Europe was like the minor leagues for anyone that was doing television, whether and and whether it was current athletes that might wanna go into broadcasting. But really, it was just as important for a lot of young broadcast assistants who got an opportunity to direct games or produce games. And so it was a training ground for so many people in the television business. And Fox had reached out to me for two or three years and asked if I'd go over to NFL Europe and call games. And I just had I had no interest in broadcasting, just none. And and it wasn't something that was discussed back then in the locker room. I I knew that Michael Urban would probably go into broadcasting. I knew Dion would probably go into broadcasting, but that that was the list. I mean, that was kinda it. And I remember I would watch games and I would listen to whether it was John Madden or Dan Fouts or whoever was calling the games. And I would think, man, how do these guys talk for three and a half hours? I mean, I'd watch a play and I'd be thinking, what would I say about that play? And a lot of times, you know, there's not much to a play and, you know, what are you going to talk about? So I I'm just not that talkative of a person. So I I always thought it was it would it would be something that I just wouldn't enjoy that much. But then I was I was on a flight. I was ten years into my career. I was on a flight back after one of our games, and Brad Sham and I were talking, and he got to talking about NFL Europe. And I said, why don't you go over there and do some television? And he said, you know, I'd like to, but I haven't been able to get connected with with anyone to give me an opportunity. And I said, shoot. They've been asking me for the last few years to go over and do games. And, you know, why don't I tell them I'll go do it, but but I have to bring you as my play by play guy? And he said, that'd be great. So I reached out to Fox and told them that. And they said, okay. So I figured Brad gets to go do TV, and and and I'll get a two week vacation in Europe. You know? And and then when we got there, the game's getting ready to come up. And I'm saying then I said, well, shoot. I mean, not a lot of people are gonna be watching this game, but a few people are, and I don't wanna embarrass myself. So I said, Brad, what do I how do I do this? I mean, what do I need to know? And he helped me. And then he and I went and did the game. And the comfort for me was that I knew going into that game because of my relationship with Brad. We had done a radio show every year that I'd been in the league. Mhmm. That if I didn't say a word the whole game like, literally knew I I could not say a word the whole game, and Brad would cover it. You know? And so I went in totally comfortable and thoroughly enjoyed it. And what you realize is after talking to players and coaches and doing your prep leading up to a game, you have more information than you can ever get out there. So that gave me a lot of comfort that I wouldn't be at a loss for words. And and then after that game, I got a call from Ed Goren. And he said, hey. I just want you to know that when you retire from football, if you want a broadcast, we've got a job for you. And so that was the first time I ever gave any thought that that would be something that I would do. And then two years later, I did retire and and and I got offered the job. Did you, you know, take it all that seriously at first? Did you think it was it was something you'd do for a little while and just get out? Or Yeah. I thought you know, I had I had a young family, and I thought that I would do it for a couple of years, and then I'd move on to something else. And that something else I always thought would be working in a front office. I I I never I never thought it would be the Cowboys just because I I I knew their structure. Mhmm. But I did think that I would I would get involved with an organization, and and I and I did have my sights set on being an executive. And but then the broadcasting took control of my life. My my personal circumstances changed. I needed to be home with my girls as as then what became I became a single father. And broadcasting was the perfect job for that, to be home during the week and be able to drive them to school and pick them up and and be there for them except for on weekends. And then have the whole off season with them. Then then I knew, okay. Well, I can't pursue this other thing until they get out of high school, which was gonna be ten years down the road. And by then, when that happened, although I still have entertained at various times opportunities to to go to work for a team Mhmm. I've I've just to go back to what you asked me earlier, I've just really enjoyed the job. And it's gotten more and more fun as I've gotten more years under my belt. And and and life I like my life. I've got a good life, and and I know that it would look far different. Not that I would shy away from that because I've never been worried about putting in the time. But I I I like my life so much right now that I'm just not ready to give that up. I remember how the local media would talk amongst themselves about it when the idea of you getting into the game started to circulate out there. And some thought that you would work at it really hard and get really good at it, which is what's happened. Some thought it was something that you might try for a little while but wouldn't like and then walk away from it. And others thought that that I just Terrible. Can't make Yeah. I just can't imagine him doing it. Yeah. You know? Yeah. It it was all very divided back then. Yeah. Which is understandable. Which is kind of the way you, I guess, little bit of a way you were perceived back then. You know? Yeah. Yeah. But You're being nice the way you're the way you're positioning that. He's soft pedaling a little. No. No. I'm not that I mean, we used to have those discussions. Now I personally thought that I I thought that I was in the second group, I guess. I figured you'd be really, really good at it if you liked it. Yeah. And if you put your back into it. And, you know, later on as we've all come to know you a little bit more, there's nothing that you do that you don't put your back into, that you're just wired that way. Right. I thought you were gonna be great from the start. Yeah. You weren't even born then. Don't worry don't worry about that. Man, you were in junior high, if that. But I was working with you. Were you and Joe paired up from the start? No. My my first year, I was in the number two booth. And the reason I got that opportunity was because Matt Millen was the number two guy behind John Madden, and he left to become the general manager of the Detroit Lions. So the timing was perfect for me. And so I stepped into the number two booth, and they paired me with Daryl Johnston, who had been working the year before. He had one year under his belt in broadcasting with CBS. Mhmm. And so they hired Daryl to come over to Fox, and they paired us with Dick Stockton. And it was it was fantastic. To get to work with a guy who I mean, I I don't know that I respect anyone on the planet more than I do Daryl Johnston. And so to be able to work with someone like him, who was a longtime teammate, we came into the league together, And then to go into broadcasting, which was such an unknown for me and and be able to do it alongside a a real friend. And then someone that was as qualified as Dick Stockton is, who who really took the time to bring me along and Yeah. And help me, you know, is just invaluable. And then ironically enough, that first year ends, and I get a call from John Madden, who I'd become very close friends with during, my playing career. He covered so many of our games. I'd go spend, I was with him most of the fourth of July's up in, Northern California, spending time with him in the summers and and, got know him really well. He called me and told me, he said, hey, I'm I'm leaving Fox. I'm going to Monday Night Football. And which I couldn't believe, but I had no idea what that might mean for me. When he told me that, I didn't think it had any bearing on my my career. But that's when so one year later, they elevated me and paired me with Joe Buck and and Chris Collinsworth, and we were in the number one booth. And then and and that's where I've been ever since. Did somebody coach you and Joe up, or did you both see that right away that you had really good chemistry together? Or how how did that Nobody coached us up. We were in a three man booth with Collinsworth for three years. And then Chris left and signed with NBC. Mhmm. And Fox, fortunately, because I remember talking to Ed Goren, I had then been in a three man booth my first four years of broadcasting. And and it became, as much as I loved working with Daryl, five games into my first year, I was ready to be in a two man booth. You just realize there's just not enough to you know, here's a guy who was worried I didn't have enough to say. Yeah. And then I I didn't have enough time to say all the things that I wanted to say. So I really wanted to be in a two man booth. So when Chris left for NBC, you know, I I leaned on Ed and said, hey, you know, I would really like to just remain in a two man booth. And he and David Hill felt that it was time and that I was ready. And and so that's what I got to do. And then that's when that's when Joe and I's relationship really began to to flourish because we just had each other. There there there wasn't a third person, you know, in the booth with us. And and and we've been working together ever since. We've been good friends. I shoot. I just got back from Cooperstown. I saw your sign over here. I went to Cooperstown Saturday to see him get inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. My first trip there. But Joe and I have been through a lot together. We've obviously, professionally, haven't worked together for twenty four years. But also personally, a lot of the things that I've been through, raising two daughters. He has two daughters as well, a little bit older than mine. We went through divorces at roughly the same time. So a lot of personal experiences we we went through simultaneously as well. And I think from that, we gained gained a deeper respect for one another. Did you guys both see that you had great chemistry together right away and that you intuitively knew how to do this? Or did somebody coach you up? Or I I had I had good coaching. Joe was one of those because, you know, he had been calling World Series since he was 27. So he, know, he and then, of course, growing up around it with his father. And and he he's younger than I am. He's a couple years younger. But he was he was really good. He does understand television. He understands the moment. He was really helpful for me, especially he still is, but even more so in the early days of of of helping me learn some of the things that I needed to learn around television. But we spent a lot of off seasons golfing. I don't golf so much anymore, but he still does. But we used to play a lot of golf together. And so we just we became we became good friends. I was in his in his wedding, to his wife, Michelle, and, it's been a good relationship for us. What do you think makes a good football analyst? Oh, man. What a question. Hey. I didn't say this was gonna be easy. Yeah. You know, I it's such a good question. I I think I you could go a lot of different ways with it. I I think a good analyst is is you know, you've you've gotta be concise, I think. I think you've gotta be able to say things and get it out and have it make sense. I think the thing that that Ed Goran noticed in me was that rule number one for an analyst is you can't talk over the snap or you're not supposed to. So, you know, depending on how long the the play by play guy talks, you you have a small window of time to try to say whatever it is you were going to say and be done before the snap of the next play. And and so some that's never been hard for me. And but I think for some, it is. And but that's what stood out to Ed Gorn where he thought, hey. This guy might have a chance, you know, that he can he can say something that's somewhat impactful and and do it in a short amount of time. So that's important. But but beyond that, I I think if you're comfortable, I I think if you try not to take the the viewer, I believe, wants to watch the game. I mean, that's what they're there for. They're they they have their team. They're they're watching it. And if if the guys in the booth can honor the people that are playing the game and not make it about themselves, then I think it becomes a good experience for the viewer. And at the end of the day, that's what I think my job is. And I think that's what every analyst's job is. And and everyone goes about that in a different way. I mean, my approach, obviously, because of my personality, is far different than how John Madden would call a game or how others would call a game. And and and that's fine. I just think you've gotta be authentic, and people can see through it if you're not. How do you gear up for a new season? Do you you and Joe do a couple of preseason games along the way? We're doing one. We're doing one in Houston this year. So we used to do we would do up to three preseason games at one time. Now we just do one. But I gear up in fact, I I began when the season ends, I get away from football totally. Like, I I don't follow it. I don't read about it. I'm not interested in whatever's happening until the draft. And then when the draft happens, that's when I get back into football mode. Yeah. And start figuring out, okay. What did these teams do? And and and it's not a heavy lift at that time. And then as we get closer with teams now reporting to training camp, now that I know who my preseason game is gonna be and our schedule, I'll start get diving into those teams and and and get out ahead of it a little bit. You wanna take some viewer questions here? We can if you'd like. What do you got, Shuby? Well, first one from Waj, I believe is his name. He'd like to know how you stay in such great shape. Gosh. This might take the rest of the rest of the show. We got time. I I do a lot. I'm I'm totally obsessed, and I and I don't I don't like that word obsessed, but I but I am, I believe. I'm obsessed as a biohacker. I do all the all the modalities. I do hyperbaric, cold plunge, sauna, red light. I do that just about every every day. But then I I still lift. I lift four days a week. I I used to run. I used to run every day. I'd miss maybe three days in a year, but I ran I ran four to six miles every day. The body doesn't allow me to do that anymore. So now I walk. I I I walk, you know, anywhere from four to six miles typically on on on any given day. I I do hot yoga. I started doing that a couple of years ago. I I used to scoff at any soccer mom who talked about yoga as part of their workout. And let me tell you, it is the hardest thing I've ever done. Wow. The hardest thing I've ever done. And I cannot get through an hour class. I still can't get through an hour class. I took it today and it's a 100 degrees in the room and I look like I jumped in a swimming pool. And I know they want to call the paramedics because I can't get off the floor. But it's I knew I needed to do something because I was so stiff and tight as I've aged. But yeah, so I do a little bit of everything and I eat pretty good. I do intermittent fasting and it's something I'm really serious about. So I feel great. I'm reminded every time I talk about how good I feel that Babe Lofenburg, I said that towards the end of my career. I was about 31 years old and and, I was going in training camp about this time of year. And I said to, maybe Ed Worder or somebody covering us, I said, you know, I'm in the best shape of my my career. And Babe saw that and he called me and he says, you know, nobody says no no one in their twenties says they're in the best shape of their career. They only say that when they're old, you know, when their career is coming to an end. Smart man. He said Babe. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Smart guy. That's why we love him. So yeah. So he says, you know, what you're really telling us is you're old, not that you're in shape. And and so I every time I talk about how good I feel, I'm reminded, yeah, you know, there's not kids in their twenties that are talking about how good great they feel. So, yes, I I am getting old, but I feel good. Look good. Feel good. Got another? We got one more. Greg would like to know, what was your favorite game in the NFL? And it doesn't necessarily have to be a Super Bowl game. Yeah. My favorite game was probably the NFC our first NFC championship game at Candlestick. It's just a it's a magical memory for me and and and what that propelled us to go on to do. The the best game I think I ever played, was the NFC championship game against the Green Bay Packers, that that led us into our final Super Bowl in the 1995 season. But those two games are the ones that really stand out the most to me. I was alive for both of those. I was too. And boy, there was nothing like Cowboys 49ers back then. Oh my god. Yeah. Oh, that was the best. Yeah. Well, man, I am out of shit. Yeah. I was gonna say, we still got a couple We got a couple more. We got some current current ventures. I don't mind. Yeah. Like, you know, you still got your eight beer and your fundraiser for Henrietta and all that sort of stuff. Like, what's going on with Yeah. Literally all of it. The beer is doing fantastic. We we still are only in Texas and and Oklahoma. But we came out there it is. We and and now we've got a we got new packaging on the bottle as well. I was mentioning that too before we went on the air. We came out with a Slim Can a year ago and new packaging. And since that time, a rebranding, if you will, that we have been really on a tremendous growth ever since then. We've been bending the trends. Whereas alcohol sales are down, eight cells are up and we're up significantly. And I think people are realizing that it truly is a better for you beer. It's three ingredients. It's water, malt, and hops. It's 90 calories, 2.6 carbs. I know there's a lot of ultra drinkers out there that think they're drinking something that's really good for them. But they have additives. They're they're made with rice. We have no additives in ours and we have six calories less. And it is a truly better for you beer. And and I I you know, I I say this, we when when we came up with the recipe for eight, we really were ahead of our time in the sense that I wanted something that was better for you for the reasons I mentioned earlier as far as my health and wellness. And I've always liked beer. I worked at a distributorship in college. And I thought it could be done better. And I thought it could be done cleaner. But no one was really talking about that at the time. And now it's on everybody's minds. You hear people talk all the time about what they're putting in their bodies and trying to be healthier. And you can go down any aisle and any any grocery store and there's a better for you section within that aisle. And now there is in the beer cooler and it's it's eight. And so it is really resonated with the consumer that wants something that's better for them. And it tastes like beer. So we kind of checked all the boxes, and I'm real proud of it. Our tag is, lose the additives, keep the taste. And, we've we've got some good conversations going with some people. We just we want to scale up, and we feel like the time is right now to do that because of the growth that we're seeing both in Texas and Oklahoma. Is that sold at the Aikman Club? Will definitely be sold at the Aikman Club. We'll be selling a lot of a lot of beer at these Aikman clubs and the amphitheaters. And I know you know, Mike, I know you're such a a big music enthusiast that Yes. I am. You know, JW Roth, who came up with the idea for these amphitheaters, that's not his his original business. He's just you know, he loves music as well. And he it's more of a passion project for him. But you see all these football stadiums that are being built, AT And T Stadium, and and really taking the experience of the fan to a different level. And he's doing that with music venues. And so these amphitheaters, as you know, one going up in McKinney, they're going in Houston and El Paso. There's gonna be one in Tulsa. But they're they're they're starting one in Chattanooga, Tennessee. They're gonna be rolled out across the country. It's gonna be an experience unlike what anyone has experienced in music. And I can't wait for it to open. The one in McKinney is gonna be 20,000 seats. The Aikman Club is gonna be there. So you're gonna get an experience much like you get when you go to AT And T Stadium or some of these great ballparks to watch your favorite team. Now you can go watch your favorite favorite musician and do it in the comforts of a really first class state of the art amphitheater. Maybe petty theft could open there. We'll get petty theft there. There you go. Alright. Get him in. Yeah. You got anything else? I think I'm out of shit now. Alright. You're out of shit. I'm out of shit. We're all out of shit. We will let you get out of here. Can't thank you enough for doing this. Man, anytime. This has been a pleasure for me. Thank you. Alright. That is the great Troy Aigman. Don't forget, if you like what we're doing out here, get us out there on your social media. Like us, share us, get us out there. Scatter us everywhere. Thanks for watching. Till next time. Bye. Bye. Alright. I'm gonna go take my pants off. You're Dark Companion is a stolen water media presentation.