Your Fired!

Published 06/11/2026, Substack 

Recent events at CBS News leaves one thinking that Bari Weiss isn't much of a sports fan.


Judging by recent events, one has to believe the Bari Weiss and her allies have no idea who Tom Landry was, because even a modicum of knowledge about the former Dallas Cowboy coach would certainly have provided at least a yellow light to slow down the process and mitigate the fallout she is experiencing at CBS News.

Much of the history of Landry’s firing rhymes with recent events. Jimmy & Jerry spotted at the Mexican restaurant; the news leaking; Landry already in the process of clearing out his desk when Jerry Jones and Tex Schramm deliver the news. This I believe is what is known as being unceremoniously dismissed .

The fan backlash was as you would expect, and another parallel with Weiss, was the heated description of Jones by Dallas fans as a carpetbagger. “The Day Dallas Wept,” or “The Day 60 Minutes Died.” Like I said, it rhymes.


Another HR own goal that rings similar is when Bill Belichick replaced Bernie Kosar with Vinnie Testaverde when he was coach of the Cleveland Browns. In his recent book, The Art of Winning: Lessons from My Life in Football, he owns his poor handling of the transition, calling it out as one of his biggest mistakes (the HR side, not replacing Kosar). Like Weiss, he was young (38) and inexperienced at being at the helm of a large organization. History shows that these gaffs are one of the most glaring signs of immaturity at the C-Suite. What Belichick took from this mistake was a promise to try and live up to advice he was given: make every effort to treat people on the way out the way you treated them on the way in.

Considering the wildfires burning at West 57th, I doubt she has a lot of down time to read, but if she likes an audiobook when on the treadmill or bike, I would recommend, American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company.

I have no doubt Mulally would have excellent advice for Weiss regarding how to deal with an iconic brand that is both running behind its competition and has an older, entrenched culture. In his famous Business Plan Review Meetings, Mulally required executives to be transparent and accountable in front of their peers. Managers who were used to shifting blame, hoarding information, or acting in self-interest could no longer hide. Mulally refused to tolerate “star” performers who didn’t play well with others-which lead to several senior leaders self-selecting out via resignation or retirement. This appears to be her plan; it his her inexperience that is causing the wildfire.

Belichick and Jones went on to better times (Jones, perhaps lessing willing to learn from his mistakes). Network news is not the NFL, and Weiss may not get the opportunity that Belichick did to correct his errors and punch his ticket to Canton, simply because of where terrestrial television is in 2026.

"Your first impression of a thing sets up your subsequent beliefs,” is a quote by Daniel Kahneman. It may also define the mindset at everyone in the building at West 57th. Good night, and good luck.

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