The Sports Narrative took a week off for the holidays and now we are back with a full plate of sports knowledge and fun! On this episode:
- The Playoffs in the NFL are set and the Cowboys are in it! We spend a segment talking Cowboys then a segment breaking down the playoff mathcups including our picks for the Superbowl
- Speaking of playoffs, the College Playoff Series is set to start too! We look at all the bowl games thus far and look ahead to New Year's Day
- There is no better place to ring in the new year than Mick's Pub! We look back at 2014 and have a few tasty beverages gearing up for 2015
- Some interesting political moves might play a role in Major League Baseball. Mr Copening and (hopefully) Mr Feltman discuss the ramifications as well as the other moves in the MLB
- The Mavs made a big splash while we were away, landing PG Rajon Rondo from Boston. Dustin leads our discussion on the Mavs and the NBA
- We finish with News and Notes including UK wins the battle of Kentucky, my appearance on actual radio talking NFL draft, and our resolutions for 2015
So cuddle up by the fire with that special someone and tune in LIVE Tues Dec 30th from 830-1030p CST
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The most memorable Cowboys regular season since 2009 is coming to a close Sunday at noon in Washington, as Dallas looks for their 12th win and an outside shot at a 1st round bye in the NFC Playoffs. Let that marinate for a few seconds. There's lots to discuss on this weeks show, including where Tony Romo falls on the short list of NFL MVP candidates, Jerry Jones' chances at Executive of the Year, and Jason Garrett's likelihood of being voted the league's best coach. Dustin Copening, Jeff Bowers, and Jeff Feltman address those topics, get you up to speed on the key details of this weekend's Redskins game, and much much more. Thanks for tuning in, and don't forget to tell 3 friends!
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Alas The Sports Narrative's Annual Boxing Day Show has been cancelled. Please join us for The Dallas Cowboys Pre-Game Show on Sunday Morning at 9am CST and for our final show of 2014 on Tues Dec 30th from 8:30-10:30p CST
Thanks for all your support, have a safe and wonderful holidays and get ready for an even better 2015
Even the most optimistic of Cowboys fans hesitated to predict more than 8 wins going into this season, but Dallas has a chance to pick up their 11th win of the season Sunday afternoon at AT&T Stadium. A win that would also give them the NFC East crown for the first time since 2009.
Dustin Copening, Jeff Bowers and Jeff Feltman take you back to last weekend's exhilerating victory over the Eagles, and get you up to speed on all of the details you need to know for the biggest game that no one saw coming four months ago.
The Chalkboard, the Numbers, and the predictions are coming your way.
Thanks for listening, and let a few friends know about the best damn Dallas Cowboys pre game show in all the land.
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In this most magical time of year, why not spend 2 precious hours of it listening to your favorite sports show on the internet? It's our gift to you and your gift to us. It's what the holidays are all about. On this episode:
- The boys discuss their holiday plans, we talk about Hanukkah and the Boxing Day White Elephant Show on the 26th as well as the future in 2015
- 2 big segments of NFL talk, including the Cowboys rise to the top, the Niners imploding, the Bills tripping the Pack and so much more. In segment 2 we talk about the Commisioner's work, off-field issues and look ahead to Week 16
- With only 1 game on the college slate, the Jeffs talk about the Bowl schedule ahead, continue to debate the playoff selections and the future of college football
- Finally it's time again for Mick's Pub. We will hear about the Sony Hack, the Hobbit movie and more
- Mr Feltman keeps us up to date on the larest in baseball as the market slows down a bit, including the Rangers finally do something and his thoughts on the season ahead
- With College Football sliding off the sports calander, it's time to replace it with NBA and NHL action. We look at violence and disease in hockey, the NBA turned upside down and anything else that comes to mind
- We finish with News and Notes including Big Fight at JerryWorld, UFC sued, NASCAR failing and more
It's the biggest game of the season...since last week's biggest game of the season, but it's still pretty big.
The Dallas Cowboys have a final chance to put playoff destiny into their own hands by traveling to Philadelphia and defeating the NFC East leading Eagles.
Dustin Copening, Jeff Feltman, and the infamous Jeff Bowers talk you through the required details to be familiar with before the Sunday Night Football contest. Can the Cowboys overcome their 33-10 Thanksgiving embarrassment to Philly, will 10 days of rest be enough for Romo to evade the Eagles pass rush, will the Cowboys defense wear oxygen masks on to the field???
Listen to find out all this and more!!! Tell a friend to listen too!!!
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The Holidays bring out the best (and sometimes worst) in all of us. In this episode, it's the latter:
- We start in the NFL where the Cowboys face redemption or relegation, the Commsioner finally seems to get it (sort of) and the playoff picture just begins to gel
- Well the College Playoff board has spoken. Did they get it right? Mr Feltman and Mr Bowers debate it heavily and we make our selections for the CFB Power Hour Challenge
- Mick's Pub is all decorated for the season and it's proprietor spins us yarns about current events, movies, cars and so much more
- What a night for our resident Cubs Fan! Mr. Feltman and Mr. Copening break down all the latest from the Winter Meetings in baseball
- We finish with News and Notes including Liverpool out, Monte gets dinged, the Stars preach patience, Donovon goes out on top and more
So listen LIVE Wed Dec 10th from 830-1030p CST or anytime after on Itunes (search The Sports Narrative under Podcasts) or at www.thesportsnarrative.com
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No better way to try to forget a 33-10 defeat than to travel to the site of the 45-28 trampling the Chicago Bears delivered to the Cowboys in last years first game of December.
Dallas hopes to put all of these nightmares behind them on Thursday Night Football, and keep the playoff naysayers at bay for another week.
Dustin Copening, Jeff Bowers, and Jeff Feltman get you set with all the info you need to know as the Cowboys try to keep pace with the race for the NFC Wild Card, and on the heels of the Eagles in the NFC East.
The Chalkboard, the Numbers, and all of the other staples you crave are on the table. So tune in, tell a friend, and get ready to enjoy the best damn Dallas Cowboys Pre Game Show in all the land.
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Well it's that time of year again where our dutiful leader Mr Bowers is off playing Santa Claus for UPS, leaving the peanut gallery to run the show! On this wheels-off episode:
- Roger Goodell has clearly learned nothing from his past mistakes and is completely ineffective, the Dallas Cowboys facing a must-win on Thurs and how that affects their rooting interests Sunday, the playoff picture, the NFL Weekend Wrap-up and Look Ahead and, of course, Heeeeeere's Johnny!
- Chaos in College Football as Miss St gets egged, TCU vaults an undefeated, Ohio St loses another QB and Championship Weekend looms. Also, the debut of a Sports Narrative exclusive challenge: The CFB Final Four Power Hour Challenge
- Speaking of drinking, it's time for Mick's Pub, where we will discuss the new Star Wars trailer, the new Terminator trailer and any thing else lurking in the mind of The Mick. And then we Ride The Lightning
- Hot Stove Baseball is really heating up! Mr Feltman and Mr Copening have all the latest including the Rangers miss on Torii Hunter, pitching moves all on hold and rumors galore
- We finish the show with our News and Notes including big night for the Mavs, Monte Ellis wreckin shop and is there enough D in Dallas, OKC returning to full strength, the Stars can't stop anyone, MLS finals, Tiger is back and in town, College Hoops look-in and so much more!
All that and your calls at (347) 308-8637
So listen to this fun cacophony of sports-iness LIVE Wed Dec 3rd from 8:30-10:30p CST or anytime after on Itunes (search The Sports Narrative under Podcast)
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Welcome to the first ever Dallas Cowboys Post Game Show presented by The Sports Narrative. With the Pre Game Show scrapped thanks to technical difficulties, Dustin Copening, Jeff Bowers and Jeff Feltman couldn't let the week go by without a show dedicated to Thanksgiving's deflating loss and the aftermath.
The gang will take a look at the X's and O's, key moments, and numbers that have the Eagles firmly planted in the NFC East driver's seat, and the Cowboys facing the very real posibility that an 11 or even (gasp) 12 win season might not be enough to get in to the playoffs.
Tell a friend and join us for the best damn Dallas Cowboys POST game show in the land!
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As the NFL season enters the month of December, there is
much to be settled. The Cowboys sit poised with an 8-4 record and their playoff
destiny laid out before them: 3 wins and you are in (probably), 2 and it’s
close, 1 and it’s highly unlikely. But no matter how the next 4 games go, the
off-season looms ahead ominously and demands a game plan all its own. So let’s
take a preliminary look at the road to 2015 and what questions must be
addressed.
Phase #1: The
Salary Cap
As it stands today, the Cowboys are entering into 2015 with
around $138 million committed in contract with a projected salary cap of around
$140 million. Obviously this does not leave a lot of room for additions, not to
mention that this does not include Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray or Ron Leary to
name a few. Therefore, some “massaging: of contracts is needed. Here is the
complete list of current contracts and dead money for 2015 courtesy of www.overthecap.com:
This is the best option for
creating money, guaranteeing more money to guys like Tyron Smith, Scandrick,
Melton, Church and others to free up room. The questions becomes “is it
enough?”
2.Re-doing player’s with a less certain status
This option is a little scarier as
it charges more money to future salary caps and may come due sooner than the
team would like. This list includes players like Romo (injury), Sean Lee
(injury), Carr (performance), and Witten (age). The Cowboys have shown no
hesitation to exercise this option in the past and I expect that trend will
continue, though I think they might want to “start the clock” on some of the
money owed to Brandon Carr and Tony Romo just in case their level of play goes
south quickly.
3.Letting some veteran’s go
With this team’s limited depth and
shaky draft track record (though remarkably better under Will McClay’s tenure),
letting starters walk has not been this team’s usual “process.” Candidates in
this category include Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray, Doug Free, Ron Leary, Cole
Beasley, Rolando McClain, Justin Durant, Bruce Carter, Sterling Moore and Henry
Melton is they exercise his out clause. We will address this in the next
section.
Phase #2: Free
Agency/Team Needs
Once the money is available, the next issue is how to spend
it. The Cowboys have some big names on the verge of hitting free agency and
also need to improve the roster in order to get over the hump of playoff
contender to championship level. Here’s a list of their pending free agents,
again courtesy of www.overthecap.com
So here is my opinion of the needs of this team going into
2015 in no particular order:
-Backup QB
-Running Back (2)
-Wide Receiver (2)
-Blocking Tight End
-Right Tackle (2)
-Left Guard
-Defensive End
-Linebacker (2)
-Cornerback (2)
Without looking at the rest of NFL free agency (too many
variables and too little money to depend on), here is my plan for answering the
Cowboys needs though free agency. Remember, no team can fill every spot with a
probowlers. It’s about getting the most out of the available resources in a
realistic way. The Draft will be addressed in section 3:
1.Sign Dez
– I know there is much concern about his off-field life, but a true playmaking
WR is not as easy to find as some think and is a necessity in today’s
pass-happy NFL. I’d be shocked if Dez is wearing any other jersey than a blue
88 next year.
2.Address RB,
either through Murray or Adrian Peterson – The wear and tear that Murray
went through this season does not bode well for his career long-term. However,
letting the MVP of your previous season walk for nothing won’t make fans happy.
We all know about Jerry’s “flirtations” with Peterson prior to his suspension.
I think the Cowboys should sign one of these two RBs, probably whichever one
comes cheaper.
3.Sign
either Free or Parnell, let the other go – Doug Free and Jeremy Parnell are
basically the same player and thus interchangeable. Whichever one takes the
better deal I’d sign, then look to sign a backup swing OT on the cheap
4.Sign Ron
Leary to a short term deal – Leary is a monster on run-blocking and a liability
in pass-protection. In addition, Leary came into the league with balky knees
which is why he went undrafted. Bring him back on the cheap for continuity only
and look to upgrade their next year.
5.Of LBs
Durant, McClain and Carter sign 2 cheapest – With the hopeful return of
Sean Lee (finger crossed) and the emergence of super-sub Hitchens, The Cowboys
need at least 2 starters and a quality backup. McClain has been a find, but
might want to cash in on his success. Carter has proven serviceable on the
strong side and might be had on a 1 year “prove it” contract. Durant was the
team’s best LB prior to injury and has hopefully found a home in Marinelli’s D.
Sign the cheapest 2 and let the other walk, addressing that position further in
the draft.
6.Wait til
the draft – After these moves, I might wait until the draft to fill in the
gaps. Guys like Hayden, Selvie, Moore, Dunbar and Brent can be brought back or
replaced at minimum costs.
Phase #3: The
Draft
If the offseason breaks as above, the needs for the Cowboys
heading into the draft on April 30th in Chicago will look like this:
-Backup/Developmental QB
-Defensive End
-Cornerback
-Linebacker
-Right Tackle
Generally, I think going into the draft you want to have 3-4
real positions to fill. Your 1st round pick should be a day one
starter or immediate contributor (except for a QB), your 2nd and 3rd
rounders should provide premium depth in rotation and develop into starters and
your 4th and 5th rounders are more developmental or have
flaws that can be addressed. The order in which these needs are addressed then
becomes a function of draft position, positional strength and value. Being able
to get quality at each pick is the primary goal, though sometimes that means
taking value over position or maneuvering to get in the best talent tier.
Looking at the 2015, it is very difficult to assess position
strength without knowing which underclassmen will declare. In recent years, the
overwhelming number of junior or even RS sophomore declarations have dominating
the early rounds and I don’t expect that trend to decrease.
In part two of this post, I will take a harder look at the
players that may be available in the draft and their evaluations as of today.
As we see every year, player’s stock can rise and fall quite a bit before draft
night, but it’s good to get a rough estimate before the process begins.
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