The Cowboys Corner: Recent Episodes
Ryan Bush
Ever wish you could listen to a podcast exclusively about the Dallas Cowboys that was both entertaining and informative? That’s exactly what you’ll get when you tune into The Cowboys Corner Podcast with columnist, author, and historian, Ryan Bush. His specialty? Breaking down team-related events with in-depth analysis and history, bringing to life the stories of yesterday’s Cowboys squads with stunning clarity while also providing perspective and insight into current happenings. Tune in, and enjoy!
CeeDee Lamb isn't putting up the big numbers that you would expect from a No. 1 wide receiver. In this episode of the Cowboys Corner Podcast, Ryan examines a few of the challenges that Lamb and the Cowboys are currently faced with as he settles into his new role. Take a listen!
Only 7 days remain until the Dallas Cowboys kick off their 2022 campaign against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. What kind of a Cowboys team can we expect to see? The answer to that question is as elusive as ever, in large part because of the strange off-season of inactivity that Jerry & Stephen Jones have employed, foregoing any and all opportunities to upgrade the Dallas roster. What does it all mean? Ryan tackles these issues in the latest edition of the Cowboys Corner Podcast. Take a listen!
A new football season is just around the corner, and what's the biggest story in Cowboyland right now? If you're thinking it's the issues at left tackle or the challenges of beating Tom Brady and the Bucs, well, think again. Larger than life and overshadowing every sports column in the D-FW Metroplex right now is the story so hot and combustible that few dare to discuss: Jimmy Johnson's Ring of Honor destiny. Jerry Jones promised the entire world in the summer of 2021 that Jimmy would be inducted into the Ring. So why then the long delay? Ryan discusses this issue and the never-ending Jimmy-Jerry feud in this episode of the Cowboys Corner Podcast. Take a listen!
With the sad news about Marion Barber's death coming down earlier this week, Ryan reflects back upon Barber's career with the Cowboys, and questions whether or not Barber's workload under Wade Phillips limited his effectiveness and shortened Barber's stay in Dallas. Take a listen!
In this episode of the Cowboys Corner Podcast, Ryan details the winding journey that brought the Dallas Cowboys to their most difficult decision of the 1975 NFL Draft. Which player to choose: Jackson State runner Walter Payton or Maryland defensive giant Randy White? As difficult as it was for the franchise to choose between these two college standouts, it may be even harder for football fans to fathom the reality that Payton and White weren't even the top prospects on the Cowboys' draft board that year. How the team missed out on that particular prospect came down to a simple case of bad luck and an ill-fated oft-forgotten coin-toss. Take a listen and enjoy!
In this episode of the Cowboys Corner Podcast, Ryan attempts to explain Jerry Jones’ motive behind what has been a very underwhelming off-season for the Dallas Cowboys thus far. Why haven’t the Cowboys spent more cash during free agency? And why do the Cowboys keep signing players to one-year contracts? What’s Jerry's agenda? There can be only one answer to these questions: Jerry is all in…all in on making Sean Payton the next Dallas Cowboys head coach in 2023. Take a listen and enjoy!
In this episode of the Cowboys Corner Podcast, Ryan establishes the backdrop to the Dallas Cowboys’ incredible 1975 season by re-hashing the dramas and the discord from the previous year, when the World Football League and a toxic players strike poisoned the locker room, and brought the Cowboys – a perennial Super Bowl contender – down to the levels of mediocrity. Politics, racism, feuds, and an abnormal amount of gut-punch defeats that knocked the Cowboys out of the playoff race are all jam-packed into this in-depth episode. Take a listen! Show Notes: Who Are The Dirty Dozen? (00:26) Out Of My Comfort Zone (2:40) Since When Were Tom Landry's Cowboys Underdogs? (4:13) The World Football League Emerges (6:39) The WFL Letter Mailed To Cowboys Players (10:19) Cowboy Defections (12:09) The Lame Ducks (15:12) The Strike ((21:19) The Rozelle Rule (22:10) Ed Garvey & Racism (24:24) The 1974 Cowboys' Early- Season Struggles (32:23) Bob Hayes-Golden Richards Feud (36:41) Jean Fugett-Lee Roy Jordan Feud 38:20) Craig Morton Quits Team (44:05) The Pat Toomay Factor (46:40) Drew Pearson's Costly Drop (49:10)
Many modern fans aren't familiar with the history behind the enduring legacy of Tom Landry. In this episode, Ryan highlights a few of the accomplishments and qualities that made The Man in The Hat not only a legendary head coach, but also one of the NFL's most respected men. Take a listen and enjoy! Show Highlights: The prevailing memory of Tom Landry (1:20). Tom Landry and the Flex defense (3:44). The philosophy behind the Landry Shift (5:45). Landry and the Shotgun formation (8:15). Tom Landry's impact upon the NFL Draft (9:14). Tom Landry, the coach who never quit (11:46). Tom Landry The Person (13:00). Why Tom Landry is the most important Cowboy of all-time (16:35).
We live in a world where news is instantaneous, and can come flying at us from all directions, leaving little time to consider each story and its true context. In this episode, Ryan does a little digging to uncover the unappreciated motives for ESPN jumping the gun several weeks ago in breaking the news of Tom Brady's retirement to the world. Along the way, Ryan reflects upon a similar situation that unfolded in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex during the 1990s, centering upon the Texas Rangers. The moral: When there's money at stake (and there always is for the top-tier sports networks of our day), nothing is off-limits. Even if that means breaking the biggest sports story of the year before its time. Take a listen and enjoy! Show Highlights: Why context is king (00:27). When ESPN jumped the gun (3:38). The advantages of breaking false news stories (5:09). When Walt Jockety was prematurely announced as the new GM of the Texas Rangers (5:16). ESPN's financial motive for breaking the Tom Brady retirement story (8:08). The curious recent history of the Disney/ESPN stock chart (11:30).
In this episode of the Cowboys Corner Podcast, Ryan analyzes the not-so-surprising results for the Dallas Cowboys in their playoff loss to San Francisco this past January, and also unpacks the bizarre ending to the game that watched the Cowboys waste the final 14 seconds. What went wrong on that play? To answer this last question, Ryan digs up an old memory from the days when Dave Campo was the head coach in Dallas, when Campo's Cowboys performed a last-second fire-drill with stunning precision on the way to a rare road victory. This example from the 2002 season provides a stark lesson in what Mike McCarthy and his staff failed to consider before embarking on what turned out to be a season-ending mission for the 2021 Cowboys. Take a listen! Show highlights: The shocking price of newspapers (2:27). Why should it shock us for the Cowboys to lose their first playoff game (4:54)? The numbers don't lie: The 2021 Cowboys were far from a dominant team (5:35). The Cowboys were not a healthy team going into the postseason (6:26). The 2021 Cowboys struggled against the NFL's top teams (8:11). The Dallas offensive line never lived up to the hype (10:15). How did the 2021 Cowboys stack up against the great Super Bowl-winning Cowboys teams of the 1990s (12:38)? The final play against the 49ers (16:00). The little details that McCarthy's Cowboys did not account for (19:05).
In this quick episode, I highlight Julius Jones' place among the franchise greats (and even NFL greats, for a short time), and recognize the positive impact that his production as a rookie had upon the franchise in future seasons. Episode Highlights......(00:51) Where did Julius Jones' rookie campaign place him among the best Dallas running backs of all time? (2:05) Jones' short-lived standing among NFL legends. (3:05) What if Jones had flopped as a rookie? It's a good thing for the Cowboys that he did not. The positive ripple effect that his 819-yard outburst in 2004 had upon the franchise, as it pertained to Bill Parcells' rebuilding project. (5:04) Why was Julius never able to duplicate the success that he enjoyed as a rookie?