Could Rams bump Cowboys off national TV?

[MauiRam]

Media views > Dan Caesar Friday, November 12, 2010 12:00 am

In April, when this year's NFL schedule was released, the possibility seemed absurd. But here in mid-November, there is a chance that the long-downtrodden Rams could bump the once mighty Cowboys off the national television prime-time spot Dec. 12.

Here's that Mine That Bird-winning-the-Kentucky Derby (at odds of 50-1) scenario:

• The Rams win their next three games (at San Francisco, at home against Atlanta and at Denver).

• The Cowboys (1-7) don't suddenly catch fire under new coach Jason Garrett.

A three-game run by the Rams would put them at 7-4 when the NFL decides on Nov. 29 whether to pull the Cowboys-Eagles game out of prime time on Dec. 12 in favor of a more attractive matchup for NBC. And on Dec. 12, the Rams are at defending Super Bowl champ New Orleans, which is hot after a slow start and is a major contender in the NFC South.

Any switching would be done under the NFL's "flexible scheduling" arrangement, which allows for the Sunday night game to be changed in Weeks 11-16 with 13 days' notice. This policy is designed to create marquee matchups in prime time.

But the Rams have more obstacles to overcome before jumping into prime time for the first time since 2006.

• Because the decision to switch games must be made nearly two weeks in advance, the NFL (and NBC) might not want to take the chance of the Rams being beaten in the interim week, when they play at Arizona on Dec. 5.

• There are other attractive candidates to sub for the Cowboys if the decision to dump them is made, headlined by Giants-Vikings, Dolphins-Jets, Patriots-Bears and Chiefs-Chargers.

CBS and Fox, which televise the NFL on Sunday afternoons, are allowed to "protect" a game in five of the six "flex" weeks. Those decisions were made last month and, although the choices have not been announced, it is known the Rams-Saints game wasn't reserved by Fox. And several websites report the only game protected that week was the Pats-Bears contest, by CBS.

NFL director of corporate communications Dan Masonson said Thursday that while the networks have significant input in the decision, "ultimately our office makes the final call" and said the Rams would be in the running that week. And there are some factors in favor of the Rams-Saints pairing:

• Quarterback Sam Bradford, the top pick in this year's NFL draft, is having a solid rookie season and hasn't been in the national TV spotlight yet. NBC certainly would tout Bradford — the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner — in its promotions. Plus, there would be the David vs. Goliath aspect of a team that was 1-15 last year facing the reigning Super Bowl champ.

• The Saints have made just three prime-time appearances (only one since Week 2) and are scheduled for just one more — a Monday nighter Dec. 27 at Atlanta. So they can be in prime time at least once more — the cap is five appearances (an exception allows three teams to be on six times if one is an NFL Network game).

But the Cowboys' bandwagon still rolls along as noted by longtime NFL prime-time broadcaster Al Michaels, now the voice of NBC's package.

"The Cowboys are always a story-line team, but now it's a different story line than we've seen from them in a very long time," he recently told the Dallas Morning News. "For better or worse, for richer or poorer, the Cowboys always make for great TV."

One need look no further than this Sunday for evidence. Fox sends its Joe Buck-Troy Aikman-Pam Oliver lead broadcast team to their game, against the Giants, and airs it to 83 percent of the country. The Rams-***** game (with Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan and Chris Myers), goes to 9 percent.

[thickandthin]

yes please.

[laram0]

It's sickening to me with all the Cowboys games that are televised. America needs to see SAM BRADFORD and the up and coming ST. LOUIS RAMS!

[Dwight Frye]

The most overhyped team in the history of the NFL. Hell, when I was 10 yrs old my heroes were Evil Kneivel, Lee Majors (Six million dollar man) and Alice Cooper. The villian? Roger Staubach. He even made me like the Steelers ... for a minute. Just wanted to see Lambert get his hands around that guys neck one time. Pretty soon, I saw Youngblood do it and that was it. There were only national broadcasts then of course, so I could only see them once or twice a year but soon found McCutcheon and Slater and Haden and the rest is history. Been a Ram for thirty something years .... and STILL despise the Cowboys.

[Rambunctious]

The "problem" with the Rams is...


Bradford is a good kid, in a good program, having a good season.

Awesome for us but not dramatic enough for national television. They love train wrecks, controversy and flash in the pan success stories.

Miami introduces the wildcat and has an amazing turn around and they are blitzed by the media. Two years later they are an ok team and they drop back almost below the radar.

Maybe if this season had been some what normal the Bradford story would be bigger but with Vick/Kolb, McNabb/Redskins, Vikings/Chidress, Moss/League, Favre/Reporter and the downfall of teams like the Cowboys they are having a field day.

One thing you have to remember about this industry... people who love Dallas will always watch Dallas and now the people who hate Dallas are starting to watch Dallas just to see them get their arse kicked. So just because their record sucks doesn't mean their viewer ship goes down.

In the end it's a two edged sword. I want the Rams to receive more respect but it has probably benefited the team to not be in the constant spotlight.

Next year I think we will be strong enough we won't be ignored.

[mde8352gorams]

The most overhyped team in the history of the NFL. Hell, when I was 10 yrs old my heroes were Evil Kneivel, Lee Majors (Six million dollar man) and Alice Cooper. The villian? Roger Staubach. He even made me like the Steelers ... for a minute. Just wanted to see Lambert get his hands around that guys neck one time. Pretty soon, I saw Youngblood do it and that was it. There were only national broadcasts then of course, so I could only see them once or twice a year but soon found McCutcheon and Slater and Haden and the rest is history. Been a Ram for thirty something years .... and STILL despise the Cowboys.

Dwight, I couldn't agree more with you. The only difference is that I've been a fan for 40+ years, but that because I'm older than you. Looks like we'll have plenty of national telecasts for years to come with the way our trajectory looks.

Go Rams!

[AlphaRam]

I just posted this to my local FOX affiliate:

Can you petition FOX Sports to let you broadcast the Rams verses SF game with Sam Bradford? Nobody wants to see the lame-ass Cowboys get killed by the Giants.

[AlphaRam]

FYI - Jack Youngblood was the last person to sack Staubach before he retired.

The most overhyped team in the history of the NFL. Hell, when I was 10 yrs old my heroes were Evil Kneivel, Lee Majors (Six million dollar man) and Alice Cooper. The villian? Roger Staubach. He even made me like the Steelers ... for a minute. Just wanted to see Lambert get his hands around that guys neck one time. Pretty soon, I saw Youngblood do it and that was it. There were only national broadcasts then of course, so I could only see them once or twice a year but soon found McCutcheon and Slater and Haden and the rest is history. Been a Ram for thirty something years .... and STILL despise the Cowboys.

[C-Mob 71]

I am in that 9% for once this week.

Finally not playing the same time as the freaking Bears!

Really, I get I am in Illinois, but Southern Illinois could care less about the Bears vs Bills FOX!

[unorthodox1999]

It's sickening to me with all the Cowboys games that are televised. America needs to see SAM BRADFORD and the up and coming ST. LOUIS RAMS!

Yes but remember "The revolution won't be televised!"...lol but seriously, at this point, you gotta pray for a blackout for the cowboys to not be on prime time games or the majority of the country like this Sunday. Sucks but that's how it goes.

[AlphaRam]

Help stamp out the Dallas Cowboys in our lifetime!

[fliptalianstallion]

Yes please give us some primetime in the Saints game. I'm sick of hearing Cowboy fans ***** and whine over how much their team sucks at school as well having to hear them all over here and my television is unbearable. The next time I bother to watch media coverage regarding 'dem Cowgirls, they better be criticizing and laughing at how pathetic Jerry Jones and his huge ego problem is. This is getting so ridiculous right now, he's making Al Davis look like the Rooney family of the Steelers in terms of team management.