NEW JERSEY DRAGONS [GM STORM]

[GM Storm]

I trust you to adjust as you feel is necessary, Mr. Swope. Lets get it done.

Lock In

[GM Storm]

We are proud of the important victory we just won over the Alabama Nighthawks but there is much to compliment our opponents about. They continued to fight all the way to the very end after. That is a testament to the culture that Mr. Pancho, and his staff, have built. Yet we showed that we, also, have the sort of winning culture in our blood here in New Jersey. How many can say that they held Bruce Wilkinson to one sack in a game this season? I do not think many, if any other, teams can boast of this. But our offensive line stepped up as we needed them to and gave our tremendous young Quarterback the time he needed to make big throws.

Our next challenge is on the doorstep, though, and it comes in the form of a divisional opponent. I believe many had written off the Harriers earlier in the season in the same way many had written off the Dragons. To this point both teams have shown they belong. Mr. Lincoln Doss especially seems to have found a new gear and it will be important for us to make sure that we stop him if we do not wish to be the punchline at the end of a joke this week. As his performances recently have shown that is an easier thing said than done. Mr. Swope will have us ready for the task, though, and I believe he will guide the House of the Dragon to another victory once more.

STORM PAUSES IN CASE THERE ARE ANY LAST MINUTE QUESTIONS. HE THEN EXITS AND RETURNS TO HIS OFFICE

Mr. Swope it is good to see Kyle Wright getting more comfortable each week. The performance he put up this week was an impressive one against a tough defense. Can we expect more of the same out of him against London?

[Talon]

 

That is most definitely the hope, yes.   He is playing well and Reginald Duke has been a great mentor for him.  When he retires, he will make a very good quarterbacks coach, Yes.

[GM Storm]

Hopefully that day is still in the distant future.

I will trust you and your staff to adjust as you feel is best for the Harriers.

Lock In

[GM Storm]

We played an exciting game for fans of football around the world but a disappointing one for our own fans. Credit to Mr. Doss for his performance. There are rumors that he is not a fan of New Jersey but this does not take away from the fact that he shows himself to be an exceptional player. Instead, it simply adds fuel to the desire to increase his distaste for the House of the Dragon going forward.

Our undoing was the second quarter as we showed ourselves to be London's equal the other three. This was the difference in the game. London played a full four quarters of football and we performed at our best for three out of the four. Rest assured we will continue to work hard to provide New Jersey with winning football. There are still many games left to be played and many opportunities for us to seize a playoff spot from our rivals. But we cannot allow ourselves to take our foot off the gas pedal going forward.

Thank you for your time. If there are no further questions, I will speak to you all again next week.

STORM EXITS AND RETURNS TO HIS OFFICE

Mr. Swope I would ask what happened in that 2nd quarter but from my observation it appears Mr. Doss made two very big plays and our offense could not keep up. We will learn from this and move on as we prepare to face an offense that is even more high powered I believe than London's is. Do you have any adjustments you wish to make for the Lynx?

[Talon]

St. Paul is a very talented team, without question. They can attack through the air and on the ground; and Jerry Worthington's pass rush from the interior is very dangerous.  We will have to play a full game to get the win, but I believe it is achievable, yes.

[GM Storm]

I believe it is achievable as well. Let us make sure we achieve what we believe we are capable of.

Lock In

[GM Storm]

How are you feeling after a signature win over a team many believe are talented enough to contend for a championship?

We are very happy our winning performance. The St. Paul Lynx do have the ability to contend for a championship, that cannot be denied. They have tremendous weapons for their talented Quarterback to utilize, and their defense is stacked at every level. It was imperative that we perform in all four quarters if we wanted to achieve victory and we did just that. I cannot praise our young Quarterback enough for his leadership and the clutch factor he brings to the offense when he steps under center.

I would be remiss if I celebrated our victory without celebrating Clint Dickey's accomplishment. I have only been around him a short period of time but it is a privilege to be the GM of the team he plays for at the breaking of this record. We are very proud of him.

With three games left on the schedule you are still right in the heat of a playoff push. Where is your focus during this final three weeks?

I am doing what I can to stay out of the way of the coaches and players, quite honestly. The Dragons are blessed to have the coaching staff that we have, and the players that we have. So I am going to let them do what they do best.

Winning with guys like Dorial Green-Beckham and Clyde Colbert out with injuries has to feel good but how much will it mean to your team to get those guys back out on the field?

I am impressed by Mr. Colberts work ethic in doing everything he could do to get himself healthy enough to play again. I think that most would have likely called it a season after such a significant injury. Getting him back will be a big boost to our offensive line and obviously getting DGB back will just give our young QB another top flight weapon to throw to during the stretch run. We'll rely on the medical staff and what the players themselves tell us when it comes to whether they'll play or not. But the sooner we can have our team back at full strength the better.

[Talon]

 

A win we had to have, yes!  We do not control our destiny for the division, but what we can control is our record and we have the chance to be a wildcard.   We need help and DC has a light schedule.  We can not afford another loss, and the game vs. London is a must win no matter what, but our chance to play in the post-season is there for us to seize, yes.

[GM Storm]

Every game we play the rest of the way must be played as if it is the most important game of our lives. We will bring glory to the House of the Dragon. I believe this.

I trust if Mr. Colbert and DGB are healthy enough to play that you will place them in the depth chart and rotation where you feel is best.

[Talon]

 

Correct. We want them back in as soon as they are cleared, so I will not let them sit on the bench once they are ready.

[GM Storm]

I have every confidence in you, Mr. Swope, and I am excited to see this thing through.

Lock In

[GM Storm]

I will be brief as we have another very big game to prepare for. I know that much of the football world was shocked when Kyle Wright connected with DGB on that 4th and 21 late in the game but for those of us here in New Jersey who have watched Kyle take over weeks ago for a legend in Reginald Duke, it was not surprising. This is just what he does. It is who he is. When you need a play made on offense, he's going to make it. He's got the Wright stuff in clutch moments. But we give credit to the Bruins for the challenge they posed to us. That is a very good team and they gave us all we could handle. Quite the thriller.

Now we turn our eyes to Rapid City. We shall see if the Inferno can stand the heat that the House of the Dragon is going to bring to them. For us? It is must win. That is all there is to it. If we win out we will be in the playoffs. Now we must make this happen.

We will speak again soon.

STORM RETURNS TO HIS OFFICE AFTER A QUICK PRESS BRIEFING

Mr. Swope, I am afraid Kyle is spoiling us with these late game heroics. Tremendous win. Now lets make sure we take care of business with Rapid City.

[Talon]

 

He has quickly proven he has the clutch gene, something we are all very thankful for, Yes.

[GM Storm]

Hopefully we have no need for late game heroics this time and we can secure a comfortable victory. Lets do it!

Lock In

[GM Storm]

This has been a season that has been a privilege to be a part of, but one that we are not ready to be finished with yet. We have done all we need to do to give ourselves the opportunity to play in the post season, and now we come face to face with a team that pushed us to our limit and beyond recently. I do not harbor any ill will toward GM Oldfield or the London Harriers. They are simply the obstacle standing in between us and an opportunity for glory. They stand between us and victory and so we must bring fire and blood to them. Glory to the House of the Dragon!

STORM RETURNS TO HIS OFFICE AFTER A QUICK PRESS BRIEFING

Mr. Swope, lets finish the job.

[Talon]

Our destiny is in our hands. Yes.

[GM Storm]

Carpe Diem!

Lock In

[GM Storm]

"What was the best moment for you this season, and what was the worst?"

"There are many bests to choose from but I will pick being there to witness Clint Dickey make history. That was a special moment. The worst is this one right now. Standing here, not speaking to you about getting ready for the playoffs but about what the off season will look like."

"So how does it feel to be done playing football while other teams advance to the playoffs?"

"A mixture of hurt, sadness and anger."

"Who was your teams MVP this season?"

"Kyle Wright. The number of clutch performances late in the season that he put on are a significant reason why we even had a chance to compete for a playoff spot during the final week of the season."

How would you evaluate your coaches performance this season?

"I would rate Mr. Swope very well. Mr. Mackey I think a step behind. With the weapons that we had on offense we should not have had to dig ourselves out of as many holes as we did."

"How would you evaluate your own performance this season?"

"I also would rate myself a step behind. There were opportunities for me to improve the team at the trade deadline but I was not willing to meet the asking price that was on the table and that may have hurt us when it mattered the most. But I felt I made some good moves as well. Bringing in Dale Hardaway sured up our offensive line and provided our Quarterback with the protection he needed."

"What is your biggest take away from this season?"

"To go with my gut instinct and not second guess myself."

What was this team missing?

"Greg Adams and Daniel Jennings. If they had been healthy our week 17 maybe turns out differently."

[Talon]

Lincoln Doss will haunt my dreams this off-season, yes.

[GM Storm]

No, do not do that. Let your dreams be about the revenge we will exact next season.

So the elephant in the room right now is our offense and while I think the men performed admirably to gut out some close wins near the end of the season, as I said to the press I do not believe we should have had to have dug ourselves out of as many holes as we have had to dig ourselves out of since I was brought in. I believe some changes need to be made on the offensive side of the football but wanted to hear your thoughts on the subject.

[Talon]

 

It is my responsibility to build a team and staff that performs to the expectations you provide, yes.

If you are unhappy with the offense, then I need to find the solution.

Would you like me to consider a different offensive scheme than Coach Mackey provides?

[GM Storm]

I'm not sure what other schemes are out there but I don't mind sticking with the spread if it is a little more pass oriented than we were this year. If not the spread then maybe a system that pushes the ball down the field a little bit more, something that suits Mr. Wright's strong arm.

[Talon]

Yes, I understand.  If we are looking to be more passing oriented, then it is best we bid Mr. Mackey farewell. He specializes in a run-first offense.

[GM Storm]

If we had a top 3 running back I would consider sticking with him but we do not and while Mr. Black and Mr. Harrington are both capable, they are not elite players. So yes let's move on from him and focus our attention on the passing game.

[Talon]

 

Understood. Consider it done.

[GM Storm]

Is there anything else we need to discuss coach? I don't have anything but being relatively new to this I want to make sure I haven't overlooked anything with you.

[Talon]

nothing for me.  You can try to re-sign players and talk to Mr
Tong before locking in to close out the season, yes.

[GM Storm]

Thank you Mr. Swope. I am sure we will speak again soon.

An, would you have Mr. Christopher Chandler come to my office. I want to know if he would like to run it back next season on the same one year contract he was on this season.

[Talon]

Hey man.  Real truth right now.  I'm not sure if I'm playing next year or not. I was retiring last year before Mr. Tong convinced me to stay on, but right now I'm undecided.

[GM Storm]

Thank you for your honesty, sir. If I could make a personal plea I would point toward how much we were able to accomplish once I took over the team. Had I gotten here a few weeks earlier we might have made the playoffs and made a run to the Impact Bowl ourselves. If you decide to hang things up, I respect it and we'll make sure to honor your contributions to New Jersey. But if you ask me? 38 tackles, 10 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 16 knock downs and 30 hurries to go along with 4 forced fumbles? You've clearly still got it.

[Talon]

 

I don't doubt I can still ball, but the mini camps, the training camps, the grind.. Its been a long career. I just got to see if I want to do all that again.  Thanks boss.

[GM Storm]

No problem, Chris. I hope we see you back in a Dragons jersey but if this is where you decide to call it a career, it was a privilege to get to witness it first hand. Give your family my regards.

An, I believe I am ready to speak with your father.

[Talon]

GM Storm, I must say that I am impressed with how quickly you have adjusted to the HIFL world and the responsibilities of a general manager.   

You made the tough decision to start Kyle Wright at quarterback and you did so without offending Reginald Duke.  A feather in your rookie cap for certain.   

I believe this is the start of a very prosperous partnership.

[GM Storm]

Thank you, sir. But missing the playoffs is an unacceptable result from where I stand. One that I fully intend to rectify next season.

[Talon]

 

I have no doubt you will bring us back to the playoffs.   London's quarterback has a particular distain for our organization, I would like to see you find a way to shut down his talents when he plays against us.  Shutting his mouth is a goal I place nearly as high as winning the division.

[GM Storm]

Shutting his mouth or just having our young QB outduel him. Which brings me to what I wanted to ask you about. Mr. Swope is obviously a very talented defensive coach. Yet even with a talented defense we had difficulty stopping DC and London. I have all of the respect in the world for him, but the more I think about it the more I have wondered if he is like Reginald Duke and that it is time for him to hand the coaching responsibilities off to someone else. However, I did not want to make this decision without consulting you first and getting your thoughts.

[Talon]

 

I trust your judgement.  Mr. Swope is a legend, but if you believe there is a better option to find victory I will support you, but it will obviously put a bigger focus on your success or failures.

[GM Storm]

It is a tough decision but the Dragons have not made the playoffs since Season 13. If I do not get us to the playoffs by Season 19 I imagine that you will find a new General Manager.

I will inform him of this news. Thank you for trusting me enough to allow me to make this decision.

[Talon]

 

Until you prove otherwise, you have my trust.   Keep up your loyal work and we will be victorious.

[GM Storm]

Thank you, sir.

An, would you please inform Mr. Swope I need to speak with him.

[Talon]

Yes?

[GM Storm]

Mr. Swope, first let me thank you for your diligent efforts in service to the Dragons organization over the years. You have my utmost respect.

With that said, after a discussion with Mr. Tong and deep thought on my own part, I believe it is best that we part ways at this time. As you said when we first spoke after the season was over, your responsibility has been to build a team and staff that performs to expectations. Expectations that have not been met since Season 13. As such, I believe it is time for new leadership to accompany me in guiding this team into the future.

The House of the Dragon, and myself foremost, thank you for your service and wish you well in the future.

[Talon]

 

It is with great sorrow I accept your decision.  I will resign as head coach to save this great organization the expense of paying 50% of my salary the next two seasons.

I step down, effective immediately.

Thank you for telling me to my face, yes.

[GM Storm]

You are gracious even in difficult times. I will strive to carry your example forward and build on what you have started here. Again, I thank you for all that you have done for the Dragons and for guiding me through the early stages of my career here.

STORM STANDS, REACHING ACROSS HIS DESK TO OFFER THE COACH HIS HAND TO SHAKE

[Talon]

COACH SWOPE SHAKES HANDS WITH GM STORM BEFORE DEPARTING THE FACILITY.

[GM Storm]

I believe that is all of our business concluded, An. We are good to lock in, correct?

[Talon]

 

Yes sir.

[GM Storm]

Thank you.

Lock In

[Talon]

你 好, Here is our budget and roster outlook going into the off-season including what I have down for our draft picks.  Please contact me if you see anything out of place.