11/05/24
February 27, 2003
If Emmitt Smith extends his NFL-record 17,162 rushing yards, it won't be with the Dallas Cowboys. One of the last ties to the team that won three Super Bowls (safety Darren Woodson is the last), Smith was reportedly offered an NFL-minimum salary for a 14-year vet and turned it down.
rcade - I don't know much about the Cowboys and especially the "terms" (if any exist) of the relationship between Jones and Parcells especially where Parcells is concerned. Do you think that a weaker coach than Parcells might have had to acquiesce to Jones if in fact Jones would have been willing to keep Smith? It's interesting between Parcells has always been a veteran first guy, but Parcells has always insisted on authority over these types of decisions. As for Smith's feelings, he is going to have to take less money regardless, he should have done his farewell tour in the Big D.
posted by vito90 at 02:39 PM on February 27, 2003
rcade, I think you will be proven wrong as long as he gets to run behind a decent line. Smith had the motor this season, but the coaching staff kept the brakes on him. I think part of it was to make sure he broke the record at home, part of it was to test out Troy Hambrick (who is a wet sack of poo and never shows anything like the toughness and grit that Emmitt showed throughout his whole career--and this ain't baseball or basketball where toughness and grit is a synonym for "white", this is football where toughness means first downs, wins and Super Bowl rings) and I think part of it was to set up the justification for this release which was fait accompli before last season even started. that said, I have a hard time blaming Jones. The salary cap makes it tough to compete. Of course, Emmitt Smith in 5 years will still be worth twice as much as Jeff Robinson.
posted by pastepotpete at 04:02 PM on February 27, 2003
Speaking of Parcells being a "veteran" guy, I heard a rumor today that Parcells wants Vinnie Testaverdi in Dallas for a year or two but that the Jets are saying no way...at least for now.
posted by Mookieproof at 04:24 PM on February 27, 2003
I disagree about Troy Hambrick; I got to see Jacksonville visit Dallas this year, and he's got a lot of potential. He gets a bad rap from Cowboys fans because he said a few things to the press about wanting to start. I'm eager to see what Woody Dantzler can do with more opportunities in the backfield. He's an exciting player with serious jets. Parcells' lack of public participation in the Smith decision is bizarre. I can't imagine a bigger off-season call than this one, and yet Parcells and Jones want the public to believe it was entirely the work of the owner. No freaking way is that possible.
posted by rcade at 04:33 PM on February 27, 2003
this ain't baseball or basketball where toughness and grit is a synonym for "white", this is football where toughness means first downs, wins and Super Bowl rings racism is cool
posted by kjh at 05:28 PM on February 27, 2003
KJH: I think that was his point; white athletes in baseball and hoops get credited for intangibles like "grit" because the tangible measurements of success are color blind.
posted by rcade at 07:32 AM on February 28, 2003
In our quest for an alternative energy source to ween our nation off oil and fossil fuels, we should study Emmitt Smith's legs. And we might want to study his body in our quest for the next generation of non-stick cookware. (I never liked him because he was a Cowboy, and thus an accessory to PURE EVIL. But still, to see him in another uniform will be just weird. Of course, I'm used to it in the NFL -- Montana in a Chiefs jersey, Rice in an Oakland jersey, Thomas in a Dolphins jersey, and Smith in a Redskins jersey have made things pretty clear. But it's still something of a shame.)
posted by Jaquandor at 10:16 AM on February 28, 2003
I will miss Emmitt being a Cowboy. The guy is quite a class act. The way the press conference was handled yesterday was proof of that. I also thought it quite strange that Parcells was not at the press conference, except in an effort to make clear that the decision was just between Jerry and Emmitt. Like rcade said, No freaking way.
posted by pfuller at 12:57 PM on February 28, 2003
sum it up this way: I hate the Cowboys, but I love Emmitt Smith. The man will go somewhere, be the feature back for a year or two, top a thousand yards twice and head home. And the Cowboys will be better served playing a young back and gearing up for actually winning some games a few years down the road.
posted by wfrazerjr at 04:22 PM on February 28, 2003
white athletes in baseball and hoops get credited for intangibles like "grit" because the tangible measurements of success are color blind. i guess you talk sports with a less savory crowd than i do
posted by kjh at 07:25 PM on March 01, 2003
racism is cool my sentence was poorly worded, thanks for the helpful sarcasm, kjh! as always rcade makes sense of the insensible...
posted by pastepotpete at 12:59 PM on March 05, 2003
As a Cowboys fan, I hate the idea of seeing 22 in another uniform. I expect he'll sign on with Jacksonville (under former teammate Jack Del Rio) or Tampa. However, I can't blame Jerry Jones or Bill Parcells for letting him go if he wouldn't take $755,000 and a backup role. I'd love to be proven wrong, but he doesn't have the motor to be a starter any more.