From a Dallas Morning News reporter.
Do Cards really have Smith on speed dial?
Emmitt in Arizona has the look of a win-win deal for player, hard-luck franchise
By Kevin Sherrington
Saturday, March 8, 2003
Arizona is agog, and not over its new tenants in Surprise, either. Nothing personal, but it's hard for the locals to get too worked up over the Kansas City Royals' suitemates, the brave new Texas Rangers.
Now No. 22, that's different.
That's the 22 with 17,162 yards behind it -- the NFL's all-time leading rusher.
Here he comes now . . . a desert mirage, maybe, or could it be . . . Emmitt Smith in Cardinal red and white?
Oh, say it ain't so.
Not yet, it ain't. But the prospects seem almost unconscionable, like, well . . . Michael Jordan playing for the Wizards.
Smith's career isn't even cold in Dallas, and next week he'll be in the Arizona sunshine talking to the Cardinals about taking Marcel Shipp's job.
One month, Emmitt's presenting Jerry Jones with his No. 22. The next, Emmitt's asking Duane Starks for his?
Makes you wonder if this is the punch line to last week's news conference.
"If you think this is a ploy to sell tickets, you're right," said Rod Graves, VP of football operations.
Bad enough when Jerry Jones was using Emmitt's packaged and processed pursuit of the rushing record to sell tickets. But "Dollar" Bill Bidwill getting rich off a Cowboys legend?
Not that it's anything new. The largest crowd in Cardinals history was a game against the Cowboys.
Every time the Cowboys play in Tempe, you can hardly find Cardinals fans for all the silver and blue.
Emmitt would sell tickets, no question. He'd help other ways, too, particularly after Jake Plummer and David Boston left the Cardinals for other teams Wednesday.
"They have to overcome the perception that they're cheap," Dale Hellestrae said.
Hellestrae, the Cowboys' old deep snapper, lives in Scottsdale, Ariz., and knows all about the Cardinals' reputation and how it has beaten down the locals.
Even Sun Devil Stadium is a source of embarrassment. One fan called into Hellestrae's radio show this week and asked if it was a good idea for the Cardinals to take free agents on tours.
"Players don't care if there aren't any backs on the seats when they look at a stadium," Hellestrae said. "They don't care if there aren't enough women's bathrooms.
"But they care if the weather's nice, and there's grass on the field."
A soft cushion for 34-year-old feet and knees would be inviting. Hellestrae hopes to find out what else might entice Emmitt when he gets him on his radio show this week.
As it is, he figures his old teammate probably wants decent money, meaning a couple million a year, at least. He'll want to start, too.
You'd think winning was important. As of yet, it doesn't appear that any club with better prospects is offering what Emmitt apparently wants.
"I have a feeling that 20,000 yards is a big deal with him," Hellestrae said.
Imagine that: Arizona gets a guy who puts fannies in the backless seats, and Emmitt gets a better offensive line and a chance to put some distance between himself and any pretenders.
Of course, Emmitt could just be using the Cardinals to drive up his asking price elsewhere.
Or maybe playing for Arizona doesn't seem as crazy to him as it would to Cowboys fans. Maybe he figures he brings enough credibility to offset the shock.
Graves figures he could. Hellestrae, too. He said the reason the Cowboys used to be so good was because they worked so hard, and the best players worked the hardest.
"When Dallas started to fall apart was when they brought in guys that wanted to do it differently," he said.
Can't imagine that'll be the problem under Bill Parcells. Odd, isn't it, that they'll return to that ethic without one of the guys who helped create the standard?
But no more odd than Emmitt Smith in Cardinal red and white.
"Yeah," Hellestrae conceded, "it'd be weird."
Still, even legends change teams. Jerry Rice crossed the bay. Broadway Joe Namath bellied up in L.A.
Johnny Unitas beached in San Diego.
These things happen. But it doesn't mean the Cowboys have to just sit back and take it while old rivals siphon off their legacies.
Hey, Jerry: How about getting Barry Sanders, and two years in a row you get to promote a guy trying to break the rushing record?
Better question: You figure the Cardinals have Troy Aikman's number?
Kevin Sherrington writes for The Dallas Morning News.
Do Cards really have Smith on speed dial?
Emmitt in Arizona has the look of a win-win deal for player, hard-luck franchise
By Kevin Sherrington
Saturday, March 8, 2003
Arizona is agog, and not over its new tenants in Surprise, either. Nothing personal, but it's hard for the locals to get too worked up over the Kansas City Royals' suitemates, the brave new Texas Rangers.
Now No. 22, that's different.
That's the 22 with 17,162 yards behind it -- the NFL's all-time leading rusher.
Here he comes now . . . a desert mirage, maybe, or could it be . . . Emmitt Smith in Cardinal red and white?
Oh, say it ain't so.
Not yet, it ain't. But the prospects seem almost unconscionable, like, well . . . Michael Jordan playing for the Wizards.
Smith's career isn't even cold in Dallas, and next week he'll be in the Arizona sunshine talking to the Cardinals about taking Marcel Shipp's job.
One month, Emmitt's presenting Jerry Jones with his No. 22. The next, Emmitt's asking Duane Starks for his?
Makes you wonder if this is the punch line to last week's news conference.
"If you think this is a ploy to sell tickets, you're right," said Rod Graves, VP of football operations.
Bad enough when Jerry Jones was using Emmitt's packaged and processed pursuit of the rushing record to sell tickets. But "Dollar" Bill Bidwill getting rich off a Cowboys legend?
Not that it's anything new. The largest crowd in Cardinals history was a game against the Cowboys.
Every time the Cowboys play in Tempe, you can hardly find Cardinals fans for all the silver and blue.
Emmitt would sell tickets, no question. He'd help other ways, too, particularly after Jake Plummer and David Boston left the Cardinals for other teams Wednesday.
"They have to overcome the perception that they're cheap," Dale Hellestrae said.
Hellestrae, the Cowboys' old deep snapper, lives in Scottsdale, Ariz., and knows all about the Cardinals' reputation and how it has beaten down the locals.
Even Sun Devil Stadium is a source of embarrassment. One fan called into Hellestrae's radio show this week and asked if it was a good idea for the Cardinals to take free agents on tours.
"Players don't care if there aren't any backs on the seats when they look at a stadium," Hellestrae said. "They don't care if there aren't enough women's bathrooms.
"But they care if the weather's nice, and there's grass on the field."
A soft cushion for 34-year-old feet and knees would be inviting. Hellestrae hopes to find out what else might entice Emmitt when he gets him on his radio show this week.
As it is, he figures his old teammate probably wants decent money, meaning a couple million a year, at least. He'll want to start, too.
You'd think winning was important. As of yet, it doesn't appear that any club with better prospects is offering what Emmitt apparently wants.
"I have a feeling that 20,000 yards is a big deal with him," Hellestrae said.
Imagine that: Arizona gets a guy who puts fannies in the backless seats, and Emmitt gets a better offensive line and a chance to put some distance between himself and any pretenders.
Of course, Emmitt could just be using the Cardinals to drive up his asking price elsewhere.
Or maybe playing for Arizona doesn't seem as crazy to him as it would to Cowboys fans. Maybe he figures he brings enough credibility to offset the shock.
Graves figures he could. Hellestrae, too. He said the reason the Cowboys used to be so good was because they worked so hard, and the best players worked the hardest.
"When Dallas started to fall apart was when they brought in guys that wanted to do it differently," he said.
Can't imagine that'll be the problem under Bill Parcells. Odd, isn't it, that they'll return to that ethic without one of the guys who helped create the standard?
But no more odd than Emmitt Smith in Cardinal red and white.
"Yeah," Hellestrae conceded, "it'd be weird."
Still, even legends change teams. Jerry Rice crossed the bay. Broadway Joe Namath bellied up in L.A.
Johnny Unitas beached in San Diego.
These things happen. But it doesn't mean the Cowboys have to just sit back and take it while old rivals siphon off their legacies.
Hey, Jerry: How about getting Barry Sanders, and two years in a row you get to promote a guy trying to break the rushing record?
Better question: You figure the Cardinals have Troy Aikman's number?
Kevin Sherrington writes for The Dallas Morning News.
