My All-Time Favorite Cowboys & Mavs Teams

My All-Time Favorite Cowboys & Mavs Teams

I was sitting here today thinking about Emmitt Smith and the glory days, and it got me to thinking that I've never mentioned who are all of my favorite guys. So...here it goes...

Quarterback: Troy Aikman (Though I cried when Staubach retired.)
Center: Mark Stepnoski
Guard: Larry Allen (Kevin Gogan in third. Larry Allen's that good.)
Guard : Nate Newton
Tackle: Mark Tuinei (Erik Williams in second.)
Tackle: Rayfield Wright
Fullback: Robert Newhouse (Moose in a close second)
Halfback: Emmitt Smith (With Tony D. backing him up)
Tight End: Jay Novacek (Billy Joe DuPree in a close second)
Wide Receiver: Drew Pearson
Wide Receiver: Michael Irvin
Kick Returner: "Bullet" Bob Hayes
Punt Returner: Kevin Williams

Defensive End: Charles Haley (Tony Tolbert in a close second)
Defensive End: Ed "Too Tall" Jones
Defensive Tackle: Bob Lilly (Russell Maryland in a close second)
Defensive Tackle: Randy White (Tony Casillas in a close second)
Linebacker: Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson
Linebacker: Ken Norton
Linebacker: Chuck Howley
Cornerback: Everson Walls (Kevin Smith in a close second)
Cornerback: Deion Sanders
Free Safety: Darren Woodson
Strong Safety: James Washington

Placekicker: Rafael Septien
Punter: Mike Saxon

Coach: Jimmy Johnson

And now my favorite Dallas Mavs team. Not as extensive...but here it goes...

Starting 5
G: Rolando Blackman #22
G: Michael Finley #4
C: Dirk Nowitzki #41
F: Roy Tarpley #42
F: Mark Aguirre #24

Second 5
G: Steve Nash #13
G: Jason Kidd #5
C: James Donaldson #40
F: Detlef Schrempf #32
F: Jamal Mashburn #32

Reserves:
Derek Harper #12, Nick Van Exel #43

Coach: Don Nelson
Owner: Mark Cuban

Two Points to Make

Time to pack it in...

This past weekend was bittersweet. One of my favorite Dallas Cowboys came back to Big D and played in Texas Stadium, however he wasn't wearing the customary silver and blue, but the foreign crimson and white of the visiting Arizona Cardinals. Emmitt Smith, Mr. Reliable, Mr. Cowboy, Mr. Character, Mr. Integrity, Mr. Everything...came back to Big D after talking big trash about the city's favorite sons, and much unlike he expected, he was humiliated, beaten and broken.

This past summer, Emmitt made comments about his last years with the Cowboys, that basically in a nutshell amounted to the fact that he felt as though he was a diamond surrounded by trash while playing for the Cowboys. Now, of course he went back and recanted his statements, and tried to make sense of what he said, but that's the beauty of language. Once you hear it once, that's pretty much how it's going to stay in your mind. So now, this man who meant so much to the city and county of Dallas, to the Cowboys Organization, to the Jones Family and to millions of fans all over the world, in a sense alienated himself at the very house that he helped to sustain, Texas Stadium.

I pity my hero. I pity him because he does not see what the rest of us do; that it's time for him to give it up and go. He's the all-time leading rusher, an NFL MVP, Super Bowl MVP, three time Super Bowl Champion, All-Pro, All-Madden, and still one of the most beloved figures in Dallas, but on Sunday there he lay helpless and seemingly lifeless as that very trash that he mentioned in the summer, stood over him while Texas Stadium cheered. This certified Hall of Famer laid resourceless on the new Texas Stadium turf, the same turf where he broke the rushing record. And for many young fans, who will not have the benefit of looking back at his past brilliance at Texas Stadium, the Vet in Philly, Candlestick Park in San Fran, or RFK in D.C., this will be their lasting impression of the very man who single-handedly helped to elevate the game with not only his play on the field, but his blemishlessly sterling life off the field.

The Emmitt I'll always remember will be the one in the Super Bowl XXVII parade in Downtown Dallas. The shy one sitting on the trunk of a convertible Vette, hugging his niece, tightly. The 'aw-shucks' guy from Florida. Our hero, our friend, our inspirator, our legend, our Emmitt.