THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 11, 1994 TAG: 9409110141
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C9 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: JIM DUCIBELLA
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
The Cowboys' signing of unknown Lindsay Chapman this week as backup to their most important player, running back Emmitt Smith, is yet another reminder of what's wrong with the NFL salary cap.
Take all the running backs available, Chapman would be one of the last a team going after a third straight Super Bowl would want to sign. No size. No experience. Cut by the Jets.
Before the cap, teams could buy quality backups. Now, they aren't allowed to afford them. Moreover, the cap strikes with a double-edged sword: If a first-stringer goes down, his salary still counts against the cap, preventing teams from replacing stars at similar prices.
The Cowboys lost valuable depth on their offensive and defensive lines in free agency. They have trained three backups in three years to quarterback Troy Aikman. In the past, the Cowboys might have been able to lure somebody like Neal Anderson out of retirement for the right price. If Emmitt went down, there'd be a bonafide 1,000-yard rusher behind him. Now, no way.
Trainers are more important than ever in keeping players healthy. Last year, Cowboys starters missed only eight games total, a league low and a statistic as important as Aikman's passes or Smith's runs.
CHATTING WITH CARDINALS QB STEVE BEUERLEIN:
Q: How has it been working with Buddy Ryan?
BEUERLEIN: ``So far so good. No punches thrown yet. It's been great.''
Q: What does Buddy add to the mix?
BEUERLEIN: ``Just the way Buddy does things breeds confidence in this team. We expect big things this year. We're not overconfident, but we expect to be ready to be a pretty darn good football team. I think he'll make a big difference that way in our attitude.''
Q: How much of a difference?
BEUERLEIN: ``I don't think it would be out of line to say we as a team don't feel we're too far away from where everybody wants to be. I'm not saying we feel like we're one of the top teams in the league - but I feel like we can be.
``There will be additions and subtractions along the way, but Buddy has had such a great history in personnel and making decisions that I think we're going to have an opportunity to get where we want to be.''
NFC NUGGETS: If Bears' rookie Jim Flanigan is ``the new Steve McMichael,'' as the team calls him, McMichael has some advice: ``I hope he can live up to it. If he lives up to it, he'll have a great career.'' ... The Vikings lost 16-10 last week in Green Bay when the offense didn't score a touchdown, and Warren Moon had three passes intercepted, two that bounced off the hands of receivers. ``They'll get another chance,'' Dennis Green says of the young culprits, Qadry Ismail and Jake Reed, who between them dropped six throws. ``But only one.'' ... New coach, same old problems for the Falcons, who thought they had harmony after June Jones succeeded Jerry Glanville. After the overtime loss in Pontiac last week, newly acquired Chris Doleman groused that he didn't want to play for a loser (``6-10, 0-16, whatever,'' he said) and Andre Rison ``guaranteed'' a win today without even knowing the opponent. ... One of quarterback Chris Miller's biggest concerns about returning to Atlanta today will be the Georgia Dome's artificial turf, on which he twice injured his left knee in the previous two seasons. Miller said playing on fake turf was one of the reasons he left Atlanta, where he had played for seven seasons, and signed with the Rams, who play on grass. ... Jimmy Johnson flabbergasted some folks with his cogent analysis on Fox of the Buddy Ryan-coached Arizona Cardinals: ``The Arizona Cardinals will be a major disappointment early in the season.'' Next day: Rams 14, Cards 12. ... Sure, Jimmy hates Buddy. But he's also right. ... Chicago is 11-4-1 in Philadelphia, having won last three games.
QUOTING: Jerry Rice, 49ers record-setting receiver: ``One thing I never told Joe (Montana). I never told Joe he was the greatest to ever play the game. And he was the best to ever play the game.''
MONTANA ON RETIREMENT: ``I know it's almost over and that's why I savor the time I have left to play. Put yourself in my place. Pick something you really enjoy doing and have someone say, `You're not gonna have it for the rest of your life.' Think of how you'd feel then.''
CARDINALS COACH BUDDY RYAN, ON 14-12 LOSS TO THE RAMS: ``That's the first time I've ever been beaten by a team that looked like it was trying to die.'' by CNB