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EMMITT SMITH RETURNS TO DALLAS: After saying he felt like a "diamond surrounded by trash" during his last year in Dallas, Emmitt Smith signed with the Arizona Cardinals. When he returned to Dallas in 2003, the fans didn't hold a grudge. The stadium was filled with blue No. 22 jerseys, "Welcome Back" signs and another that read "Once a Cowboy, Always a Cowboy" 鈥?all fitting tributes for the man who set the NFL record for career rushing yards and helped the Cowboys win three Super Bowls. The game, at least for Smith, was forgettable. Six carries, minus-1 yards and a shoulder injury that knocked him out early in the second quarter. The Cowboys won 24-7.
RAVENS RETURN TO CLEVELAND: The NFL awarded Cleveland an expansion franchise to replace the Browns four years after Art Modell moved them to Baltimore. The Ravens' first trip to Cleveland, in 1999, was a chance for Browns fans to let the emotion pour out and Ravens coach Brian Billick didn't make anything better in the lead-up when he said the NFL wanted the Browns to win the game. They didn't. Baltimore cruised 41-9. Modell, a pariah in Cleveland, chose not to attend the game. Afterward, he said he was happy for the win, but "not because it's the Browns." The Ravens won their first of two Super Bowls a season later. Cleveland? Still waiting. |
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