Notes, News: Aikman, Switzer put differences
behind them AUSTIN - Troy Aikman said after the Cowboys' win in Super Bowl XXX
that he was never as glad to see a season end as the one he had just finished.
The biggest reason why was his fractured relationship with head coach Barry
Switzer. The two have never seen eye-to-eye on how the team should be run
in Switzer's three years as the team's head coach.
Their relationship got so bad last season that the two hardly ever spoke
to one another except on the sidelines during games.
It reached a boiling point when former assistant coach John Blake went to
Switzer and told him that Aikman singled out black players to criticize
more than he did white players.
Aikman and Switzer held and loud and angry meeting shortly after Aikman
found out about the accusations, and the subject was the main topic of discussion
late in Super Bowl week.
But over the spring both quarterback and head coach have made attempts to
patch up the relationship, and on Tuesday - the eve of training camp - Switzer
admitted he mishandled the incident and that Aikman shouldn't have been
put in the position of defending himself.
All Switzer would say about the situation on Wednesday was, "That's
behind us. Enough said."
But after Thursday morning's first practice, Aikman had a few more things
to say.
"Barry and I met throughout the offseason and went over what happened,"
Aikman said. "We agreed to put it behind us and move forward.
"From my perspective it was important that he admit that (that he was
wrong)," Aikman continued. "I understand what occurred, and I
have my own thoughts about the way it should have been handled. But that's
behind us now."
Erstwhile wide receiver Deion Sanders has the best ride in training camp
with his Mercedes-style golf cart, complete with CD player, chrome bumpers,
leather seats and a mist air conditioner.
He and Emmitt Smith rode it onto the field before practice and rode out
together after practice.
Smith, who is normally one of the players that Cowboy fans scream for the
most, was relegated to sitting in the cart and watching Sanders sign numerous
autographs.
"The reception he's getting is great," Smith said of Sanders.
"It's all a part of being a Cowboy."
Emmitt Smith was a little reluctant to talk about his ongoing contract
negotiations Thursday afternoon, saying he would wait until a deal is on
the table.
Dallas owner Jerry Jones has said the talks between the Cowboys and Smith's
agent, Eugene Parker, are going well, but that no offers have been made.
Speculation has it that Smith's contract will be somewhere in the range
of five or six years for $25-30 million.
"I think the talks are going in the right direction," Smith said.
"Whatever Jerry says, goes. But right now I don't really want to talk
about it until an offer is on the table."
Wide receiver Stepfret Williams, the team's third-round draft pick out of Northeast Louisiana, signed a contract Thursday and practiced with the team in the afternoon. He was the last draftee who remained unsigned coming into camp. ... Emmitt Smith was asked about Herschel Walker's training regimen, as well as his diet which limits him to one meal per day. Smith, however, wasn't too impressed with that, saying that if "Herschel wants to just eat one meal a day, that's fine. I'm going to eat whenever I want to eat. And I'm a junk food junkie." ... If Dallas coaches wanted heat, they got it Thursday afternoon when the temperature reached 101, the humidity 40 percent and the heat index 112 degrees. Thursday morning's practice was relatively mild with readings of 85 (temperature), 75 percent (humidity) and 95 (heat index). ... The Cowboys practiced in front of an estimated 4,000 fans Thursday.