Bayern Munich won two games in a row this week as they booked a spot in the German Cup semifinal.
Borussia Dortmund drew against Stuttgart and Bayern made up some lost ground. As second-placed Bayer Leverkusen and third-placed Hanover go head to head this week, Bayern will go up to third with a win over Werder. Last week, the demolition of FCK truly displayed the Jekyll and Hyde nature of Bayern.
They took the lead through Arjen Robben, and Mario Gomez scored a second to put them 2-0 up. However, the defence then fell asleep allowing FCK to come back into the match. Bayern looked nervous at 2-1. However, Gomez then scored two goals and Thomas Mueller added one at the closing stages to wrap up the match and take Bayern up to fourth spot in the Bundesliga table.
Dortmund found out this week that they will have to do without influential midfielder Shinji Kagawa for the rest of the season. Dortmund's profligacy in front of goal cost them against Stuttgart. Lucas Barrios' form is poor and Robert Lewandowski isn't putting away his chances either. Due to Barrios' fitness, there was a bit of a disagreement between Juergen Klopp and the Paraguyan. Barrios feels he is fit enough to start but Klopp disagrees.
Bayern's confidence was further boosted by a win over Alemannia Aachen. Gomez once again opened the scoring and Thomas Mueller put in a stellar performance. Mueller scored twice while substitute Robben added a late goal to send Bayern into the German Cup semi-finals. They will know their opponents on Sunday. Their opponents might be Duisburg, Energie Cottbus or Schalke. Uli Hoeness wants to play Schalke, a side his Bayern lost to not too long ago.
What conspired before the match against Alemannia was the talk amongst the media and the fans. Dutch midfielder, fan favourite and Bayern captain Mark Van Bommel said a painful goodbye to the club. Disagreements between him and Louis Van Gaal (who else?) apparently led to Van Bommel leaving Bayern. His contract at FCB was terminated and he joined AC Milan on a six-month deal. Van Bommel didn't produce his best this season but will surely be missed. He will perhaps be seen supporting Bayern at the San Siro in February. Who knows?
Edson Braafheid has also left Bayern for greener pastures. He has joined Hoffenheim. David Alaba is currently at Hoffenheim on a loan spell. The rumours of Diego Contento being sent on loan seems to be over. Bayern has been linked with a move for Juan Manuel Vargas. The move might not materialize as Fiorentina has firmly refused to allow Vargas to leave.
Werder Bremen is Bayern's next league opponent. They play the relegation-threatened Green and Whites at the Weser Stadium on Saturday. Bayern will be without the services of Toni Kroos, Ivica Olic, Diego Contento and Franck Ribery. Werder will have to do without Sebastian Boenisch, Christian Vander, Marko Arnautovic, Naldo, Daniel Jensen and Wesley. Tim Borowski has returned to the scene on the positive side.
Werder's poor defence has not been covered for by the offence this year. The offence has failed to produce since Mesut Ozil's sale to Real Madrid. Werder has purchased a Schalke youngster called Predrag Stevanovic. Could he be the next Ozil?
Bayern is playing too well to fail to beat Werder. A couple of goals from Mario Gomez and a masterclass by Robben seems to be on the cards in this one, despite Bayern's poor away form.
Showing posts with label More. Show all posts
Showing posts with label More. Show all posts
Friday, January 28, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Dallas: WE NEED MORE SUPER BOWL STRIPPERS!!!
It's stripper 911 down in Arlington, TX -- XXX clubs surrounding Cowboys Stadium are expecting so many patrons on Super Bowl weekend ... they're on the hunt for an additional 10,000 girls.
John Walsh -- the guy who runs Showtime Cabaret -- tells TMZ, his fine establishment employs 50 lovely ladies ... but he's in the market for another 100-120 lap dancers to get down for the big weekend -- STAT!
Walsh says all told ... the 60 clubs in Dallas' 30 Mile Zone need an additional 10,000 strippers.
Arlington city officials expect to host 300,000 visitors that weekend -- which puts the tourist to stripper ratio at around 30:1 ... not too shabby.
John Walsh -- the guy who runs Showtime Cabaret -- tells TMZ, his fine establishment employs 50 lovely ladies ... but he's in the market for another 100-120 lap dancers to get down for the big weekend -- STAT!
Walsh says all told ... the 60 clubs in Dallas' 30 Mile Zone need an additional 10,000 strippers.
Arlington city officials expect to host 300,000 visitors that weekend -- which puts the tourist to stripper ratio at around 30:1 ... not too shabby.
David Cook Becomes a More 'Confident' Songwriter for Second Album -- Exclusive Video
While some of his fellow 'American Idol' alums have struggled to carve out a successful career after the show, 2008 champion David Cook has made it look easy. The Blue Springs, Mo., singer-songwriter saw his debut album for RCA Records sell well over a million copies while garnering rave reviews from the music literati. In this PopEater exclusive, Cook invited us into Emblem Music recording studios in Calabasas, Calif., where he's working on his eagerly anticipated third album.
"Working with the talented people I did on the last album was really exciting. I definitely learned a lot from the process," Cook tells PopEater. On his yet-to-be titled follow-up album, the singer wrote with everyone from the husband and wife team of Raine Maida and Chantal Kreviazuk to OneRepublic vocalist Ryan Tedder. "I'm very confident in my own ability to write music, but I think anytime you can kind of bounce ideas off of other people -- you know, two heads are better than one, three heads are better than two, etc."
Tucked away in an unassuming Southern California suburb, Emblem Music studios doesn't look like the kind of place that has hosted recording sessions for rock royalty like Carlos Santana and Meat Loaf, at least from the outside. "They've done some great records here, haven't they?" gushed Cook as he pointed at the various platinum and gold plaques that lined the studio's walls. From the music PopEater heard during our visit there, we don't doubt that they'll have to make room for another plaque this year. Check out more from our exclusive video interview with Cook below.
"Working with the talented people I did on the last album was really exciting. I definitely learned a lot from the process," Cook tells PopEater. On his yet-to-be titled follow-up album, the singer wrote with everyone from the husband and wife team of Raine Maida and Chantal Kreviazuk to OneRepublic vocalist Ryan Tedder. "I'm very confident in my own ability to write music, but I think anytime you can kind of bounce ideas off of other people -- you know, two heads are better than one, three heads are better than two, etc."
Tucked away in an unassuming Southern California suburb, Emblem Music studios doesn't look like the kind of place that has hosted recording sessions for rock royalty like Carlos Santana and Meat Loaf, at least from the outside. "They've done some great records here, haven't they?" gushed Cook as he pointed at the various platinum and gold plaques that lined the studio's walls. From the music PopEater heard during our visit there, we don't doubt that they'll have to make room for another plaque this year. Check out more from our exclusive video interview with Cook below.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Wednesday Watch List: More Eyeliner On That Werewolf!
Welcome to Watch List, where we identify five things on TV to watch while you stay at home and prepare your response to the State of the Union address. Why didn’t the President say anything about the radiator sitting out in Mrs. Jessup’s front yard? You talk about damaging the country! LET’S GO!
FACEOFF – 10:00PM (SyFy – an NBC/Universal network) From the folks at SyFy comes this new reality competition that pits aspiring Hollywood makeup artists and special effects designers against one another. Because after “Project Runway” and “Top Chef,” where else can you go but to the subsegment of humanity that worships at the altar of Rick Baker? Tonight’s first challenge forces the artists to create a human/animal hybrid. Like Dr. Moreau, only REAL! Well, not real. But fake real, which is still kinda real. Also note this show’s logo. You can tell they were dying to stick a slash in between FACE and OFF, just like that Nic Cage movie. But that slash is proprietary. Nic owns that slash, people. ANTICIPATION: HEAVY MAKEUP!
THE TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO LIFE – 10:00PM (Travel Channel) This new Travel Channel series features random celebrities talking about their favorite travel experiences and getting to visit places you probably won’t. Included in tonight’s premiere episode are Buzz Aldrin, Andrew Zimmern, and the lady who plays Jan on “The Office.” Tell me she went somewhere with nude beaches. Nude beaches always sound so promising on paper. ANTICIPATION: NO PASSPORT NEEDED!
NOVA scienceNOW – 8:00PM (PBS) The most awkwardly titled PBS show in the universe takes a look at the possibility of living forever through computer avatars. If this means we’ll all turn blue and be featured in mildly racist James Cameron movies, you can count me out. But if it means we’ll all get to become CyberChrist, like at the end of “The Lawnmower Man,” I am DOWN. ANTICIPATION: CREEPY!
MY STRANGE ADDICTION – 9:00PM (TLC) My favorite show to look up in the guide features a woman who picks scabs off her body up to two hours a day (that sounds fun, actually), and a man who is in a serious relationship with a doll. It’s just like that Ryan Gosling movie, only no one thinks it’s cute and the guy looks NOTHING like Ryan Gosling. ANTICIPATION: DOUBLE CREEPY!
WHEN WOMEN KILL – 10:00PM (E!) When women kill, everything smells nice! And the bodies are arranged in a lovely star formation! And thank you notes are written within a week of the killing. Women are great like that. ANTICIPATION: MURRRRDER!
FACEOFF – 10:00PM (SyFy – an NBC/Universal network) From the folks at SyFy comes this new reality competition that pits aspiring Hollywood makeup artists and special effects designers against one another. Because after “Project Runway” and “Top Chef,” where else can you go but to the subsegment of humanity that worships at the altar of Rick Baker? Tonight’s first challenge forces the artists to create a human/animal hybrid. Like Dr. Moreau, only REAL! Well, not real. But fake real, which is still kinda real. Also note this show’s logo. You can tell they were dying to stick a slash in between FACE and OFF, just like that Nic Cage movie. But that slash is proprietary. Nic owns that slash, people. ANTICIPATION: HEAVY MAKEUP!
THE TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO LIFE – 10:00PM (Travel Channel) This new Travel Channel series features random celebrities talking about their favorite travel experiences and getting to visit places you probably won’t. Included in tonight’s premiere episode are Buzz Aldrin, Andrew Zimmern, and the lady who plays Jan on “The Office.” Tell me she went somewhere with nude beaches. Nude beaches always sound so promising on paper. ANTICIPATION: NO PASSPORT NEEDED!
NOVA scienceNOW – 8:00PM (PBS) The most awkwardly titled PBS show in the universe takes a look at the possibility of living forever through computer avatars. If this means we’ll all turn blue and be featured in mildly racist James Cameron movies, you can count me out. But if it means we’ll all get to become CyberChrist, like at the end of “The Lawnmower Man,” I am DOWN. ANTICIPATION: CREEPY!
MY STRANGE ADDICTION – 9:00PM (TLC) My favorite show to look up in the guide features a woman who picks scabs off her body up to two hours a day (that sounds fun, actually), and a man who is in a serious relationship with a doll. It’s just like that Ryan Gosling movie, only no one thinks it’s cute and the guy looks NOTHING like Ryan Gosling. ANTICIPATION: DOUBLE CREEPY!
WHEN WOMEN KILL – 10:00PM (E!) When women kill, everything smells nice! And the bodies are arranged in a lovely star formation! And thank you notes are written within a week of the killing. Women are great like that. ANTICIPATION: MURRRRDER!
Monday, January 24, 2011
MTV’s “Skins” Stripped of More Advertisers
Well, you can’t please everybody.
Following the heated controversy of MTV’s “Skins,” the American answer to the British show of the same name about teenagers exploring life, love, and recreational drug use, more advertisers are pulling out their commercials from the taboo show.
After Wrigley’s withdrew their commercials, companies like H&R Block and General Motors are taking out their content. The Parents Television Council has been on the warpath against the show, as it finds so much graphic content (42 depictions of illegal drugs and illicit sexual mentions in 41 minutes of the pilot) disturbing to MTV’s younger viewers. Melissa Henson, the Director of Communication and Public Education for the PTC, says that a large part has to do with the age of the actors involved.
“The key difference between “Skins” and a program like “Gossip Girl” is that [“Skins”] actually uses a very young cast, between the ages of 15 and 19," said Henson. "They have these high school kids in highly eroticized, highly sexualized positions."
The concern isn’t that kids watching the show will automatically begin partying to the nth degree, but rather that they absorb the behaviors they see on TV subconsciously. “Just by putting it on television makes it typical, makes it expected,” Henson said. “That’s not to say it factors into their decision-making process.”
Henson pointed out that older WB shows like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Dawson’s Creek” got a lot of publicity in their heyday, but it was more wholesome shows like “7th Heaven” that drew in stronger, more consistent ratings.
The PTC said in a statement on Saturday that they are encouraging more sponsors to take out their advertisements—among them, L’Oreal, Foot Locker, and Schick Hydro.
The end result, ultimately, is for parents to be aware of what their teens are watching. “It’s important that parents know what’s out there,” Henson said. “Beyond that, I hope that MTV gets the message that they’ve gone too far in this series.
"We also are hopeful that advertisers will get the message that they will be held responsible by the content that was made possible by their ad dollars.”
Following the heated controversy of MTV’s “Skins,” the American answer to the British show of the same name about teenagers exploring life, love, and recreational drug use, more advertisers are pulling out their commercials from the taboo show.
After Wrigley’s withdrew their commercials, companies like H&R Block and General Motors are taking out their content. The Parents Television Council has been on the warpath against the show, as it finds so much graphic content (42 depictions of illegal drugs and illicit sexual mentions in 41 minutes of the pilot) disturbing to MTV’s younger viewers. Melissa Henson, the Director of Communication and Public Education for the PTC, says that a large part has to do with the age of the actors involved.
“The key difference between “Skins” and a program like “Gossip Girl” is that [“Skins”] actually uses a very young cast, between the ages of 15 and 19," said Henson. "They have these high school kids in highly eroticized, highly sexualized positions."
The concern isn’t that kids watching the show will automatically begin partying to the nth degree, but rather that they absorb the behaviors they see on TV subconsciously. “Just by putting it on television makes it typical, makes it expected,” Henson said. “That’s not to say it factors into their decision-making process.”
Henson pointed out that older WB shows like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Dawson’s Creek” got a lot of publicity in their heyday, but it was more wholesome shows like “7th Heaven” that drew in stronger, more consistent ratings.
The PTC said in a statement on Saturday that they are encouraging more sponsors to take out their advertisements—among them, L’Oreal, Foot Locker, and Schick Hydro.
The end result, ultimately, is for parents to be aware of what their teens are watching. “It’s important that parents know what’s out there,” Henson said. “Beyond that, I hope that MTV gets the message that they’ve gone too far in this series.
"We also are hopeful that advertisers will get the message that they will be held responsible by the content that was made possible by their ad dollars.”
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Natalie Portman Offended by Girly Cliches, Wants More 'Female Friendly' Films
Natalie Portman is known in Hollywood for choosing her roles with care. And up until 'No Strings Attached,' the 29-year-old has largely avoided anything that could be considered a "chick flick."
"I've always wanted to do [a romantic comedy]," she tells EW.com. "But the girls are always in fashion, and it's always about their clothes. They always want to get married at the end. There's some kind of makeover scene. That stuff offends me."
But Portman says her new film with costar Ashton Kutcher is an intelligent, female perspective on the played out girl-falls-head-over-heels-for-guy cliche. "My character is a woman who's working, who's trying to create her own construct for relationships, who's funny herself-- and isn't just the girlfriend of a funny guy," she says.
In 'No Strings Attached', Portman plays a doctor who chooses to have a sex-only relationship with Kutcher's character, a TV writer. The actress says the movie's screenwriter Liz Meriwether "writes women so specifically and smartly."
The soon-to-be new mom and recently engaged star is also in the process of developing more female friendly comedies through her own production company. Portman's producing partner, Annette Savitch, says, "We want to do movies that are female driven, from a frresher perspective. So if it's a comedy, it's not just about women out to find husbands. I think that's really lacking today."
"I've always wanted to do [a romantic comedy]," she tells EW.com. "But the girls are always in fashion, and it's always about their clothes. They always want to get married at the end. There's some kind of makeover scene. That stuff offends me."
But Portman says her new film with costar Ashton Kutcher is an intelligent, female perspective on the played out girl-falls-head-over-heels-for-guy cliche. "My character is a woman who's working, who's trying to create her own construct for relationships, who's funny herself-- and isn't just the girlfriend of a funny guy," she says.
In 'No Strings Attached', Portman plays a doctor who chooses to have a sex-only relationship with Kutcher's character, a TV writer. The actress says the movie's screenwriter Liz Meriwether "writes women so specifically and smartly."
The soon-to-be new mom and recently engaged star is also in the process of developing more female friendly comedies through her own production company. Portman's producing partner, Annette Savitch, says, "We want to do movies that are female driven, from a frresher perspective. So if it's a comedy, it's not just about women out to find husbands. I think that's really lacking today."
Monday, January 17, 2011
B/R Exclusive: Emmitt Smith Talks Cowboys, Jason Garrett, Jerry Jones and More
This is the second installment of an exclusive Bleacher Report interview with NFL Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith. Smith played on three Super Bowl championship teams and is the NFL's all-time leading rusher.
I asked Emmitt to talk about the Dallas Cowboys.
Was Jason Garrett a good hire?
Does Jerry Jones know what he is doing as general manager?
Will Deion Sanders and Charles Haley join teammates Emmitt, Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
Emmitt has opinions, and we've got them right here.
[Note: I have truncated the interview for ease of reading and flow. The entire interview is available in an audio file at the end of this article.]
Bleacher Report: Troy (Aikman) and Michael (Irvin) have already weighed in on Jason Garrett. They both seem to be pretty excited about him as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. What are your feelings on it?
Emmitt Smith: I am excited for Jason, also. What I love is, by watching the Cowboys last five or six games of the season, I saw a different team. I know he implemented a couple of changes to the practice schedule and I think it paid off.
It showed up in the areas where the Cowboys ran the ball very...um, well, I am not going to say very effectively, but they ran the ball better. Offensively, they started cutting down on some of the penalties. Defensively, they started getting turnovers, which is also important. And they started playing competitive football, which is most important.
Give Jason Garrett a whole year to make his demands and expectations known to the team, in terms of the offseason training program and the in-season training program, and get them to buy into that, I think you will see a very different football team.
One thing I can say about the Dallas Cowboys: They have always had talent around them. They have been one of the most talented football teams in all of football. With this type of focus and commitment from Jason Garrett, I think they can turn it around fairly quickly.
B/R: Do you think Jerry Jones will give him the kind of authority and freedom to do the things he wants to do and implement what needs to be done in order to succeed?
Emmitt: Well, we are talking about the difference between drafting players and running the football operations and implementing your gameplan for practice schedules and those kinds of things. I think Jerry is more likely to afford Jason the opportunity to run the practice facilities and expectations of the team the way he likes, but I still believe...Jerry has a whole lot to say about the players that he brings in.
That's not a problem, by the way. Think about it: I just said the Cowboys are one of the most talented football teams in all of football. Somebody had to bring that talent in.
B/R: So, you don't think talent evaluation is a real issue?
Emmitt: I think his talent evaluation has been excellent. It's been spot on in a lot of cases. Yeah, he may have made some mistakes here and there, but for the most part he has done well.
Emmitt did not mention the influence of Bill Parcells on the current roster. It was Parcells who found the undrafted Tony Romo and drafted perennial Pro Bowlers Jason Witten and DeMarcus Ware.
B/R: Speaking of talent evaluation, we are looking at a top-nine draft pick. What area would you like to see them focus on?
Emmitt: Um... (Pause.)
B/R: Or, is that more about taking the best player available at that point?
Emmitt: I think I would make a trade to try and get some more picks. Go down, you know, just to pick up a couple of extra second or third round picks...I think the Cowboys need to focus on some young ball-hawkers, meaning defensive players—secondary guys, safeties, linebackers, et cetera. But I (also) think we need to upgrade somewhere in our interior (offensive) line.
B/R: What about the running back situation? Are you comfortable with where it is?
Emmitt: I think that the trio is pretty solid, but the Cowboys need to figure out who's going to be No. 1, who's going to be No. 2 and then make a decision on the third back. If Marion (Barber) is your No. 3, can you get a cheaper No. 3, but an effective No. 3?
B/R: You and Troy and Michael are all in the Hall of Fame now. We have two more Cowboys from that era among the finalists this year: Charles Haley and Deion Sanders. Seems like Sanders ought to be a shoo-in, what do you think?
Emmitt: I agree. If there is a lock in the group, it ought to be Deion.
B/R: What about Charles Haley? Does he belong in the Hall of Fame and do you think he will get there?
Emmitt: Yes, he belongs in the Hall of Fame. The Dude's got five rings. He was a force to be dealt with in the National Football League. He deserves to be there. Will he get in? He probably gets snubbed because of the media.
B/R: Because of the perception of character issues and things like that?
Emmitt: Yeah, but the game is not predicated upon character issues. We all got flaws. Some have been exposed more than others.
Charles Haley was a difficult character to deal with for teammates, coaches and opponents. To my knowledge, however, he never ran afoul of the law. Since his playing career, he has been diagnosed with a bipolar disorder and now takes medication for it.
B/R: What other Cowboys from that era would you put into the Hall of Fame?
Emmitt: That's a good question. Larry Allen should be coming up.
B/R: He should be a first-ballot selection, shouldn't he?
Emmitt: Yeah. Drew Pearson should go in.
I am with Emmitt on that one. Drew Pearson was a game-changer with numbers very similar to those of the Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Famer Lynn Swann, Pearson's contemporary and opponent in two of the best Super Bowls ever played.
Drew Pearson was the Cowboys' original No. 88 playmaker.
B/R: What about Darren Woodson? Do you think he will ever be a consideration?
Emmitt: He might be up for consideration. I just don't know if he will get in. I would love to see as many Cowboys get in as possible, but you know how that is.
For the record, offensive guard/tackle Larry Allen was an 11-time Pro Bowl player and was named to the All-Pro team six times in his 14-year career. Darren Woodson played strong safety for the Dallas Cowboys for 12 seasons. He was named to five Pro Bowls and was All-Pro three times. Woodson was a key defensive player on three Super Bowl-winning teams.
Drew Pearson was named to the all-'70s NFL team.
None of these players have found their way into the Cowboys' Ring of Honor yet. They really only need one vote for that.
I am looking at you, Jerry Jones.
This Emmitt Smith interview was brought to you courtesy of Hershey's and their Pro Football Hall of Fame Sweepstakes.
I asked Emmitt to talk about the Dallas Cowboys.
Was Jason Garrett a good hire?
Does Jerry Jones know what he is doing as general manager?
Will Deion Sanders and Charles Haley join teammates Emmitt, Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
Emmitt has opinions, and we've got them right here.
[Note: I have truncated the interview for ease of reading and flow. The entire interview is available in an audio file at the end of this article.]
Bleacher Report: Troy (Aikman) and Michael (Irvin) have already weighed in on Jason Garrett. They both seem to be pretty excited about him as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. What are your feelings on it?
Emmitt Smith: I am excited for Jason, also. What I love is, by watching the Cowboys last five or six games of the season, I saw a different team. I know he implemented a couple of changes to the practice schedule and I think it paid off.
It showed up in the areas where the Cowboys ran the ball very...um, well, I am not going to say very effectively, but they ran the ball better. Offensively, they started cutting down on some of the penalties. Defensively, they started getting turnovers, which is also important. And they started playing competitive football, which is most important.
Give Jason Garrett a whole year to make his demands and expectations known to the team, in terms of the offseason training program and the in-season training program, and get them to buy into that, I think you will see a very different football team.
One thing I can say about the Dallas Cowboys: They have always had talent around them. They have been one of the most talented football teams in all of football. With this type of focus and commitment from Jason Garrett, I think they can turn it around fairly quickly.
B/R: Do you think Jerry Jones will give him the kind of authority and freedom to do the things he wants to do and implement what needs to be done in order to succeed?
Emmitt: Well, we are talking about the difference between drafting players and running the football operations and implementing your gameplan for practice schedules and those kinds of things. I think Jerry is more likely to afford Jason the opportunity to run the practice facilities and expectations of the team the way he likes, but I still believe...Jerry has a whole lot to say about the players that he brings in.
That's not a problem, by the way. Think about it: I just said the Cowboys are one of the most talented football teams in all of football. Somebody had to bring that talent in.
B/R: So, you don't think talent evaluation is a real issue?
Emmitt: I think his talent evaluation has been excellent. It's been spot on in a lot of cases. Yeah, he may have made some mistakes here and there, but for the most part he has done well.
Emmitt did not mention the influence of Bill Parcells on the current roster. It was Parcells who found the undrafted Tony Romo and drafted perennial Pro Bowlers Jason Witten and DeMarcus Ware.
B/R: Speaking of talent evaluation, we are looking at a top-nine draft pick. What area would you like to see them focus on?
Emmitt: Um... (Pause.)
B/R: Or, is that more about taking the best player available at that point?
Emmitt: I think I would make a trade to try and get some more picks. Go down, you know, just to pick up a couple of extra second or third round picks...I think the Cowboys need to focus on some young ball-hawkers, meaning defensive players—secondary guys, safeties, linebackers, et cetera. But I (also) think we need to upgrade somewhere in our interior (offensive) line.
B/R: What about the running back situation? Are you comfortable with where it is?
Emmitt: I think that the trio is pretty solid, but the Cowboys need to figure out who's going to be No. 1, who's going to be No. 2 and then make a decision on the third back. If Marion (Barber) is your No. 3, can you get a cheaper No. 3, but an effective No. 3?
B/R: You and Troy and Michael are all in the Hall of Fame now. We have two more Cowboys from that era among the finalists this year: Charles Haley and Deion Sanders. Seems like Sanders ought to be a shoo-in, what do you think?
Emmitt: I agree. If there is a lock in the group, it ought to be Deion.
B/R: What about Charles Haley? Does he belong in the Hall of Fame and do you think he will get there?
Emmitt: Yes, he belongs in the Hall of Fame. The Dude's got five rings. He was a force to be dealt with in the National Football League. He deserves to be there. Will he get in? He probably gets snubbed because of the media.
B/R: Because of the perception of character issues and things like that?
Emmitt: Yeah, but the game is not predicated upon character issues. We all got flaws. Some have been exposed more than others.
Charles Haley was a difficult character to deal with for teammates, coaches and opponents. To my knowledge, however, he never ran afoul of the law. Since his playing career, he has been diagnosed with a bipolar disorder and now takes medication for it.
B/R: What other Cowboys from that era would you put into the Hall of Fame?
Emmitt: That's a good question. Larry Allen should be coming up.
B/R: He should be a first-ballot selection, shouldn't he?
Emmitt: Yeah. Drew Pearson should go in.
I am with Emmitt on that one. Drew Pearson was a game-changer with numbers very similar to those of the Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Famer Lynn Swann, Pearson's contemporary and opponent in two of the best Super Bowls ever played.
Drew Pearson was the Cowboys' original No. 88 playmaker.
B/R: What about Darren Woodson? Do you think he will ever be a consideration?
Emmitt: He might be up for consideration. I just don't know if he will get in. I would love to see as many Cowboys get in as possible, but you know how that is.
For the record, offensive guard/tackle Larry Allen was an 11-time Pro Bowl player and was named to the All-Pro team six times in his 14-year career. Darren Woodson played strong safety for the Dallas Cowboys for 12 seasons. He was named to five Pro Bowls and was All-Pro three times. Woodson was a key defensive player on three Super Bowl-winning teams.
Drew Pearson was named to the all-'70s NFL team.
None of these players have found their way into the Cowboys' Ring of Honor yet. They really only need one vote for that.
I am looking at you, Jerry Jones.
This Emmitt Smith interview was brought to you courtesy of Hershey's and their Pro Football Hall of Fame Sweepstakes.
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