The New Breed

by E. W., Brockton, MA

Last month, Emmitt Smith, running back for the Dallas Cowboys, signed a contract which ensures him $13.6 million for four years of playing football in the NFL. The star running back refused to play any games this year until he was offered that kind of money. Occurrences like this are becoming more and more frequent and, in my opinion, are ruining professional sports.

Being the most important player to the defending champion Cowboys, Emmitt felt that he deserved over $13 million. Because he missed the first two games of the season, Dallas and Emmitt may have lost their chance to win the title for the second straight year. Dallas' two losses to open the football season could have easily been eliminated if Emmitt accepted a contract which offered him less money. In last year's Super Bowl, the Dallas Cowboys appeared as though they were going to dominate the NFL in the upcoming years. Emmitt Smith's holdout has eliminated this thought in the minds of many football fans as his team is already trailing in the race to win the division.

Emmitt Smith is leading a whole new generation of athletes in the '90s. These athletes are those who won't compromise to play the game they love. Instead, they almost force the owners to pay them the extra millions they do not even need. Bring me the superstars of the early '80s like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird who did not hold out for the millions of dollars. These players gave their all to their respective sports and came away with many championship rings.