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CNN Sunday Morning

Football Season Gets Under Way

Aired August 04, 2002 - 07:35   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LARRY SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: Once again, though, the football season is here and hey, it's about time for some of us, right? Pre-season action again is already under way. It got under way last night, as the Washington Redskins played the San Francisco 49ers in Osaka, Japan, the two teams squaring off in that football tradition rich town. Right? Yes, I'm sure the sports bars over there were packed for this one.

The debut of Steve Spurrier, the long time Florida Gators Coach, making his NFL debut. And it was a good game for him. 38 to 7, the final score. Washington beating San Francisco in that game. Pretty good game we managed to watch before I had to get some sleep to join you this morning.

Speaking of joining us this morning, CNN's Sports reporter Josie Karp is in our New York bureau. And Josie, good morning. Thanks for waking up early for us.

JOSIE KARP, CNN SPORTS: Well, waking up early, it's Sunday, it's football season, who can sleep in?

SMITH: That's right, exactly. And it is football season. And speaking of, Steve Spurrier. I know you saw some of the game last night. It looked like Florida University -- University of Florida North. I mean all these Gator names running around and passing offense. So far, so good for Steve Spurrier.

KARP: Yes, so far, so good. One pre-season game, everyone will tell you that the pre-season means absolutely nothing, but just in general, looking at the Redskins, they didn't win a single pre-season game last year, so it's a much better start. And I think it's appropriate that Steve Spurrier was involved in this first pre-season game because he is one of the biggest stories of this NFL season. Everyone wants to know if he's going to be able to transfer that college run and gun fun style to the NFL.

But the bigger question is who's going to be his quarterback? Last night, the starter was a guy named Sage Rosenfeld, a second year player who didn't get into a single regular season game last year. And the plan right now, according to Spurrier is to have Shane Matthews, who was just acquired this season, last played with the Chicago Bears, to start the next game, and then Danny Wuerrfel, his favorite quarterback from the University of Florida, start the third pre-season game. There's another person who figures into the whole quarterback mix, and that's the two lane quarterback, Patrick Ramsey, but he's not in camp yet. He was the draft pick of the Redskins not signed. So here was the perfect opportunity for him to come in and really compete for a job because there's no clear-cut quarterback right now. And he's not here. He can't compete for it.

SMITH: In fact, I think that -- reading somewhere this morning, I think he could be also maybe about to sign when they come back from Japan.

So maybe he could be coming in soon, I guess. But moving on though, another huge story this year is Emmett Smith. He's about to surpass Walter Payton as the NFL's all-time leading rusher. Where does -- how does he compare with sweetness?

KARP: Well, I think it's really interesting. Walter Payton such a reputation. I mean, he had the nickname. He was sweetness. But Emmett Smith is a guy who because he played with Troy Aikman and he played with Michael Irvin, maybe never really got the attention and the accolades that he necessarily deserved. And he's certainly going to get them in the coming months because he's on pace, probably in the sixth or seventh game of this season to become the NFL's all-time leading rusher.

And he's been saying during this training camp that he's humbled, he's honored by the thought that he's going to assume that position, really take it from Walter Payton. He also said that he hopes that Walter Payton's surviving family members will be in attendance when he does break that record. And another reason, just going back to why maybe Emmett Smith hasn't necessarily been always looked at as the preeminent runningback, during his time and during history is the way that he runs. So many of his yards were gained between the tackles. He didn't cut back or run across the field, go for 75 yards. He had a lot of hard, five, six, seven yard runs. And his strength and durability are really the defining characteristics of Emmett Smith.

SMITH: Well, tell me this, you know, Walter Payton some feel that Jim Brown still is the greatest runningback of all time. Payton would be not getting his due in that respect. Will it be different then for Emmett or you don't think so, I guess?

KARP: No, I don't think it will be any different from Emmett, just because you also have to look at the fact that there are people out there saying, well, if Barry Sanders hadn't retired, he'd probably already would have broken this record and Emmett Smith wouldn't have had the opportunity. But I think that's what makes it so fun to look at these guys, to compare them. I don't think -- unlike in basketball, where there's so many people that will say, "Michael Jordan was the greatest player of all-time." Just that runningback position in football, it's one of the great debates.

SMITH: It really is. One more question for you. Heat related changes. The tragic death last year of the Vikings great tackle, Corey Stringer. We've already seen this week the St. Louis Rams are going to move three practices to night-time under portable lighting. Any other changes of significance that the NFL has made to address this problem?

KARP: Well, Larry, the NFL hasn't mandated any significant changes, although a memo was sent out on July 11 from the league two teams about heat related guidelines, but the NFL in general feels like they've always done a good job addressing this issue, but there are some changes. First, you have to start with the Minnesota Vikings. They've done some things differently. Number one, they're going to have a doctor at every single training camp practice. That's something they hasn't done in the past. There are also some places where players can go seek some shade.

You look at the Dallas Cowboys, we're just talking about Emmett Smith, they're holding training camp in San Antonio, Texas. And a large number of their practices are going to be inside at the Alamo Dome. Mike -- Dave Wan (ph) sat down in Miami said that he's going to hold at least a couple practices a week at night as well, trying to keep his players out of those extreme heat conditions.

SMITH: OK, Josie, thanks so much. Josie Karp, CNN Sports. I know that you and I will see each other down the line.

KARP: I hope so.

SMITH: Have a great day.

KARP: You, too.

SMITH: OK, good stuff.

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