Emmitt Smith recently stated that he’s sick and tired of seeing and hearing “Go Birds” everywhere. Yes, the Philadelphia Eagles have won two Super Bowls in the last eight years, but Smith is confident that doesn’t make them the best team — not even close. And it turns out, Emmitt isn’t alone in that belief. Stephen A. Smith also thinks the Dallas Cowboys hold greater prestige than their divisional rivals.
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Let’s start from the beginning: Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith won three Super Bowls in Dallas. Meanwhile, the team he and his Cowboys used to face twice a year didn’t capture their first Lombardi until the 2017 season.
And while it’s true that the Cowboys haven’t won a Super Bowl since 1995, Smith believes that doesn’t make the Eagles’ recent success any sweeter. He couldn’t hold back those sentiments in his latest interview with WIP radio.
“I’m sick of it,” Emmitt stated. “We have allowed others to nitpick at The Star and make fun of The Star and make fun of The Star and that’s what happens — now all of a sudden over the last 20 years, they win two Super Bowls and they think they’re the best thing on the planet, and everywhere I go I hear, ‘Go Birds.’ I’m sick of hearing, ‘Go Birds.’”
Emmitt’s statement really shows how much passion he still has for the game. He was part of those ‘90s Cowboys teams that captured the hearts of the nation. But now, those days feel like they’re long gone.
Surprisingly, though, Stephen A. Smith isn’t one of those critics who believe the team has fallen off. After going on one of his classic Cowboy rants in an episode of First Take, Molly Qerim asked the analyst if he thought the Eagles have now surpassed Dallas.
“Nope,” Stephen A. stated bluntly. “Dallas got prestige. But you know what, Molly? Sometimes, prestige is the worst thing. Like, for example, everybody knows you fall on your face, and everybody cares, I mean, if that’s not the greatest thing in the world.”
Given that Stephen A. is a well-known hater of the Cowboys, it was quite a surprise to hear him say they still have the edge over the Eagles. But he was simply referring to the prestige and fandom. When it comes to the stats, though, he has no issue saying the Eagles are the better franchise at the moment.
Stephen A. on DAL vs. PHI Rivalry
The leading analyst prefaced the entire discussion with one of his famous Cowboys rants. He questioned how anyone could possibly compare Dem Boys to a team like Philly anymore, pointing out that the stats are now so disproportionate it’s almost laughable.
“I’m looking at 8 NFC Championship appearances for the Philadelphia Eagles. These are all numbers since the start of the 1996 season, because the Cowboys won in 1995… Super Bowl appearances, 4 to 0. Super Bowl titles, 2 to 0… They’ve had more new coaches than playoff wins.”
Historically, the Cowboys have more Super Bowl wins than the Eagles. Emmitt Smith was one of the key figures on those teams that brought Dallas to such great heights. So, from both a popularity and legacy perspective, Philly still has some ground to cover — despite their impressive run in recent years.
Although, Cowboys fans like Smith wince whenever they hear Stephen A. rattle off stats like he did on First Take. He, and many others, are fed up with the combination of Dallas’ shortcomings and the Eagles’ success. Unfortunately, with the current state of ownership and management, it doesn’t seem like that’ll change anytime soon.
