I remember seeing on a cold Jan. 2 day in 1994, Cowboys great HOF RB Emmitt Smith playing in a game against the Giants in the Meadowlands. Giants were a good team then with QB Phil Simms and LB Lawrence Taylor, et al.

Cowboys led early in the game, 13-0, then with about 2 minutes left in the first half, Smith's shoulder separated on a brutal tackle. Knowing this was the game the Cowboys needed to secure a home playoff game, Smith begged the trainers to get him back on the field. He couldn't lift his right arm above his chest, so the trainers taped it up and covered the shoulder with extra padding and he got back into the fight. Giants tied the score in the second half 13-13, and game went to into Overtime.

On the day, Emmitt, playing with basically one arm much of the game, carried the ball 32 times for 168 yards and had another 61 yards on 10 receptions, for a total of 229 incredible yards, AND touching the ball on nine of 12 plays on the game winning drive in Overtime, including the final five. He was Herculean that day, playing through tremendous pain, and Giants didn't go lightly on him, drilling him when they could. He was a warrior! He was GREAT

And now players get headlines for "discomfort" from a shoe. No disrespect to Shane, b/c it seems like a different game now, and not for the better, IMO. It used to be about TEAM and WINS. Sadly, now it seems, at least for some of these players (not saying all), more about the money, and individual stats for building a "brand" to get endorsements and maybe TV gigs down the road.