A war of words between Deion Sanders and former teammate Jerry Rice has developed into the most compelling aspect of a Dallas-San Francisco matchup that has lost much of its glamor.
Things have been icy between the Dallas defensive back and the San Francisco wide receiver since last season's Super Bowl when Rice got mad at Sanders and some other 49ers for breaking a mid-week curfew.In a profanity-laced locker room tirade this season, Rice seemed jealous of the credit Sanders received for the 49ers' toppling of the Cowboys to become Super Bowl champions last season.
Furthermore, Sanders thinks Rice misrepresented their difference of opinion over the curfew incident the week before the Super Bowl.
"It has been funny to see him upset and cursing. He's a good dude. He just said some things that didn't come out right," Sanders said.
"I have no personal battles against the 49ers," he said. "They are just going through denial right now, saying they don't miss Deion and don't miss Ricky Watters and don't miss Mike Shanahan and don't miss Ray Rhodes."
Sanders said he talked to some of his former 49ers teammates on Thursday, and none of them made such "ignorant" remarks.
Sanders and Rice meet on the field Sunday in Texas Stadium, with Sanders expected to be covering Rice, the NFL's career leading yardage receiver.
Give the 49ers a 46-yard field goal and take away an interception, and the 49ers are 7-2 and their Sunday game with the Cowboys, who are 8-1, assumes its predicted splendor. Instead, the 49ers are 5-4 after two straight losses.
Sanders, who defected to Dallas for a $35 million package that included a $13 million signing bonus, promised no Andre Rison incident on Sunday. Last year Sanders and Rison, who was a wide receiver for Atlanta, settled a grievance on the field with their fists when the 49ers played the Falcons.
"There will be no freak show this time," Sanders said. "It's not going to get like that, I promise you. Jerry and I have a nice respectful rivalry."
Sanders said his tight left hamstring was healing to the point where he might be able to also play offense. He had no offensive snaps last week because of the hamstring problem.
"I want to do my thing in the end zone," Sanders said. "I want to try to make this game all it's hyped up to be."
Sanders did return a punt 43 yards on a reverse and get his first interception as a Cowboy in a 34-12 win over Philadelphia on Monday night.
"I'm very happy I don't have to worry about Deion any more when we play the 49ers," Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman said.