MEXICO CITY — The Dallas Cowboys brought Emmitt Smith to Mexico three times to play before as many as 100,000 fans. Each time, they kept him on the bench.
Smith promises that on Monday night against the Oakland Raiders, things will be different.
"I will be playing tomorrow, unless something drastic happens," Smith told a news conference Sunday after a Mexican reporter asked about the previous disappointments for local fans.
For Dallas and Oakland, Monday night's game is a key practice session en route to the season opener. For Mexican football fans, it's the only chance they'll have this year for a close-up look at the world's best players.
About 100,000 fans again were expected to attend the game. That's impressive when the cheapest tickets — top-deck end-zone seats in the frostbite regions of a 112,000 seat stadium — cost $16, nearly double what most Mexicans make in a day.
Weather forecasters said there could be a thunderstorm, too, which conceivably might fit into Smith's definition of the "something drastic" that could prevent him from playing
The Cowboys held Smith out of a 1999 exhibition game here because of a slick field. This year, Smith has an outside chance at the league's career rushing yardage record.
Raiders coach Jon Gruden said he's trying to "acclimate" new players to the Raider system — in this case, at an elevation of 7,350 feet. The new players include former San Francisco wide receiver Jerry Rice and former Miami defensive end Trace Armstrong, who may see limited action.
Gruden's biggest problem may be in one of his strong points: staying concentrated. This is his first trip out of the United States.
While Gruden insists the defending AFC West champs have a lot of work to do, the Cowboys said things aren't really as bad as they seem, despite finishing 5-11 last year, losing quarterback Troy Aikman and training his replacement in taking snaps.
"We're not happy where we're at right now," coach Dave Campo said. "But the Dallas Cowboys won't be down for long."
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who has his sights set on a 10-win season, said the team's youth and low payroll are no bar to success:
"I have the experience of having the youngest team in the NFL and the second-to-last lowest-paid team that went to two back-to-back Super Bowls, so I can't accept the fact you can't be successful with a young, low-paid team."
Smith vowed to "embrace my new teammates."
"I can't be playing on the football field with ghosts and legends in my mind," he said. "I have to go out there with the guys I have beside me."
Campo said he would be using "more movement in the defensive line" with his smaller players to confuse the offense. As he said that, Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon, appearing with him at the news conference, turned and paid unusual attention.
It's the sixth time since 1978 the NFL has brought a preseason game to Mexico City. Five of those games have been held at Azteca stadium.
While local football teams play in far smaller stadiums, NFL games are popular on television. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said the league wants to build support in Mexico — and among Mexican-American fans in the United States.
"We're very optimistic about the future of the sport here," Tagliabue said. "There are millions of fans in Mexico."
Cowboys rookie quarterback Quincy Carter, who has struggled in the preseason, will be trying to find his balance while trying to catch his breath at stadium that is 1 1/2 miles above sea level.
"I certainly felt it," he said. "I was breathing pretty hard during the practice. But I think during the game, when the adrenaline's going, there's not going to be any problem."