IRVING, Texas -- Joe Gibbs will envy his old rival Tom Landr just a bit tonight, even though Landry, the Dallas Cowboys coach for their first 29 years, won't be on the opposite sideline or even in Texas Stadium tonight.
Landry, who was fired by new owner Jerry Jones in 1989, doesn't go to Texas Stadium anymore, but he said he'll be watching on television tonight.
After all, the Dallas Cowboys will be playing the Washington Redskins on "Monday Night Football."
"These games . . ." Landry said. "I think the things you miss when you move out of football are these games."
Gibbs said: "I don't think anybody will miss this one. Monday night. The whole world watching against Dallas in Dallas. That's about as big as you get. Hopefully, we'll take our best shot," Gibbs said.
The memories add so much zest to this rivalry -- the Ken Houston tackle of Walt Garrison (1973), the Clint Longley game (1974), Joe Theismann holding the ball aloft as he ran out of the end zone after a 9-5 victory (1978), the Cowboys fans mocking Theismann by singing "Happy Birthday" to him after a 44-14 Dallas victory (1985).
The man who made the rivalry was the late Redskins coach George Allen, who made needling the Cowboys an art form. Things changed when Gibbs became coach. "He's such a nice guy, I could never even get mad at him," Landry said.
Gibbs, though, has had his problems with the Cowboys with or without Landry. He's only 12-11 against them and was the loser when Landry posted his last victory in a 3-13 season in 1988 and when Jimmy Johnson posted his first victory in a 1-15 season in 1989.
If you just glance at the two teams, you'd wonder why the Redskins are only favored by two points. The last time they played games that meant anything, the Redskins won Super Bowl XXVI and the Cowboys were beaten by Erik Kramer and the Detroit Lions, who knocked them out of the playoffs, 38-6.
The Cowboys, though, have a knack of matching up well against the Redskins. They spoiled their bid for a perfect season last year.
Another factor that added some spice to the rivalry has been the arrival of Johnson as Cowboys coach. Johnson is brash and outspoken.
Johnson has said the Cowboys now have to take the "next step" (NFC title game or Super Bowl) after last year's 11-5 season.
Johnson isn't the only person on the Cowboys' bandwagon. Sports Illustrated last week not only picked the Cowboys to win the Super Bowl this year, but also named them as the likely Team of the '90s.
