SECTION 11
vibraslap
JERSEY CITY, New Jersey (Ticker) -- Time to step aside, Emmitt. The Shipp has come in.
Marcel Shipp, that is. He is back as the Arizona Cardinals' feature back after a five-week sabbatical where he had to sit on the sidelines and watch Emmitt Smith, AKA "The Crying Man," run for a ton of two-yard gains.
No one ever wants to see a player get injured - at least no one would admit it without being inebriated - but fantasy owners have to be overjoyed that Smith is out indefinitely with a broken shoulder blade, paving the way for Shipp to get full-time work.
It should not have taken this long for Shipp to return to a starting role. In fact, his job should never have been wrenched out of his hands. Shipp was quietly awesome last season after Thomas Jones failed in attempt No. 759 at being Arizona's top tailback.
Shipp finished with 188 carries for 834 yards and 38 receptions for 413 yards with nine total touchdowns. He amassed over 100 combined yards in six of his last eight games, making him one of fantasy football's most productive players down the stretch.
And what did Shipp get for having such a great finish? A big-money contract? A guaranteed starting job for 2003? A pat on the back? None of the above.
The Cardinals decided Smith was somehow an upgrade, signing him away from Dallas. Maybe Smith is an upgrade at the box office because he has a bigger, sexier name - although you could never tell that this year by watching Arizona contests on TV - but Shipp is faster, stronger and catches the ball out of the backfield better. He also is more of a threat to break a long gain.
Shipp has rushed for a not-so-grand total of 80 yards on 24 carries in Arizona's first five games. That is downright sad. Ownership must have had something to do with this, because you cannot tell me coach Dave McGinnis watched how Shipp played last season and chose to go with Smith. If that is the case he should be demoted to peanut vendor.
Shipp might match his season total of 80 yards this week against Baltimore, although Ray Lewis and his buddies are pretty stuffy against the run. But if Smith stays out for the next six weeks or longer, Shipp is going to put up some numbers.
Smith catches a lot of passes, especially during garbage time when the Cards are getting blown out 30-3 and those dink and dunk passes add up. Before you know it, he has 70 yards rushing and six catches for another 50 yards. That is a nice afternoon.
If Shipp is available on your league's waiver wire, by all means pick him up. Starting running backs are harder to find than a sincere bone in Terrell Owens' body, and Shipp is the starter until he blows out a knee, hell freezes over or Smith returns and gets his job handed back to him on a silver saucer. That might not happen if Shipp plays as well as he did last season, though.
Marcel Shipp, that is. He is back as the Arizona Cardinals' feature back after a five-week sabbatical where he had to sit on the sidelines and watch Emmitt Smith, AKA "The Crying Man," run for a ton of two-yard gains.
No one ever wants to see a player get injured - at least no one would admit it without being inebriated - but fantasy owners have to be overjoyed that Smith is out indefinitely with a broken shoulder blade, paving the way for Shipp to get full-time work.
It should not have taken this long for Shipp to return to a starting role. In fact, his job should never have been wrenched out of his hands. Shipp was quietly awesome last season after Thomas Jones failed in attempt No. 759 at being Arizona's top tailback.
Shipp finished with 188 carries for 834 yards and 38 receptions for 413 yards with nine total touchdowns. He amassed over 100 combined yards in six of his last eight games, making him one of fantasy football's most productive players down the stretch.
And what did Shipp get for having such a great finish? A big-money contract? A guaranteed starting job for 2003? A pat on the back? None of the above.
The Cardinals decided Smith was somehow an upgrade, signing him away from Dallas. Maybe Smith is an upgrade at the box office because he has a bigger, sexier name - although you could never tell that this year by watching Arizona contests on TV - but Shipp is faster, stronger and catches the ball out of the backfield better. He also is more of a threat to break a long gain.
Shipp has rushed for a not-so-grand total of 80 yards on 24 carries in Arizona's first five games. That is downright sad. Ownership must have had something to do with this, because you cannot tell me coach Dave McGinnis watched how Shipp played last season and chose to go with Smith. If that is the case he should be demoted to peanut vendor.
Shipp might match his season total of 80 yards this week against Baltimore, although Ray Lewis and his buddies are pretty stuffy against the run. But if Smith stays out for the next six weeks or longer, Shipp is going to put up some numbers.
Smith catches a lot of passes, especially during garbage time when the Cards are getting blown out 30-3 and those dink and dunk passes add up. Before you know it, he has 70 yards rushing and six catches for another 50 yards. That is a nice afternoon.
If Shipp is available on your league's waiver wire, by all means pick him up. Starting running backs are harder to find than a sincere bone in Terrell Owens' body, and Shipp is the starter until he blows out a knee, hell freezes over or Smith returns and gets his job handed back to him on a silver saucer. That might not happen if Shipp plays as well as he did last season, though.
