NFL Tokyo 2000, which pits the Dallas Cowboys against the Atlanta Falcons, is slated for Aug. 6 at the Tokyo Dome, the NFL announced Monday in Tokyo at a news conference attended by Cowboys star running back Emmitt Smith.
The Falcons, who made the Super Bowl after the 1998 season for the first time in club history, are to make their first trip to Tokyo while Dallas makes its second appearance here, following 1992 when it lost to the Houston Oilers 34-23. For Tokyo, this will be the 10th NFL preseason game, which was formerly known as the American Bowl, to host.
Smith, second on the all-time TD list, is here to promote the NFL activity and is scheduled to visit St. Paul's elementary school on Wednesday. St. Paul's schools are linked with American football history in Japan. The late Paul Rusch introduced the sport to Japan more than 60 years ago and established the nation's first football team at St. Paul's University.