The Redskins welcomed Deion Sanders to Washington, D.C., last year with a $56 million contract, and veteran cornerback Darrell Green led the cheers.

Green, an aging NFL legend, embraced Sanders like a son and handed him the keys to the starting position he held for 17 years.

That's one way to handle the transition from stardom to substitution.

Here's another: After losing his job to Royce Clayton in 1996, Cardinals shortstop Ozzie Smith called Manager Tony La Russa a "liar" and a "coward."

The recent demotion of Antonio Daniels brings Smith and Green to mind.

Daniels, no star like Smith or Green, began the season as the Spurs' starting point guard. Five games into the season, a 19-year-old who could be mistaken for a junior at Judson High took his job.

Tony Parker is the Spurs' new starter, and Daniels refuses to sulk.