THE SIDELINES : Mandarich Wants to Be a Cowboy

Offensive tackle Tony Mandarich, the Green Bay Packers’ No. 1 draft pick, says he wants to play for the Dallas Cowboys.

Mandarich was chosen with the second pick in the 1989 draft behind the Cowboys’ Troy Aikman. Rated the top player in the draft by several scouting services, Mandarich is asking the Packers for a contract approaching Aikman’s six-year $11.037-million deal. He isn’t close to signing.

“I’d sit out at Green Bay, but I’d rather go to Dallas and crush people,” Mandarich said. “They’d like my style there.” Mandarich told the Dallas Morning News that he’d rather play in Dallas because of Coach Jimmy Johnson’s aggressive style, the talent in the offensive backfield and because owner Jerry Jones “pays his people a lot of money. And I’m worth a lot of money.”