Speaker Series to Continue With NFL Legend Emmit Smith

RANCHO MIRAGE (CNS) – The Rancho Mirage Speaker Series will continue next week with NFL legend Emmitt Smith at the Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa in Rancho Mirage. The former Dallas Cowboys star will speak at 7 p.m. Feb. 21, in an interview conducted by Sibley Scoles, the host of "Raiders: Talk of the Nation" and in-game host for the Las Vegas Raiders. Smith has held the NFL career rushing record of 18,355 yards for over 20 years. He recently reminisced about his time in the desert and said he is looking forward to returning. "I have fond memories of the desert, having played in the Bob Hope Classic golf tournament, so it will be nice to return to Rancho Mirage a few days after the Super Bowl," Smith said. For the first time in the event’s history, the Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa partnered with the city to host the speaker series in its venue, city and casino officials said. "As we are located in Rancho Mirage, we have always respected the concept of the series and the impact the events could have on the community with its powerful speakers," senior director of entertainment Monica Reeves said. For two decades, the speaker series featured big names in entertainment, politics and journalism, before it reinvented itself with sports figures in 2020. The series has featured pioneering race car driver Danica Patrick and football legend Joe Montana. The series kicked off Jan. 23 with four-time Stanley Cup champion and hockey legend Wayne Gretzky in an interview with "Hockey Night in Canada" personality Christine Simpson. The series will continue March 21 with boxing legend and six-time world champion Sugar Ray Leonard in an interview with Scoles. Tickets for the series, ranging from $150 to $475, can be found at rmspeakerseries.com. Copyright 2023, City News Service, Inc.