Throughout human history, many mythologies and religions have toyed with the idea of being able to sell one’s soul to the devil for material gain at the price of eternal damnation.  From the Greeks and the myth of Persephone eating the pomegranate and ending up as queen of the underworld, to the litany of MLB players today who have chosen steroids and other illegal performance enhancers, we are always tempted by the fates into indulging something that maybe should be avoided in the long-run.  Let's take the signing of Terrell Owens; is his raw talent and play-making ability worth running the risk of having a single star shine brighter than the star on Dallas’ collective helmets? 

According to Jerry Jones a soul is worth about $25 million. 

Whom better than the outspoken, never in the background Jones, than to take a chance on a player who has become the poster boy for bad attitude?  This is the same Jones that hired Jimmy Johnson and his entire coaching staff to help lead the Cowboys back to glory in the late 80s.  This is the same Jones that stuck with Michael Irvin despite his off-field problems simply because he could blow (no pun intended) by the competition.  This is also the same Jerry Jones that successfully dealt with and employed another egotistical prima donna Deion Sanders.  Jerry Jones has never been one to shy away from the limelight, so why not bring Owens, a one time public enemy No. 1 for the Cowboys, right into the heart of Big D? 

It takes an ego to deal with an ego, and Dallas is surely not in any shortage of egos.  Having already mentioned the original face lift owner Jones, we can’t forget about Parcells.  The Tuna has done his fair share of yelling, head butting and cutting in his time in the NFL.  From Super Bowls with the Giants, to bringing both the Patriots and Jets playoff berths, to his current attempt at rebuilding a fledgling Cowboys franchise, Bill Parcells has seen it all. Oh yes, and there’s one more ego that T.O. will have to be dealing with…Drew Bledsoe.  You can tell just by the size of Bledsoe’s facemask that he’s been in the league for a pretty good amount of time.  He never played with Pat Patriot on the helmet, but he did start the first year that the Flying Elvis debuted. 

Let’s not forget one other big ego that T.O. will be kept in check by, and that’s Dallas itself.  Ever since the 70s when the Cowboys somehow became “America’s Team” (aren’t all NFL teams American?) the city of Dallas and their Cowboys have sort of had a bit of a swagger about themselves, their star and their city. 

Owens is about to undergo some serious culture shock. 

He is coming from Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love and humble fans who appreciate a team player and team goals. He now enters Dallas, a flashy, glitzy team with an owner who is as visible as the coach, a team that is only 15 years removed from one of the most dominant dynasties in the history of the NFL…T.O. has to be loving it. 

Everything about Dallas and about Texas screams T.O.  Everything is bigger, from the hype to the steak, but how well will Dallas embrace T.O.?  I would like to think most fans across the country would not take very kindly to a player who, a few years earlier, defaced their logo and their struggling team by executing a touchdown dance on the sacred Dallas star.  I don’t quite speak Cowboy but I would liken it to something on the order of Ben Rothlisberger taking a leak on the Dawg Pound…an offense worthy of ex-communication and never being welcome back in that city. 

But who am I kidding, winning is winning, and selling your soul feels damn good if you can get a ring or two out of it.  What it comes down to is that Jerry Jones and The Dallas Cowboys don’t care about much else other than being a better football team.  And I’m not talking “Team” in that high school togetherness Remember the Titans kind of crap. I’m talking a team in business terms; 45 employees on an NFL “Team” looking to achieve their collective goal (win Super Bowls) and if the path to that goal includes signing a dominant wide receiver of questionable character, than by all means do it. 

Andy Reid and the Eagles may have done the noble thing by not allowing someone such as Owens to spit venom at the organization and to disrespect their tradition. But what it comes down to at the end of the day is that they have paid the price for their contract with Owens.  He was signed and he helped get them over the hump and into the Super Bowl. Then, he created problems and the Eagles miss the playoffs the ensuing season.  It’s a quite obvious binge and purge cycle. 

But Cowboys the Eagles do not equal.  Jerry Jones knows a great marketing opportunity when he sees one, and what better way to up the profile of the already high revenue Dallas Cowboys than to add the most infamous player in the league as of right now?   Love em’ or hate em’ you’re going to have to be talking about them.  For many, the signing of T.O. will help to make Dallas the Evil Empire.

If you can’t be the good guys, they might as well be the No. 1 bad guy. 

The Cowboys know the risks and their potential rewards.  They know that for all the success that Owens can bring, he can wreck just as much behind the scenes.  But I don’t think they’re all that scared.  The Cowboys can handle the struggle, Parcells is well known for not taking a whole lot of guff. T.O. now has a serious reputation preceding him, and I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if Jones and Co. already had a plan drawn up with how to handle the noxious wide receiver.  Dallas is probably one of the only remaining places in the league that T.O. will be able to find a fitting home, even if it is only for a year. 

If the Cowboys are right, then they will have added a piece to the puzzle that will help them climb to the top.  If they’re wrong, then they’re not really any worse off than they were the year before. 

Either way, they’ve knowingly signed a player who could poison a lot more than just one roster spot. 

That being said, if Dallas is “America’s Team,” consider me Swiss. 

Seth is a junior at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. He breathes all things Cleveland sports. Let him know how you feel about T.O. at seth.glasgow@atomicsportsmedia.com