Sunday, October 12, 2008

Cowboys ready to implode?

BOB GLAUBER
October 12, 2008
One week, it's Terrell Owens whining about not getting involved enough in the offense. The next, it's Adam "Pacman" Jones creating more controversy by getting into a scuffle with a security guard hired by the Cowboys to try to keep him out of trouble.

Are the Cowboys about to implode? Could be.

I'm not saying the Cowboys are in imminent danger of falling out of what is turning out to be one of the most intriguing NFC East races in recent memory. But this volatile concoction that Jerry Jones has drummed up has the potential to blow apart at some point.

Whether that will happen in the regular season or the playoffs, or at all, remains to be seen. But if this team does not live up to all the preseason predictions of a Super Bowl run, at some point, it will get out of hand.

Owens and Pacman are the two men most likely to be at the center of it all. Owens has been a complainer throughout his career, and we can expect more whining moving forward. And Jones, who was suspended for the entire 2007 season for a series of off-field transgressions over the years, is walking a tightrope under the watchful eye of commissioner Roger Goodell.

Jerry Jones has decided not to punish Pacman Jones for getting into a fight with a security guard Tuesday night, but it would surprise no one to see Pacman find himself in more hot water as the season moves on. After all, he has failed to steer clear of trouble his entire career.

Compounding matters is the laid-back attitude of coach Wade Phillips, whose leadership has come into question just as it did in previous head coaching stops in Denver and Buffalo. Phillips is a nice enough guy - maybe too nice, in fact, especially in a locker room filled with so many strong personalities.