Monkeymcgee and Deke are having a running battle in the comments section. Their discussion asks the question: Can Dallas handle T.O., do they have the locker room leadership or front-office leadership to make this Owens' thing work? It's a worthy discussion and one that will go on for quite a while.
In the locker room I'm a little bit worried. The Cowboys have gotten rid of many of their locker room leaders, Glover, Campbell, Keyshawn etc. So is there a presence that can handle T.O. on the Cowboys? In the locker room I'd say there isn't, but that's not unique to Dallas. I would argue that no team has the players to control T.O. because with Owens it's all about him, not the team, so any appeals to helping the team or improving team chemistry would fall on deaf ears. The only thing T.O. seems to listen to is the money. And the players can't do anything about his money.
On the other hand, the Cowboys do have Bill Parcells, and he's about the closest thing to a Godfather figure there is in the NFL. While it might be wishful thinking - I have to rationalize this signing somehow - Parcells may have what it takes to limit Terrell's damage in the locker room. Will it be enough to make the production we get from Owens on the field worth the signing? Only time will tell. But I would say that Andy Reid, while a very good coach, didn't seem to have the reputation or personality to handle Owens. Reid has always seemed a little laid-back, a fan-friendly coach who works on goodwill from the players and a "family" type atmosphere. Conversely, Parcells works on fear, manipulation, and a quick wit that can be turned on a player who strays from the "Parcells way". To a detached observer, watching this dynamic would be a fun reality-show, but for us it will be so much more.
But does Dallas have an ace-in-the-hole, is there someone attached to the Cowboys organization who can help to make all this work? I say there is someone, but it remains to be seen how much influence this person has with Owens. He's not a current player, not a coach or a front-office guy, in fact he doesn't officially work for the Cowboys.
The one person in the world who might have a major impact on Owens in Dallas and who's one of Terrell's best friends and fiercest defenders is none other than Michael Irvin. Can the Playmaker talk some sense into the Mayhem-maker?
If I'm Bill and Jerry, I put Michael Irvin on retainer for the sole purpose of calling Owens every other day and counseling him to play nice. It may not work, but it's probably the Cowboys' best bet.