FanHouse Jerry Jones

Leadership is a funny thing, Tony Romo said a few weeks ago.

When you're winning football games nobody says anything about it. When you're losing, everybody talks about the lack of it.

Thursday afternoon, Terrell Owens made note of the lack of leadership in his last season with the Cowboys -- a year that ended with a 9-7 record and no playoff berth. Notably, Owens singled out Romo, his quarterback of the last three seasons for not being a leader.

It's funny, but Owens never questioned Romo's leadership abilities before. But now, Owens is of the belief that the quarterback had something to do with him getting released by the Cowboys.

The Cowboys cut Terrell Owens in early March, and we've been subjected to a story or so a week about why it happened, who was to blame, and what it means for both parties going forward.

This is newsworthy for a few reasons: it's the offseason, it's the Cowboys and it's T.O. Anybody else, or any other time of year, and these headlines have a shelf life of a few days. But it's June, so here we are.

And according to Yahoo.com's Michael Silver, who spent a couple days talking to Jerry and Stephen Jones, the real reason T.O. got axed was because he was too popular. Seriously.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- He is eating a chicken sandwich with chili cheese fries. He's also drinking water. Now as unhealthy as this lunch was for Jerry Jones on Wednesday, he feels as if his Cowboys team is healthy.

Jones is confident in the ability of his quarterback, Tony Romo, coach, Wade Phillips, the offensive coordinator, Jason Garrett, the defense, which led the league in sacks last season, and the overall talent.

Jones has no choice but to believe in this team.

The truth can't be avoided any longer. It would be like denying Tim Floyd is a crook, Adam Lambert is gay or Brett Favre is going to be a Viking.

It was the Week of Pittsburgh and will inevitably be the Year of the Steel City .

First the Steelers, now the Penguins and Ben "Hogan" Roethlisberger. Soon the Lakers, eventually the Pirates.

All have or will win world championships, making Pittsburgh the only city in history to hold titles in the five major sports all in the same year.

Can you name a better sports town?

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones put to rest any discussion that Pacman Jones would return to the team this year by saying it won't happen.

"I have no plans to bring Adam back," Jones said Monday afternoon.

It doesn't matter how long Terrell Owens stays with a team, his name always comes up when he leaves. In the three seasons Owens was in Dallas, he used games against the Eagles as public venting sessions about Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid.

Now, Owens is in Buffalo, and he talked to FanHouse on Thursday afternoon about his release from the Cowboys. Owens said he talked to owner Jerry Jones twice about rumors he was going to get let go. Jones, according to Owens, told him he was fine.

But he wasn't.

The Cowboys cut Owens after three seasons.

Save the actual act of filling out the pink slip, Greg Ellis' 11-year career with the Cowboys is done. He was hailed as a team leader -- something the organization lacked in recent years -- and his DallasCowboys.com bio confirms as much:

"... Ellis has been a pillar of consistency and production for the Cowboys in his 10 seasons as an NFL player. Whether it be overcoming the adversity of a serious injury or making a position switch in the later stages of his career, Ellis has always responded."

But as you might have heard, the NFL is a business, and players -- even the good ones -- are sent on their way as soon as a coach, scout or owner determines they're no longer useful. And with 2007 first-round pick Anthony Spencer ready to assume Ellis' job, it was a relatively easy decision, at least from a business standpoint.

The Cowboys have made decisions this offseason for Tony Romo.

When the team released Terrell Owens a few months ago, Jerry Jones said the decision was bigger than him. Days later, Jones said he wanted the team to become "Romo Friendly."

Jones wouldn't get into specifics as to what that meant and, last week, Romo claimed he never heard anyone use "Romo Friendly." When pressed by reporters, Romo said he didn't know what it meant.

Here's what it means: The Cowboys are clearing the roster of what they perceived to be loud-mouths, guys who care more about themselves than the team and/or players who have attacked Romo.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed Tuesday at the team's OTA that veteran linebacker Greg Ellis will be traded or released and will not return to the Cowboys in 2009.

FanHouse's Calvin Watkins was the first to report last week that the Cowboys were shopping Ellis.

Based on what Jones told Dallas reporters, the team is in no rush to make the actual move. Ellis will not be attending OTAs, and Jones said he's given Ellis and his agent permission to try and arrange a trade with another team if they can. The Cowboys would rather trade Ellis than release him and have to pay the $1.5 million guaranteed portion of his salary, but his $5.6 million salary and his salary cap number of $6.25 million are likely to make a trade difficult.

The Dallas Cowboys are shopping outside linebacker Greg Ellis, multiple sources told FanHouse on Thursday. Ellis is one of the most trusted defenders the team has, but it would like to push 2007 first-round pick Anthony Spencer into a starting role.

Ellis is in the last year of his contract and if released, is owed $1.5 million by the Cowboys as part of a contractually agreed upon settlement.

Dallas is serious about a potential move because on Thursday, the final day of this week's organized team activities, the team sent Ellis home, not allowing him to practice. The Cowboys did this last year during some OTAs, and coach Wade Phillips said then it was to not wear Ellis down. He turns 34 in August.