“I’ll be a better teammate, better person, better man in life,” Owens said that day.

Jones bought into it enough that it didn’t seem to bother him that he was signing a player Cowboy fans hated for defiling their beloved midfield star during a touchdown while playing for the 49ers in 2000.

He was clearly smitten with both Owens and the idea of making a big splash by signing football’s bad boy.

“These guys have fallen in love already,” Rosenhaus gushed at the time. “On the jet here the bond they established was moving ... moving.”

That bond is still apparently intact because Jones on Monday defended Owens, calling him a genuine person and saying some of the finest players in Cowboy history have been fined for one thing or another. He went on to suggest that all the attention given Owens may be a good thing for his team.

“One of the great things about sports, about the NFL, about the Cowboys, is it can be very entertaining,” Jones said.

Jones is certainly getting bang for his buck. Owens has cost him only $5 million so far, and he could dump him tomorrow without spending another cent.

Which, come to think of it, might not be such a bad idea.

Slide show   Life with T.O. See images of star's most controversial, notable moments of his NFL career

Do it before Owens starts arguing with Parcells over playing time. Do it before Owens picks his first fight with Drew Bledsoe. Do it before he and Jones fall out of love.

Do it now because the drama in Dallas is only just beginning.