Steve Sabol sure knows what he's doing, training his army of high-definition cameras on the Dallas Cowboys.
You see, it wasn't just that the Cowboys were the first team to raise their hand to be featured in this summer's version of "Hard Knocks," the popular documentary series that gives a behind-the-scenes look at an NFL training camp.
It was that the Cowboys were the perfect choice.
"This is a team that's used to being on the red carpet," said Sabol, president of NFL Films, which shoots the series for HBO. "The Cowboys get it, they know what this is about . . . and they're the most glamorous franchise in all of professional team sports."
Glamorous, that is, in a Barnum & Bailey way. This year's version of the show could put all other reality TV to shame.
Just consider the story lines, starting with quarterback Tony Romo. His relationship with Jessica Simpson has gotten so serious that she penned a song about him titled, "You're My Sunday" for her upcoming country album.
She probably doesn't mention Mexico, where the lovebirds famously vacationed in January -- the week before the Cowboys lost to the New York Giants in a divisional playoff game. That trip was another log on the fire for those who think Romo, who is 0-2 in the postseason, should be focused more on football and less on the trappings of fame.
Swing the cameras over to receiver Terrell Owens, who openly wept after the loss to the Giants and chided reporters for coming down too hard on Romo. Once seen as the NFL's most self-absorbed player, Owens has seemingly made an incredible transformation. Suddenly, he's the ideal teammate, who not only catches bullets but would take one for his quarterback.
As for Coach Wade Phillips, well, there might be no saving him. He could lose his job even if Dallas wins the Super Bowl. That's because brainy, young offensive coordinator Jason Garrett is waiting in the wings, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones will do whatever's necessary to keep him.
It doesn't take a degree from Princeton -- which Garrett has -- to figure out why the Cowboys have upped his pay to $3 million a season, about triple the going rate for top coordinators. Phillips might want to check his headset just to make sure it doesn't already have the Ivy Leaguer's name on it.
Then, there's Adam Jones, the notorious cornerback and kick returner who's hoping to dump the nickname Pacman. As a member of the Tennessee Titans, he had five runbacks for touchdowns and at least twice that many run-ins with the law.
