They used to be known as “America’s Team” so many years ago. Recently, with quarterback Tony Romo and wide receiver Terrell Owens connecting like two star-crossed lovers in a Romance novel, they’ve been the designated club to beat in the NFC.

But here's the problem for the Dallas Cowboys. It's the same thing that has plagued the Oakland Raiders-- the owner. Owners of sports franchises are extremely powerful. They control the purse strings, determine the philosophy that will guide the team and hire and fire coaches. Great owners seem to understand the game, manage money well and delegate power effectively. Like Raiders' owner Al Davis, Cowboys' owner Jones has a problem with delegating power.

The Cowboys have lost two straight and find themselves at 4-3 and in third-place in the NFC East. Two loses in a row—that is bad. But what's worse is the fact that Dallas has lost starting QB Romo for about a month, that corner Adam Jones (formerly known as Pacman) has been suspended for yet another run-in with the law, and that backup QB Brad Johnson was dismal as Romo's replacement this week.

Today the Cowboys lost to the then 1-4 Rams by a score of 34-14, allowing the St. Louis Rams to go to 2-4. Oh, by the way, did I say that Dallas fields one of the best defenses in the league as well as one of the finest offenses? Well, neither showed up today.

This phenomenon is tough to explain. How does one of the best-balanced, deepest teams in the league turn into a NFL basket case in two weeks? It's simple, they lose a couple of key players and they have an owner like Jones who simply can't butt out.

It's conceivable that the Dallas Cowboys could miss the playoffs this season. Blame it on injuries, bad behavior and the mismanagement of a game or two. But in the end, a team like the Cowboys might simply function better if the owner were less visible and not as involved.