Owens once thought he was going to have the kind of relationship with McNabb in Philadelphia that he has since developed with Tony Romo in Dallas. The pair are good friends and the NFL's top-scoring quarterback-receiver tandem with 26 touchdowns since 2006.

"The fans and just the excitement of me coming there and being there, it became too overwhelming for Donovan," Owens said Thursday. "I think at one point in time, I will say that we had a good relationship. I think I got too big for Philly, too big for him. I just feel like in a sense that he felt like I was just probably getting too much attention."

The Eagles kicked Owens off their team during the 2005 season — a year after they went to the Super Bowl — after a series of infractions, including repeated criticism of McNabb and the organization.

"I feel strong about my position and what happened in Philly, and I really don't feel like it was my fault," Owens said.

Dallas' home opener against Philadelphia on Monday night will be the fifth time Owens faces the Eagles.

Each time the NFC East rivals are getting ready to play, it seems to revive the history between T.O. and McNabb, at least from the receiver's perspective.

On a conference call with Cowboys media Thursday, McNabb did his best to avoid the subject of their relationship.

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"We had great times here. ... It's unfortunate the way things ended up," McNabb said. "But he's happy where he's at and I'm happy where I'm at."

Asked if Owens was a changed man, McNabb said he didn't know. "I'm just a guy on the outside looking in," he said.

Owens has had contact recently with former Eagles teammates Lito Sheppard, who "called and asked me for a few more tickets," and receiver Greg Lewis. But not McNabb.

"No, I haven't talked to Donovan," T.O. said. "It's been a while."

But at one point in Philadelphia, the relationship between T.O. and McNabb was so good that they used to get together at Owens' house to watch all the Monday Night Football games.

"He was the bartender or I was the bartender. We gave ourselves some alias names and we had a lot of fun," Owens said. "We had a lot of teammates come over and enjoy that. It was a situation where things didn't work out in Philly and now I'm here."