Have you ever had a moment where you suddenly realize that someone close to you never evolved as a human being? Maybe it was a friend from high school who was still telling the same jokes and making the same stupid mistakes eight years after graduation. Or maybe it was an uncle who got another DUI in between his third and fourth divorce. We’ve all had one of these “non-evolving” people in our life. It’s a depressing epiphany – mainly because, by the time you realize the person never evolved, you also realize the person never will.

We’ve gotten to this point with Terrell Owens. Most of us figured a few years ago that he’d never change. But now, we’re actually seeing the sad proof. The Dallas Cowboys didn’t just dump T.O. – they took a $9 million cap hit to dump him. Not long ago, the Eagles paid big bucks just to not have him around.

It’s hard to believe, but Owens is now 35 years old. He’ll be 36 in December. Think about this for a moment. We’re talking Brett Favre-type veteran experience. And yet never once has anyone thought of Owens as a veteran. There are two reasons for this. The small reason is Owens doesn’t seem to be wearing down. (Yes, his numbers have technically declined each of the past three seasons. But just watch him accelerate when he catches the ball in space, and you still see a superstar-level talent.) But the big reason is Owens has been so dreadfully childish and immature throughout his 13-year career.

Never before has the NFL seen an immensely talented, hardworking playmaker who never has legal trouble get dumped by a third team and then shunned by essentially the entire league. SportsCenter actually had a full-screen graphic showing which teams have publicly stated that they do not want anything to do with T.O. Every NFC team was listed except the 49ers (a team that has also been rumored to have interest in Michael Vick). This is a wideout that, in the past three years, has led the league in touchdown receptions and posted over 1,000 yards three times. And it’s not like money is an issue. Most teams are under the salary cap, and Owens wouldn’t command top dollar at this point.

You’d think an interesting debate would be: Which troublemaking receiver would you rather have, Terrell Owens or Plaxico Burress? Problem is, this isn’t proving to be a debate at all. Burress is regularly late for work, his off-field life is a mess, his effort during games can be non-existent and, skill-wise, he possesses nowhere near the raw speed or strength of T.O. Yet, if Burress is out of jail, he’ll for sure have a job in 2009.

The same can’t be said about Owens. Teams will still take a selfish soldier who doesn’t always show up for battle, but they won’t take a volatile soldier who fires bullets at his fellow troops. The reward with Owens has proved to be worth nowhere near the risk.

Is it possible that Owens will find a team in 2009? Of course. You might even say it’s likely. But something feels different about this time. It feels like the entire world is finally done believing in T.O. The next time he receives anywhere near the amount of attention that’s been given to him the past decade, he’ll be in his fifth year of retirement. America will be debating whether the second most prolific touchdown catcher in NFL history is a Hall of Famer.

The saddest part is, those who say No, the second most prolific touchdown catcher in NFL history is NOT a Hall of Famer, will probably win the debate. They’ll argue that the only player more lethal than T.O. on Sundays was T.O. on every other day of the week.