Just a few days back, Stephen A. Smith was more than happy to celebrate long-time desk buddy Michael Irvin’s return to ESPN’s First Take. A week later, they came up with a fun challenge. The Dallas Cowboys legend, Irvin, has decided to sacrifice his locks if Dallas wins the NFC Championship. Dan Orlovsky gladly agreed to the challenge, too. While Smith is a bit hesitant, he too gave in to the peer pressure. 

“Why don’t you say, if they get to that championship game, you’re gonna cut your hair?” shared Irvin on the First Take podcast. “See, you believe so much in it not getting done. But you won’t put nothing on the line for it; I am putting my locks.”

Former Detroit Lions quarterback and now analyst Orlovsky gladly accepted the challenge. The move revealed his skepticism about the franchise.

“You shave my head if the Cowboys make the NFC title game. Yeah, they’re not making it,” he said. 

Unlike Orlovsky, Smith has been in two minds about how he is going to look. He remained hesitant about the wager, saying he would think about it. 

“That’s the biggest fear of my life, going bald with my peanut head,” he shared. “If I had a big square head, I would go bald. But because I got a peanut head with a noggin in the back and the snozz for a nose, it just would be an awful look for me. That’s just my personal opinion, but I’ll think about it.”

For Irvin, cutting his locks is a sacrifice for the team he spent 12 seasons with. But for Orlovsky, that’s not the case. He has never suited up for Dallas and instead has most of the time been critical of the Cowboys. 

Back in 2023, Cowboys fan and X user @GuitaristJT created the nearly six-minute compilation. The video highlighted Orlovsky criticizing Prescott’s interceptions while defending Allen’s. Beyond the argument, the fan-made video stood out for its creative editing, incorporating a series of amusing pop-culture clips alongside Orlovsky’s commentary.

Orlovsky seemed impressed and annoyed simultaneously.

“Cowboys fans,” he tweeted. “Why don’t you guys let me do my job and be an analyst and ya’ll stay being ‘fans.’ Cute video though.”

Talking about betting on the Cowboys winning the NFC Championship, it’s too early to predict the outcome. They are currently 1-1 on the season following a 37-20 win over the Washington Commanders.

Dallas last reached the NFC Championship Game in 1996, after defeating the Green Bay Packers to advance to Super Bowl XXX. After finishing the regular season 12-4 and securing a first-round bye, the Cowboys opened their playoff run against division rival Philadelphia. Dallas advanced past the Eagles before taking down the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game. The Cowboys then finished the job with a 27-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XXX.

They are now carrying the burden of a three-decade drought on their shoulders.

But this year, the Cowboys quarterback Prescott has been charged up to bring back that golden era for Dallas. 

“It s–ks,” he said of not making the playoffs in the last two years. “Definitely. But we’re pushing. That’s our goal, that’s a minimum.”

Prescott found more juice to push harder towards his goal as he etched his name in Cowboys history, surpassing Tony Romo’s franchise touchdown-pass record with four scoring throws against Washington. The QB’s total passing touchdowns now stand at 249.

Even though Orlovsky is confident that Dallas is going to have another bad year, chances are high for the fans to catch a glimpse of his shaved look. They might also want Smith to give in to his fears of going bald. After all, Smith celebrated Dallas’s Week 1 loss to the Giants, 28-20.

Smith wasted no time celebrating after his prediction came true, posting “1-down……16 to go!!!!!” on X alongside a video of himself laughing.

“How many times will I be right? How many times am I going to be right?” Smith said. “Just be patient. They won’t let you down.”

Time to see if Irvin sacrifices his precious locks for the love of his life, Dallas, or if Smith and Orlovsky pay a price for sleeping on them.