LA Times Blog: Dallas Cowboys likely returning to Oxnard for training camp

[WoodysGirl]

March 22, 2010 | 10:04 am

The Dallas Cowboys are putting the finishing touches on a deal to return to Oxnard for part of their training camp this summer, team executive Stephen Jones said.

"There's a good chance we're there," Jones told The Times at the NFL owners meetings Monday in Orlando, Fla. "We're getting everything put to bed."

Jones, the team's chief operating officer and son of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, said the team likely would spend 10 days to two weeks in Oxnard and the rest at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Because the Cowboys are playing in the Hall of Fame Game (against Cincinnati), their training camp has been extended a week and therefore it's more feasible to split camp between two locales.

The Cowboys trained in Oxnard from 2004 to 2006 before signing a five-year deal with the Alamodome. They returned to Oxnard in the summer of 2008, however, because of a scheduling conflict in San Antonio.

"The reason we left Oxnard in the first place was they were going to develop that property, and there wasn't going to be a spot anymore," Jones said. "But the economy went the other way and so now the property is still there, and we've always enjoyed our experience out there."

Jones said the length of the Oxnard stay could be increased to "as long as we've got availability out there."

"It's great for us," he said. "We get a lot out of it. We get great coverage. I think it gives the players a nice little getaway ... I think it will spice things up, getting outside in that cool, fresh air.

"Obviously we're not at a point to announce [the deal is done], but we're fired up about it."

-- Sam Farmer

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/spo...ly-returning-to-oxnard-for-training-camp.html

 

[Boyzmamacita]

Sounds like they're going to start in Oxnard, then move to SA after the Hall of Fame Game. I hope it's not too much traveling for the players.

 

[reddyuta]

i had a conversation with a cowboys bus driver (in irving) and he thinks they will definitely go to oxnard.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

"It's great for us," he said. "We get a lot out of it. We get great coverage.

Jerry is talking about Mike Jenkins here, right?

 

[RS12]

I'm there.

 

[Hook'em#11]

I'm there.

X's 2.... Gotta get the 4 yr old out there.

 

[Matt]

Jerry is talking about Mike Jenkins here, right?

:bang2:

 

[KingintheNorth]

YES!

Woo hoo! I will be there.

 

[theebs]

geez.

The team plays in Texas. I am not trying to complain but at the same time its nice to be able to just drive to san antonio for camp. Now we will probably get a small window when they are actually there. That means that those of us who want to go have to hope we can squeeze it into our schedules....

kind of sucks. I mean I bet oxnard is great, I would love to get out there but at the same time the majority of the fans of the team are in this state.

 

[Idgit]

geez.

The team plays in Texas. I am not trying to complain but at the same time its nice to be able to just drive to san antonio for camp. Now we will probably get a small window when they are actually there. That means that those of us who want to go have to hope we can squeeze it into our schedules....

kind of sucks. I mean I bet oxnard is great, I would love to get out there but at the same time the majority of the fans of the team are in this state.

Are they? I bet there are many more of us in the other 49 states.

Those of us who love the Cowboys and don't have the good fortune to live in Texas appreciate the chance to see the team up close without having to book a flight, too. For some of us, it's hard enough not raising 49er fans out here in California. You've got to throw us a training camp bone, at the very least.

 

[theebs]

Are they? I bet there are many more of us in the other 49 states.

Those of us who love the Cowboys and don't have the good fortune to live in Texas appreciate the chance to see the team up close without having to book a flight, too. For some of us, it's hard enough not raising 49er fans out here in California. You've got to throw us a training camp bone, at the very least.

well I understand that. But to answer your question there are more fans here naturally.

And again, we are the predominant ticket buyers and the ones filling the stadium so it would be nice to get the chance to watch them at camp without having to fly across the country.

Every other team has camp somewhere in the state that they play in.

plus on top of everything, oxnard has been nothing but bad luck.

 

[KingintheNorth]

You Texans also have the luxury of 10 (2 pre-season) home games every year so losing them for 2 weeks shouldn't be too bad.

I want to move in the very near future and the only 2 places I'll go are Tempe, Az and Dallas, Texas. I have never even been to Dallas but I know whatever potential negatives there may be there will be seriously overlooked for those 10 Cowboy games a year.

 

[theebs]

You Texans also have the luxury of 10 (2 pre-season) home games every year so losing them for 2 weeks shouldn't be too bad.

I want to move in the very near future and the only 2 places I'll go are Tempe, Az and Dallas, Texas. I have never even been to Dallas but I know whatever potential negatives there may be there will be seriously overlooked for those 10 Cowboy games a year.

and. Every other team has 12 home games too, yet the steelers dont hold training camp in miami beach or the giants in san francisco.

Again, this is where the team plays.

Fans who live outside of the area saying its not fair the team plays in its home state makes zero sense.

I mean cmon. What kind of an argument is that.

 

[Idgit]

well I understand that. But to answer your question there are more fans here naturally.

And again, we are the predominant ticket buyers and the ones filling the stadium so it would be nice to get the chance to watch them at camp without having to fly across the country.

Every other team has camp somewhere in the state that they play in.

plus on top of everything, oxnard has been nothing but bad luck.

I don't know that there's an accounting of Cowboy fans anywhere online, frankly. But growing up in AZ, I know at least a third and maybe as much as a half of that stadium are Cowboy fans. Project that across every NFL stadium and we probably outnumber the local game-watchers by a wide margin. All-told, including fans who don't actually go to the games, I'd imagine there are several times more Cowboy fans outside of Texas than there are inside.

And locals buy the majority (but by no means all) of the stadium seats for obvious reasons, but there are a lot of us fans elsewhere supporting the team financially any number of ways. Don't begrudge us a few weeks of training camp some seasons, for crying out loud. I still have to drive my kids 6 hours just to see it, and you don't hear me complaining about the opportunity.

 

[theebs]

I don't know that there's an accounting of Cowboy fans anywhere online, frankly. But growing up in AZ, I know at least a third and maybe as much as a half of that stadium are Cowboy fans. Project that across every NFL stadium and we probably outnumber the local game-watchers by a wide margin. All-told, including fans who don't actually go to the games, I'd imagine there are several times more Cowboy fans outside of Texas than there are inside.

And locals buy the majority (but by no means all) of the stadium seats for obvious reasons, but there are a lot of us fans elsewhere supporting the team financially any number of ways. Don't begrudge us a few weeks of training camp some seasons, for crying out loud. I still have to drive my kids 6 hours just to see it, and you don't hear me complaining about the opportunity.

again, there are more cowboys fans in this state than anywhere else. Sorry, its true.

and second. 6 hours, so. I live here and I still have to drive 4 hours to san antonio. That is alot different than flying to los angeles to see the team at camp that plays in your city.

no other team does it. The yankees and red sox have fans all over the world and they fill up all the seats at all the road games, but there are more yankees and red sox fans in ny and boston than anywhere else.

my point is, The cowboys are this citys team, everything it does revolves around this area, the peope here are paying for part of the stadium along with supporting all the events the players go to here locally etc..etc..

so I just wish they would leave camp alone and have in san antonio. The fans here locally deserve to have the ability to be able to at least drive a few hours to see them at camp, like every other teams fans get to do.

 

[Maikeru-sama]

geez.

The team plays in Texas. I am not trying to complain but at the same time its nice to be able to just drive to san antonio for camp. Now we will probably get a small window when they are actually there. That means that those of us who want to go have to hope we can squeeze it into our schedules....

kind of sucks. I mean I bet oxnard is great, I would love to get out there but at the same time the majority of the fans of the team are in this state.

I agree with this 100%.

And yes, if it is true, I am complaining.

 

[Idgit]

again, there are more cowboys fans in this state than anywhere else. Sorry, its true.

and second. 6 hours, so. I live here and I still have to drive 4 hours to san antonio. That is alot different than flying to los angeles to see the team at camp that plays in your city.

no other team does it. The yankees and red sox have fans all over the world and they fill up all the seats at all the road games, but there are more yankees and red sox fans in ny and boston than anywhere else.

my point is, The cowboys are this citys team, everything it does revolves around this area, the peope here are paying for part of the stadium along with supporting all the events the players go to here locally etc..etc..

so I just wish they would leave camp alone and have in san antonio. The fans here locally deserve to have the ability to be able to at least drive a few hours to see them at camp, like every other teams fans get to do.

You saying it's true doesn't make it true. At least I'm saying that I'm just guessing. But I bet tv ratings and merchandize sales confirm there's more fan activity going on outside of Texas than there is inside.

And the fact that no other team does it means nothing. Dallas does a lot of things no other teams do, and a lot of other teams don't have the fan pull to do something like hold camp out of state.

And I know it's the Dallas Cowboys, and by that I mean Arlington or San Antonio, but I'd like to think that the moniker 'America's Team' is good for at least a few weeks of training camp outside every now and then.

 

[theebs]

You saying it's true doesn't make it true. At least I'm saying that I'm just guessing. But I bet tv ratings and merchandize sales confirm there's more fan activity going on outside of Texas than there is inside.

And the fact that no other team does it means nothing. Dallas does a lot of things no other teams do, and a lot of other teams don't have the fan pull to do something like hold camp out of state.

And I know it's the Dallas Cowboys, and by that I mean Arlington or San Antonio, but I'd like to think that the moniker 'America's Team' is good for at least a few weeks of training camp outside every now and then.

the Dallas cowboys games broadcast here locally numbers are off the charts, I can almost guarantee no other market gets the local numbers for cowboys games.

as far as merchandise goes, we have cowboys pro shops in every mall and a ton of other retailers who sell all the merchandise also. Not to mention the main pro shop in the actual stadium. So I will just take a guess and say more merchandise is sold here just like the tv numbers being higher.

again, its not a knock on other states or fans, its just the main point that the team plays in north texas so keeping camp within a reasonable distance of north texas isnt too much to ask of the team for the fans who buy tickets, pay higher taxes in arlington because of the stadium they voted for....all the psl costs.....etc etc.

I lived most of my life oustide of here, I am not a texan but I live here now and can tell you the largest group of cowboys fans is here.

 

[Idgit]

I agree with this 100%.

And yes, if it is true, I am complaining.

If you true Texans had just one tooth in your mouth for every time you complained about *training camp* being held out of state for a few weeks, Jerry'd be able to start selling corn on the cob again at the San Antonio training camps.

 

[RS12]

You wouldnt believe the lines at the souvenir big rigs in Oxnard.