Beat the heat, travel to Oxnard and join the Cowboys for football training camp
Tired of these 100-degree days? Ready to get your brain to start thinking about cooler autumn temperatures?
How about some football? And maybe a vacation to Oxnard, Calif., where the weather forecasts for temperatures not to rise about 71 degrees in the next week?
The Cowboys officially open training camp on Wednesday in Southern California. And the weather will be perfect for football,
If you are thinking about heading 1,498 miles to the west, here are a few things you should know about the Cowboys’ 63rd training camp.
It’s not Los Angeles
If you think you are going to visit Hollywood and the Walk of Fame, think again. Certainly, you can make a side trip to Los Angeles. But that 60-mile trip will take you a bit of time (certainly you’ve heard of the traffic nightmares). Oxnard is a seaside city of 200,000. It’s known for its pristine beaches, but cooler temperatures than other Southern California coastal communities.
Venture to Channel Island Harbor, visit the Mullin Automotive museum, enjoy the nightlife. There’s a lot more to do than chasing Dak Prescott for an autograph after practice.
Know the practice schedule
Fans can begin attend many of the practices, held at the River Ridge Playing Fields, beginning with the first workout on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. PT. NFL teams are allowed to have as many as 90 players in uniform the first week of practice (teams will cut players throughout the next month until the final 53-man roster is set on Aug. 30).
Fans can also attend on July 28 (11:30 a.m.), July 29 (11:30 a.m.), July 30’s special fan fest and opening ceremony (begins at 9:30 a.m.), Aug. 1 (11 a.m.), Aug. 2 (11 a.m.), Aug. 3 (10 a.m.), Aug. 4 (11 a.m.), Aug. 5 (11 a.m.), Aug. 6 (10 a.m.), Aug. 8 (11 a.m.), Aug. 9 (11 a.m.) and final open practice on Aug. 10 (10 a.m.).
Autographs
Bring your sharpie. Bring your football. Bring your jerseys. Training camp is one opportunity to get face-to-face with your heroes. And, yes, it will be a lot easier to get signatures of the guys fighting for roster spots than it will be to gather some ink from Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott. But look around as many former Cowboy greats could be visiting camp and dining in the Oxnard restaurants.
What to watch
The position battles. Granted, most of the starting positions have already been decided. But there are a few to keep an eye on. See which wide receiver is impressing Mike McCarthy and his coaching staff. Can first-round pick Tyler Smith make an immediate impact on the offensive line?
Know your history
Certainly you are wearing the navy blue jersey and have the star etched on your forearm, but do you know the Cowboys have held training camp in Oxnard 15 previous times? Only Thousand Oaks has hosted more camps (27 times, the last in 1989). True Cowboy history buffs know the first three camps were held in Oregon (1960), Minnesota (1961) and MIchigan (1962).
Preseason games
After the Aug. 10 date, the Cowboys fly to Denver to practice with the Broncos before their first preseason game on Aug. 13. They then return to California where they will practice with the Los Angeles Chargers for a couple of days prior to their second preseason game on Aug. 20. The Cowboys will then fly back to Texas afterward, continuing with closed practices in Frisco before the final preseason game against Seattle on Aug. 26 at AT&T Stadium. familiar face at kickoff.
And the season begins
The heatwave will be gone by the time the season officially kicks off on Sept. 11 when the Cowboys host Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Bucs in Week 1’s primetime game. The Cowboys will be looking to avenge last season’s 31-29 opening loss in Tampa.
All about the Cowboys
Star-Telegram reporter Clarence Hill has been on the Cowboys beat since 1997. He’ll be in Oxnard for every practice and be with the team throughout its 63rd season. Read him daily on star-telegram.com, listen to his Podcasts and follow him on Twitter @clarencehilljr.
