tackle. And that's been it.
In fact, Newman, Quincy Butler (hamstring) and Marcus Dixon (back) are the only ones right now on Monday afternoon rehabbing - still - with assistant trainer Britt Brown.
Normally, this time of training camp, there are at least a half dozen guys out with hamstring or groin strains, and a few more with sprained knees and ankles, which more times than not are products of fatigue and dehydration than anything else. I mean one of the first rooms the trainers would set up in Austin and Wichita Falls was the IV one, where standing room only was the norm. Even in San Antonio there were dehydration problems because of the humidity seeping into the Dome.
They can't even spell dehydration in Oxnard.
"We were always worried about taking the IV," Campo said of practicing in hot and humid weather.
"It would be 100 degrees every day, and the coaches would tell you to go hard, but you knew there would be days you just couldn't," James said of his experience practicing in the heat, especially in college at LSU.
Now me, I'm just a writer, and most times more emotional than logical. I know nothing about contracts and legalese.
But if it were me, and everything else was even, I'd have the Cowboys returning to Oxnard for training camp, the place Al Davis discovered when his Raiders were stationed in L.A., and probably because Tex Schramm already had discovered the benefits of training in Thousand Oaks back in 1963.
Now the Cowboys vacated this place in 2007 because those owning the property surrounding the practice complex were supposed to build a housing development. But thanks to the economy's downturn, I'm told by local realtors that's just not going to happen any time soon; that this land used for parking and the fan zones will be available for years to come.
Be a shame to just let this land sit vacant year round.
Now didn't someone once say contracts are made to be broken? Or was that records? Can't remember.
But after Monday's practice Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was seen talking with the Oxnard mayor, along with one of the city councilman, both of whom came out to "say goodbye," but as Jones said he told them, "keep communicating."
And the good news is this: When asked, knowing the club has a contract for upcoming camps in San Antonio, if there was a chance of coming back here to training camp, Jones said, "Yes, yes, there is a significant chance," and he would go on to say with a big grin on his face, "there are some things about (camp in Oxnard) I like a lot.
"This has been good."
Now that might not be next summer since the Cowboys will be moving into their new stadium, and Jones said the entire organization will need to be in close proximity to the $1.1 billion structure as the season nears. And, on top of that, there might be a chance of a few practices there, just to create a soft opening, if you know what I mean.
But Jones suggested very heavily there is a good chance of holding future training camps in dual locations, part of the time in San Antonio and part of the time right here in God's country.
And when asked if the club would be returning to San Antonio, regardless, Jones said, "Yes, but the situation is possible for time here and time there." Furthermore, when it was suggested that likely would not happen next summer, Jones said, "Not necessarily, it just presents more of a challenge."
So maybe Tuesday's practice will not be the final training camp practice in Oxnard ever, just for this summer. Heck might not even be the final camp practice here in the next two years.
Now there is some music to my ears.
Can I get a hallelujah on that?
