OXNARD, Calif. -- They came by the thousands, wearing sweatshirts and jackets to combat the morning chill. They endured long lines to pay $10 to park or walked from free spots as far as a mile away, then jostled for views along fences.
And they did it all for a light pads-less practice that lasted a little more than an hour.
The Dallas Cowboys were back at their West Coast base for the first time in two years, and that was all that mattered to locals.
"It's awesome," wide receiver Miles Austin said. "I mean, the fans out here ... it's crazy."
The Cowboys were giddy about being back in this town an hour north of Los Angeles, and a short drive from the Pacific Ocean, because of the temperature: 60 degrees when the morning practice ended; it already was pushing 100 back in the Dallas area.
"On my way to the field this morning, I was walking through and by the players, and they all agreed this is football weather, this is hitting weather," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "And that's one of the reasons we are here."
Said cornerback Mike Jenkins: "It gives you more energy. It makes you want to come out here and work even harder."
Linebacker Keith Brooking walked off the field with hardly any sweat on his face -- and a big smile.
"I may retire here," he said. "After being here for a day, this is unbelievable."
The Cowboys returned for an afternoon practice with a bigger, louder crowd (7,247 fans, up from 6,713 in the morning) and some sunshine. The typical morning layer of clouds had left skies overcast in the morning -- not that anyone was complaining about it.
The Cowboys spent their first two weeks training in the climate-controlled environment of the Alamodome. They spent most of the past week in Dallas, but little of it was done practicing in the scorching weather. Now they are in California for the final two weeks of two-a-day practices, with a break next weekend for a trip to San Diego for a preseason game against the Chargers.
"We've been in camp for what seems like forever," Brooking said. "To know that we have two more weeks, to have a change in scenery, a different atmosphere, and obviously this type of weather and fan support -- it's tremendous. It's a great place to work."
Coach Wade Phillips said having soft, grass fields is another bonus of this trip nearly 1,500 miles from home.
The only downside?
"They almost got hit by a golf ball today," Phillips said, standing across from the back nine of the Vineyard course at River Ridge Golf Club. "You've got to watch out for that here. But other than that, it's a nice place to be -- certainly a lot better than in Dallas or in Texas at this time, out in the heat.
"In the good weather, you get more reps, you practice more, players concentrate better and we have a lot of great fans here. All of that motivates you and gets you ready to play."
The Cowboys have sporadically used Oxnard as a training-camp site for the past decade. Jones loves spending time in the area, plus he likes the visibility for his team in the nation's second-largest media market. This northern edge of the L.A. area is close to where the Cowboys used to train during the Tom Landry era, so many folks around here are second- or even third-generation Cowboys fans.
"That's what we are here to take advantage of," Jones said. "It's really unique and special for the Cowboys to have such a fan base like we do out here in California."
It's profitable, too.
While the city keeps the parking fees, and various local organizations manned concession stands for their own benefit, the Cowboys sold all sorts of souvenirs out of two 18-wheelers. At least 100 people were in line at 9 a.m., and that was while hundreds of other fans crammed a pathway to watch players walk out to the field. They held up handmade signs like "The Boys Are Back In Town" and screamed out names in hopes of a wave or a high five. The team has brought a memorabilia trailer and plenty of inflatable playthings for kids.
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press
