Oxnard's Cowboys worth knocking around
The Dallas Cowboys have plans to scoot on back to Oxnard this summer for training camp, and with them will include about 24 extra members of NFL Films to revive the HBO series "Hard Knocks."
The Cowboys, who last year trained in San Antonio, are scheduled to come back to Oxnard in late July, where HBO will generate what it calls a five episode "cinema verité series" that focuses on the daily lives and routines of players and coaches.
Owner Jerry Jones, coach-to-be-soon-replaced Wade Phillips, stars like Tono Romo, Terrell Owens and Pacman Jones (maybe) and perhaps a visit from Jessica Simpson would seem to bring enough interest for HBO to commit to some 700 hours of taping and quick turn around to keep the reality show fresh each week.
"HBO's ability to develop sports and entertainment franchises is unmatched in television," Jones, who heads the NFL's TV committee, said in a press release. "They commit the resources to do it the right way, and they know how to effectively reach sports fans. This is an opportunity for the Cowboys to bring millions of our fans closer to our team and the training camp experience."
The series starts Wednesday, Aug. 6 and goes through Sept. 3.
This will be the fifth time HBO has done the "Hard Knocks" series, going back to the first time in 2001 to focus on the Baltimore Ravens the year after they won the Super Bowl. In 2002, the Cowboys were the featured team, under Dave Campo. That team ended up going 5-11 in the regular season. The series resumed last year to follow the Kansas City Chiefs.
"It's the most challenging, high-profile project of the year for NFL Films," said NFL Films president Steve Sabol. "There is no shooting script, no structure, no format. The storylines change weekly. For NFL Films, it is a six-week-long audible."
Hey, how 'bout something with Jerry taking the famed Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders to get some plastic surgery touchups at a private Beverly Hills salon during a break in practice? The storylines are endless.
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