Stories Inside the Man Cave
Stories Inside the Man Cave
Ep 390: Campin' with the Cowboys & MC in Oxnard; Inside the Cowboys' Training Camp: Padded Practices, Roster Battles, and Declining Fan Attendance
Ever wondered how the transition to padded practices shapes the future stars of the Dallas Cowboys? Join us as we unpack the early stages of the Cowboys' training camp, where the intensity ramps up and both seasoned veterans like Dak Prescott and rising talents like Micah Parsons face off in full gear. We'll delve into the significance of these grueling sessions for conditioning and player evaluation, capturing the drama that unfolds, including on-field scuffles and the resilience required to stay focused amidst distractions. Plus, get a behind-the-scenes look at how constant communication and evaluations influence the final roster decisions, and hear about the unexpected opportunities for lesser-known players to make their mark.
In a surprising twist, we also tackle the mysterious decline in fan attendance at the Cowboys' training camp in Oxnard, California. Is it fan fatigue, the allure of other NFL teams, or something else entirely? Our discussion spans the entertainment value of preseason games, the new kickoff return rules, and the delicate dance of player contracts, featuring Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. We'll even speculate on the potential future role of Trey Lance and the long-term prospects for the Cowboys, including a wild thought: Could Patrick Mahomes ever don the Cowboys' star? All this, wrapped up with a heartfelt nod to camaraderie and personal moments with the OG Man Cave Boys, reminding us of the importance of evolving our mindsets and cherishing time with loved ones.
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Hey, this is lifetime Cowboys fan, Jim Saxon with Jim Saxon State Farm. You want insurance knowledge and old school service? Give us a call.
Speaker 2:Really stressing your young players for the first time to see their ability to apply. You know the schematic part of it Because you know you get into these ramp-up practices but you're still flowing through an install and to see our guys react to you know, in a sense of one-day game plan and apply it so too many guys on the ground. You know there's some things that we've got to be better. So you know I go through all mechanics just the way I've always have. As far as the practice ethic, what we need to do better, cuz we wanna keep the player safety as high as possible. But I thought it was a solid day.
Speaker 1:MC, I mean you were in Oxnard. You literally got fired back to Texas First week of pads. Man, I know you're back home and I know you're happy to be home and still doing podcasts, still cranking out Cowboys stories for the rest of training camp, but first week of pads, that's a big deal for a player.
Speaker 3:No, it really is. Plus, as a broadcaster, it gives you more content. That's different than just their whole home. You know the drills and it's for real when they put the pads on. But it is for when they put the pads on because you need those practices prior to pads. Get your legs underneath you, you know. Get some type of conditioning if you will, if you will. And then now you want to approach the physical aspect of the game, and especially for those big uglies, as John Madden used to call them, they want to hit each other because for the big guys, practice is boring. They're not hitting somebody. Practice is boring, and so they. I think their first day earlier this week in pads was a good start. The tension gets out. There was a fight today. The guys got scrummed up. You want that. You know. Aren't many football practices, whether it be high school, college or pro, where you're not going to have some guys go to fisticuffs? It's nothing personal, it's just football.
Speaker 1:That's the beauty of it, and we've seen it. You know it's like here in Austin, ut just started working out For a media perspective. I mean you get the worst non-compelling video. You have great calisthenics, you've got just going through fundamentals. You have great calisthenics, you've got just going through fundamentals. And now you know, here we are with our third episode of this series for this year and the training camp is progressing. How would you pretty much sum up this first week?
Speaker 3:I think this first week there was because they have so many potential distractions. Cd Lamb, micah Parsons although Micah's in camp, kudos to him. I think this first week there was because they have so many potential distractions. Cd Lamb, micah Parsons although Micah's in camp, kudos to him. And I'm not dissing CD, you do what you got to do at the same time. And even Dak I mean Dak, you know Dak's having a good camp. I think a couple of days ago he and Trey Lance. Both were having accuracy problems, but the dude was a run-rupted MVP. That's all you need to know about him. So he's there. He's more comfortable, I think, because he has a little girl. He's kind of settled in his ways a little bit and I think he's tired of talking about the contract situation. I'm pretty sure Jerry's tired of talking. Well, jerry don't ever get tired of talking. Jerry loves talking about it.
Speaker 3:But I say that first week of practice up until we left was a pretty good practice. Wasn't a lot of standing around or wasn't a lot of? You know I heard Mike make the comment about guys being on the ground. So you know it's cool sometimes and you know this. When you get those pads on, that adrenaline is really flowing and you don this when you get those pads on, that adrenaline is really flowing and you're not really concentrating like you should. But now they've had those pads on for a few days, they're more settled and they can get into the game plan of doing those reps, because what you want to do by the end of the camp is those plays. Especially if you're a new person, if you're inexperienced or a free agent or a rookie, you want to be. It's just as soon as you hear the call, it's automatic. It's automatic and I always tease football practice by being boring, but the repetitions do definitely come in handy because as soon as you hear it you're alert and you know you've got to get out there and take care of business.
Speaker 3:So I think the install of some of those plays they're doing is working out and since CD's not there, those receivers who are inexperienced are getting some catches from the quarterbacks, especially if it's Dak. You're getting those catches and maybe you don't make the team for the Cowboys, but you're going to still be in position to be looked at by somebody else. That's the thing that they tell these players is yeah, you're trying to make our team and if you don't make our team. Someone else is going to knock on your door. You're trying to make somebody's roster. If you're that last, what? Seven to ten guys of the 53 final? And the same thing goes for the guys elsewhere in the NFC and in the AFC. They want to be on somebody's roster. I prefer to be on your roster, but if I can't be on your roster, somebody better give me a call because I'm ready.
Speaker 1:And it's constant communication. It's like a combine workout every practice.
Speaker 3:They brought in four DTs yesterday. Yeah, I just saw that this morning, or maybe late yesterday. They just work them out.
Speaker 1:It's constant. It's a constant cycle, and here we are. This is episode 390 overall, and so shoot us a like on each of our social media platforms and subscribe for free to our YouTube page. I've kind of neglected the YouTube page. Now I'm trying to make up for lost ground, because that's where every body is now. Coleman Trayvon Diggs it was, I think last September, september 23rd of last year suffered a torn ACL. It's very unfortunate, extremely talented young man in the secondary. Your thoughts on him? Well, let's hear from Trayvon first, and then I would love to see or hear your thoughts on how he looks, because I know confidence is always a question when an individual comes back from an injury like that.
Speaker 3:You can't take this game for granted. You know anything can happen. You know you don't know how valuable it is until it's taken away from you. So you know I was just being thankful for that.
Speaker 1:So obviously respect the game. He's passionate. It's time away that's a long time to be away from not suiting up. You're on the sidelines but you're really not being a factor in those games. And now he's back. What? What was your impression of his return?
Speaker 3:that he thought a whole lot about what if. I mean he's fortunate to be in the rehab and he'll be good. We saw him take a race. I don't know if you saw the race between he and Micah Parsons, which is pretty good. I'm like OK, if he comes back that healthy he's going to be just fine.
Speaker 3:But he had a lot of downtime to think about what if, and I think you know when you're working out by yourself in the rehab, you know I have knee surgery years ago when I was in high school and it's a drudgery and you think about a lot of different things. I was just thinking about, you know, being able to play again, which was not an issue. But these guys, they got a family, they got a mortgage, they got everything else. You know, am I going to be able to keep making the payments off of what I'm getting right now?
Speaker 3:Now, fortunately for him, because he signed that new deal last year, he's in good shape, as far as we know. But he had a lot of time to think about what we just heard him say and I guarantee you he doesn't even have to spread or disseminate that information to his teammates, because just by example of seeing what he had to go through. They're like wow, you know, I got to be cool about this whole thing Because A you lost Sam Williams, you lost Trayvon last year, you lost DeMarvion Overshaw last year All of the same injury, so nobody is immune from getting ACL'd out.
Speaker 1:It's that quick, I mean, it happens a lot out. It's that quick, it happens a lot, unfortunately it happens a lot.
Speaker 3:It happens a lot. It's funny, though, because Arthur and I were talking Arthur Claiborne was like I don't recall hearing those three letters a whole lot when I was playing ball. Now, torn cartilage, I heard. But ACL is so prevalent now in the NFL and in college sports high school for that matter. So it's just funny how there are injuries that you hadn't been exposed to and then there's a generation where it's like Tommy John In baseball. Yeah, you think Babe Ruth didn't handle Tommy John surgery. You know Satchel Paige didn't handle Tommy John, but after a while Tommy John had surgery. Okay, we're going to call this Tommy John surgery. You know Satchel Paige didn't handle Tommy John, but after a while Tommy John had surgery. Okay, we're going to call this Tommy John. Now, that's part of the rite of passage is being a pitcher is getting a Tommy John surgery. So it's crazy man.
Speaker 1:I wonder if Tommy John's family receives NIL money for the usage of the name. They should. There's no doubt, hey. I got to ask you about this because it took off on social media. Well, excuse me, I want to ask you about this. Mike Leslie and a couple other people from the Dallas media did tweet out a photo of the stands being fairly empty in Oxnard. Where are the fans? I mean, he says Cowboy fans are out on this franchise more than I can ever remember the attendance so far at camp.
Speaker 3:I think he even tweeted that before camp started too. I think. I'm not sure. I'm not sure, but even Zeke Elliott's like where's everybody at? So you know, he, as a player, is noticing it. Saturday, the opening ceremony was a good day for them.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 3:But it really, compared to the previous camps, it really wasn't as strong hearted as it has been in terms of the folks coming out. So, but then again, you know, we talked to a guy from Longview. He's been a Cowboy fan since he was a little boy. He just, you know, he was soaking it all up and I said, I know you haven't been here long. He just got in town that day. I said so is it all that you can imagine? Oh, that and more. So, I think, to each his own. Let them win a Superbowl and there'll be twice the crowd.
Speaker 3:But there was, there was some conversation, there were some whispers about where's everybody at, you know, which is, I think, is telling. You know, I mean, let's face it, when you're in the LA area, oxnard, and there are four other NFL teams out there working out or practicing, holding their training camp at I think it's the Saints, the Rams, and I'm missing Raiders, I believe the Raiders, and I'm missing some of them, unless I didn't mention the Cowboys. But no, there was definitely. You could see a gap of less fans. There's no doubt about it. Who knows why? I mean, I will say this A year ago the lines were long, like they were getting some good barbecue somewhere. It wasn't like that this year. It's a very strong observation and a true observation.
Speaker 1:Do you think it has? Did the dimensions of the seating change for the training camp fields? Did anything change?
Speaker 3:Nothing's changed. Nothing's changed, and that includes the optimism for a Super Bowl, because after a while it becomes deja vu. After a while, when you go to training camp in Oxnard because of especially when you go three years in a row 12-5. The deja vu begins at the end of the season. Then you come back again. In fact, when I said goodbye to the Dallas media when Art and I were leaving, I said I catch you guys at the Super Bowl. They're like yeah, right, so that's kind of indicative of we're here covering it, but we don't believe about the Super Bowl happening.
Speaker 1:I think the fan base finally has flipped the switch. We're done.
Speaker 3:They have the thing that they have. I don't know if they're jumping on the Chiefs bandwagon, although I know here in East Texas, just down the street, we have a neighbor who waves a Chiefs banner proudly. I see bumper stickers and that's, that's a that's that's more of a Mahomes effect. I mean, even Jerry Jones made a reference to Patrick Mahomes on his opening presser. I don't know if you heard that. He was talking about the money. He's like should I give it away or should I hold it? And then he goes like that's what Mahomes does with football. Right, he's either going to pitch it or he's going to keep it. I'm like, dude, I don't believe you just talked about Patrick Mahomes at your training camp. I don't believe you just said that he's enamored with him too. I don't know if Mahomes would be the same if he worked for the Cowboys.
Speaker 1:I just don't know I wouldn't put it past him in the future to catch him on the tail end of his career to bring him to Dallas, so close to home. The chances of that, I'll put 8% to 10%.
Speaker 3:Yeah, because Steven Jones would be running the team by then.
Speaker 1:Oh 100%.
Speaker 3:You think about that, so yeah, hey, tell me your opinion.
Speaker 1:What's up next? I know we've got the preseason starts. It has started. A lot of people don't like watching them because it's not great football, but it's football.
Speaker 3:Well, that's what we love. We love football, you know, okay, so it's two teams that aren't there. You know, I'm watching the Hall of Fame game, which is entertaining, right, you know, and I'm getting a kick out of watching the kickoff returns a new format, because I was the first person to go. They're going to be touchdowns every day, but no, that's not the case, and maybe part of it is because these guys have been playing football all their life and they're like we're doing what now? We can't go until the ball is touched or hits the ground. I mean so, but it is a good game in terms of a preseason game. It's been some good hits, been some good plays.
Speaker 3:But as for what is next for the Cowboys, dak can see a few plays. He'll sit down and he'll try to see what Trey Lance has got going on. They will sign CeeDee Lamb. I believe he'll be signed before the season. We know Dak's fine. Dak's going to be just fine. He'll get money either with Dallas or without him after the season. We'll see how that turns out, man, because if you're going to sign CD, you're going to have someone to throw it to him, someone who has a chemistry with him. I don't think Trey Lance is the guy. I don't know how they've been.
Speaker 3:I guess this is his third year now with the Cowboys, so I'm not sure if they're working with him during the offseason. I know there's limitations now what you can do, but you know again, like I said earlier, it might not be with Dallas, I might be with somebody else, and that could be the case for Trey Lance.
Speaker 1:Just another type of guy that will probably be a free agent really soon. Hey, you mentioned the Hall of Fame game which is taking place as we're recording this. One of the Longhorn greats and one of the best to play the game. This past Saturday I got to go to a special tribute over there. You remember Schultz's Beer Garden? Oh, yeah, I remember Schult the game. Yeah, uh, this past saturday got to go to a special tribute over there. You remember schultz's beer garden?
Speaker 3:oh yeah, I remember shoulders.
Speaker 1:See if you recognize any of these faces, some of the Longhorn greats from the 70s, 80s, even all the way up to current, like a recent Lamar Houston. It's really a sad deal because Steve McMichael and I believe his wife were watching it on FaceTime because I hate using this term, mc and our buddy Bill Schoening was there.
Speaker 3:I think he's on his last leg of his fight with hey y'all at least he got to, at least he got to, and I think you're right, he, he got to see, he got to see himself get in. You know it's it's I liken it to als and lou gehr you know a tremendous athlete, a tremendous teammate and everything. And again, it's one of those things like you and I talked earlier today. It's like how does this happen? And it's just, it's sad, it's life. Life sucks sometimes and but I think the upside for Michael being in the position he's in is him being able to be acknowledged as one of the best in the history of the game.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he was Real quick. How can you quickly sum up how he factored in on that great 1985 Chicago Bears defense?
Speaker 3:The defense was the stars. Walter Payton. He had his own level but the defense was the stars of that team. They got the ball back for the Bears and the Bears knew what to do on offense. Just run, run, run Number 34, who was a pinball when he ran? Man, I mean Walter Payton. There's another guy, his teammate, who goes out the way he did the way he did.
Speaker 3:And then another teammate committed suicide the defensive back, I can't remember his name right now, real popular guy. And so something happens to people over time when they're not with their teammates anymore, they live that high life and it's like what am I going to do next? And then when an illness kicks in, I don't know. But you have to ask yourself where did that time go? And there's nothing wrong with saying why me? There's nothing wrong with thinking that because you're like I mean that doesn't mean you're wishing to happen to someone else, but it's like wow, wow me. And so, yeah, I mean you think about some members. Dave Dewarson is his name, dave Dewarson, I couldn't remember his name, dave Dewarson. And so you know three guys, three key members of that team. Buddy Ryan he lived a long life. He's gone. So there are holes in that Chicago Bears team of 85,. But the defense they were the stars of the show, the Super Bowl shuffle, they were the stars.
Speaker 1:It's a great time I was 12 years old. I remember it was very the stars. It's a great time I was 12 years old. I remember it was very, though. The Super Bowl showed a lot of stiff dancing, yes it was.
Speaker 1:Yes, it was Very much. Hey, let's pick up the RPMs and finish with something positive. All right, hey, ben, tell me something good. Tell me something good brought to you by our guy, jim Saxton at Jim Saxton State Farm Insurance Agency here in Austin, texas. What's on your mind, mc? That's positive. It could be tied to anything the Cowboys, your life.
Speaker 3:No, I'm going to tell you what's good. Simone Biles is gold. She's great, she's golden Way. Biles is gold, she's great, she's golden Way to go for her. And it's cool that the Bears let him, her husband, go to Paris to see what she could do and then watch her entertain and come home with the gold. She's still out there and runner-up is Snoop Dogg.
Speaker 1:He's still in the show and Flavor.
Speaker 3:Flav and Flavor Flav. I mean, you know these are two guys who were doing the rap thing and the gangster rap, whatever they call it, you know. But they have found themselves in the hearts of people and that's how it should be and kudos to them. And hopefully, you know, they can inspire knuckleheads, those who are negative, thinking about other people's cultures, that, oh, it's not so bad after all.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they're transcendent, they are, we've gone this far into the Olympics and I feel like we're now, finally, the reach is there, meaning I'm starting to see it and feel it. The company I mean the company, the country is doing this right now. I think, yeah, it is all the devices. They're coming together to get behind, uh, the United States yeah, it is.
Speaker 3:I mean, you know it's like how we. Why would you want to live your life and be miserable and be angry at somebody or at people, or people don't look like you, or whatever. Here's another good one. Real quick, I'm giving you three. This one here is more serious.
Speaker 3:There was a situation and you may have seen it on social media and I saw it written up in uh, alabama, tuscaloosa, there was a restaurant and a white gentleman took his black friends to the restaurant but he'd been bragging about it and he set the table with them and then the owner of the place I think his name is Nick or something, fritz or Nick he said to him do you condone sitting at the table with N-I-G-G-E-R-S. He spelled it out and that dude's like what. And he said let's go to his friends. And the guy followed them outside and he said I just can't believe you. Just I've been bragging about your place, these are my friends, they're my friends, and you said that in front of them. You said it, you know it, just cause it was in front of them. So I would. I didn't know. You said it and a couple of the black folks are you know. No, we heard you say it and um.
Speaker 3:So I saw a lot of comments from people who were giving him the high five for standing up for his friends, and that's you know. That's to me that's the natural thing to do, but we live in such a volatile world today that you wouldn't think somebody would stand up for something like that. This guy did Check it out. You'll see more on it in social media. I saw it on social media. Then I saw it written up as a story from a local television station, as it should be. Now folks are saying this boycott. I'm going to be paying attention to see how that turns out.
Speaker 1:I am too. You hate for anyone to lose their business, but in this case that is so archaic. 2024, right, even when it was going on, it shouldn't have been going on In the 50s, 60s, whatever. Wow, man. I can't have been going on in the 50s, 60s, whatever. Wow man. I can't believe. I was not aware of that until you told me that. But I am glad for him. I hope that story takes off. You will, and you know what. You choose to think a certain way and you don't evolve. Nothing good comes out of that. Not a thing, my man, not a thing, hey, my brother. We Not a thing, my man, not a thing. Hey, my brother. We'll do one more episode on the Cowboys camp. We'll check in later next week. Just give me a holler, my man. Go enjoy the time with the Mrs man. I sense I smell some margaritas on the horizon very soon. Celebration, celebration. All right, partner, I'll talk to you, take care.
Speaker 3:Celebration, celebration. All right, partner, I'll talk to you.
Speaker 1:Take care, absolutely 4MT Oxnard, california, tyler, Texas and Jim Saxton State Farm and the OG man Cave Boys, that being Harbaugh Harts, big Mike and Coach Mo. We out, we out.