DMN Blog: Live from Texas Stadium: Practice makes circus
by Tim MacMahon
I'm sure the Hard Knocks crew is having a blast.
This is classic Jerry craziness. The home side's lower bowl is packed with fans for a practice, fighting for soon-to-be-wet T-shirts launched from air bazookas. The Ticket's Donovan Lewis is conducting painful interviews with diehard fans. They're pumping up the inflatable helmet for introductions. And '80s rock is blaring from the loudspeakers when highlights aren't playing on the jumbo screens.
Yep, we're talkin' about practice. Just not like any practice I've ever seen.
Oh, and it's stopped raining, so Brian "Crash" Davis and Calvin "Lucky" Watkins can quit crying.
Follow the jump once things get going for all the highlights as they happen.
6:42 -- The fans won't see any pads popping. The Cowboys aren't wearing any pads, just helmets, jerseys and shorts. ... The fans will see plenty of rump shakin', though. The Cowboys cheerleaders are doing their thing out at midfield, which might be slightly distracting to the players trying to warm up yards away.
6:46 -- Second-round TE Martellus Bennett isn't getting to enjoy the rump shakin' display by the cheerleaders. TE coach John Garrett is giving his prized project a pre-practice pep talk.
6:48 -- Voice of Texas Stadium George Dunham introduced the Cowboys as "the defending NFC East champions." Too bad the Giants had to settle for second place, huh?
6:50 -- Ol' Jerry sure can work a crowd. He appears determined to sign an autograph for every single fan sitting in the front row. ... Tony Romo's unofficial theme song (Journey's "Don't Stop Believing") is playing. It wouldn't be a surprise if somebody handed him a mic and he started signing on the star at the 50.
7:02 -- Horn sounded. Now they're really gonna get to work. Cowboys are getting started with always thrilling iwarmups.
7:06 -- Stretching just started. They've got rap music boomin', adding to the intensity. .... SS Roy Williams is dressed out after sitting out most of yesterday's practice.
7:10 -- Defense doing pursuit drills, offense running plays vs. air. ... Music has been cut off. ... Prepubescent boys sitting in top row in front of press box are holding a contest to see who can scream loudest.
7:12 -- Practice officially started with play-by-play man Brad Sham interviewing Wade Phillips. The interview, which was shown on the big screens, was just as thrilling as Wade's press conferences usually are. He thanked the fans and did a raise-the-roof-like gesture. And Wade stressed that this is just going to be a regular, ol' practice. "These guys are ready to go hard," he said. ... Tony Romo will take a break at some point during the practice. He's the next guy Sham will interview.
7:17 -- Here are the guys who aren't practicing: CB Terence Newman (groin), WR Miles Austin (knee), OLB Anthony Spencer (knee), ILB Kevin Burnett (knee), CB Quincy Butler (hamstring), DE Marcus Dixon (back), FB Ronnie Cruz (shoulder) and S Tyler Everett (back). ... Fans don't seem too fired up about individual position drills.
7:22 -- It was pretty quiet in here, but Rowdy's getting to work getting the fans all riled up. Looks like he left his four-wheeler in the tunnel.
7:25 -- Team drills begin with starting offense vs. scout-team D. ... Draw play to Marion "The Barbarian" Barber. Fans are getting their money's worth for a free event.
7:29 -- OK, you folks want some injury info. ... The MRI on OLB Anthony Spencer's right knee didn't show any structural damage. It's just a bruised knee, but he still has some swelling. He's day-to-day, but that's been the case for more than a week. ... CB Terence Newman would probably play this week if it were a regular season game. He thinks he's ready to go, but the Cowboys are being very careful to make sure his groin doesn't nag him throughout the season. He should return to practice next week and might play in the preseason finale.
7:32 -- Offense worked solely on running game. Scout-team O and starting D are on the field now. Bradie James led the D in a cute little jog-in-place get-hyped routine before their first half-speed play.
7:39 -- Horn sounded, probably waking up a few hundred fans who dozed off. ... Special teams work about to start. ... This would be a fine time for Brad Sham's interview of Tony Romo.
7:43 -- PA dude George Dunham awoke from his slumber to announce that Felix Jones is fielding kickoffs. ... Nick Folk is consistently booting 'em inside the 3. ... Cover men are (from left to right) Mike Jenkins, Alan Ball, Bobby Carpenter, Deon "Cricket" Anderson, Tashard Choice, Erik Walden, Pat Watkins, Justin Rogers, Isaiah Stanback and Courtney Brown.
7:51 -- Looks like a lot of folks got bored and left. Or maybe they're just putting more money in Jerry's pockets at the concession stands. ... About to start more thrilling first-team O vs. scout-team D action.
7:53 -- Somebody must have told George Dunham to earn his paycheck. Or perhaps he's just warming up for another exciting season as the voice of the Mean Green. He's started doing quasi-play-by-play over the loudspeakers. ... Romo just went deep to T.O., which is the most exciting thing to happen all night that didn't involve Rowdy.
7:59 -- Scout-team O vs. nickel/dime D now. ... Richard Bartel is making the D look good. Ken Hamlin had a pick on the first play. Orlando Scandrick had one on the second play. ... The fact that Scandrick is working in the slot is noteworthy. That's Terence Newman's job once he gets healthy. Alan Ball played there vs. the Chargers, Evan Oglesby vs. the Broncos. Looks like Scandrick will get his shot vs. the Texans. ... Speaking of getting his shot, Bobby Carpenter is the LB in this package. That's Kevin Burnett's job, and Bradie James filled that role in Denver.
8:05 -- Horn sounded. ... T.O. is livening things up by throwing somethings (T-shirts? wristbands? towels?) into the crowd. And now T.O. is doing an interview with Brad Sham.
8:09 -- T.O. and Romo didn't really say anything interesting. T.O. wore a Hard Knocks hat. Romo wore his helmet during the interview until T.O. came up behind him and removed it from Romo's head. ... Working on punt coverage.
I'm sure the Hard Knocks crew is having a blast.
This is classic Jerry craziness. The home side's lower bowl is packed with fans for a practice, fighting for soon-to-be-wet T-shirts launched from air bazookas. The Ticket's Donovan Lewis is conducting painful interviews with diehard fans. They're pumping up the inflatable helmet for introductions. And '80s rock is blaring from the loudspeakers when highlights aren't playing on the jumbo screens.
Yep, we're talkin' about practice. Just not like any practice I've ever seen.
Oh, and it's stopped raining, so Brian "Crash" Davis and Calvin "Lucky" Watkins can quit crying.
Follow the jump once things get going for all the highlights as they happen.
6:42 -- The fans won't see any pads popping. The Cowboys aren't wearing any pads, just helmets, jerseys and shorts. ... The fans will see plenty of rump shakin', though. The Cowboys cheerleaders are doing their thing out at midfield, which might be slightly distracting to the players trying to warm up yards away.
6:46 -- Second-round TE Martellus Bennett isn't getting to enjoy the rump shakin' display by the cheerleaders. TE coach John Garrett is giving his prized project a pre-practice pep talk.
6:48 -- Voice of Texas Stadium George Dunham introduced the Cowboys as "the defending NFC East champions." Too bad the Giants had to settle for second place, huh?
6:50 -- Ol' Jerry sure can work a crowd. He appears determined to sign an autograph for every single fan sitting in the front row. ... Tony Romo's unofficial theme song (Journey's "Don't Stop Believing") is playing. It wouldn't be a surprise if somebody handed him a mic and he started signing on the star at the 50.
7:02 -- Horn sounded. Now they're really gonna get to work. Cowboys are getting started with always thrilling iwarmups.
7:06 -- Stretching just started. They've got rap music boomin', adding to the intensity. .... SS Roy Williams is dressed out after sitting out most of yesterday's practice.
7:10 -- Defense doing pursuit drills, offense running plays vs. air. ... Music has been cut off. ... Prepubescent boys sitting in top row in front of press box are holding a contest to see who can scream loudest.
7:12 -- Practice officially started with play-by-play man Brad Sham interviewing Wade Phillips. The interview, which was shown on the big screens, was just as thrilling as Wade's press conferences usually are. He thanked the fans and did a raise-the-roof-like gesture. And Wade stressed that this is just going to be a regular, ol' practice. "These guys are ready to go hard," he said. ... Tony Romo will take a break at some point during the practice. He's the next guy Sham will interview.
7:17 -- Here are the guys who aren't practicing: CB Terence Newman (groin), WR Miles Austin (knee), OLB Anthony Spencer (knee), ILB Kevin Burnett (knee), CB Quincy Butler (hamstring), DE Marcus Dixon (back), FB Ronnie Cruz (shoulder) and S Tyler Everett (back). ... Fans don't seem too fired up about individual position drills.
7:22 -- It was pretty quiet in here, but Rowdy's getting to work getting the fans all riled up. Looks like he left his four-wheeler in the tunnel.
7:25 -- Team drills begin with starting offense vs. scout-team D. ... Draw play to Marion "The Barbarian" Barber. Fans are getting their money's worth for a free event.
7:29 -- OK, you folks want some injury info. ... The MRI on OLB Anthony Spencer's right knee didn't show any structural damage. It's just a bruised knee, but he still has some swelling. He's day-to-day, but that's been the case for more than a week. ... CB Terence Newman would probably play this week if it were a regular season game. He thinks he's ready to go, but the Cowboys are being very careful to make sure his groin doesn't nag him throughout the season. He should return to practice next week and might play in the preseason finale.
7:32 -- Offense worked solely on running game. Scout-team O and starting D are on the field now. Bradie James led the D in a cute little jog-in-place get-hyped routine before their first half-speed play.
7:39 -- Horn sounded, probably waking up a few hundred fans who dozed off. ... Special teams work about to start. ... This would be a fine time for Brad Sham's interview of Tony Romo.
7:43 -- PA dude George Dunham awoke from his slumber to announce that Felix Jones is fielding kickoffs. ... Nick Folk is consistently booting 'em inside the 3. ... Cover men are (from left to right) Mike Jenkins, Alan Ball, Bobby Carpenter, Deon "Cricket" Anderson, Tashard Choice, Erik Walden, Pat Watkins, Justin Rogers, Isaiah Stanback and Courtney Brown.
7:51 -- Looks like a lot of folks got bored and left. Or maybe they're just putting more money in Jerry's pockets at the concession stands. ... About to start more thrilling first-team O vs. scout-team D action.
7:53 -- Somebody must have told George Dunham to earn his paycheck. Or perhaps he's just warming up for another exciting season as the voice of the Mean Green. He's started doing quasi-play-by-play over the loudspeakers. ... Romo just went deep to T.O., which is the most exciting thing to happen all night that didn't involve Rowdy.
7:59 -- Scout-team O vs. nickel/dime D now. ... Richard Bartel is making the D look good. Ken Hamlin had a pick on the first play. Orlando Scandrick had one on the second play. ... The fact that Scandrick is working in the slot is noteworthy. That's Terence Newman's job once he gets healthy. Alan Ball played there vs. the Chargers, Evan Oglesby vs. the Broncos. Looks like Scandrick will get his shot vs. the Texans. ... Speaking of getting his shot, Bobby Carpenter is the LB in this package. That's Kevin Burnett's job, and Bradie James filled that role in Denver.
8:05 -- Horn sounded. ... T.O. is livening things up by throwing somethings (T-shirts? wristbands? towels?) into the crowd. And now T.O. is doing an interview with Brad Sham.
8:09 -- T.O. and Romo didn't really say anything interesting. T.O. wore a Hard Knocks hat. Romo wore his helmet during the interview until T.O. came up behind him and removed it from Romo's head. ... Working on punt coverage.
posted by The Gryphon at 9:13 PM
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