room. Between the practice road show and the brand new stadium opening, it wasn't to be, but somehow the Cowboys overcame it.
Whereas Dallas teams of the recent past blamed their December and postseason slides on media-created distractions, this one did not. They confronted head-on the segment of the machine calling them "losers," and rallied from a two-game losing streak at the start of that woeful 12th month of the year. Next they overcame a playoff-loss drought stretching back to 1996, and returned to the locker room asking if there were anymore curses.
It's all evidence the Cowboys can overcome things that might be perceived as distractions, or obstacles. Perhaps those things strengthened them. In 2009, the Cowboys didn't make excuses or complain. If things go right between now and opening day, they could enter the season a stronger team than if they hadn't gone through the experiences of the last two years.
So what does it really hurt if the Cowboys ultimately decide to spend half of training camp in California? Maybe the fresh ocean breeze will help. Maybe they'll be energized to practice outdoors as a change of pace.
Maybe doing things differently is just part of the deal.
