Dallas Cowboys ride off into the sunset

THE KING DOESN'T CRY- Elvis Lombardi of Port Hueneme seeks a few more autographs for his cowboy hat. Elvis left the building, and the Dallas Cowboys weren't far behind.

Standing in autograph alley during the team's final public training camp practice session last Saturday afternoon at the River Ridge Complex in Oxnard, 62year-old Port Hueneme resident Elvis Lombardi opted to celebrate rather than sulk.

"I'm just showing my love for the Dallas football team," said the Memphis-born Lombardi, who wore a dark wig, dark glasses and was dressed in a black jumpsuit fully equipped with red rhinestones.

"I'm a big Elvis fan, and I just thought the two would go together today," he said.

Lombardi represents the old guard of Cowboy fans in Ventura County-those who were around when Dallas trained at Cal Lutheran University from 1963-89.

In 1990, the Cowboys left Thousand Oaks and headed to Austin, Texas, for training camp. The team spent eight years in Austin before relocating to Wichita Falls, Texas, where they had a four-year stint at Midwestern State University.

Dallas returned to Oxnard for a brief two-week camp in 2001. On Oct. 24, 2003, the team announced a three-year agreement to train exclusively at the River Ridge Complex.

SAYING GOODBYE-Dallas Cowboys running back Julius Jones signs autographs for fans following the team's final on-field practice session last Saturday at the River Ridge Complex in Oxnard. Aside from a brief walk-through Sunday morning, Saturday afternoon's practice marked the end of an era for the Cowboys in Oxnard, as the team has committed to move its training camp to the Alamodome in San Antonio next season.

"It's sad to see them go," Lombardi said. "I used to watch them when (Hall of Fame head coach Tom Landry) was in Thousand Oaks at Cal Lutheran. The community loves the Cowboys, and vice versa, I think. They've got a lot of spirit here and we'll root them on wherever they go."

While many of the fans weren't totally thrilled to say goodbye, several of the Cowboy players said they were glad to see camp end.

"Anytime camp ends you're pretty excited," said linebacker Bobby Carpenter, a first-round draft pick from Ohio State. "It's kind of a long, difficult process, but it's good to get the work in and get ahead."

While Carpenter said he got to spend one day at the beach during the team's stay, rookie wide receiver Skyler Green, a Louisiana State product, said most of his time in Oxnard was spent on the field, in the film room or at the gym.

"It was all football for me," Green said. "Being a rookie, you want to be on point with everything-learning the playbook and doing everything you have to do to get a chance to play on the football field."

Julius Jones, the team's starting running back, was mobbed by autograph seekers as the players exited the field for the penultimate time. In fact, one woman couldn't stop telling Jones how "sexy" his arms looked in his sleeveless Tshirt.

But none of the fans' comments seemed to rattle Jones, who continued to sign balls, helmets and jerseys while sporting a colossal smile.

"I'm ready to go home and sleep in my own bed," Jones said.

Backup quarterback Drew Henson said he enjoyed spending time in Southern California, where the weather during the summertime is much more forgiving than in Texas. What impressed him most, however, was how supportive the fans were throughout the entire camp.

"To be 1,500 miles from Dallas and see all these fans cheering us gives a good perspective of what Cowboys camp is about," Henson said. "We all like coming here. It's a great facility. It's a great setup with the weather. The three years that I've been out here have been a great experience."

Of course not all of the estimated 50,000 people who attended training camp this year were Cowboy fans. Some were football fanatics just trying to settle their professional fix in an area of the country that, for reasons that continue to defy logic, doesn't have an NFL franchise.

Others, like Ojai's Jamal Arousse and his 5-year-old daughter Megan, came out to cheer their favorite players. The Arousses, dressed in matching Terrell Owens jerseys from his days as a member of the rival Philadelphia Eagles, braved the hostile environment to catch a glimpse of the man they call "T.O."

"I just wanted to bring Megan one last time before they go to San Antonio," the elder Arousse said. "One guy came up to me and asked me why we were wearing (Eagle) jerseys, and I just told him we were 'T.O.' fans . . . We just wanted to have a good time and watch the guys practice one last time."