TEXARKANA, Texas — Editor's note: The video at the top of this article shows Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones walking out of court Friday following jury selection for his trial this week in Texarkana.
It's an annual tradition: Every year, as the kickoff to each Dallas Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, California, Jerry Cowboys and the rest of the organization's top brass host a press conference.
This season-opening affair -- usually featuring Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, his son and executive vice president Stephen Jones, and head coach Mike McCarthy -- goes by a few names. But whether you call it the "State of the Cowboys", the "State of the Team" or the "State of the Star", this year's address will be a little different than past years' offerings.
Namely, it won't be kicking off training camp.
This week, Jerry Jones and his family are in federal court in Texarkana for a trial tied to the back-and-forth paternity lawsuits Jones is facing from a woman named Alexandra Davis, who alleges she's his daughter. In court documents, Jones is listed as a witness who will be called to the stand during this week's proceedings. His sons Stephen Jones and Jerry Jones Jr., his daughter Charlotte Jones and his wife Gene Jones are also listed among the trial's possible witnesses.
Lawyers representing the Jones family and a clerk at the U.S. District Court where the trial is being held confirm to WFAA that the proceedings are expected to last until Thursday, although it's possible they could wrap on Wednesday or extend into Friday.
Either way, this year's "State of the Cowboys" address won't be taking place this Wednesday, as originally scheduled by the team.
Instead, in a release the team sent out Monday morning, that press conference has been moved to 9 a.m. on Saturday -- "due to scheduling conflicts", according to a team spokesperson.
Another change in this year's address, according to Monday morning's release: Instead of McCarthy, Jerry and Stephen Jones will be joined at the dais on Saturday by Cowboys Vice President of Player Personnel Will McClay.
Per the revised schedule, McCarthy will have already addressed the media twice at this year's training camp before Saturday's presser comes along, as he's currently scheduled to give his season-opening press conference ahead of the team's first official day of practice on Thursday morning, and then again ahead of Friday's practice. He'll then speak again on Sunday morning, ahead of the team's fourth day of practice in a row, and just before the team's first day off of training camp on Monday, July 29.
Head here for continuing coverage of Cowboys training camp and the Texarkana trial alike.