This Article is a Follow-Up to my earlier piece concerning the Dodgers honoring their time in Brooklyn, and the points I spelled out in that article. You can Read that Article Here
In 2006, Warren Moon, Quarterback for the Houston Oilers, had his number retired at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. The Jumbotron showcasing his greatest highlights, his greatest achievements, and his greatest moments as a Houston Oiler while his number joined the small group of players who were recognized for their contributions. But something bothered Warren Moon, His number was retired by not by the Houston Oilers, but by the Tennessee Titans.
“[It was] Strange” Moon recalled in an interview with the Tennessean, “I’m standing there with my family and thanking everybody, but except for them seeing me on television, they probably never saw me play in person”.
Fifteen Years later, Moon’s comments changed somewhat, as the Tennessee Titans held an event to honor the Houston Oilers, capped off with a 25-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, which infuriated many Houston fans. Moon said, during a press conference at the event, that the Oilers Legacy belongs to the Titans, a sentiment repeated by Robert Brazile.
The Oilers moved to Tennessee in 1996, after 36 Seasons in Houston, due to a failure to secure a football stadium. Six years later, the NFL returned to Houston with an expansion team, the Texans.
The Texans in their 21 years as an NFL franchise, have been, less than memorable, but many of the faithful Texans fans, were Oiler fans once upon a time.
The Houston Oilers
The Houston Oilers were one of the original AFL Franchises that made its way over to the NFL. Though the team never won a Super Bowl, the team did go on some amazing runs.
During the 1970s, the Oilers struggled, but things changed when the team hired Bum Phillips in 1975. The team would appear in the 1978 AFC Championship, but lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Oilers in 1979, would have a semi-repeat of their last season. In 1980, the Oilers acquired Ken Stabler, and would enjoy on and off success throughout the decade, with Stabler and eventually Warren Moon as Quarterback.
The Oilers started the 1990s with a similar level of success, finishing with their best record of 12-4 in 1993, but the team was beginning to find the way out, as the Astrodome was deteriorating in condition. Bud Adams, the franchise’s owner, was planning to move the team, less the city build him a new Stadium.
Before moving to Nashville, the Titans played two seasons as the Tennessee Oilers, playing one year at the Liberty Bowl, and another season in Vanderbilt.
Fans in Nashville were weary of the team, and one of the many criticisms surrounding the Oilers was its refusal to relinquish its name, which was ridiculed by radio shows, and fans who wanted the team to rebrand in order to be Nashville’s team.
Of course, this came to head in November of 1998, when the Oilers announced they were changing their name to the Tennessee Titans, which would coincide with the opening of their new stadium in Nashville.
Titanic Audacity
As with Most teams, the Titans took the history of the Oilers with them. Though the name was retired by then NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, the Titans still claim the Oilers legacy as their own, and have embraced a dual identity.
The Titans have worn Oilers uniforms before, as throwbacks. In 2009, the AFL celebrated its 50th Anniversary, and the team did indeed, embrace the Oiler legacy, by wearing its uniforms.
Now, With the NFL allowing teams to dawn different helmets, the Titans announced their planswear Oiler jerseys at some point next season, And to add insult to injury, the Titans are planning to wearing the Columbia Blue and White Jerseys against….The Houston Texans. THAT’S RIGHT, THE HOUSTON TEXANS.
I do not root for the Houston Texans, but this made me feel anger, disgust, and bitterness towards the Tennessee Titans, and made me feel for the fans of the Houston Texans, who 27 years ago, watched their team move to Nashville, after 36 Seasons in the Lone Star State.
The Houston Texans and the Houston Oilers Should be Regarded as One in the Same
Like I mentioned in my piece about the Dodgers, I believe a team’s legacy is tied to the city it plays in, and for the Oilers, it is the City they called home for 36 years, not the City it took its stolen legacy too.
The Legacy of the Houston Oilers belongs with the City of Houston, and the league needs to right this wrong, by forcing the Titans to rescind their claim over the Oilers heritage, and cede it, to the Houston Texans
The Players on the Texans in the past, have spoken on this issue. JJ Watt, Former Texans Defensive Lineman tweeted that the Texans Should wear Oiler throwbacks, and Deshaun Watson, former Quarterback for the Texans, wore a Warren Moon jersey during a press conference.
This Practice is not unheard of. The Charlotte Hornets moved to New Orleans in 2002, and in 2013, the team changed its name to the Pelicans.
In 2014, the Bobcats announced they were changing their name to the Charlotte Hornets. When this announcement was finalized, it was also revealed that the New Orleans Pelicans had rescinded their claim to the Charlotte Hornets heritage, allowing Charlotte to operate as one continuous franchise.
The Same practice should be applied to the Houston Texans and Oilers. The Texan fanbase was formed from those who rooted for the Oilers, and the time has come for the NFL to do the right thing, and allow the Texans to embrace the Oiler legacy.
The Texan players, would be able to break the records of not just past Texans, but also Oiler players, and the City of Houston would be able to embrace a legacy of one of the most memorable franchises of the NFL once more, and the Texans can become the true torchbearers of a history that is forever tied to one City, the City of Houston.
The Titans Should Focus on their Tennessee Heritage, Not Their Houston Legacy
The Tennessee Titans need to establish their identity. The purpose of the rebrand in 1999, was to establish themselves as a team based in Tennessee, not Texas. Frustration over this continued lineage was what led to this name change in the first place. The Oilers played in Houston, they were known in Houston, the world knows them as Houston, they were never Tennessee’s team, and no matter how hard they try, they never will be.
The Titans displaying the History of the Houston Oilers is a slap in the face to Tennessee and the fans of the team that live in Tennessee, even if the fans on social media are rabidly defending this heritage with dedication, The Titans need to fully shed the baggage
The Titans history is equally enriching, perhaps even more so. Since 1997, the team has 10 Playoff Appearances, 5 Division Titles, and a Super Bowl Appearances, and since 2017, the Titans have made the playoffs for six straight seasons.