Good morning, everyone, and welcome to November. Yesterday the University of Houston showed off this year’s “Houston Blue” alternate uniforms. Last year, the football team’s alts looked a LOT like the old Houston Oilers, which drew the ire of the National Football League. That didn’t stop the university, but they did modify the uniform. The current one has different striping, so it’s just as blue but not as Oiler-y. And the school is adding light blue alts to all sports moving forward, so we also got a look at the volleyball team’s new look.
Let’s compare the football unis. Last year’s stripes matched the Oilers closely.
This year, there’s a single red helmet stripe and no sleeve stripes.
The pants have a single red stripe that turns at an angle near the hip, as you can see in this view from the back.
In other words, they’re wearing the same pants they wear with their regular unis.
Other than that, it’s the same script on the helmet and jersey, and the same white block numbers outlined in red.
There is one slight difference: the insides of the o’s have smaller red trim.
You don’t see that on the volleyball jerseys.
You didn’t see it on last year’s football jersey either.
We’ll have to see if they fix that before the unis make their appearance on November 23rd against Baylor.
The volleyball alts will be seen next weekend when the Cougars host Texas Tech.
According to Houston’s Associate AD Andrew Pate in a press release, the Cougars, “in paying homage to the City of Houston, will adopt ‘Houston Blue’ into its uniform selections with teams to wear commemorative uniforms on a select occasion against an in-state rival.”
Trying to show that the blue wasn’t just an Oilers thing, Pate also said, “Houston Blue’s history in the Bayou City includes a decorated history inside – and outside – the sports arena. In the early 1920s, the City of Houston’s original street markers were installed as light blue, and white tiles were fitted into drying cement curbs, with approximately 4,000 still in existence today.”
That’s their best argument, in my opinion. The others are a little iffy.
Pate continues: “In the 1960s, the Houston Police Department began using the color on their cars.”
Yes, but by the ’60s, the Oilers were established. Were the cars inspired by the Oilers, or was it a coincidence?
This one’s especially iffy: “The Houston Buffs, the city’s minor league baseball team (eventually replaced by the Colt .45s in 1962), sported blue lettering on white or gray jerseys. In 1960, the team wore blue caps with a white “H” on the front. In 1961, their jerseys featured light blue lettering.”
I couldn’t find a color pic of the ’61 Buffs (again, after the Oilers were established). And that 1960 ballcap is nowhere near “Houston Blue,” so that’s quite a stretch. They should have stopped at the street signs…or, they could remind the NFL that Bud Adams selected Columbia Blue when he founded the Oilers. Did Columbia University come after him? No. Perhaps they should let this go as a reminder that in a country with more football teams than there are crayons in the big box, you need to share colors instead of trying to own them.
By the way, Columbia’s signature color took a backseat to navy blue in last night’s win over Yale…
…the Cougars are going BFBS tomorrow, just like almost everyone else…
…and the Houston volleyball team, wearing some football-ish looking jerseys last night, is going to take us home with our Long Rally of the Week.
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED ⁉️ pic.twitter.com/e0xxn97MFW
— Houston Volleyball (@UHCougarVB) November 2, 2024
Oh yes, I’m entertained.
And now minus the uh on the pants they look like Houston Madison high school
Nobody should own a color or combo …I get it…but isn’t this what Houston is trying to do?
Of course these look spectacular – because they still resemble the long-departed, newly/now sorely missed Oilers.
LYBFLYBS…plain and simple. Kinda sad.
As much as Space City (nobody calls it that?) tries to shoe-horn so-called H-Town Blue (a wholly made up term) into the sports’ team color palette, the more push-back you’ll get from me.
Imitation=high flattery.
“The next step is when we turn the clocks back tonight (and let’s keep them back!)”
– This is a family-oriented site, so I won’t curse at you for saying that the way I want to. I’ll simply say, sunlight in the evening = good, fun, productive. Darkness approaching at 4:30-5pm = bad and depressing.
Exactly. I’ve been saying this for 15+ years.
After tonight, the sun will set before 5:00 pm for the next three months. BOO!!!!
sunlight in the evening = good, fun, productive
Being productive is overrated.
This is a time for being contemplative.
If you really need sunlight, get up an hour earlier and do something before you start your usual routine.
Ì get up an hour before Sunrise….
And it’s the “change” that I think we all are tired of…
Not a real sensible idea for modern times…
That’s just me
When I went to college in Arizona, I couldn’t believe Monday Night Football was on at 6pm, the game would start, and it was still sunny outside. I remember thinking, these kids who grew up here got to watch the whole game with no problem. I would have to beg my parents when I was in elementary school to stay up until halftime highlights. And there were no VHS machines in the early 70’s, when you missed the game that was it.
Darkness approaching at 4:30-5pm = bad and depressing
There was one winter where I had Seasonal Affective Disorder (self-diagnosed). Never had it again because I made it a point to go outside every day. No matter how dark, no matter how cold. A half-hour walk should be enough to make the rest of the day enjoyable.
Yep, the best medicine sometimes is just going out and doing anything, moving, living…
Right On…
Nice color palette? Yes. Should my school be wearing it? No.
Fair point. I thought about that while writing this.
CSU’s Colorado-themed alts look nice, but they’re not school colors so should they be wearing those?
If I didn’t have to work last night I might have gone into this further.
Every time I see/hear someone wishing excitement in someone else’s life, I can’t help but think about the song Feel Good Hit of the Summer by Queens of the Stone Age.
Spot on.
These are stupid and the storytelling/excuse that goes with them is even more stupid. But you know what wasn’t stupid? When UH used to have the basketball unis that were even numbers at home and odd numbered on the road (or vice versa, I forget). So Hakeem Olajuwon was 44 at home and 45 on the road (or something like that). That was cool and that was something that made UH stand out because it was singular to them. The baby blue stuff is just stupid because it has nothing to do with UH.
Olajuwon wore 34 and 35.
And that was a common practice up until the late 70s/early 80s. Even NBA teams had different numbers home and away for some players. I remember Campy Russell wearing 20 and 21 for the Cavaliers, for example.
I agree, the odd/even number thing was confusing to me as kid but now I look back and find it kinda cool. Something else UH did for basketball that I don’t remember other teams doing was putting nicknames on the back of the jerseys. “Akeem” for Akeem Olajuwon and “Rob” for Rob Williams, their star in the ’81-’82 season. Offhand I can’t remember if there were any others but I know those two for sure. Fun and endearing.
Nàw, I kind of think it’s badass that a college is giving tribute to a classic NFL franchise that no longer exists. ..
The Texans sure didn’t….
A crapton better than what they wore today. That black stuff was awful. Should take the +1 on its own.
So you have made your point, UH, now move on. Light/sky/Columbia/baby/ powder blue is not part of your school colors. Looks very nice but I rather have you bringing back the cougar mascot logo.