Tired of seeing annoying ads (like this one!) on Uni Watch? There’s a simple solution: Join Uni Watch Plus. You’ll get an ad-free site experience, plus exclusive access to our UW+ discussion forums, push notifications whenever a new blog post has been published, a special UW+ badge accompanying all your comments on the blog, and a 20% discount on our Teespring merchandise.
Good morning, Uni Watchers. It’s Friday — we made it!
The Tennessee Titans have waited all season long to wear their glorious Houston/Tennessee Oilers throwback uniforms, but the wait is almost over — they’ll finally break them out for the NFL’s final regular season weekend. Their opponent? The Houston Texans, the team that essentially replaced the Oilers in Houston.
The Titans introduced the throwback uniforms last season, one year after the NFL rescinded its one-shell rule. Although most folks who see the throwback uniforms immediately think “Houston Oilers,” the Titans actually played wearing those same uniforms for two seasons in Tennessee (and played as the Tennessee Oilers) in 1997-98 before rebranding to become the Titans when they moved into their current stadium. Interestingly, when they moved, the team wore their white jerseys almost exclusively, wearing their blue tops in only two road games (against the Dolphins and Cowboys) in 1997, and in 1998, wore white jerseys exclusively. Here’s a look at the blue-jersey Tennessee Oilers in action. Note that the uniform featured an inaugural season patch, but otherwise looked identical to the uniforms worn by the team in their final seasons in Houston.
So in essence, the Titans are technically throwing back to their inaugural season in Tennessee, rather than their Houston beginnings. But other than maybe a few diehard Tennessee fans, almost everyone equates the throwbacks to those worn by the Houston Oilers.
But no matter how the Titans spin it, the throwbacks are gorgeous.
Last season the team wore the throwbacks twice. They debuted them in Week 8 against the Falcons, winning that game by a score of 28-23.
Their second wearing came in Week 15, against the Houston Texans. The “Oilers” would lose that game to the Texans in overtime, 19-16.
At the time, folks were a bit upset that the Titans would choose to wear these throwbacks against Houston, with many believing it was an eff-you move to the good people in Houston who fell in love with those Love Ya Blue duds. And of course, concurrently, the Titans ownership were getting quite litigious with respect to protecting their “brand.” You may recall the Titans threatened the Houston Cougars with a lawsuit for wearing very similar uniforms. The Cougars eventually relented this season, making substantive changes (but still keeping “Houston Blue” as their main color).
So with that as a backdrop, the Titans have again selected their home game against Houston to wear the throwbacks this year. Some may view this as simply a magnanimous gesture to allow Houston fans (who will probably outnumber Titans fans) watching the game to get another chance to see the “Luv Ya Blue” uniforms on the field. Others may feel it’s extremely petty, sort of rubbing it in the faces of Houstonians, and letting them know that the Titans, and no other team, are the only ones with the right to wear them. The truth probably lies somewhere in between.
Personally, I’m just happy we get to see these beauties on the field. But I also completely empathize with Houston fans who felt the Titans probably should have “left” the uniforms/colors behind for a future Houston football team, similar to the deal brokered between the NFL and the Baltimore Ravens when Art Modell moved the Browns to Baltimore.
How do you feel about all this? Are you just happy we get to see these throwbacks on the field once more, or do you think that — even if the Titans’ own the right to wear them — the least they could do is to wear them against any team besides Houston? Or are you somewhere in between?
Love to have your thoughts on this!
Uniform Concepts and Tweaks
Time for more Uni Tweaks from the UW readership.
I hope you guys like this feature and will want to continue to submit your concepts and tweaks to me. If you do, Shoot me an E-mail (Phil (dot) Hecken (at) gmail (dot) com).
• • • • •
Today’s concepts come from George Noriega, who has embarked upon an NFL-themed project to “fix” the uniforms for all 32 teams. Today we’ll look at some more of those.
Hi Phil
(1) For all teams, tweaks would be based off their current templates, so I’m not looking to do complete overhauls i.e. Cardinals, Commanders and Rams would keep their current templates
(2) Mono uniforms are OK i.e. Pats all-blue, Jets all-green, Saints all-black, etc., but also…
(3) No leotard/yoga pants look, regardless of whether pant stripes break the look up
(4) No plain white socks; socks are either contrasting color to the pants or striped
__________
Green Bay Packers
Home: Yellow/green/yellow/green socks with stripes
Away: Yellow/white/yellow/green socks with stripes
Throwback: Circa 1937 look with period-accurate striping on socks
Notes: Eliminated is the all-white Color Rush/White-Out/Snow-Out/Ice-Out/whatever-ridiculous-marketing-name-Nike-comes-up-with-next iteration because Green Bay only ever needs a HOME and AWAY uniform. Period, end of story.
__________
Cleveland Browns
Home: Orange/brown/white/brown socks with stripes
Away: Orange/white/white/white socks with stripes
Alt. 1: Orange/brown/orange/brown socks with stripes
Alt. 2: Orange/white/orange/white socks with stripes
Alt. 3: Orange/white/brown/white socks with stripes
Throwback: Circa 1946 look, white/white/white/white socks with stripes
Notes: Brown pants have a tweak to the stripes, changing from orange/brown/orange to orange/white/orange to be more visually consistent with the other uniform pants… the 1946 throwback has changed the helmet stripe from brown/orange/brown to orange/brown/orange to match the uniform pants striping.
• • • • •
OK readers (and concepters). If you have some tweaks or concepts, shoot ’em my way with a brief description of your creation and I’ll run ’em here.
Guess the Game from the Scoreboard
Guess The Game…
…From The Scoreboard
Today’s scoreboard comes from John Benal.
The premise of the game (GTGFTS) is simple: I’ll post a scoreboard and you guys simply identify the game depicted. In the past, I don’t know if I’ve ever completely stumped you (some are easier than others).
Here’s the Scoreboard. In the comments below, try to identify the game (date and location, as well as final score). If anything noteworthy occurred during the game, please add that in (and if you were AT the game, well bonus points for you!):
Please continue sending these in! You’re welcome to send me any scoreboard photos (with answers please), and I’ll keep running them.
Guess the Game from the Uniform
Based on the suggestion of long-time reader/contributor Jimmy Corcoran, we’ve introduced a new “game” on Uni Watch, which is similar to the popular “Guess the Game from the Scoreboard” (GTGFTS), only this one asked readers to identify the game based on the uniforms worn by teams.
Like GTGFTS, readers will be asked to guess the date, location and final score of the game from the clues provided in the photo. Sometimes the game should be somewhat easy to ascertain, while in other instances, it might be quite difficult. There will usually be a visual clue (something odd or unique to one or both of the uniforms) that will make a positive identification of one and only one game possible. Other times, there may be something significant about the game in question, like the last time a particular uniform was ever worn (one of Jimmy’s original suggestions). It’s up to YOU to figure out the game and date.
Today’s GTGFTU comes from Jimmy Corcoran himself.
Good luck and please post your guess/answer in the comments below.
And finally...
…that’s going to do it for the early article.
I’ll have a few more articles later on today, including Anthony’s Ticker and your Week 18 NFL Uniform Preview, so please be sure to keep checking back!
Everyone have a great Friday — Weekend Editor Jimmer Vilk will take you through Saturday and join the SMUW Crew for more comprehensive college football bowl coverage on Sunday. I’ll see you all back here on Monday with our final regular season MMUW. Have a great weekend everyone!
January 2, 2023
Bengals vs Bill in Cincy
Damar Hamlin almost died
Bengals were up 7-3
Ah-beat me by 100 seconds!
GTGFTS
2 January 2023
Damar Hamlin narrowly escapes death.
Nobody cared what the score was after that.
If I were a Titans fan, I’d be upset:
– that the franchise is more interested in trolling Houston than putting a competent team on the field.
– is getting a second taxpayer financed stadium in less than 30 years and is wearing another city’s uniforms
– thought that a guy who transferred because he could beat out Sean Clifford was a solution at QB. Do those mayo ads still run in Tennessee? I was seeing them on Penn State games in the regular season…
If I were a Houston fan I’d be annoyed that:
– the family that killed the team is wearing those beautiful uniforms and litigating against anybody that harkens back to it.
– I’d also be upset that the current franchise isn’t any better and screwed up the uniforms for the next 5 years.
As a Washington fan, I hated, hated when the Nationals wore Expos uniforms. $600 million taxpayer financed ballpark and you come out wearing another city’s uniform?!
I second this emotion.
I would also throw the Carolina Whalers under this particular bus as well.
I live in NC and hate it when I see locals walking around in Whalers gear.
Hartford resident here. There’s still Whalers gear aplenty up here. They’re doing a 50th anniversary event at the Civic Center this month even though the Whalers have been gone for nearly 30 years.
interesting on Jan 3 the Houstion Oilers are brought up,
Jan 3, 1993 “The Comback” Bills 41, Oilers 38 in OT.
-Titans are cursed as a franchise so long as an Adams owns the team…
-Texans are young, getting better and, just sayin’, not cursed…
-Duke’s Mayo is vastly superior to all mayos {only one with no sugar}…
GTGFTU
8 Sep 1968
AFL Week 1
Boston 16 Buffalo 7
Only time when Mike Mercer (7), Kay Stephenson (18), and Stew Barber (77) were on the same team.
Patriot in the foreground is most likely #65 Houston Antwine during the Bills’ only PAT.
Love that photo!
Didn’t realize Mike Mercer was a Bill. I knew he was Chief and a Raider. I can guarantee his number 15 will be retired by Kansas City… not because of him, though.
Happy Birthday, Phil!
Thanks, Jimmer!
I had a feeling the Jimmer would like this picture!
Have a great Birthday Phil!!!
Thank you Jimmy!
Nice one Marc, that is how I figured it out too, my father played against Kay Stephenson in the WFL, he was a QB with the Sharks, and he played with and against Houston Antwine, that’s why I chose the photo.
While I love seeing this classic uniform back on the field, for whatever reason this tends to annoy me. I have no skin in the game. I’m a Browns fan.
I guess I appreciate that the actual uniform belongs to the franchise/family and not the city of Houston. However everything they do regarding the color/uniforms comes off extremely petty. They seem to think they own Columbia blue or whatever the exact shade is. I learned here on UniWatch years ago the connection of that shade of blue with the city of Houston. I don’t get the motive.
Is anyone really so limited they may confuse the Houston Cougars with the Houston Oilers-a team that hasn’t existed in almost 30 years?
The Texans can’t have a baby blue alternate jersey?
Did Green Bay try to prevent Philly from using the color green 100 years ago? There are plenty of other franchises that share a color.
Why did the NFL allow the Titans franchise to successfully protest against a baby blue alt for Houston? You don’t own a color.
Besides, the Titans shifted to navy as a primary when they arrived in Nashville. The whole situation is so strange. It bugs me because I think the rivalry would continue to grow and have more national appeal if the Texans could wear a light blue alternate against the Titans. It’s like Tennessee wants to punish everyone else for their own poor uniform choices.
Anyway. I’ll be somewhat happy to see the uniform I watched Warren Moon play in as a kid.
I do not agree that the throwbacks are gorgeous. Powder blue/red has always struck me as tacky, and the oil derrick logo is uninspired imo.
I’ve seen a lot of weird opinions shared on this site. This is definitely one of the weirdest.
The name of the team WAS the Oilers. It fit perfectly.
I love the Oilers unis, but the Titans ownership is childish and petty for doing this once, let alone two years in a row.
Maybe they should focus on the product they are putting on the field instead of protecting these colors and uniforms by filing lawsuits and rubbing Houston’s face in them.
I hope the Texans destroy them this weekend, just to remind Titans ownership that a quality team isn’t about who looks best on the field.
I’m biased as a Houstonian, but it seems like the Titans’ ownership feel that they own that shade of blue. As others have pointed out, that color has its own history here in Houston, and there’s no reason other than pettiness and spite that the Titans should try to prevent any other team from wearing the color. And wearing it against the Texans is just an a**hole move. But I kind of expect it from them now. I love the throwbacks but genuinely wish they would wear them against another opponent. Happy New Year (and thanks for making this wonderful site)!
I’m all for the Titans donning Oilers garb, and for the Texans doing the same. History and heritage are not scarce commodities! Sharing actually creates more, so the more Oilers commemoration the better.
But most importantly, happy birthday Phil!
Thanks, Scotty!
In bird culture this is considered a dick move.
Is it a spit in the eye to Houston? Yes. Are the Titans petty for basically trying to own that shade of blue, despite its history in Houston? Also yes. Does any of this mean that I’m opposed to the Titans wearing these unis against Houston? Absolutely not! This is what makes NFL rivalry fun. Since the Titans can’t field a competitive team, they need to get the little wins wherever they can.
Still don’t understand how the Titans can ditch the name, logo and colour (moved from main colour to accent) and then be still claim as their own.
I get the logo is covered by trademarks, as is the name (although in use in the Major Leagues in Edmonton), but holding onto the colour as well?
I’m still sad at the Oilers demise, and think a team from another city wearing them is wrong, classless and rubs salt into wounds, but I get why teams do it (even worse for Hartford who never got a team back), but the NFL just need to stop this stupid colour thing and let the Texans have a powder blue uni, and tell the give the Titans to stop their stupid crusade on a colour that isn’t even their primary.
Then they can wear Oilers stuff as a proper throwback and not as a gloat.
If this is what the titans consider a “win”, then Houston should take this game as a chance to move on from such a sorry franchise that peaked with two consecutive Super Bowl loses in the early 60s. No offense to old school oilers fans but the team you have now is good. The team you have is going to the playoffs. The team you have has a future. The team you lost has no love for you. The team you lost has baby blue uniforms. That is all they have.
Not sure how you can lose two Super Bowls half a decade before it existed.
I wanted to circle back and comment on George’s uniform concepts. Fantastic work! Sock stripes are the biggest omission in the modern game. The return would at least minimize the leotard look. Contrast is so undervalued right now. It’s wild to me that everyone across the board raves when any squad walks out in throwbacks but accepts the drab state of uniform design.
Anyway. Beautiful work George!
Thanks for the kind words! The idea hit me after watching a weekend worth of games with yoga pants and plain white socks.
Part of the challenge was not going overboard with stripes; I know the readership tends to like stripes, and in some instances they definitely work, but the truth is that we’re not going back to the 60’s and 70’s when stripes were ubiquitous.
Aside from legacy teams like the Bears, Packers, Chiefs, etc. who I feel have timeless uniforms that should never be radically changed, IMO most NFL teams have decent uniforms that could be *good* uniforms with a couple of changes. Even teams like the Falcons and Commanders, who routinely get slagged in the comments, with a couple of tweaks here and there (which you’ll see in the coming days) could have good modern looks.
I’m excited to see what you’ve got cooked up.
I agree on aspects of over striping. 1960s Bills was a prime example of stripes to the max!
Also the mid to late 70’s Eagles; their sleeves were just pure lunacy.
Happy Birthday Phil! Hope you have a fantastic day and perhaps the NFL will have another treat in store for you (Broncos, Titans….)
Thanks, Paul!
Because most fans would be unfamiliar with Tennessee Oilers, if these were Tennessee Oilers throwbacks, they really need to put the ’97 or ’98 patches on them. I think it would do alot to ease the “rubbing it in Houston’s faces” talk. Otherwise you can put me in the “bad form” camp
Yeah, this is blatant slap in the face that they keep going this to Houston. I’m all for wearing the Oilers throwbacks, but that should have been negotiated to Houston upon Bud Adams decision to move the team. Similar to what Cleveland did especially if Adams was going to change them to the Titans. When Houston got the expansion team, they could have just come back as the Oilers. What would be worse is for KC to wear Texans throwbacks against the Cowboys. Or, maybe the Jets need to wear Titans throwbacks against the Tennessee Titans…..
Have we ever had this discussion when Indy plays Baltimore in Baltimore?????
This Oilers thing is entirely about one man: Bud Adams. He was the one who liked Columbia Blue in the first place. His daughter seems to be using that to defiantly fly the flag of Bud Adams in the face of Houston, which rejected him in a way no other NFL city has rejected an owner. It refused to support tax $$$ for a stadium knowing he might leave, and then voted that $$$ for an expansion team’s stadium instead. And in her head the grudge involves the fact that the old money in Houston always hated Bud. But when we ordinary voters joined them, she extended that vendetta to all of us.
She’s treating it personally because it was personal. We hated Bud Adams.
Amy Adams Strunk is a petty, vindictive moneygrub.
Honestly, my biggest issue with the Oilers throwbacks is that they always seem to be wearing them against ugly uniforms. The Falcons were not a great-looking opponent, and neither is Houston. Save these for games against other classic-looking AFC teams, like the Chiefs, Browns, Bills, or Colts
Classless move, Titans (Adams family). If the Oilers’ legacy was so important, you should have stayed in Houston.
Happy Birthday Phil !! Hope you have a great day, and year ahead.
Thanks, Morris!
Happy birthday, Phil! Thanks for everything you do. Have a blessed day
Thanks Jason!
Happy Birthday, Phil! Just had mine on Monday – the big 5-0, to boot!
I do feel that it comes off as petty for the Titans to be flouting the Oilers unis against the Texans. And we’re talking about a team in the bottom four of the league in a game where the only real stake is Tennessee’s draft position, where losing would at worst leave them at number 3, and at best (should the Patriots and Giants somehow stumble into wins) at number 1.
Thank you, Rob! (and a happy belated b-day to you!)
Would like to see teams leave their name and colors behind before switching cities. That means we would still have the Baltimore Colts, Houston Oilers, and News Orleans Jazz. That already feels better. The big question is who gets grandfathered in (Los Angeles Lakers? Los Angeles Dodgers? San Francisco Giants?)? Not sure how far back to go, but willing to consider all options.
Just keep these and replace the oil rig with a T that matches the set
I am a Detroit Lions Fan and although, I greatly appreciate and respect the Titans organization trying to refer to their past franchise history, this is totally a Houston Oilers look. Not a Tennessee Titans look. When I see these jerseys I think of Earl Campbell, Dan Pastorini, Warren Moon, Bum Phillips, etc. Their AFL Championship teams in 1960 and 1961 with George Blanda, Billy Cannon, etc. Not the Tennessee Titans. The powder blue, white, silver and red are Houston Oilers looks, Respectively.
Happy B-Day Phil!!!! Thanks for everything you do.
Thanks RJ!
No prob Bob! Since I’m landlocked for work shortly, love your water pics. Grew up on the water.
I would give anything to have an expansion, and have the Arizona and LA come to town dressed as the
“St. Louis” Cardinals or Rams.
From what we’ve seen from Amy Adams and her family, It’s safe to say it’s pettiness. Something I’d expect from Tepper and Haslam as well. Some of the worst owners in football now that Snyder is gone.
We all know that only one person and one state own a color, and that’s Prince and Minnesota and purple. ;-)
just funny to me that the titans are that petty…..if they love those unis so much, then why didn’t they just stay as tennessee oilers and leave it at that? just seems odd they were so quick to rebrand to titans (and keep a similar color scheme). doubt texans fans would be as upset if they just took the oilers name and unis as opposed to rebranding and then throwing the unis in their face every time they play each other. like i said before, the game against each other should have the right to the unis at stake for the winner (until the next time the play each other). call it the “oilers bowl”, if you will. EARN the right to wear the uniform.
If the Titans had any balls, they would wear these the next time they play in Houston.
It’s still January 3rd in my time zone, so my “Happy birthday” to you, Phil, is not belated — although it is in the Eastern zone. (Did Jimmer Vilk have a little inside info on your special day?)
Hope you had a great day/night, and enjoy your birthday weekend!
And, as for the primary topic of this thread: The Titans will be their best dressed for this season on Sunday, and the Adams family is so petty for trolling the franchise’s former identity against the current Houston team. Why the NFL brass side with them – unless it’s just the Titans’ ability to make the big cash draw during their throwback weekend – otherwise seems head-scratching.
Just curious, have the Dallas Stars ever worn throwback Minnesota North Star uniforms ?
Is it possible this is about selling merch more than it’s about pettiness? Maybe they think that putting it on display against Houston will generate more discussion (like in this blog) and get them more sales of Oilers jerseys because of it? Throwbacks are a big part of jersey sales nowadays.
Not saying the owners aren’t insensitive for doing this. I just gotta think it’s about money more than it’s about feelings.
January 2, 2023
Bengals vs Bill in Cincy
Damar Hamlin almost died
Bengals were up 7-3
Ah-beat me by 100 seconds!
GTGFTS
2 January 2023
Damar Hamlin narrowly escapes death.
Nobody cared what the score was after that.
If I were a Titans fan, I’d be upset:
– that the franchise is more interested in trolling Houston than putting a competent team on the field.
– is getting a second taxpayer financed stadium in less than 30 years and is wearing another city’s uniforms
– thought that a guy who transferred because he could beat out Sean Clifford was a solution at QB. Do those mayo ads still run in Tennessee? I was seeing them on Penn State games in the regular season…
If I were a Houston fan I’d be annoyed that:
– the family that killed the team is wearing those beautiful uniforms and litigating against anybody that harkens back to it.
– I’d also be upset that the current franchise isn’t any better and screwed up the uniforms for the next 5 years.
As a Washington fan, I hated, hated when the Nationals wore Expos uniforms. $600 million taxpayer financed ballpark and you come out wearing another city’s uniform?!
I second this emotion.
I would also throw the Carolina Whalers under this particular bus as well.
I live in NC and hate it when I see locals walking around in Whalers gear.
Hartford resident here. There’s still Whalers gear aplenty up here. They’re doing a 50th anniversary event at the Civic Center this month even though the Whalers have been gone for nearly 30 years.
link
interesting on Jan 3 the Houstion Oilers are brought up,
Jan 3, 1993 “The Comback” Bills 41, Oilers 38 in OT.
-Titans are cursed as a franchise so long as an Adams owns the team…
-Texans are young, getting better and, just sayin’, not cursed…
-Duke’s Mayo is vastly superior to all mayos {only one with no sugar}…
GTGFTU
8 Sep 1968
AFL Week 1
Boston 16 Buffalo 7
Only time when Mike Mercer (7), Kay Stephenson (18), and Stew Barber (77) were on the same team.
Patriot in the foreground is most likely #65 Houston Antwine during the Bills’ only PAT.
Love that photo!
Didn’t realize Mike Mercer was a Bill. I knew he was Chief and a Raider. I can guarantee his number 15 will be retired by Kansas City… not because of him, though.
Happy Birthday, Phil!
Thanks, Jimmer!
I had a feeling the Jimmer would like this picture!
Have a great Birthday Phil!!!
Thank you Jimmy!
Nice one Marc, that is how I figured it out too, my father played against Kay Stephenson in the WFL, he was a QB with the Sharks, and he played with and against Houston Antwine, that’s why I chose the photo.
While I love seeing this classic uniform back on the field, for whatever reason this tends to annoy me. I have no skin in the game. I’m a Browns fan.
I guess I appreciate that the actual uniform belongs to the franchise/family and not the city of Houston. However everything they do regarding the color/uniforms comes off extremely petty. They seem to think they own Columbia blue or whatever the exact shade is. I learned here on UniWatch years ago the connection of that shade of blue with the city of Houston. I don’t get the motive.
Is anyone really so limited they may confuse the Houston Cougars with the Houston Oilers-a team that hasn’t existed in almost 30 years?
The Texans can’t have a baby blue alternate jersey?
Did Green Bay try to prevent Philly from using the color green 100 years ago? There are plenty of other franchises that share a color.
Why did the NFL allow the Titans franchise to successfully protest against a baby blue alt for Houston? You don’t own a color.
Besides, the Titans shifted to navy as a primary when they arrived in Nashville. The whole situation is so strange. It bugs me because I think the rivalry would continue to grow and have more national appeal if the Texans could wear a light blue alternate against the Titans. It’s like Tennessee wants to punish everyone else for their own poor uniform choices.
Anyway. I’ll be somewhat happy to see the uniform I watched Warren Moon play in as a kid.
I do not agree that the throwbacks are gorgeous. Powder blue/red has always struck me as tacky, and the oil derrick logo is uninspired imo.
I’ve seen a lot of weird opinions shared on this site. This is definitely one of the weirdest.
The name of the team WAS the Oilers. It fit perfectly.
I love the Oilers unis, but the Titans ownership is childish and petty for doing this once, let alone two years in a row.
Maybe they should focus on the product they are putting on the field instead of protecting these colors and uniforms by filing lawsuits and rubbing Houston’s face in them.
I hope the Texans destroy them this weekend, just to remind Titans ownership that a quality team isn’t about who looks best on the field.
I’m biased as a Houstonian, but it seems like the Titans’ ownership feel that they own that shade of blue. As others have pointed out, that color has its own history here in Houston, and there’s no reason other than pettiness and spite that the Titans should try to prevent any other team from wearing the color. And wearing it against the Texans is just an a**hole move. But I kind of expect it from them now. I love the throwbacks but genuinely wish they would wear them against another opponent. Happy New Year (and thanks for making this wonderful site)!
I’m all for the Titans donning Oilers garb, and for the Texans doing the same. History and heritage are not scarce commodities! Sharing actually creates more, so the more Oilers commemoration the better.
But most importantly, happy birthday Phil!
Thanks, Scotty!
In bird culture this is considered a dick move.
Is it a spit in the eye to Houston? Yes. Are the Titans petty for basically trying to own that shade of blue, despite its history in Houston? Also yes. Does any of this mean that I’m opposed to the Titans wearing these unis against Houston? Absolutely not! This is what makes NFL rivalry fun. Since the Titans can’t field a competitive team, they need to get the little wins wherever they can.
Still don’t understand how the Titans can ditch the name, logo and colour (moved from main colour to accent) and then be still claim as their own.
I get the logo is covered by trademarks, as is the name (although in use in the Major Leagues in Edmonton), but holding onto the colour as well?
I’m still sad at the Oilers demise, and think a team from another city wearing them is wrong, classless and rubs salt into wounds, but I get why teams do it (even worse for Hartford who never got a team back), but the NFL just need to stop this stupid colour thing and let the Texans have a powder blue uni, and tell the give the Titans to stop their stupid crusade on a colour that isn’t even their primary.
Then they can wear Oilers stuff as a proper throwback and not as a gloat.
If this is what the titans consider a “win”, then Houston should take this game as a chance to move on from such a sorry franchise that peaked with two consecutive Super Bowl loses in the early 60s. No offense to old school oilers fans but the team you have now is good. The team you have is going to the playoffs. The team you have has a future. The team you lost has no love for you. The team you lost has baby blue uniforms. That is all they have.
Not sure how you can lose two Super Bowls half a decade before it existed.
I wanted to circle back and comment on George’s uniform concepts. Fantastic work! Sock stripes are the biggest omission in the modern game. The return would at least minimize the leotard look. Contrast is so undervalued right now. It’s wild to me that everyone across the board raves when any squad walks out in throwbacks but accepts the drab state of uniform design.
Anyway. Beautiful work George!
Thanks for the kind words! The idea hit me after watching a weekend worth of games with yoga pants and plain white socks.
Part of the challenge was not going overboard with stripes; I know the readership tends to like stripes, and in some instances they definitely work, but the truth is that we’re not going back to the 60’s and 70’s when stripes were ubiquitous.
Aside from legacy teams like the Bears, Packers, Chiefs, etc. who I feel have timeless uniforms that should never be radically changed, IMO most NFL teams have decent uniforms that could be *good* uniforms with a couple of changes. Even teams like the Falcons and Commanders, who routinely get slagged in the comments, with a couple of tweaks here and there (which you’ll see in the coming days) could have good modern looks.
I’m excited to see what you’ve got cooked up.
I agree on aspects of over striping. 1960s Bills was a prime example of stripes to the max!
Also the mid to late 70’s Eagles; their sleeves were just pure lunacy.
link
I love this!! Makes the rivalry even better !
Happy Birthday Phil! Hope you have a fantastic day and perhaps the NFL will have another treat in store for you (Broncos, Titans….)
Thanks, Paul!
Because most fans would be unfamiliar with Tennessee Oilers, if these were Tennessee Oilers throwbacks, they really need to put the ’97 or ’98 patches on them. I think it would do alot to ease the “rubbing it in Houston’s faces” talk. Otherwise you can put me in the “bad form” camp
Yeah, this is blatant slap in the face that they keep going this to Houston. I’m all for wearing the Oilers throwbacks, but that should have been negotiated to Houston upon Bud Adams decision to move the team. Similar to what Cleveland did especially if Adams was going to change them to the Titans. When Houston got the expansion team, they could have just come back as the Oilers. What would be worse is for KC to wear Texans throwbacks against the Cowboys. Or, maybe the Jets need to wear Titans throwbacks against the Tennessee Titans…..
Have we ever had this discussion when Indy plays Baltimore in Baltimore?????
This Oilers thing is entirely about one man: Bud Adams. He was the one who liked Columbia Blue in the first place. His daughter seems to be using that to defiantly fly the flag of Bud Adams in the face of Houston, which rejected him in a way no other NFL city has rejected an owner. It refused to support tax $$$ for a stadium knowing he might leave, and then voted that $$$ for an expansion team’s stadium instead. And in her head the grudge involves the fact that the old money in Houston always hated Bud. But when we ordinary voters joined them, she extended that vendetta to all of us.
She’s treating it personally because it was personal. We hated Bud Adams.
Amy Adams Strunk is a petty, vindictive moneygrub.
Honestly, my biggest issue with the Oilers throwbacks is that they always seem to be wearing them against ugly uniforms. The Falcons were not a great-looking opponent, and neither is Houston. Save these for games against other classic-looking AFC teams, like the Chiefs, Browns, Bills, or Colts
Classless move, Titans (Adams family). If the Oilers’ legacy was so important, you should have stayed in Houston.
Happy Birthday Phil !! Hope you have a great day, and year ahead.
Thanks, Morris!
Happy birthday, Phil! Thanks for everything you do. Have a blessed day
Thanks Jason!
Happy Birthday, Phil! Just had mine on Monday – the big 5-0, to boot!
I do feel that it comes off as petty for the Titans to be flouting the Oilers unis against the Texans. And we’re talking about a team in the bottom four of the league in a game where the only real stake is Tennessee’s draft position, where losing would at worst leave them at number 3, and at best (should the Patriots and Giants somehow stumble into wins) at number 1.
Thank you, Rob! (and a happy belated b-day to you!)
Would like to see teams leave their name and colors behind before switching cities. That means we would still have the Baltimore Colts, Houston Oilers, and News Orleans Jazz. That already feels better. The big question is who gets grandfathered in (Los Angeles Lakers? Los Angeles Dodgers? San Francisco Giants?)? Not sure how far back to go, but willing to consider all options.
Just keep these and replace the oil rig with a T that matches the set
I am a Detroit Lions Fan and although, I greatly appreciate and respect the Titans organization trying to refer to their past franchise history, this is totally a Houston Oilers look. Not a Tennessee Titans look. When I see these jerseys I think of Earl Campbell, Dan Pastorini, Warren Moon, Bum Phillips, etc. Their AFL Championship teams in 1960 and 1961 with George Blanda, Billy Cannon, etc. Not the Tennessee Titans. The powder blue, white, silver and red are Houston Oilers looks, Respectively.
Happy B-Day Phil!!!! Thanks for everything you do.
Thanks RJ!
No prob Bob! Since I’m landlocked for work shortly, love your water pics. Grew up on the water.
I would give anything to have an expansion, and have the Arizona and LA come to town dressed as the
“St. Louis” Cardinals or Rams.
From what we’ve seen from Amy Adams and her family, It’s safe to say it’s pettiness. Something I’d expect from Tepper and Haslam as well. Some of the worst owners in football now that Snyder is gone.
We all know that only one person and one state own a color, and that’s Prince and Minnesota and purple. ;-)
just funny to me that the titans are that petty…..if they love those unis so much, then why didn’t they just stay as tennessee oilers and leave it at that? just seems odd they were so quick to rebrand to titans (and keep a similar color scheme). doubt texans fans would be as upset if they just took the oilers name and unis as opposed to rebranding and then throwing the unis in their face every time they play each other. like i said before, the game against each other should have the right to the unis at stake for the winner (until the next time the play each other). call it the “oilers bowl”, if you will. EARN the right to wear the uniform.
If the Titans had any balls, they would wear these the next time they play in Houston.
It’s still January 3rd in my time zone, so my “Happy birthday” to you, Phil, is not belated — although it is in the Eastern zone. (Did Jimmer Vilk have a little inside info on your special day?)
Hope you had a great day/night, and enjoy your birthday weekend!
And, as for the primary topic of this thread: The Titans will be their best dressed for this season on Sunday, and the Adams family is so petty for trolling the franchise’s former identity against the current Houston team. Why the NFL brass side with them – unless it’s just the Titans’ ability to make the big cash draw during their throwback weekend – otherwise seems head-scratching.
Just curious, have the Dallas Stars ever worn throwback Minnesota North Star uniforms ?
Is it possible this is about selling merch more than it’s about pettiness? Maybe they think that putting it on display against Houston will generate more discussion (like in this blog) and get them more sales of Oilers jerseys because of it? Throwbacks are a big part of jersey sales nowadays.
Not saying the owners aren’t insensitive for doing this. I just gotta think it’s about money more than it’s about feelings.