Titans to Wear Oilers Throwbacks

gucci888 · Mar 29, 2009

Commentary: Titans to don Oilers jerseys
By JOHN McCLAIN Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle
March 24, 2009, 11:30PM

Based on your comments on my blog at chron.com, many of you are infuriated that the Tennessee Titans will wear the original Oilers uniform three times next season as part of the NFL’s tribute to the 50th anniversary of the American Football League.

Last season, I told you about the league’s plans to honor the golden anniversary of the AFL by having the eight teams wear throwback jerseys. It became official during the NFL meetings on Tuesday, so read it and weep.

If you want to see an Oilers uniform for the first time since 1996, when they played their last game in the Astrodome, you’ll have three chances.

The first will be on Aug. 9, when NBC televises the Hall of Fame Game between the Titans and Buffalo Bills. The Titans will wear the Oilers’ 1960 blue and white jersey that has red accents. They’ll wear blue helmets with the oil derrick logo.

“I’m honored to be part of the Oilers’ tradition, and we’ll wear the uniforms with pride,” Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. “This is a great opportunity to share Oilers history with players and fans who aren’t familiar with it.”

Throwbacks in ’09

Fisher was the last Oilers head coach. He coached two full seasons in Houston before owner Bud Adams moved the franchise to Tennessee in 1997 and renamed it the Titans in 1999.

“It’s a privilege to be part of the 50-year celebration, because I was a small part of it before,” Fisher said. “The Hall of Fame Game is going to be special to me because it means I’ve managed to stay in this game long enough to be part of this tribute that begins in Canton.”

Two more times — both during the regular season — the Titans will wear the Oilers uniform when they play against original AFL teams — once at LP Field in Nashville and once on the road.

“I was a big Oiler fan growing up,” Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. “I know I’ve told this story a lot of times, but I was at the Astrodome when the Oilers came back from Pittsburgh (after losing the AFC Championship Game after the 1978 and ’79 seasons), and I’ve never seen anything like it. And I’ll never forget it.

“I think it’s going to be pretty cool that the Oilers are going to be remembered again.”

Since I found out last season that the Titans were going to wear the throwback uniforms, I’ve asked a lot of former Oilers players and coaches what they think about it. Just about all of them have told me they like the idea.

Don’t blame Bud

They say they don’t want fans to forget the Oilers. If having the Titans wear their 1960 uniform is the best way for fans to remember a franchise that spent 36 years in Houston, so be it.

It’s going to be strange, but before you start blasting Adams, he had nothing to do with it. This is an NFL-mandated commemoration of a monumental time during the history of pro football.

Adams played a crucial role in helping Lamar Hunt found the AFL. Their original announcement was made in Adams’ office. If you’re not a student of AFL history, the Oilers won the first two championships in 1960 and 1961 and lost the title game to Hunt’s Dallas Texans in 1962.

Adams, 86, and Buffalo owner Ralph Wilson, 90, are the last survivors of the eight-member Foolish Club, so called because each of the eight invested $25,000 to compete against the established NFL.

Next season, the NFL is paying tribute to an important time in the game’s evolution. A lot of Oilers fans don’t like the idea of the Titans wearing the uniforms. A lot of Texans fans want to forget about the Oilers because they’re gone.

Well, there’s a lot of us out there who’ll never forget the Oilers as long as we’re on this side of the grass, so deal with it.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/mcclain/6339102.html
Click to expand...

This does not sit well with me.

DaDakota · Mar 29, 2009

I would love to see them again.....at the end of the day, it really doesn't matter.

DD

conquistador#11 · Mar 29, 2009

DaDakota said:

I would love to see them again.....at the end of the day, it really doesn't matter.

DD
Click to expand...

And the father in 'pet semetary' just wanted to see his son again. They're not the oilers, they're an evil entity brought back from the dead. Do not be fooled.

On the brightside, they won't wear those uniforms against us, that would really be awful... Original AFL teams? jets, patriots, chargers, broncos?

Wooderson · Mar 29, 2009

I'm quite disgusted with this as well.

Wow...I can't believe it, but I CAN hate the Titans more than I already did!

desi tmac91 · Mar 29, 2009

Oilers are too good for Tennessee.

Fulgore · Mar 29, 2009

Wear them to Reliant so they can lose in them

Uprising · Mar 29, 2009

Won't matter to me, I won't be watching Kerry's team play.

Bogey · Mar 29, 2009

So the HOUSTON Oilers are coming back? I don't think the Oilers ever played in Tennessee. They could probably care less about the throw backs. This does nothing more than piss of Houstonians that loved the Oilers.

rezdawg · Mar 29, 2009

Bogey said:

So the HOUSTON Oilers are coming back? I don't think the Oilers ever played in Tennessee. They could probably care less about the throw backs. This does nothing more than piss of Houstonians that loved the Oilers.
Click to expand...

I believe they were the Oilers there for one season, right?

In any case, I love those helmets more than anything, looking forward to seeing them again.

Bogey · Mar 29, 2009

rezdawg said:

I believe they were the Oilers there for one season, right?

In any case, I love those helmets more than anything, looking forward to seeing them again.
Click to expand...

I wasn't sure about that or not. Maybe they do have some Oiler memories then.

ryan17wagner · Mar 29, 2009

Bogey said:

So the HOUSTON Oilers are coming back? I don't think the Oilers ever played in Tennessee. They could probably care less about the throw backs. This does nothing more than piss of Houstonians that loved the Oilers.
Click to expand...

They sure did.1997-1998. Tennessee Oilers.

Smokey · Mar 29, 2009

The Titans aren't using throwbacks to piss off Houston. The NFL is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the AFL...the Oilers were one of the original founding members of the league. If Houston gave a crap about its NFL history, 1) they wouldn't have let the Oilers leave and 2) they would have fought Bud for the name and history instead of starting over.

Yada yada Bud sucks yada yada.

countingcrow · Mar 29, 2009

gucci888 · Mar 29, 2009

Smokey said:

If Houston gave a crap about its NFL history, 1) they wouldn't have let the Oilers leave and 2) they would have fought Bud for the name and history instead of starting over.

Yada yada Bud sucks yada yada.
Click to expand...

Houston pretty much complied with all of Bud's demands and he still bailed with the team, we got a bad deal. And it really wouldn't have been much of a fight, more like a bidding war. Bud owns the rights to the Oilers, other than offering to buy it (which you know he wouldn't have sold it), there was nothing anyone could do.

junglerules · Mar 29, 2009

Interesting....I knew about the Titans wearing the throwback uniforms, but I didn't know that Bud Adams had little or nothing to do with it. I can understand why Houston fans would be upset about it, though. Regardless, I loved the Oilers as much as any other team growing up, so I'm excited to see the uniforms again in games that matter.

Quick aside....what connections are left between the Oilers and Titans? Is it only Jeff Fisher now? I can't imagine any players are left- too long ago. But I wonder, coaching-staff wise, if there are many coaches left on staff who were there when Bud Adams had the team in Houston.

emjohn · Mar 29, 2009

Are the Ravens going to wear throwback Browns unis?

Castor27 · Mar 29, 2009

http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=132056

Forums

Titans to Wear Oilers Throwbacks

gucci888 Contributing Member

DaDakota If you want to know, just ask!

conquistador#11 Member

Wooderson Member

desi tmac91 Member

Fulgore Member

Uprising Contributing Member

Bogey Contributing Member

rezdawg Contributing Member

Bogey Contributing Member

ryan17wagner Member

Smokey Contributing Member

countingcrow Contributing Member

gucci888 Contributing Member

junglerules Member

emjohn Contributing Member

Castor27 Moderator
Staff Member

Share This Page

About ClutchFans

Rockets Content

Support ClutchFans!

Titans to Wear Oilers Throwbacks

gucci888 Contributing Member

DaDakota If you want to know, just ask!

conquistador#11 Member

Wooderson Member

desi tmac91 Member

Fulgore Member

Uprising Contributing Member

Bogey Contributing Member

rezdawg Contributing Member

Bogey Contributing Member

ryan17wagner Member

Smokey Contributing Member

countingcrow Contributing Member

gucci888 Contributing Member

junglerules Member

emjohn Contributing Member

Castor27 Moderator Staff Member

Share This Page

Castor27 Moderator
Staff Member