What about Drayton McLain? He came up with the term "Bud Dome" that helped to kill any notion of building a stadium to keep the Oilers. Didn't the NFL cancel a preseason game in the Dome because the turf was so bad? Didn't Drayton reply by saying the Dome was a "great facility" and that there was nothing wrong with it (since he owned the ugly dumpster)? Didn't the jerkhead change his mind about the Dome as soon as it became clear the Oilers were living? I somewhat understand the intense hatred for Bud Adams, but people forget how clueless Bob Lanier messed things up. The Oilers were willing to contribute something like $245MM towards the cost of a new stadium. That shows me he wanted to stay here and put some of his own money into it. Lanier would have none of it and thought he could go to Congress and stop them from leaving. And how happy/smileyface Drayton McLain gets off the hook totally escapes me. While the anger is all gone now, Drayton is the one I get worked up about when I discuss those times. His hypocrisy was breathtaking.
I thought Apollos would have been a cool name too. The TEXANS has got to be one of the dumbest names in spors history. I actually got into an agrument over that with John Clayton (ESPN) on a plane one time. He said that a name like that could work in a few states including Texas and Hawaii. I just thought he was an idiot
I was at that "game". I've been saying this for a while now. Sure, Adams deserves blame, but so does our asshat former mayor. Yet, I don't hear any blame being thrown Lanier's way, which kind of irks me.
Dumber than the AFL Dallas Texans? The Apollos with the same Oiler colors/unis with a different logo would of been cool.
He probably would have gotten more blame if the proposition didn't end up passing, and the Astros (followed by the Rockets) left town as well. Since they ended up getting 3 new buildings, plus another NFL team, after it was all said and done... Lanier (during the honeymoon texans phase) looked like a city hero for kicking the Oilers out. Houston was always willing to build a stadium... they just didn't want to build one for Bud Adams.
This is very true. If Bud had waited until the extension on his Astrodome contract ran out, then asked for a new stadium, he probably would've gotten it. He just wanted too much too soon - simple greed.
It sucks Houston sat on its *** until a team moved. IIRC I read Bud wishes the Astros had moved instead. We will never know what would have happened had Bud stayed. McLane hit the jackpot at the expense of the Oilers. If I had to choose, I would have sent the Astros packing to Northern Virginia.
You're right. I remember polls where Houstonians said clearly and overwhelmingly they didn't want the new team to be called the Oilers. Wanted a fresh start. Looking back now, though, I think that was a gigantic mistake.
I don't mean that as criticism for the Texans name, logo, color scheme. Honestly, I don't have a problem with any of that. I think their logo has a classic appeal. I mean because it has no tether to the past. There's no sense of continuation. There's no "good old days" or nostalgic feeling from the Texans. When your team sucks, it's good to still be able to connect to the feeling that these guys have been with you a while.
not anymore so than the Yankees...or the Red Sox...or the Giants...or the Canadiens. i've never had a problem with the name. it was a team name already used with some connection to football, already.
Please google or identify this article. No Houstonian I ever knew wanted the name or color change. That was alllll Adams. Secondarily, I was at Tech during the infamous "Rally." Apparently no news station even bothered to state when and where it would be. And yet, it was us Houstonians who didn't give a crap. Bud Adams pissed off more influential people in Houston than anyone knows. And we all had to pay for it.
i can't get you an article on that. i remember reading a poll, though, that indicated a majority of fans did NOT want the team to be named the oilers.
