Honest question, and I’ll preface this by saying Oilers belong in Houston, it just fits. how is this different than the Baltimore colts going to Indy? Like Indy has the history, Baltimore has a new team. Can someone explain the difference? I was here when the oilers left but I was pretty young.
It's not, but the Ravens have won SB's and been consistently pretty good...it really takes the edge off and makes you pretty damn invested with your new team to worry about the old. Secondly, the Oilers color scheme is extremely distinctive. Even as a person who was never actually a fan of the team, the Oiler's visual identity is absolutely top of the shelf.
Ok, thanks. And to clarify, I agree completely with everything you just said. Winning helps, and the color scheme is very unique in a league full of red, white, and blue.
This is a documentary from NFL Films. It has to be watched on Youtube but it will explain why people like me who suffered through Bud Adams' ownership want NOTHING to do with the Oilers.
Can you imagine if Pittsburgh gave up the name Steelers and adopted the name Pennsylvanians? The Pittsburgh Pennsylvanians. Sounds absurd, right? It's exactly what Houston did. Oil was and is the foundational building block of Houston's economy. Many Houstonians have their professional identities tied to oil. Oilers is a perfect match for Houston's proud history as a global leader in energy. In many ways it's a superior name to the generic names like Rams, Bears, Cardinals, Lions, etc. Teams that match their mascot to their city's identity or specific local attributes have superior brands and valuable brands. New England Patriots. Dallas Cowboys. Pittsburgh Steelers. Bud Adams stole that from us, but I'm telling you, we can get it back!
Yeah, no. Not gonna happen. This video offers a quick history of the Houston Oilers that many here don't know about. Pay close attention to what is said starting at the 12:54 mark.
You don’t understand how the NFL works. The NFL gave the power to the Adams family when it comes to the Oilers’ name, colors, logo, etc…The only person that can give/sell the Oilers’ brand is Adams Strunk. She will not allow Houston to get it because: A. Bud Adams told her NEVER to do it. B. The Oilers brand is probably worth more than the Titans brand, so she can make money on throwback sales. C. She wants to stick to Houston. The McNairs have been fighting about the colors behind the scenes. The NFL is going to side with Titans. So, move on. There will be some use of a similar blue. Forget about the Oilers.
How did Cleveland get to keep the Browns name? "); display: inline-block; height: 24px; width: 24px; transform: rotateZ(-180deg);"> In 1995, Modell announced he was relocating the Browns to Baltimore, sowing a mix of outrage and bitterness among Cleveland's dedicated fan base. Negotiations and legal battles led to an agreement where Modell was allowed to move the team, but Cleveland kept the Browns' name, colors and history.
Yep. Art Modell was so scorched by the explosive outrage at the time, he gave up everything and wanted no association with the Browns. It was far more ugly than when the Oilers left here.
Exactly. Had Houston put up more of a fight or had a more vocal presence/vitriol, things could have been played out similarly. This was also before the NFL teams truly realized how big TV deals were about to get (and how having top 10 media markets does outweigh teams having brand new taxpayer stadiums)… so in the end, they would not actually have fully supported Adams moving to a smaller media market. But Adams was so hated here that Houston basically kicked him out. They got lucky that LA didn’t have their stuff together. In the end, some 20+ years later, it all worked out best for the NFL. They have 2 teams in LA (and none in St. Louis, SD, or Oakland, three smaller markets), they have a team in Houston. They still have a team in Jacksonville that they’re trying to steer to London graciously… and then they have the red-headed stepchild (literally) in Nashville. The NFL does not want cities with “-ville” representing their cohort. The Titans franchise value is permanently suppressed based on the market they play in.
Actually, I understand how the NFL works better than you. I know several owners of teams. You most assuredly do not. This is why I can come up with ideas and solutions that your limited knowledge deems impossible. Everything has a price and anything can be negotiated. This is how the business world works, friend.
I'm guessing the odds Cal McNair spends a sizable chunk of money to destroy his father's legacy are pretty slim.
Not only that "Colts" is an extremely generic name with little regional flavor to it. I get that Baltimore has some history of horse racing and the Preakness, but that's not exclusive by a long shot. "Ravens" is also very flavorful and representative of Baltimore. Between that and the big time winning, it was easier for Baltimore to rally around the franchise. The Texans is a terrible name and I have no idea how we ****ed it up so badly, but it feels like that horse has left the barn. We're stuck with it.
Sure you do. Every has a price maybe, but the price the McNairs would have pay is not worth it. They don’t want the Oilers brand, just the colors. From what I understand, the NFL approved the Texans’ use of “Htown Blue” over the Titans objections. The Titans responded by bringing back the Oilers’ throwbacks as a preemptive response. The Oilers brand is much better than the Titans, but they can’t go back now. Adams-Strunk will hang on to the Oilers as a way to honor her father. There is no way she gives that up. Billion dollars for the brand? Cal and Hannah would be dumb to offer that, but Im sure Adams-Strunk would take that. Everything has a price, doesn’t mean you should pay it.
Again, the Oilers were an embarrassment, the Texans already have a better brand. When your team has a legitimate future, there's no need to dabble in member berries about a former loser franchise.
The McNairs would make that back if they got the Oilers brand. It is too iconic and the amount of merchandise sold would be off the charts. Htown would eat that up. But they'd eat up a Texans "recoloring" to that Columbia blue too. Just a dumb name (Texans) that keeps the fanbase more regional, than a name that means something to a region but can still bring in fans from other areas (like Oilers). Low key I think the league would rather have Houston with the Oilers brand again and make the Titans stop trotting it out. It is sad and pathetic on their part that after 30 years in Nashville, the name they use to be still carries more clout. Perhaps part of that is because the Adams clan doesn't know how to let it go The Texans don't have a better brand than the Oilers imo. Imagine this current Texans team playing out in the Oilers brand. Guarantee you they'd be more popular
If the Oilers brand is so valuable, then it would dumb for the Titans to give it up. Wear the Oilers throwbacks 2 or 3 times a year and sell the merchandise. However, it is personal for Adams Strunk. Daddy’s team name and she honoring his wishes.
Do the teams get a disproportionate share of money for merchandise of their team that's sold? As I recall, the NBA splits that money evenly, regardless of what team's merchandise actually gets sold.
No. See there would not a direct benefit since the NFL shares merchandise revenue. So the whole “they would make the money back” has little basis in fact.
