(SportsRadio 610) - The Tennessee Titans made it official on Thursday morning when they announced they’ll be wearing Oilers throwback jerseys at two home games – Oct. 29 against the Falcons and Dec. 17 against the Texans.
Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk, youngest daughter of Oilers founder Bud Adams, has created a firestorm in Houston, infuriating fans and media because the Titans will wear Columbia Blue against the Texans at Nissan Stadium.
Listen to SportsRadio 610 on the Audacy app
The last time the uniforms were worn was during the 1997 and 1998 seasons when they were the Tennessee Oilers. In 1999, when they moved into their new stadium, Adams changed the nickname and uniform. The Oilers uniforms have been dormant for 25 years.
“I'm looking forward to it,” former Oiler quarterback Warren Moon said Thursday. “I have sympathy for the fans in Houston because I know there's still a lot of Oiler fans there. I know there's still a lot of passion there, and it's a very sensitive subject to a lot of people.
“When the Oilers moved, I felt bad for the city of Houston. I have sympathy for the fans in Houston who loved the Oilers. When the team left, the history left with it. My No. 1 is retired in Nashville. All my records are in Nashville, too.”
Moon, who played 10 years in Houston (1984-1993) before he was traded to Minnesota, was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He led the Run-and-Shoot Oilers, who reached the playoffs an NFL-best seven consecutive seasons.
“I thought our uniforms were one of the best ever in the NFL,” Moon said. “It’s a very unique color. I think fans need to get a chance to see it as a throwback uniform to go along with some of the other throwbacks that are going to be worn throughout the season.
“When I heard about it, I thought it would be great. On one hand, some might think it’s like rubbing your face in it, but on the other hand, it’s a chance for a lot of fans to see the Columbia Blue again. You know, Amy grew up with the Oilers. She’s got passion for the Oilers, and that’s why she's done such a great job of bringing all of us back into the fold as far as making us part of the Tennessee Titans/Houston Oilers family. The former Oilers didn’t have an identity until she started having reunions for us every year and treating us like royalty. She’s been first class all the way.”
Quarterback Dan Pastorini, selected third overall in the 1971 draft, played nine years with the Oilers. Coach Bum Phillips, running back Earl Campbell and Pastorini became the faces of the Luv Ya Blue Oilers, who also included three defensive players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame – linebacker Robert Brazile, defensive end Elvin Bethea and nose tackle Curley Culp.
“If Bum were alive today, he’d absolutely love it,” Pastorini said about the Titans wearing Oilers uniforms. “He’d probably sit there with his chest out. His name is retired at Nissan Stadium, not in Houston. I know he would be extremely proud.
“Amy has opened the door for our lineage to be with the Titans because Nashville is the place where the Oilers went. Our true bloodline is in Houston, but unfortunately, the city's not ours anymore, even though in the hearts of many Luv Ya Blue fans, it still is. Our heart is in Tennessee with our former team and the lineage of the Houston Oilers.”
Against the Texans, the Titans will wear uniforms with Columbia Blue jerseys with white numbers outlined in red. They’ll have white pants with white helmets with the famous oil derrick on the sides. They also will have a Luv Ya Blue patch as a tribute to the greatest era in Oilers history.
“Red, white and Columbia Blue grew on us,” Pastorini said. “We were proud to wear those uniforms. They were sharp. As the years went by, I found out just about everybody around the league thought our uniforms were pretty much the best out there.”
The former Oilers continue to be treated with love and respect in Houston. They still participate in charity events, something they’ve done for decades.
“Almost every day, when I go to the grocery store or wherever, somebody comes up to me, shakes my hand and thanks me for those years,” said Pastorini, who resides in The Woodlands. “I thank them because the fans are the ones that made that period so special for us. We’ll always love those Luv Ya Blue fans. That was a spirited era in Houston, the best era this city’s ever seen in football.”
Like Moon, Matthews was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He and his family have been pillars of the Houston community since he was a first-round pick in 1983.
In 1996, the Oilers’ last season in Houston, Matthews was the team’s most outspoken critic against the move. He played 14 seasons in Houston and his last five in Nashville. He wore the Oilers uniform in Tennessee and the Titans uniform during his last three seasons. He also helped coach the Titans’ offensive line under head coach Mike Munchak, another Oiler who’s a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“When Munch was the Titans’ head coach, he made a huge push to emphasize Oiler history, but the bottom line as we all know is the fans in Tennessee love the Titans,” Matthews said. “I don’t think Oilers history is an issue up there. I was very proud to play for the Oilers, to play in the Dome and be a part of Houston’s football history.
“I do think it’s going to be cool looking. They were great colors. I think our uniforms appealed to men and women. This is going to create a buzz, but it’s going to be strange to see the uniforms after all these years. I would much prefer to see it in Houston, but I realize that’s not possible.
“I think there’s some difficulty separating the Oilers uniform from Houston. I get it: There’s nothing much we can do about it, but I think it's going to be cool to see the uniforms again. But I don’t like the fact that in Houston there are fans that have some consternation about it. I know there’s a ton of Oilers fans that had nothing to do with the team moving, and I’m sure they feel like it’s a slap in the face.”
After Amy Adams Strunk took control of the Titans, she reached out to former Oiler players and coaches and wanted them to know they had a home and identity in Nashville. She has an annual reunion – this season against the Falcons – in which she brings back players from across the country for a weekend of celebration to the team’s heritage.
“The love Amy is showing us is unbelievable,” Brazile said. “I’m thrilled the Titans are going to wear our uniforms twice this season. I told my wife, Brenda, ‘We’re going to the game whenever the Titans put our jerseys on. Robert will be there with his Oilers jersey on.’”
Brazile and the other Oilers contacted know how much fans and media in Houston are against the Titans wearing Columbia Blue.
“I wish all those Luv Ya Blue fans could be excited like we are,” Brazile said. “I love everything about the city of Houston, what it meant to my career and how great I’ve always been treated there. I can never thank the fans enough. But I love the Oilers, and I’m excited to see our uniforms worn again.
“Our history is with the Titans. I don’t want fans in Houston to think we dislike the city. We still take a lot of pride in wearing those Oiler uniforms. This is going to bring back so many great memories about all the wonderful times we had in Houston. Luv Ya Blue is our legacy, and our legacy is in Tennessee. I was born an Oiler, but I’ll die a Titan.”
John McClain can be heard Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday on SportsRadio 610 and before every practice during training camp on Texans Radio. He also writes three columns a week and does two Houtopia Football Podcasts for SportsRadio610.com.