Why Did The Oilers Abandon Houston?

The Oilers were one of the most beloved franchises in the NFL, but they ended up leaving Houston in the 90s. They moved to Tennessee to become the Tennessee Titans but left Houston without a football team. Why Did The Oilers Abandon Houston? #oilers #nfl #football
Our Personal Favorite Uploads: • Personal Favorites
Welcome to Football Lore, the ultimate destination for die-hard fans and newcomers alike who are passionate about the thrilling world of NFL and college football. Our channel dives deep into the rich tapestry of football history, unearthing captivating stories, legendary moments, and unforgettable players that have shaped the game. From behind-the-scenes insights to in-depth analyses of iconic games, Football Lore offers a unique blend of entertainment and education. Whether you're a lifelong supporter or just getting acquainted with the gridiron, our documentary-style content brings you closer to the heart-pounding action and the compelling narratives that make football more than just a game. Subscribe and join us on this exciting journey through the annals of football greatness.

[@Socrates21stCentury]

As a Houstonian ... and former Oilers fan, now a die hard Texans Fan ... I approve this message ... 🙂

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

facts

[@marcusgilmore5211]

@@FootballLoreOfficial would have been nice if Tennessee kept the name Oilers great video. I just found your channel. You should do something on the New York football Giants. What is your favorite team if you don’t mind me asking?…

[@storm7586]

Bud Adams was a jerk -- that's why --- Houston didn't abandon Oilers --- THEY abandoned Houston

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

facts

[@randytyson7262]

I heard plenty about this starting in 1982, including from a couple people who worked for companies that contracted with Adams. He was an egotistical narcissist and outright @$$hole. Yeah, Oilers fans LOVED their team, but Adams honestly wanted out of Houston so bad he just INSISTED on making them hate HIM so much that they eventually were willing to let them leave.

[@janapuckett4118]

I added this a few minutes ago at the top but I wanted to make certain this was seen. @janapuckett4118 0 seconds ago Bud Adams was forever slammed by fans as being cheap and callous. But there Is a story that never gets told or remembered and I only know it because I used to follow the oilers religiously. In the late 1980 or early 1990s, the Oilers had a promising young cornerback-maybe safety-Vernon Davis, who made a tackle early on in his career and fell onto the field with a major stinger. He was taken to the hospital and an MRI revealed he had an extremely narrow spinal canal. He recovered from this but was told that the very next tackle he made could be his last. And that was it.....this promising, gifted athlete's NFL dreams were destroyed just like that. He would never be in the NFL again. Except he was. Bud Adams hired him to be a talent scout for the oilers. He gave him back a career. He couldn't rebuild his athletic dreams, but he brought him back to the game he loved. Bud Adams had no duty or responsibility to this young man. His actions were not widely know; he didn't proclaim this act of kindness and generosity to boost his image. he just did what he could to help. I am not saying he was a universally loved man, or that he didn't have his faults, many of them perhaps. But anyone who takes the easy way out and labels him as nothing but a liar or cheat, or a selfish cheapskate isn't being fair.

[@steveramey8654]

I’m not impressed with his daughter either.

[@trclark7689]

Bud wasn't a jerk, he loved Houston and did everything he could to keep the team in the city. Bob Lanier could have taken the issue to the voters but he refused. Notice, the city didn't take the same chances when the Astros threatened to move to Washington D.C. or when the Rockets threatened to move to Louisville, KY.

[@carlhicksjr8401]

To quote Don Ohlmeyer, "The answer to all your questions is 'money'." One of the best, most straight-to-the-gut statements in sports history. He should have won another Emmy for that quote alone.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

facts

[@patlynch6517]

I miss the Houston Oilers! How could you not love a baby blue oil derrick?

[@joerieke300]

When you never make the SB, blow the biggest lead in NFL history (in the playoffs), and then ask for a new stadium, what could go wrong?

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

apparently quite a bit

[@joerieke300]

@@FootballLoreOfficial I know. I was there when it happened.

[@docadams7099]

And on top of that, as I stated above, you play a lame duck season in Houston with everyone knowing you're set to leave.

[@joerieke300]

@@docadams7099 So. What's your point?

[@dvferyance]

@@docadams7099 They played a lame duck season in Memphis too.

[@yesorlando05]

The same thing happened with George Shinn and the Charlotte Hornets. He wanted the city of Charlotte to cough up tens of millions of tax dollars to replace a nice arena that was just around 15 years old. The city refused and he moved the team to New Orleans. Charlotte ended up getting a new franchise within 3 years. No one of a bigger NFL/NBA fan than I am, but in my old age I'd rather go without a team in my metro area than give in and over pay/over indulge these rich owners who could pay or borrow the money themselves.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

it happens often

[@fletchbg]

Well on one hand, the Charlotte Coliseum, as great as it was, was built before luxury suites were understood to be incredibly important, and was built with only 8. On the other hand, Shinn made himself and therefore his team highly unpopular with his sexual assault scandal.

[@jerry2968]

They had fleeced the city/county into major renovations for the Astrodome in 1987 by threatening to move to Jacksonville. Then in 1994 after three straight epic choke jobs in the playoffs they asked for a new stadium the city/county called his bluff and in the summer of 95 he signed a exclusive deal with Nashville and the folks in Tennessee basically sold their souls to get them to move to Tennessee.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

facts

[@JDoe-gf5oz]

They didn't call his bluff. The owner of the Astros went on an anti-Bud campaign because he was getting paid by the Oilers to let them rent the Astrodome and didn't want to lose that. So Adams didn't his stadium after all and said "I'm out." Everyone hates Bud so much they don't want to remember that the Astros owner is why the Oilers are gone.

[@moblinmajorgeneral]

Honestly, an expansion team in Tennessee would probably have sucked worse than the irl Texans do

[@justinsibley3389]

How did Tennessee sell their soul? You think they regret having the Titans? Or that, somehow, life is now harder in Nashville than it used to be? And Houston didn't "call his bluff". He wasn't bluffing. I hope Bud Adams and Bob Lanier are locked-up in hell together.

[@JDoe-gf5oz]

@@moblinmajorgeneral They would have gotten it together by now. Houston is where football teams go to stagnate. A century from now the Texans still will not have reached a super bowl.

[@champaignken]

Bud Adams was an evil man. He demanded upgrades to the Astrodome, which destroyed the beloved exploding scoreboard. Then he packs up and leaves. I'm so glad he never won the Super Bowl.

[@kevingray8616]

As a kid I remember walking into the Astrodome for the first time. Eye-popping. The place was HUGE from a kid's viewpoint. I got to play soccer in the Astrodome one year. (before the Houston Hurricane played - old NASL team) Years later I'm in the cheap seats at nrg stadium (Reliant at the time), looking down on the roof of the Astrodome. Nrg is that much bigger. My how things have changed.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

true

[@champaignken]

@billallen8998 I guess you would pull the ivy off the walls of Wrigley field in Chicago because it is old and tired.

[@champaignken]

@billallen8998 You are an idiot. The Astrodome was in use at the time the scoreboard was demolished. The Astros remained after the Oilers left. You do not destroy an icon because the owner was a cheap *astard who would ruin the venue and leave for more money.

[@JasonPhillips-sv9ih]

The Astrodome was one of the biggest eyesores in sports. 😂😂😂😂😂😂 Yall are just feeling nostalgic because you’re from there

[@charlesballaro9766]

Not mentioned is that the Oilers played in Memphis in 1997 and at Vanderbilt Univ. in 1998 before becoming the Titans and going to the Super Bowl that year.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

dam

[@60zeller]

Went to SB there 1st season in Nissan Stadium.

[@PhillyBagel]

It’s too easy to forget their season as the “Memphis” Oilers. They weren’t warmly embraced because everyone knew the team would soon be in Nashville.

[@johnnymason2460]

​@@PhillyBagel Of course that happened. We in Memphis aren't going to support a team that is not ours.

[@seanm3226]

I hate corporate welfare.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

me too

[@PainandMotivation]

Corporate owners and governments have to find common ground. It has to be a mutual relationship. They both give and take fairly. The owners cannot do it all.

[@VinceroAlpha]

@@PainandMotivationyes they can! Keep in mind he wanted an NFL to display his success, he wanted the biggest dome in the world at the time and he wanted an even BIGGER and brand new stadium after all of that! A football team is a LUXURY. Meaning it’s not a major industry such as oil or finance. Why the hell should the average American pay for a millionaires vanity project? Why should the average person pay any millionaires, billionaires, or conglomerate to move to their city? Keep in mind that the reason they are rich is because they know how to do business, not threaten leave and take their toys home when they don’t get their way! So the next time you want to “build a bridge “ to ungrateful people, DON’T!🤡

[@alabamaal225]

@@PainandMotivation If the owners can't do it all, maybe it shouldn't be done.

[@PainandMotivation]

@@alabamaal225 Then professional sports will seize to exist in this country. A ripple effect will begin. People will lose jobs and way less tax revenues for governments.

[@tadroid3858]

"Your property taxes go up to pay for a rich man's stadium." Welcome to Cincinnati/Hamilton County.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

facts

[@rickyblackburn-n9e]

"Texans." How inventive. "Oilers," is a far cooler name. The old Oilers uniforms are better than both the Titans and the Texans uniforms of today.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

true

[@sithtalker]

Na, Texans embodies the whole of Texas better

[@rickyblackburn-n9e]

@@sithtalker Riddle me this Batman: The Houston Texans have a cow on the sides of their helmets, right? The Dallas Cowboys have a star on the side of their helmets, right? Texas is the "Lone Star State," right? Shouldn't the Dallas Cowboys have the cows on the side of their helmets instead of the Texans? Shouldn't the Houston Texans have a single star on their helmets if they're representing the "Line Star State?" The Cowboys have two stars on their helmets. Nothing says "cowboy" like a couple of stars, right? (sarcasm.} Shouldn't the two teams, at the very least switch helmets? Things are bassackwards down Texas way.🙂😊😆😅😂🤣🤣

[@carlhicksjr8401]

Yeah but the Texans are **winning** , which is something the Oilers never really did do. And in the No Fun League, winning is the cure-all for everything.

[@rickyblackburn-n9e]

@@carlhicksjr8401 Yeah, there's that.🙂😆😅😂🤣

[@JuanMartinez-xf3uz]

Sports Owner's know they can extort their host city for a taxpayer funded stadium if they throw a big enough tantrum. It's corporate welfare at its finest.

[@dwjoseph59]

Exactly, look at the current battle going on between the taxpayers & the chiefs/royals in the kansas city, mo/kansas city, ks metro. People are beginning to get a little tired of footing the bill for billionaires.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

yep

[@ubon11]

Why did the Oilers leave Houston? Because the owner was greedy and got a lot more money in another city. The end. I just saved you a lot of time.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

facts

[@99somerville]

I knew that without watching the video!

[@l0llllllp]

He actually made alot less in the other city the Texans team is worth way more than the Titans

[@JasonPhillips-sv9ih]

😂😂😂😂😂😂 being good at business doesn’t make you greedy. Complaining about it means you’re a broke nobody though 😂😂😂😂

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

@@JasonPhillips-sv9ih idk man, I do pretty well but still think Billionaires taking tax revenue for stadiums is objectively wrong. Why should I pay taxes to pay for real estate for someone who can afford to pay for it? That is just state sponsored socialism.

[@LaiSteve66]

As a Houstonian, I want to thank Mike Jones for tackling Kevin Dyson at the 1 yard line in Super Bowl 34. 😂😂😂😂

[@richardjohnson4373]

It would have just tied the score, they would have had a chance to win the game. But the greatest show on turff was a baller.

[@LaiSteve66]

@@richardjohnson4373 Sure it would sent the game into overtime but that’s not what I wanted. I wanted Bud Adam’s team to lose and they did. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

LMAO

[@liendoscustomsandcollectio3306]

Haters

[@LaiSteve66]

@@liendoscustomsandcollectio3306 #GoTexans

[@jpmnky]

Man, if you never saw Warren Moon play, especially as an Oiler, look him up. The guy threw the prettiest pass I’ve ever seen. Their offense in the early 90s were fire. And the best team I’ve watched that never got to a Super Bowl. Of course the minute they changed the franchise name they get to one. And almost won.

[@jamesmoss3424]

It sucks that The Oilers left Houston.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

yep

[@hartiwanger9176]

They have the Roughnecks now.

[@bagtea]

we are happy with Texans. Fuck the Oilers and fuck their greedy owners

[@JoJoMallethead]

I miss the Oilers. I'll take the oil derrick logo over the cartoon cow's head logo any day of the week.

[@KWCline91]

Bud Adams and Houston had a very complicated relationship. Not to say Houston isn't at fault for the Oilers leaving, but Bud Adams didn't really help matters. He did piss off a lot of Houstonians and they just didn't trust him.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

facts

[@carlhicksjr8401]

Kinda like Ken [spit on the ground] Behring in Seattle back when.

[@mr.objective6936]

Yes. I heard Bud even fired popular coach Bum Phillips because he was getting too much credit.

[@RowdyJr]

​@@carlhicksjr8401 That pos almost took away my beloved seattle seahawks and I'm not even from seattle lol. But I wouldn't be a seahawks fan today if they ever relocated to anaheim ages ago. I don't support cali teams and they suck so bad that california sports as a whole is unwatchable.

[@kevingray8616]

@@mr.objective6936 Bud was HATED after that. The Oilers went 11 and 5 that year, but lost 27-7 in the AFC Wild Card game. The reason for the firing was supposedly that the Oilers had trouble scoring at times, but Bum refused to hire an offensive coordinator.

[@BennieCarter-r8e]

I quit watching professional football when the Oilers left Houston. It just wasn't the same anymore and I haven't watched a single NFL game since.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

cant blame you

[@jasonmilner679]

Dude! I still haven't gotten over it. 51 years old. I watch some playoff games, maybe if nothing is on. Texans not quite on board with these dudes yet.

[@davemccombs]

lol fossils

[@luvfreedom1470]

You're not missing much with the Texans.

[@drcat1313]

I quit caring when they made so many rules to protect the QB. It basically made it a QB game instead of team game. Running QB 😠

[@raykozlowski323]

A bigger tragedy ...when. Colts left. Baltimore...can't get. Used to. Indianapolis. Colts. !!!!

[@1JACK5ON]

As a Titans fan, I am glad this organization is here, however I kinda wish the Adams family would release the Oilers name, image and likeness back to the city of Houston and that franchise there could go back to the Houston Oilers. The NFL need the Oilers

[@coltex2397]

Houston should have been like Cleveland. They can take the team but the name stays!

[@baerhomburg6447]

adams firing Bum Phillips was a blunder. That would be like firing Tom Landry after 1969.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

facts

[@treyblaze22]

I really feel this was the start of the oilers' decline which, combined with the playoffs losses, led to the oilers leaving Houston and moving to Nashville.

[@michaelleroy9281]

Bum Phillips was fired after 1980 more than a decade before the team wanted out

[@Handle.109.handle]

As a Titans fan... I hate the Adams family and Brand of football. I understand why Houston didnt support them.

[@chrissebesta1244]

I miss the houston oilers... Texans not the same but it's all we have... I love the current team

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

yep

[@jacobsweet7327]

The biggest thing that I hate about the oilers leaving was the loss of the name I just think the name “Oilers” is such a better name that represents Houston as a city much better Houston was always a bit more blue collar compared to Dallas and were the energy capital of the US. I not that I hate the Texans I just think the old name is much better than “The Texans”

[@nathanielkahn9681]

I've heard a lot about how devastated Baltimore was to lose the Colts and Cleveland to lose the Browns, but haven't heard a lot about what it was like when Houston lost the Oilers. Were they crushed?

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

at first yes, but I think they're fine with the texans now

[@leeschaeffer3209]

Actually, not. A lot of people in Houston still leg-hump the Titans, for some reason. It was even worse when Vince Young played for them. When the Titans wear the Oiler throwbacks, that’s definitely a middle finger to the city of Houston. And a lot of people still put up with it. The local media still blathers on about the Luv Ya Blue glory days. Wish they treated the Titans the way Baltimore treats the Colts and Cleveland treats the Ravens. But, no………

[@joelester7704]

Adams was the most miserly owner in the NFL for years he would only pay for second rate players and coaches. He did not give a damn about the loyal Houston fan base so long as he made money from the team. When he did get top quality players instead of paying them outright he gave them land and/or cattle. He never liked the pay arrangement with the Astrodome and would not allow tailgating at the games because he wanted as much concession money as he could get. Good riddance to bad trash. The ownership of the Texans are so much better, but are still figuring it all out. The Texans have more talent on the current team than the best of the Oiler teams.

[@redmustangredmustang]

It's always like that. Someone tells them no, then the team starts to tank most likely intentionally and then another city comes in and offers them a stadium. The team jumps ship. You saw with the Chargers and the Rams. You saw them tank and LA offered them a stadium and they bolted almost immediately after that.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

facts

[@kevinh.7994]

The problem for cities is that there's always another city without a team that is willing to give these owners what they want. They have all the leverage.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

facts

[@sandmanxo]

As someone who was a 19-21 years old when the Oilers talked about moving then actually did it, I was not happy. It was just a few years earlier that Bud destroyed the Astrodome by pulling out the scoreboards for some more seats, then he wanted a new place. I did go to one game in the last season they were in Houston, and remember it was pretty empty.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

it sucks they moved

[@andrewoolman]

Houston couldn’t give bud Adams a new stadium because of the oil crisis in the 1990’s

[@dwjoseph59]

👍👍👍👍

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

facts

[@davidlafleche1142]

The Patriots paid for their own stadium twice. If they could do it, anyone could do it.

[@coreylevine8095]

I thought it because of the Livestock show and Roado want keep the Dome

[@mactherealestateman]

​@@davidlafleche1142they only built one stadium, Gillette. Sullivan/Shafer Stadium was constantly being renovated. Arrowhead Stadiun opened in 1971, and has been constantly overhauled. Don't hear about the Hunt family leaving.

[@fr.deaconjohngresham7650]

I supported the team when they first moved to Nashville. But when McNair and many other prime players went to the Buzzards, I left NFL football for years. These days, I support the Atlanta Falcons. They let me down just like the Oilers did.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

Oilers leaving was so sad

[@mayorb3366]

I felt your pain from Houston. (Atlanta blew a 25 point lead vs Pats in SB LI) Starting in the mid Q3, I was yelling 2 things- 1. '93 Oilers 2. BURN THE CLOCK! People at the sports bar I was in thought I was nuts. Until they didn't.

[@zooropa04]

That Astrodome turf was basically a rug over solid concrete. No wonder Earl Campbell suffered so much in his after-football years.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

dam

[@crosstatt7441]

I’m surprised that Bud Adams was never attacked after he moved the Oilers. He should’ve moved to Nashville.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

true

[@TommyTomTompkins]

He should of hit Memphis

[@hectormoto5044]

Traded Moon and other top players because he did not want to pay them. The players said this themselves and Adams came into the locker room to say this. Sean Jones, Moon, and some others said this in the early 2000s. Everytime he created a winning product he refused to invest in the teams after 4 or 5 years. Constantly rebuild it.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

facts

[@jlobiafra]

Dude it was time to move on from that 90's Oilers team. They made the playoffs seven straight years and kept choking leads and never got to the AFC championship. It was time to break up that team.

[@jacobjones5269]

I think this is true, however… I think the offense and defense in that 7 year run kinda flipped as the better unit.. By the time the defense was top flight, later in the run, the offense had been somewhat figured out by the rest of the league..

[@Cline3911]

I love NFL football. I'm a Titans fan. I've been to several Titans games. That being said, I'd be the first person to tell an NFL owner to go to hell if they had the audacity to ask the taxpayer to 'build _them_ a stadium. Nothing like a multi-billionaire asking people living paycheck to paycheck to buy the stadium that is going to make the owner more money. Piss off with that crap. You want a new stadium Mr. Owner? *_YOU_* pay for it.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

facts

[@AFoulOdor]

Not a tear was shed when Bud finally left.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

yep

[@kmena05]

Bud Adams was the reason, the Football scene in Houston is messed up because of it, Im a Texans fan but there a lot of bandwagons here with Football the Astros and Rockets have a strong following here but not the Texans but things could change soon with CJ Stroud, the Oilers had times to bring Houston a Lombardi but they never did and they carried that tradition with them to Tennessee.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

wish he didn't ruin it

[@jonathanmelton9801]

I'm upset because they got Joe Mixon. Read about what he did to that girl when he was at OU.

[@g-manjams]

What really sucks is that there was a play against the Steelers that would've given the oilers the lead late. Called out of bounds, but the replay showed he got both feet in bounds. The Steelers won the game and the Superbowl that year. Really really sucks.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

facts

[@PtolemyJones]

Every team in the NFL should be run like Green Bay, owned by the city.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

100%

[@Freestylinbran]

This is the first video of yours that I've watched and I plan on watching many more! My one comment would be to let some thoughts breathe a little, as in, there aren't many pauses in your narration. A couple of b-roll shots between ideas (or chapters) with title cards would be a great improvement. You could even do a low backing track that only rises in volume at the end of your scene, leading into the next one. Otherwise, great cadence and info. Keep it coming!

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

Thanks for the tips!

[@geoffreylee5199]

He was a business criminal, robbing three cities.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

yep

[@Mbplayerone]

Let's set the record straight. Bud Adams lost all his support from Houstonians when he fired wildly popular Bum Phillips. Bud pissed off so many Oilers fans they became cowboys fans in droves, and thats why you see so many cowboys fans in houston to this day. He wanted to build a new stadium using tax revenue, and by that point the Oilers fan base had already turned on him and wouldnt support any of his endeavors. Bud wanted out of houston so badly that in the preseason game against the Chargers, he invited the NFL safety inspectors to check the turf quality before the game, and I was there for that canceled game. I know people that were very close to Bud and back on that day, he didn't show up to the astrodome. Up until that time, Bud had never missed a single preseason, regular season or post season game, and that was his first because why go to a game you sabotaged? That ultimately gave him the support he needed from the nfl HQ to leave houston.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

sad they had to leave

[@bozimmerman]

I remember the bumper stickers that said "Go Oilers! And don't come BACK!"

[@davidhenson6337]

Aside from the Luv Ya Blue days the Cowboys enjoyed a bigger fan base in Houston than did the Oilers before and after. I know, I lived it. Always hated the Cowboys and could never understand why people wouldn't get behind the team from their own city. I was at the game the first time the Oilers ever appeared on MNF. They had their hotshot rookie QB (Dan Pastorini) and big things were expected. They were destroyed by the Raiders 49-7 I think and the fans trashed Pastorini's new Lincoln Continental out in the parking lot. Now the Luv Ya Blue days were different! Bum, Earl, Carl Mauck, etc........those were people Houstonians could relate to. I'm biased but I don't think a city has ever had as much passion for an NFL team as Houston did for that group of Oilers. It was magical....much like a college atmosphere. But back to my original comment: The Cowboys had a bigger fan base in Houston before (not during) and after the Luv Ya Blue era than did the Oilers. Started watching the Oilers when George Blanda was quarterbacking the team. I'm 60, I was there and it pisses me off to this day.

[@jlobiafra]

​@@davidhenson6337yes the cowboys were the most popular team during the Tom Landry and Roger Staubach days. They were deemed "America's team" and houston was no exception for how popular the cowboys were back then.

[@controlcam820]

Dan Pastorini & Billy white shoes Johnson,oh the memories ...

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

great memories

[@PShawtx]

Summary Oilers left Houston because of Bud Adams selfishness.

[@docadams7099]

Actually the Oilers left Houston after the 1996 season. In 1997-98 they played at various sites in Tennessee as the Oilers, then they moved to Nashville for the 1999 season as the Titans. I remember them playing a lame duck season at Houston in 1996.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

dam

[@dvferyance]

They played in Memphis in 1997. I have no idea where they played in 1998.

[@davidalexander8996]

They played at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis for 1997 and Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville for 1998 (both college football venues). They moved to Nissan Stadium in 1999 and will move to their new stadium in 2027.

[@JSchaffer214]

Side note: For those who don't know or can't tell from the photo, there are a TON of cranes in the Nashville area either building or renovating existing high rises. I live about 3 hours away and had to take a trip into Nashville a little less than a year ago and even though the economy sucks right now, Nashville still seems to be thriving!

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

its growing so quick

[@johnnoone4323]

I think the Oilers meltdown in the 1992 playoffs when they led Buffalo 35 - 3 and lost is an event for which the franchise never recovered. To this day, I do not see how that happened. If the Oilers had won that game, I believe they would have gone to the Super Bowl and played much better than Buffalo did against Dallas.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

facts

[@treyblaze22]

Yeah that meltdown was the beginning of the end for the oilers. The following year's playoff loss to Kansas City pretty much killed the Houston oilers for good.

[@eugenegardnerjr1815]

NRG stadium is one of the best stadiums ever built!!! It's 22 years old, and it still is state of the art, that has 2 had Superbowl played in it!! Most likely have another soon!!

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

facts

[@corderajones]

So how was it a better business move to move the Oilers to a smaller market. And the Houston Texas are more valuable than the Tennessee Titans so I think it was a bad business move

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

Because he owns the real estate under it, basically got like 2 B for free from tax payers

[@corderajones]

@@FootballLoreOfficial that lot is not worth 2 billion. But anyways look how much market value he left on the table by moving to a smaller market. Which team you know in the last 20 years have moved to smaller markets Rams moved to LA Chargers moved to LA Raiders moved to Vegas A’s moving to Vegas The only team that I know of that moved to a smaller market is the Sonics, yeah they been good on the court but their value and revenue is lagging behind other teams. Seattle was a better market than OKC. These business owners always think short term and never long term

[@docadams7099]

I'm from the Cincinnati area, and I remember being so upset at the Oilers for doing Houston that way that I made up a fictional schedule for them that season. For the last four games of that season, I had them at home against Minnesota, at Green Bay, at New England, and at Pittsburgh. I gave them 3 bone-chilling road games to end their season, against tough opponents. I can imagine how their fans wanted to "fix their wagon."

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

yep

[@lgbfjb1183]

A couple of headscratchers, the oiler move to become the Tennessee titans, just to bring in the Houston Texans, and the browns becoming the Baltimore ravens just to repackage the browns later on… funny even when the first browns vs ravens took place there were still ex browns players actively still with the ravens facing their former franchise

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

yes lol

[@JasonWoolridge-o1l]

Because the Astrodome wasn't up to code in NFL standards and Bud Adams 🏈

[@VictoryDayz009]

Love the oilers look! NFL GOAT places to play! I've started my own channel and I love the videos. Thanks for the inspirations

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

Glad you like them!

[@JohnShields-xx1yk]

I remember watching many sad patriots seasons from the early 1960's as a kid from my Boston home, that continued, Shaffer stadium would be half full, until #12 showed up almost 40 years later.

[@algee8415]

Grown to hate football. Not missing it.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

dam

[@orteR-bi5zp]

I’m glad Houston got the Texans back

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

me too

[@orangehoof]

And the NFL wasn't planning to give Houston a team either. They were trying to get a franchise in Los Angeles but L.A. couldn't find the right investors.

[@benitoluera8467]

And you know it’s a slap in the face when you see the titans wear the old school oiler gear

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

yep

[@rockypc24]

They didn't move directly into the new stadium in Nashville till like 1999. They played in Memphis in 1997 and in Vanderbilts stadium in 1998.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

ok

[@stuartyablon7184]

Bud Adams ... I'll never forgive the man for pulling the Oilers out of Houston. At least let Houston have the colors / name back. Nope, no such luck.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

facts

[@davidcampbell1150]

Great video

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@michaelleroy9281]

They were talking about leaving town as early as 1987

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

true

[@RudieObias]

I miss the Oilers. I wish the Texans would’ve been called the Oilers instead

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

yep

[@jeremyhodge6216]

I'll always be a die hard Oiler fan no matter what ☺️

[@briantxcattleskull2752]

I was sad to see the team move. I’ve never attended an Oiler game. I still cheered for the Oiler and then the name change, but when the news of a new team announced, I gladly wore the Texans proudly

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

yep

[@dwjoseph59]

Hated seeing the oilers leaving houston, but it ultimately worked out for that franchise. They have a new domed stadium going up in nashville, tn right next to nissan stadium, nissan stadium will then be torn down to put up a multiple level parking garage & entertainment type of complex for their new stadium afterwards. And houston got their new franchise & new retractable roof dome stadium & team in the texans. NRG Park (NRG stadium, NRG arena, NRG center, NRG astrodome, etc.) is one of the largest entertainment/stadium/arena/rodeo complexes in america!! So, it eventually worked out great for both franchises & both large metro areas/cities in houston, tx & nashville, tn. l currently live in the houston, tx (get stuck on I-45, I-10, I-610 or the sam houston tollway & tell me how rough that traffic is) metro & drive thru nashville, tn (nicknamed crashville for a reason, always a wreck or bad traffic) too. Both cities got some rough traffic, but are beautiful cities with good people.

[@GeorgeFrancis-dq8hu]

It hits differently if you were born and raised here. We could have beaten the cowboys in '92 , and we were planning to take over the league with air Mcnair and George. Shout out to the class of 2000

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

This one is a rare case where it worked out

[@BillMarion]

Agree. I'm a Titans fan. We wouldn't have a football team if the Oilers hadn't moved. Here in Tennessee, we're grateful we got an NFL team!

[@dwjoseph59]

@@FootballLoreOfficial definitely, rarely happens that way indeed

[@dwjoseph59]

@GeorgeFrancis-dq8hu true, oilers had some great teams that just couldn't get over the hump & and to that super bowl; NO DOUBT

[@andre0239-wd7ng]

solid video

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

thank you

[@walterwhite1]

Good video buddy

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

Thanks for the visit

[@sarahmccoy1941]

The one thing you do no say in this video is how mismanaged the old Houston Oilers franchise was. Terrible head coaches, lousy teams, bad trades, stupid drafts, and an owner who threatened the move the team until Houston embraced perpetual incompetence. For Houston football fans, the best thing to happen was for Bud Adams to move his team to Tennessee. The new franchise has better ownership. management, and coaching. And, every time the Texans beat the Titans, it is just one more reason for Houstonians to cheer!

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

but but but WARREN MOON

[@jonathanmelton9801]

I wonder how long Cowboys fans are going to keep putting up with Jerry Jones?

[@sarahmccoy1941]

@@jonathanmelton9801 Forever. They like the perception of greatness circus.

[@carlcrisp8700]

The Oilers left because Bud Adams only ever thought of Bud Adams...not the fans, not his players, not the team, not loyalty. Just himself. He was a greedy, self-serving jerk and proved it when he fired Bum. Adams didn't even have the courage to tell Bum to his face, the coach heard it on the radio. For the whole story, read "Loser Takes All", the book on the Oilers by Houston sportswriter Ed Fowler.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

facts

[@chriswahl4139]

unfortunate they didn't get to get the Oilers name back like Cleveland did for the Browns

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

yep

[@jonathanmelton9801]

The Browns also retain the history of their former team.

[@jameshenderson9830]

Oilers were basically chased out of Houston. I grew up watching the Oilers. Loved that team. Hated that they moved

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

facts

[@crosstatt7441]

I’m sure you’re still mad at Bud Adams over it.

[@johndonlon1611]

George Blanda, Pete Beathard, Hoyle Grange. Cris Dishman..........always had real characters. Fun times and somene screwed it all up

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

facts

[@oychoppa]

Bud Adams was a greedy SOB! Until the very last season of the Oilers tenure on Houston, Adams never allowed tailgating in the Astrodome parking lot prior to their games. He wanted to make sure that Oilers fans spent their hard earned money on his overpriced beer and food inside the stadium instead of in the parking lot before the game. That last season he did allow tailgating, but by then no one was interested enough to show up for the home games.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

true

[@pep590]

Ironically, I've been to a number of games in Nashville and that stadium that they waited so long for is subpar and pretty crappy. One of the worst in the NFL. You can't really tell on TV, but in person, it feels like a smaller college stadium. The Oilers never should have moved.

[@chaffsalvo]

Still miss the Oilers 😢

[@glensmith491]

"I root for my HS team on Fridays, on Saturdays I got college football...well, now I have a team that excuses me from family on Sundays." Texas guy in the 60s!

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

true

[@fdderek]

1991 - Elway's Drive 2 1992 - choke city 1993 - Montana heroics All three Oilers teams were arguably the most talent laden in the league. If just one had broken through to the Big Game, would've been enough to get the city to play ball in 1994/1995

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

womp womp

[@jeffhampton5040]

Mayor Lanier and Bud Adams got into a running argument and Adams knew he wasn't getting a new stadium.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

true

[@crosstatt7441]

@@jeffhampton5040 I remember a similar circumstance in Cleveland with Mayor White and Art Modell.

[@chrisbacos]

"Newest" franchise sounds better than "youngest."

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

too late now

[@Kacee2]

I have lived in Houston since 1953 and I am glad they moved. They were an embarrassment most of the time after the merger.

[@marktweet7395]

Lived there all my life. Bud was a real problem. Didn’t think Nashville would be good but I was wrong!

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

its worked out

[@johnharris6655]

Here is what I do not get about cities like Cleveland and Houston, they refused to build new stadiums for good teams, the Oilers and the Browns, but build new Stadiums for expansion teams, Browns 2.0 and the Texans.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

true

[@leeschaeffer3209]

It has everything to do with who owns the franchise……

[@Dr._Mambo]

What’s even more funny is how the Titans owner pushed and got a new 2.1 billion dollar stadium from Nashville. So their stadium was only 25 years old and they need a new one. 🤣🤣. Sleep with the devil Nashville.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

LMAO

[@pep590]

The Titans stadium is crap and looks like a junior college stadium once inside. I've been to many over the country. Adams destroyed everything for that dump stadium in Nashville?

[@jasonmilner679]

Bud Adams! Bud Adams! Piss poor management of a professional football teams in the mid 80s to mid 90s.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

facts

[@cuseyeti_one8three]

You don’t ever want to end up like Baltimore.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

lol

[@docadams7099]

Baltimore got the ravens and two super bowl wins to date.

[@richardbrentlynn9905]

I remember some years back one of the coaches for the Titans was being fired and they were questioning if he really deserved to be fired in the media and one thing's. One of the reporters brought up was interesting. Said that none of the ownerships lived in Tennessee. They all lived in Houston. They would fly in on Sunday and watch the game and then fly back to Houston. So their daily interaction with the team was by supposedly by emails and phone calls and telecommunications

[@williamlathan6932]

The best part was left out. The mayor at the time, Bob Lanier, finally told Bud Adams if the Oilers won a superbowl, we'd build a stadium. That @#$% did not work 😂😂😂

[@juancarlosdavila6591]

It would be so satisfying to see the Houston Texans win a superbowl and join the Rockets and Astros as world champions. 🏆

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

facts

[@douglasdeleon5256]

Don't forget the Dynamo a MLS team

[@jonathanmelton9801]

Word on the street is that Houston could finally get an NHL franchise, the WNBA might be coming back as well.

[@douglasdeleon5256]

@@jonathanmelton9801 yeah bring back the comets

[@hardieharrharr]

I attended Oilers games as a kid, and that last season was absolutely crazy as far as attendance. That entire stadium looked gutted and dead. EVERY SINGLE advertising space was open due to everybody pulling their ads. I was hurt by them leaving, and the media didn’t help by its spin on it all by making it look as if it was completely Bud’s fault. As for the Texans, I love em. Thought the name was stupid (but better than Apollos) but it’s grown on me. As for the Oilers/Titans, I’m sick of seeing people who were so happy to see Bud go now all choked up with Nostalgia and wanting the NEW franchise to wear the colors of the old.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

would be great if they never moved

[@drlock978]

Let’s all sing, Houston Oilers,Houston Oilers,Houston Oilers number one.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

facts

[@justinsibley3389]

Love this video. grew up in Houston. The Texans are not, as of right now, better than the Oilers ever were.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

I think the Strouds are almost there, they could easily beat 99% of all oilers teams

[@Engineer1897]

Adams was on the NFL expansion committee. The city wouldn't give him a new stadium. He did whatever he could to anger the fans and keep them away from the games. Therefore, he could point to this ' lack of interest' in the team from fans as a way to lobby for his move to Tennessee. He gave Oilers fans and the city of Houston a final thumb in the eye by getting Commissioner Rozelle to agree that the Oilers colors, name and mascots be retired permanently, so that any new expansion team in Houston couldn't use them. Trading Moon and making the team uncompetitive was a disaster and a calculated move. I don't watch the NFL anymore and this is a huge reason. Houston Oilers Forever

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

What a slime boy

[@jonathanmelton9801]

Then the Titans wear the Oliers unis WHEN THEY PLAY THE TEXANS. That entire family is just crass.

[@yossarian_lives]

Greedy ownership. Same with Spanos in San Diego. Same with Modell moving the Browns to Baltimore. Cities should keep the naming rights and history even if crazy owners move franchises all over the country.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

facts

[@Greybeardmedic]

The success of the NFL means this: NO ONE wants to pay for a new stadium ever again.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

lol

[@Hawk-2ahGaming]

While the Oilers left Houston to Nashville to become Tennessee Titans, Houston would bring back a new team called the Texans in 2002.

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

facts

[@rkelly1999]

You forgot to mention the firing of Bum Phillips, this move was shocking and solidified Bud Adams as a villain in Houston, major turning point in the franchises history

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

damn

[@treyblaze22]

​@@FootballLoreOfficialI agree. I feel that Bud firing Bum Philips was the start of the Houston oilers decline. This combined with the team's playoff failures is what led to the oilers leaving Houston.

[@phataguilar1724]

Now we have our HOUSTON TEXANS and we keeping it that way🤘🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾

[@FootballLoreOfficial]

facts