Should the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans play for the rights of the Oilers' jerseys?
By Chad Porto
The Houston Texans were able to trounce the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, defeating them 19-16 and getting a win over the franchise that used to be in Houston. And the Titans made sure to rub that fact in Houston's face, wearing the old Oilers' jerseys for the game. For those not aware, The Titans played in Houston as the Oilers for decades before moving to Nashville, changing their name, all while keeping the identity of their previous years in Houston.
Most teams that move keep their history intact, the one team that comes to mind recently that didn't was the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens were the original Cleveland Browns, and when they moved from Cleveland to Baltimore, their history was stripped from the franchise and given back to the city, so that the city could create a new NFL team and award them the name and history that many believed was rightfully theirs.
That's not the case with the Titans and the current Houston team, the Texans. The Texans have no claim to the Oilers' history, logos, or colors. The Titans do, and while that's upset some Houston fans over the years, it's just how it is.
However, one Houston legend wants to see that change. Former Texans icon J.J. Watt has jokingly stated he thinks the the winner of the Texans/Titans game should get the right to the iconic, power-blue, Oiler jerseys.
We get the uniforms back.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) December 17, 2023
That’s how this works, I don’t make the rules.
Sorry, not sorry.
Too bad, so sad.
And while the Texans don't actually get the right to the jerseys, it would be interesting to see such stakes be levied for an NFL rivalry game. The world of amatuer sports always have these type of oddball trophies to compete for, and the winner gets to hold onto them until the next time the two teams meet.
Why not do that with the jersey rights? It's absurd and would be so hard to do legally, but what if the two teams came together and put the right to wear the Oiler jerseys on the line? The winner could wear them to start the following season or in the first matchup against the other team. You could send the proceeds of jersey sales to charity and have the winning team be able to put the patch of their current logo on the jersey to sell during the offseason.
It'd be interesting to see and would add another depth to the rivalry between the two teams.
Next. The Houston Texans should not draft a wide receiver in the first-round of the NFL Draft. The Houston Texans should not draft a wide receiver in the first-round of the NFL Draft. dark