This is alumni weekend for the Tennessee Titans and the franchise’s predecessor the Houston Oilers, with many of the players from the franchise’s past being honored for their accomplishments.
But the rea highlight for many will come when the Titans take the field against the Atlanta Falcons wearing – for the first time since changed their name to the Titans in 1999 –Houston Oilers throwback uniforms.
This will mark the first time since 1998 that the “Love Ya Blues” with the white helmets with the oil derrick logo will be back in action since the awkwardly named Tennessee Oilers played at Vanderbilt Stadium.
In 2009, the Titans wore a version of the Oilers threads to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the AFL, but those were a replica of the early 1960s.
Throwback uniforms have been a hit all over the NFL this season, with the Tampa Bay Bucs using the creamsicle orange uniforms again, the Philadelphia Eagles going with the kelly green unis and the Minnesota Vikings breaking out the Purple People Eater duds from their glory days.
The temporary wardrobe change is not sitting well with some folks in Houston who believe the Texans should be the ones wearing those baby blue uniforms to allow that city to pay tribute to the days of Earl Campbell, Billy “White Shoes” Johnson and Warren Moon.
But the truth of the matter is they belong to the Adams family and the Titans franchise, as Bud Adams made a special point to hold on to the team’s history, as he did not want to lose those years in Houston the way the Baltimore Ravens had to abandon their Cleveland Browns’ past when they moved east.
The truth is when the Titans put on those Oilers throwbacks Sunday, they will be putting on one of the best-looking uniforms in league history. Adams reluctantly discarded them when the decision was made to change the name and team colors to coincide with moving into what is now Nissan Stadium.
But now enough time has passed that honestly, the Titans should wear those jerseys and pants as their primary uniform for when they get ready to move into their new stadium in 2027.
The classic Oilers jerseys and pants with the red face mask and some sort of Titans helmet and logo would be a nice look that could be a tribute to their past and a nod to the future.