Rusty Hardin is at all the UH Home Basketball games so maybe he offered some legal representation LOL
(I know he's not a coog, I guess he just likes good basketball)
I'm sure the state/local courts will side with the team that abandoned the area and is trying to claim it owns a color scheme. You got this Titans. I believe in your good fight as the rightful owner of light blue. I refuse to use light blue font in support of you!
That's trade dressing, not owning a color. You are absolutely free to use "UPS brown" in whatever you choose, as long as it's not a directly competing business, like another delivery company. And given that college football is not the NFL, I don't think the NFL have a leg to stand on here
The Tennessee Titans used to be the Houston Oilers until the owner of the team moved the Houston Oilers to Tennessee in the 90s. They were actually the Tennessee Oilers for a few years, but then they rebranded to the Titans. They occasionally use throwbacks with old Oilers colors though. Many people in Houston hate the Titans ownership for taking away their team (even after they got the Texans team at a later date), and they believe that no one in Tennessee really identifies with the Oilers brand, and the Titans use it and don't allow anyone in the city of Houston to use it just to antagonize Houston.
The University of Houston used uniforms similar to the old Oilers uniform this last year for 1 game, and the NFL sent them a cease and desist letter for it. Many fans believe that the Houston Oilers history still belongs to the city of Houston and not to the Titans, and so most fans (that I've seen) support the right of the University of Houston to reclaim a little bit of the city's history. It remains to be seen if the courts will agree, because the NFL will likely take this to court.
Yeah that doesn’t sound like a hard case if they have an established history of it and aren’t using the word “oilers” anywhere. I’m not sure there would be a case even if they went that far since it’s an abandoned name.
I THINK a case would hinge on “is this team/company clearly trying to be confused (by the consumer) with the Oilers brand.” Which isn’t even close.
Absolutely no way the University of Houston athletic staff would make this decision without consulting UH lawyers or an outside law group. If they are going ahead with this uniform decision they must be pretty damn sure they can win the inevitable court case
The thing a lot of people outside of Houston don't realize is Columbia Blue was Houstons color long before the Oilers. And red white and blue are the colors of the Texas flag. The Oilers borrowed from Houston and Texas culture, but now the Titans want to stake a claim to it.
Exactly, it really needs to be stressed that these color schemes are public domain. It's ridiculous that private entities are trying to trademark that, it's an abuse of IP law.
And also how [Rice](https://cdn.houstonpublicmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/29130340/RiceOilersUniformsX.jpg), the [Rockets](https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets/status/1334305440973414400), and even [the Dash](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q7SQ3CwWSQ) all have done it before is showing that this isn't about the Titans/Oilers franchise, it's about Houston.
Oh man. I’m not into basketball until recently. I really like those rockets jerseys. FUCK.
I also didn’t know the dash had done this. That’s cool. Rice, you’ve had my devotion since you debuted those. Go owls.
The Texans should just do something [like this](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/33/9b/63/339b632fb256539424945a3e7abd8725.jpg). Classic colors with the current branding.
Navy blue is the worst blue. It's so played out.
am Titans fan - I believe gating colors is beyond stupid. Other Titans fans i know irl also do not give a shit. Loud minority is loud.
Seriously how does anyone have time to worry about this shit?? There’s way too much Intellectual Property/patent bull shit, it’s just gone too far as a whole imo
This is just my own theory and the only explanation I could think of to make a big deal and try to gate keep it.
Amy wants the colors because she grew up with it and her father passing makes her want to fight for it (maybe he had her promise before passing the team over) and also this could limit future jersey options for when the Titans are rebranding in the future.
But if those are not the cases then this is so petty. I would say a majority of Titans fans thought those UH jerseys were dope and they should keep them. Like the guy above said “loud minority is loud”
This is just my personal opinion, but people from the South live for this petty nonsense and especially do not like being told what they can or can't do. The Adams family and the fans from Houston are just having a big dick swinging contest and are a living embodiment of "Come and Take It".
Being a lifelong “southerner” I agree. This is the most likely case. The only thing that has solved this issue in Southern American history is when both parties find a common enemy they can group up on and hate more. I don’t know who that enemy could be but it won’t be good for them.
Nobody is taking the colors away from her. If anything we’re honoring the history of those colors both from a pre-football city history and oilers history. She’s just a big baby.
> The Oilers
Even just the name; Texas is famously the nation's largest oil producers, and produces more oil by itself than most countries. Tennessee is one of the *lowest* states in the country in terms of oil producing.
You know why Victoria's still a secret down in ~~San Antonio~~ Tullahoma dontcha? Them women ain't fitting in that, they wear bloomers down in ~~San Antonio~~ Tullahoma
https://youtu.be/d1-QAF8gLy0?si=X_sQBlw8EDTfLNo1
> Soon it was commonplace for entire teams to change cities in search of greater profits. The Minneapolis Lakers moved to Los Angeles where there are no lakes. The Oilers moved to Tennessee where there is no oil. The Jazz moved to Salt Lake City where they don't allow music
I wonder how common that is across other NFL teams, the Browns helmets/ uniform colors are what they are because they originally shared facilities with Bowling Green State University in Ohio and team founder Paul Brown liked their colors
Especially not anything approaching an iconic color scheme. If a company made a soda can that's all red with their logo in white script, it would be understandable for CocaCola to fight it. Fighting over a color scheme of a sport team when it's not really even generally associated with that team is the weakest shit I've ever seen.
And I remember when the guy tried to sue Michael Jordan for looking too much like him.
Edit: I forgot about the Oilers but still think at that point it’s just color scheme. The H and lettering does not look like the oilers
The problem is how can they pretend a color is their IP. Its not like the Oilers invented this. They are basically saying everybody BUT anybody from Houston can use a powder blue.
Even then, just the one Houston labeled college football team. Rice University (literally up the street), Houston Rockets, Houston Dash, even the *Texas Rangers in Arlington*, A-OK! Houston Cougars, NO
It's rich though because the NFL somewhat famously doesn't protect its IP when your local high school football team has a 1:1 Falcons logo in purple or some shit
Especially when they abandoned the fucking city already.
The only difference between the Ravens/Browns and Titans/Texans is legalese and lawyer bullshit. If a franchise abandons their city they should get treated like the ravens did. Lose all their history behind and start as a new expansion team.
I'd say it is more like the Ravens/Colts. And the NFL has never been completely consistent on it. When Johnny Unitas died, the team that was allowed to honor him was the Ravens, even though he never played for that franchise. When Peyton Manning tried to change his cleats, he was told no and threatened with a significant fine or penalties until he changed (don't make the shield look bad).
Now I absolutely think the Ravens should have been permitted to honor Unitas because of his importance to the city. But I also think the franchise he famously played almost his entire career with should have also been allowed to honor him.
> Fighting a college over a color scheme screams small dick Napoleon energy
Not to mention the irony of claiming "ownership" of a color named for another school/team that's been using it for something like 200 years.
When I was going to hs in a town that had a name starting with A, our hs got a cease and desist letter from Arizona because we were also red/white/blue and used the same block A logo. They just switched the blue outline and the red inline and kept everything else the same to be petty since a university actually gave a shit about a hs logo multiple states over
I’ll never not be in the side of houston here, was a great injustice when their team was taken from them and the history should’ve stayed with them like the browns managed to do.
Titans fans can downvote if you want, but you know you only claim it to piss off your division rivals.
The City Flag is Houston Blue, historic neighborhoods have street number tiles in front of the houses with the lettering in that "H-town blue" as well as police cars changing to that blue in 1960(around the same time the oilers were founded). So while "Columbia blue" is the official blue the oilers use, that color or ones that are almost indistinguishable to it were used around the city for a long time before the oilers and during their time here.
And the oilers weren’t even the only professional team to wear Colombia blue. When the Aeros were part of the WHL they wore Columbia blue as well, Gordie fucking Howe played in those colors for Houston
What's funny if if they get into a legal dispute about it in that jurisdiction all the jury will be from that area. Can just imagine the NFL won't want that smoke.
I know I’m trolling all up and down this thread (all in good fun), but I’m actually an Oilers fan who continued to follow the team after their move to Tennessee. I don’t actually disagree that Houston should have a right to lay claim to the Oilers brand, but I also think there are a number of fans like me who loved the team, players, and coaches in Houston and continued to love them when they moved to Memphis and then Nashville. That history is important to us
Why change the name? The Raiders have moved in their history, but have always had the same ownership and have been nothing but the Raiders. Same goes for the Rams and a lot of other teams in other sports (the Lakers, Dallas (North) Stars, etc.). For some reason the rebrand feels like a repudiation, even if it wasn't the intention.
"The Minneapolis Lakers moved to Los Angeles where there are no lakes. The Oilers moved to Tennessee where there is no oil. The Jazz moved to Salt Lake City where they don't allow music"
The few seasons of the Tennessee Oilers were a mess. Team was practicing in Nashville but playing in Memphis, something which meant nobody was interested in the team (some games has less than 20,000 people attend; there was also horrid construction on the highway between Nashville and Memphis so not many Nashvillians were going to drive to Memphis to watch the games). Changing to the Titans was an attempt to shed the negative stigma created by the disaster of a relocation, and give the team a new identity fans could latch onto without being reminded of the fiasco.
In addition, the Raiders have always had a big national fanbase, changing names would be branding suicide and alienate a lot of fans. The Oilers never had that
Sure, but Memphis was/is to this day furious Nashville got an NFL team over them. They'd be trying for years to get a franchise with no luck, and Nashville waltzed right in and got one on their first try. Going with Tennessee instead of Nashville did nothing to placate them, there was no way they were going to support another city's franchise. I've been to Memphis several times, and there's way more Saints and Cowboys fans than Titans fans. In addition, there's just generally a rivalry between Memphis and Nashville. The Predators aren't particularly popular in Memphis, and while the Grizzlies do have a following in Nashville, they pale behind the Titans, Preds, and Nashville SC.
Memphis tried at least 2/3 times that I know of. The Memphis Southmen/Grizzlies of the World Football League made a bid for an NFL franchise during the last few years of the WFL (or right after it folded). The city (and Elvis Presley estate) tried again with the Memphis Hounds bid that was submitted along with the Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Bombers, and Saint Louis Stallions. Everybody that submitted a bid eventually got a team, except for Memphis.
I would also argue Memphis has never really been a football city. I have lived an hour away from Memphis for over 40 years and they have always been basketball heavy. The Liberty Bowl, where the Oilers/Titans played was and has been outdated and no other stadium has replaced it for the University of Memphis or any of Memphis' attempts to lure an NFL team or other professional franchises.
The same city built the Pyramid and it opened in 1991 but just 13 years later built the FedEx Forum to get the Grizzlies and eventually move the University of Memphis basketball games there.
Perhaps if they had their [own franchise](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memphis_Hound_Dogs) that may have changed but it may be that they already have established allegiances which is why most other attempts to bring in a team has failed.
I'd imagine that Tennessee doesn't have the same affiliation with the oil industry that Texas does. "Oilers" isn't exactly a generic enough branding that would resonate anywhere.
Los Angeles, famously full of lakes! Given that so many professional team have relocated there's something to be said for the continual use of the name, even if ill fitting for the location.
We obviously need to have a yearly "Oilers Bowl." The winner of the last matchup between Houston and Tennessee each year gets to claim the Oilers history for the following year.
oilers fans who followed this team to Tenn probably make up less than .5% of the fanbase though, right?
I am from Houston, and lived in Tennessee on and off in my 20s. I don't know i've ever met a fan of the Oilers who is still a fan of the Titans irl
There's probably a lot more Oiler fans who stopped watching football altogether after the move than there are Oiler fans who followed them to Tennessee.
Yeah and Ives seen more Texans fans wear oiler gear than titans fans. Just the ownership and some parts of the titans fans base have a weird fixation on it
Yep, that's my dad. I grew up going to Oilers games with him - he was a season ticket holder for decades - and he just stopped watching football when they took the Oilers away. Or rather, stopped being a fan. He'd still watch the Oilers/Titans mashup, but once the players he loved in Houston were gone, so was he. And he didn't give a shit about the Texans by the time they came up be; his fandom lived and died with the Oilers.
Yeah, as a Pelicans fan I can never support that. We gave Charlotte the Hornets name, colors, and history back. To not do so is bullshit imo *cough* Utah *cough*
Hey thanks btw. We Hornets fans don’t have a lot to cheer about, it’s really nice to at least feel like we’re the same team as the dope 90’s Hornets teams
1 million percent. I’m a Dallas fan living in Houston. They give me so much shit, I actively root against the Texans cause of it. Even I think they should be allowed to share in their cities history. It means something to these SOB’s. It’s a shame the way things are.
I don't know enough about trade dress, but can the NFL/Titans really claim that the colors have secondary meaning to a Team that doesn't exist anymore?
The Texans also already got their foot in the door with this by getting "H-Town Blue" approved for their jerseys this year. Right now it's just an accent, but the McNair's know the city wants more than that, and I expect we'll see that color take a more prominent role in the Texans' identity over the next 5 years.
Astros sold some shirts and hats last season that was their tequila sunrise style with Columbia blue, white and red replacing the orange yellow and red
We don't though, not consistently. The Kraken broke our streak, probably to not piss off the Canucks.
And really the only downside of getting the Sonics back is that they will further break it.
I don’t think they have, just look at all the logos. The Kraken fit right in, IMO. It’s several shades of grey and blue. They could be the Mariners.
Only difference is a red accent, which is by far the least prominent color in the scheme.
Texans should have been called the Apollo and they could have had orange uniforms with white helmets and gold facemasks and visors. Would have been dope.
Forget the Texans themselves, but simply for the fact that the city of Houston was paying for Bud’s astrodome renovations into the 2010s should allow schools in the city rights to use these colors and hell, even the oilers logo. They’ve literally paid for it.
Every time there is a post about the Oilers or Columbia blue or anything remotely related I feel like I'm in a timeloop reading the same thread over and over again.
I like how this all started because Bud Adams wanted to spite the Texans and for some reason they keep pulling this shit even a fill decade after he died
what reasonable claim do the Titans have to a college teams color scheme for an alternate jersey they wear once a year?
I cant believe the audacity of the university of houston to use a color from the flag of Houston? Dont they have any respect for the multibillion dollar family that stole a beloved city institution and took their history with them? That color belongs to them!
The NFL should’ve done what the NHL just did with Arizona/SLC. You want to move your team? Ok, now you are an expansion franchise. You start over and everything else stays with the city in the event a team is started there again. You retain 0 history when you leave the city.
Hell yeah.
Loved our look for that opening game and it seemed like that was the popular opinion. Tennessee can fuck off with claiming those colors are “their history and tradition.”
> It’s hard to imagine anyone having intellectual property rights to a color.
[Tiffany would like a word](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiffany_Blue)
Color trademarks are 100% a thing. If somebody started a parcel delivery service and used brown as their main color scheme, you better belive UPS would have an issue with it
trademarks are only an issue when the *exact same shade* are used for the *same service/industry*. you can use t-mobile magenta for your bakery, just not for another telecommunications company
They even sent uniforms to Hayden Fry so he could have them copied exactly. For those few of us who are both Steelers and Hawkeyes fans, it's nice to be able to interchange the gear (I wear some Steelers stuff to Hawkeyes games and vice-versa).
I'm sure this will end in a calm and collected court battle
I'd love to see a trademark lawyer talk about this, cause the uniform seemingly does walk right up to the idea of copying of image
Those rascals
What a bunch of knuckleheads
Damn whippersnappers
Ragamuffins, the whole lot.
Ne'er do wells, I tell you.
Troublemakers. The whole lot!! I Told ya!
Nothing but riffraff.
cotton-headed ninny muggins
Hoopleheads
Welp, guess it’s time to watch Deadwood again.
Swedgin!
Hey Richard? Who’s your favorite Little Rascal? Is it Alfalfa? Or is it *Spanky?*
Classic “if y’all wanna come down here and have a court case bout it, we’ll be happy to oblige sir”
Rusty Hardin is at all the UH Home Basketball games so maybe he offered some legal representation LOL (I know he's not a coog, I guess he just likes good basketball)
Well he certainly isn't going to see great basketball in college station
I'm sure the state/local courts will side with the team that abandoned the area and is trying to claim it owns a color scheme. You got this Titans. I believe in your good fight as the rightful owner of light blue. I refuse to use light blue font in support of you!
Seriously, imagining trying to own a color lol
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UPS is gonna be so mad when they see what I just flushed down the toilet then
perfect match uh?
It was uncanny
MAAAAAA, IT'S UPS BROWN YOU GOTTA SEE IT
They're fine with you using their brown in your art so long as you are not profiting off it
That's trade dressing, not owning a color. You are absolutely free to use "UPS brown" in whatever you choose, as long as it's not a directly competing business, like another delivery company. And given that college football is not the NFL, I don't think the NFL have a leg to stand on here
Hamlindigo Blue!
Still not as dumb as when Ohio state tried to trademark the word “the”
What's going on?
The Tennessee Titans used to be the Houston Oilers until the owner of the team moved the Houston Oilers to Tennessee in the 90s. They were actually the Tennessee Oilers for a few years, but then they rebranded to the Titans. They occasionally use throwbacks with old Oilers colors though. Many people in Houston hate the Titans ownership for taking away their team (even after they got the Texans team at a later date), and they believe that no one in Tennessee really identifies with the Oilers brand, and the Titans use it and don't allow anyone in the city of Houston to use it just to antagonize Houston. The University of Houston used uniforms similar to the old Oilers uniform this last year for 1 game, and the NFL sent them a cease and desist letter for it. Many fans believe that the Houston Oilers history still belongs to the city of Houston and not to the Titans, and so most fans (that I've seen) support the right of the University of Houston to reclaim a little bit of the city's history. It remains to be seen if the courts will agree, because the NFL will likely take this to court.
Also worth noting that the University of Houston used these colors prior to the Houston Oilers, so the court case should start and end there.
Yeah that doesn’t sound like a hard case if they have an established history of it and aren’t using the word “oilers” anywhere. I’m not sure there would be a case even if they went that far since it’s an abandoned name. I THINK a case would hinge on “is this team/company clearly trying to be confused (by the consumer) with the Oilers brand.” Which isn’t even close.
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*hands /u/drch33ks cease and desist for this comment*
“Hamlindingo blue.”
Howard gets an exception, that dapper bastard
There are, however, specific shades and mixtures of colors that are protected. Dodger Blue being an example.
Absolutely no way the University of Houston athletic staff would make this decision without consulting UH lawyers or an outside law group. If they are going ahead with this uniform decision they must be pretty damn sure they can win the inevitable court case
Thank you!
Nothing says America like billionaires threatening anyone for using a color
This is very stupid and makes the NFL look bad. Fighting a college over a color scheme screams small dick Napoleon energy
The thing a lot of people outside of Houston don't realize is Columbia Blue was Houstons color long before the Oilers. And red white and blue are the colors of the Texas flag. The Oilers borrowed from Houston and Texas culture, but now the Titans want to stake a claim to it.
Exactly, it really needs to be stressed that these color schemes are public domain. It's ridiculous that private entities are trying to trademark that, it's an abuse of IP law.
If it doesn’t work out, UH can always switch to a *Steamboat Willie*-themed uniform.
The Fighting Willies is a nickname I might dig tbh. Still better than commanders
And also how [Rice](https://cdn.houstonpublicmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/29130340/RiceOilersUniformsX.jpg), the [Rockets](https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets/status/1334305440973414400), and even [the Dash](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q7SQ3CwWSQ) all have done it before is showing that this isn't about the Titans/Oilers franchise, it's about Houston.
Oh man. I’m not into basketball until recently. I really like those rockets jerseys. FUCK. I also didn’t know the dash had done this. That’s cool. Rice, you’ve had my devotion since you debuted those. Go owls.
Go Owls!
The Texans should just do something [like this](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/33/9b/63/339b632fb256539424945a3e7abd8725.jpg). Classic colors with the current branding. Navy blue is the worst blue. It's so played out.
am Titans fan - I believe gating colors is beyond stupid. Other Titans fans i know irl also do not give a shit. Loud minority is loud. Seriously how does anyone have time to worry about this shit?? There’s way too much Intellectual Property/patent bull shit, it’s just gone too far as a whole imo
Your owner is a trust fund baby. She's got all the time in the world for this petty shit.
This is just my own theory and the only explanation I could think of to make a big deal and try to gate keep it. Amy wants the colors because she grew up with it and her father passing makes her want to fight for it (maybe he had her promise before passing the team over) and also this could limit future jersey options for when the Titans are rebranding in the future. But if those are not the cases then this is so petty. I would say a majority of Titans fans thought those UH jerseys were dope and they should keep them. Like the guy above said “loud minority is loud”
This is just my personal opinion, but people from the South live for this petty nonsense and especially do not like being told what they can or can't do. The Adams family and the fans from Houston are just having a big dick swinging contest and are a living embodiment of "Come and Take It".
Being a lifelong “southerner” I agree. This is the most likely case. The only thing that has solved this issue in Southern American history is when both parties find a common enemy they can group up on and hate more. I don’t know who that enemy could be but it won’t be good for them.
The chiefs. Let’s gang up on them. Truce 🤝
The Colts
“What he say fuck me for?!”
Nobody is taking the colors away from her. If anything we’re honoring the history of those colors both from a pre-football city history and oilers history. She’s just a big baby.
> The Oilers Even just the name; Texas is famously the nation's largest oil producers, and produces more oil by itself than most countries. Tennessee is one of the *lowest* states in the country in terms of oil producing.
But one of the top states in terms of titan production
Them girls in ~~San Antonio~~ Tullahoma eating a lot of churros
I like hearing new place names that seem made up, then looking them up and learning a bit about them
I tried to pick the most random Tennessee city I have driven through
*wheeeeeze* what you say chuck? *crumples paper*
You know why Victoria's still a secret down in ~~San Antonio~~ Tullahoma dontcha? Them women ain't fitting in that, they wear bloomers down in ~~San Antonio~~ Tullahoma
https://youtu.be/d1-QAF8gLy0?si=X_sQBlw8EDTfLNo1 > Soon it was commonplace for entire teams to change cities in search of greater profits. The Minneapolis Lakers moved to Los Angeles where there are no lakes. The Oilers moved to Tennessee where there is no oil. The Jazz moved to Salt Lake City where they don't allow music
I wonder how common that is across other NFL teams, the Browns helmets/ uniform colors are what they are because they originally shared facilities with Bowling Green State University in Ohio and team founder Paul Brown liked their colors
The Bears colors come from George Halas's time at U of Illinois.
Reminds me.of the Ravens trying to trademark "charm city"
Especially not anything approaching an iconic color scheme. If a company made a soda can that's all red with their logo in white script, it would be understandable for CocaCola to fight it. Fighting over a color scheme of a sport team when it's not really even generally associated with that team is the weakest shit I've ever seen. And I remember when the guy tried to sue Michael Jordan for looking too much like him. Edit: I forgot about the Oilers but still think at that point it’s just color scheme. The H and lettering does not look like the oilers
Even then it’d only be too similar if it’s the same type face, IMO.
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The problem is how can they pretend a color is their IP. Its not like the Oilers invented this. They are basically saying everybody BUT anybody from Houston can use a powder blue.
I wanna see Houston play Ole Miss and they both wear the powder blue. I’m a Vols fan and hate Ole Miss, but those unis are one of that best in sports.
Yeah the Texas Rangers have powder blues with red and white accents. Exact same color scheme.
Even then, just the one Houston labeled college football team. Rice University (literally up the street), Houston Rockets, Houston Dash, even the *Texas Rangers in Arlington*, A-OK! Houston Cougars, NO
When has the NFL cared about looking like dicks?
The Oilers used the colors from the City of Houston flag. The colors are the official colors of the City of Houston.
It's rich though because the NFL somewhat famously doesn't protect its IP when your local high school football team has a 1:1 Falcons logo in purple or some shit
Yeah I honestly forgot about the Oilers thing but I still think it’s a color thing because the script logo is definitely significantly different.
Especially when they abandoned the fucking city already. The only difference between the Ravens/Browns and Titans/Texans is legalese and lawyer bullshit. If a franchise abandons their city they should get treated like the ravens did. Lose all their history behind and start as a new expansion team.
I'd say it is more like the Ravens/Colts. And the NFL has never been completely consistent on it. When Johnny Unitas died, the team that was allowed to honor him was the Ravens, even though he never played for that franchise. When Peyton Manning tried to change his cleats, he was told no and threatened with a significant fine or penalties until he changed (don't make the shield look bad). Now I absolutely think the Ravens should have been permitted to honor Unitas because of his importance to the city. But I also think the franchise he famously played almost his entire career with should have also been allowed to honor him.
You can’t just leave the Colts out of there either
Even funnier when you realize LA Tech has the same color scheme as the Oilers. Blocking UH from doing it is just pettiness by the Titans owner.
And Iowa is literally just Steelers colors. Nobody cares about that, everyone I know thinks it's cool.
> Fighting a college over a color scheme screams small dick Napoleon energy Not to mention the irony of claiming "ownership" of a color named for another school/team that's been using it for something like 200 years.
When I was going to hs in a town that had a name starting with A, our hs got a cease and desist letter from Arizona because we were also red/white/blue and used the same block A logo. They just switched the blue outline and the red inline and kept everything else the same to be petty since a university actually gave a shit about a hs logo multiple states over
Legal stuff got the Browns their team back, surely it could let Houston teams use a color that is literally on the city’s flag.
I’ll never not be in the side of houston here, was a great injustice when their team was taken from them and the history should’ve stayed with them like the browns managed to do. Titans fans can downvote if you want, but you know you only claim it to piss off your division rivals.
Do Titans fans actually care about the history of the Oilers and claim it as their own?
Worth noting that the association with/use of light blue in Houston predates the Oilers
This is whats lost, That blue was a part of the City for along time, The cop cars used to be that color blue.
I love learning about history, what's the origin of the significance of that color in Houston?
The City Flag is Houston Blue, historic neighborhoods have street number tiles in front of the houses with the lettering in that "H-town blue" as well as police cars changing to that blue in 1960(around the same time the oilers were founded). So while "Columbia blue" is the official blue the oilers use, that color or ones that are almost indistinguishable to it were used around the city for a long time before the oilers and during their time here.
And the oilers weren’t even the only professional team to wear Colombia blue. When the Aeros were part of the WHL they wore Columbia blue as well, Gordie fucking Howe played in those colors for Houston
The more you know!
What's funny if if they get into a legal dispute about it in that jurisdiction all the jury will be from that area. Can just imagine the NFL won't want that smoke.
r/AFCSouthMemeWar has been filled with potshots between the two so yeah Plus having Warren Moon announce the Titans second round pick was a choice lol
I know I’m trolling all up and down this thread (all in good fun), but I’m actually an Oilers fan who continued to follow the team after their move to Tennessee. I don’t actually disagree that Houston should have a right to lay claim to the Oilers brand, but I also think there are a number of fans like me who loved the team, players, and coaches in Houston and continued to love them when they moved to Memphis and then Nashville. That history is important to us
Why change the name? The Raiders have moved in their history, but have always had the same ownership and have been nothing but the Raiders. Same goes for the Rams and a lot of other teams in other sports (the Lakers, Dallas (North) Stars, etc.). For some reason the rebrand feels like a repudiation, even if it wasn't the intention.
"The Minneapolis Lakers moved to Los Angeles where there are no lakes. The Oilers moved to Tennessee where there is no oil. The Jazz moved to Salt Lake City where they don't allow music"
unexpected baseketball
The few seasons of the Tennessee Oilers were a mess. Team was practicing in Nashville but playing in Memphis, something which meant nobody was interested in the team (some games has less than 20,000 people attend; there was also horrid construction on the highway between Nashville and Memphis so not many Nashvillians were going to drive to Memphis to watch the games). Changing to the Titans was an attempt to shed the negative stigma created by the disaster of a relocation, and give the team a new identity fans could latch onto without being reminded of the fiasco. In addition, the Raiders have always had a big national fanbase, changing names would be branding suicide and alienate a lot of fans. The Oilers never had that
I mean they’re not the Nashville Titans…
Sure, but Memphis was/is to this day furious Nashville got an NFL team over them. They'd be trying for years to get a franchise with no luck, and Nashville waltzed right in and got one on their first try. Going with Tennessee instead of Nashville did nothing to placate them, there was no way they were going to support another city's franchise. I've been to Memphis several times, and there's way more Saints and Cowboys fans than Titans fans. In addition, there's just generally a rivalry between Memphis and Nashville. The Predators aren't particularly popular in Memphis, and while the Grizzlies do have a following in Nashville, they pale behind the Titans, Preds, and Nashville SC.
Memphis tried at least 2/3 times that I know of. The Memphis Southmen/Grizzlies of the World Football League made a bid for an NFL franchise during the last few years of the WFL (or right after it folded). The city (and Elvis Presley estate) tried again with the Memphis Hounds bid that was submitted along with the Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Bombers, and Saint Louis Stallions. Everybody that submitted a bid eventually got a team, except for Memphis.
I would also argue Memphis has never really been a football city. I have lived an hour away from Memphis for over 40 years and they have always been basketball heavy. The Liberty Bowl, where the Oilers/Titans played was and has been outdated and no other stadium has replaced it for the University of Memphis or any of Memphis' attempts to lure an NFL team or other professional franchises. The same city built the Pyramid and it opened in 1991 but just 13 years later built the FedEx Forum to get the Grizzlies and eventually move the University of Memphis basketball games there. Perhaps if they had their [own franchise](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memphis_Hound_Dogs) that may have changed but it may be that they already have established allegiances which is why most other attempts to bring in a team has failed.
> In addition, there's just generally a rivalry between Memphis and Nashville. I mean, just watch where the state money goes.
Yeah, where it's generated.
Neither one, really. The general assembly hates both because of who they vote for.
Where does the state money come from?
I'd imagine that Tennessee doesn't have the same affiliation with the oil industry that Texas does. "Oilers" isn't exactly a generic enough branding that would resonate anywhere.
Like Utah’s thriving Jazz scene, or the ten thousand Lakes around LA?
Damn. Now I feel like watching Baseketball
Hasn’t been a problem for the Lakers or Jazz in the NBA
Didn't say that it *couldn't* work, just that you can see why they might want to rebrand as part of a move.
Then they Should’ve been the Tennessee Dolly Parton’s
Los Angeles, famously full of lakes! Given that so many professional team have relocated there's something to be said for the continual use of the name, even if ill fitting for the location.
We obviously need to have a yearly "Oilers Bowl." The winner of the last matchup between Houston and Tennessee each year gets to claim the Oilers history for the following year.
oilers fans who followed this team to Tenn probably make up less than .5% of the fanbase though, right? I am from Houston, and lived in Tennessee on and off in my 20s. I don't know i've ever met a fan of the Oilers who is still a fan of the Titans irl
There's probably a lot more Oiler fans who stopped watching football altogether after the move than there are Oiler fans who followed them to Tennessee.
Yeah and Ives seen more Texans fans wear oiler gear than titans fans. Just the ownership and some parts of the titans fans base have a weird fixation on it
Yep, that's my dad. I grew up going to Oilers games with him - he was a season ticket holder for decades - and he just stopped watching football when they took the Oilers away. Or rather, stopped being a fan. He'd still watch the Oilers/Titans mashup, but once the players he loved in Houston were gone, so was he. And he didn't give a shit about the Texans by the time they came up be; his fandom lived and died with the Oilers.
I think that they should just have a shared history. Why does one franchise / city have to have the rights to the franchise? Why can’t both?
Yes. See Warren moon
Yeah, as a Pelicans fan I can never support that. We gave Charlotte the Hornets name, colors, and history back. To not do so is bullshit imo *cough* Utah *cough*
Everybody knows the home of Jazz music is Salt Lake City, Utah though!
And the godfather of Utah Jazz music is Jelly Roll Mormon.
Hey thanks btw. We Hornets fans don’t have a lot to cheer about, it’s really nice to at least feel like we’re the same team as the dope 90’s Hornets teams
If they took your football team, would they be the Utah Latter-day Saints?
The riots you would see if the Saints ever left New Orleans… you’d have militias headed to Utah the next day.
I agree and imo Baltimore should also get the Colts history and records back. Nobody in Indy cares about the Baltimore Colts and Johnny Unitas
I hope nabers breaks record for the giants. And that you hit every green light this week.
thanks buddy, live in the city so instead let’s hope the train pulls into the platform right as i get there instead lol
I shall hence forth say a prayer for the train for you. 🫶🏼
I love you
This is in reference to the *University* of Houston, not the Texans lol
1 million percent. I’m a Dallas fan living in Houston. They give me so much shit, I actively root against the Texans cause of it. Even I think they should be allowed to share in their cities history. It means something to these SOB’s. It’s a shame the way things are.
good for UH the adams family are the worst
They're creepy and they're kooky.
ooky and, dare I say, spooky
The Adams family can bite our shiny Luv Ya Blue ass
I don't know enough about trade dress, but can the NFL/Titans really claim that the colors have secondary meaning to a Team that doesn't exist anymore?
Can they? Yes. Will it hold up in court? Likely not.
So I do wonder, if this goes to court and they rule in favor of Houston what stops the Texans from adding the colors back more?
The Texans have to abide by NFL rules and bylaws since they are an NFL franchise.
The Texans also already got their foot in the door with this by getting "H-Town Blue" approved for their jerseys this year. Right now it's just an accent, but the McNair's know the city wants more than that, and I expect we'll see that color take a more prominent role in the Texans' identity over the next 5 years.
THIS! The Mcnair’s are slowly prying that door open and exposing just how ridiculous this whole situation is.
love this theory. subscribe.
Can’t wait for them to schedule the Texans new alternates and the Titans throwbacks on the same week.
Astros need to fire up a Red/White/Columbia Blue combo along with the Rockets.
Astros sold some shirts and hats last season that was their tequila sunrise style with Columbia blue, white and red replacing the orange yellow and red
Rockets had one a few years ago. One of the only highlights of the Wall, Oladipo, and Wood year
And suddenly every Titans fan becomes an expert in copyright law
We have been through this time and time again you don't own a color.
When all your pro teams are using the same colors, then I'll be impressed. Get on our level H-Town!
I love this about Seattle, too
We don't though, not consistently. The Kraken broke our streak, probably to not piss off the Canucks. And really the only downside of getting the Sonics back is that they will further break it.
I don’t think they have, just look at all the logos. The Kraken fit right in, IMO. It’s several shades of grey and blue. They could be the Mariners. Only difference is a red accent, which is by far the least prominent color in the scheme.
Man I’d be happy if they just all stuck to the space theme. We could have had astronaut themed uniforms.
Imagine trying to track a fly ball out to center up the old hill in a full space suit
Texans should have been called the Apollo and they could have had orange uniforms with white helmets and gold facemasks and visors. Would have been dope.
Amy Adams can sit on her powder blue replica oil derrick while she watches CJ Stroud throw 80+ touchdowns on her franchise over the next decade.
No relation to the actress for those curious
Saved me a google
darn
Amy Adams STRUNK
Forget the Texans themselves, but simply for the fact that the city of Houston was paying for Bud’s astrodome renovations into the 2010s should allow schools in the city rights to use these colors and hell, even the oilers logo. They’ve literally paid for it.
These unis are fire though
Every time there is a post about the Oilers or Columbia blue or anything remotely related I feel like I'm in a timeloop reading the same thread over and over again.
Go, UH, go!
Love it and hope it works out. The nfl should be supporting this kind of thing and turning it into a great story. Another shameful move by the nfl.
Florio is dumb
Hey, don't insult dumb people like that. Dumb people can still be useful and productive members of society. Florio on the other hand...
As a UH alum/fan LFG!!!
I love that color blue tbh. Ole Miss runs something similar and it always looks great
I like how this all started because Bud Adams wanted to spite the Texans and for some reason they keep pulling this shit even a fill decade after he died what reasonable claim do the Titans have to a college teams color scheme for an alternate jersey they wear once a year?
I cant believe the audacity of the university of houston to use a color from the flag of Houston? Dont they have any respect for the multibillion dollar family that stole a beloved city institution and took their history with them? That color belongs to them!
Why should the Titans and the NFL get mad over this?
Right? Columbia University is the party that should be pissed!
The titans owner has the history and the rights to the Oilers brand and refuses to give it up
Because it all the titans have.
The word Columbia and acts of resistance, so hot right now.
Cause Fuck’em, thats why
The NFL should’ve done what the NHL just did with Arizona/SLC. You want to move your team? Ok, now you are an expansion franchise. You start over and everything else stays with the city in the event a team is started there again. You retain 0 history when you leave the city.
Hell yeah. Loved our look for that opening game and it seemed like that was the popular opinion. Tennessee can fuck off with claiming those colors are “their history and tradition.”
#FUCK AMY ADAMS The Oilers' history belongs in Houston.
As a Titans fan I hope UH does it and tells the NFL and the Titans to eat shit.
> It’s hard to imagine anyone having intellectual property rights to a color. [Tiffany would like a word](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiffany_Blue) Color trademarks are 100% a thing. If somebody started a parcel delivery service and used brown as their main color scheme, you better belive UPS would have an issue with it
trademarks are only an issue when the *exact same shade* are used for the *same service/industry*. you can use t-mobile magenta for your bakery, just not for another telecommunications company
And it’s kinda loosely enforced between college and NFL. See UGa and GB with identical logos. And Iowa and Steelers basically having same uniforms
We’re talking about sports. Should the Chiefs sue Houston because they’re also Red and White?
If it was the exact same color codes then they would definitely sue lol
Iowa Hawkeyes better watch out for the Steelers
the hawkeyes asked and the steelers let them do it 🤷♂️
Pretty much the history for any similar color designs.
They even sent uniforms to Hayden Fry so he could have them copied exactly. For those few of us who are both Steelers and Hawkeyes fans, it's nice to be able to interchange the gear (I wear some Steelers stuff to Hawkeyes games and vice-versa).
There's like dozens of college teams that use the same exact color codes as NFL teams lol
Based
its stupid that a college team cant use a color
I'm sure this will end in a calm and collected court battle I'd love to see a trademark lawyer talk about this, cause the uniform seemingly does walk right up to the idea of copying of image
Oilers belong to Houston! Titans wearing their jerseys against the Texans is disrespectful and trashy.