Oil up!

Amy Adams Strunk has done the unthinkable and followed my advice. The Tennessee Titans are seemingly returning to their roots by restoring the Houston Oilers-era colors. While many of you might think I would chalk this up as a victory, it’s not as simple as that. This is a hallowed victory—one that I had hoped would never happen.

According to various reports, which I won’t cite here, the Titans are abandoning the “Greek mythology” themes by ditching the sword and flames and making the Tennessee stars of the state flag its main logo. I should say for the record that I never had a problem with the “Titans” theme. I didn’t have an issue with the theory. It was the execution that I took umbrage over. Since the news broke, many have come to the defense of the so-called “flaming thumbtack” and its “2000s maximalist” design. I will simply say that they’re wrong. That era of design sucked ass. But I will agree that the new logo is underwhelming. While I have stated repeatedly that I prefer simplicity with uniform design, I don’t feel that way about logo design. Had the Titans/Oilers always resided in Tennessee, then the new logo would have been perfectly serviceable. It’s clean and simple, just like the Steelers, Cowboys, and Green Bay for example. The difference is those teams have been historically good and never relocated. Simplicity works for them. It’s recognizable. It harkens back to the classical days of the NFL.

Which leads us to a big problem. It appears that the Titans wish to link its history in Houston with its history in Tennessee. But as any Tennessean will tell you, they don’t give a shit about its Houston era. And why should they? The Titans might as well be an expansion franchise. So in short, Bud Adams made a critical mistake in renaming the Oilers. At the very least, keeping the name in place might have resulted in the team retaining some fans in Texas. Now the Adams family wish to remedy that mistake nearly 30 years later? It’s too late. Houston has a new franchise now, the Texans, and they’re currently in a much better spot than the Titans. And btw, the Texans and Titans are divisional rivals. Restoring the old Oilers colors would only give the Texans added ammunition which they don’t need. So to me, this seems like a bad, BAD idea.

Additionally, something makes me SICK about seeing Cam Ward wear #1 in Oilers colors. Yes, I know that Warren Moon let him do it, but it doesn’t make it right. But if this is the path that the Titans wish to go down, then go all the way. Restore the Oilers name. I know that the “Tennessee Oilers” doesn’t make much sense, but as I’ve said time and time again: no one gives a shit.