Former Houston Oilers say Tennessee Titans franchise is 'home'
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Longtime Houstonians will remember this.
For Oilers games back in the late 1980s, Houston's Astrodome was known as the House Of Pain.
Well, when listening to several former Oilers stars Friday, some of the best to ever play in The Dome, many Houston football fans will likely feel some pain.
The Houston Oilers moved to Nashville after the 1996 season, eventually becoming the Tennessee Titans.
This weekend, about 80 former Oilers are taking part in Tennessee's Houston Oilers Reunion Weekend, including Hall of Famer Warren Moon.
"The guys who played for the Oilers, and the guys who only played for the Oilers, they have a place to call home now," Moon said Friday. "Amy has made that possible by bringing everybody in. It's going to be really good to have all these guys together, and they can feel like this is home even though none of us really ever played here."
The Amy that Moon mentioned is Amy Adams Strunk.
She's the daughter of Bud Adams, the late owner who stripped Houston of its franchise and moved it to Tennessee in the 90s.
Several former Oilers including Billy "White Shoes" Johnson and Hall of Famer Robert Brazile attend Friday's Titans' practice as the team celebrates its Houston Oilers heritage this week.
Brazile said he was hurt when the franchise switched from Oilers to Titans, but it's all good now.
"When the name changed, it did have a mental effect on me," Brazile admitted. "It was bittersweet. But, it's now all sweet because of what Amy's doing. She gave us a place and a home to share. We may be Oilers, but I think we're going to all die Titans."
As noted by HoustonTexans.com, Brazile was on the field at NRG Stadium as the Houston Texans celebrated the "Love Ya Blue" era Oilers in 2007.
