Me too. As for team history, name, uniforms, etc., I still think the NFL should handle all franchise relocations like it did when the Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens -- that stuff stays in the old city, and the franchise is treated like an expansion franchise in the new city. I would think the new city would prefer it that way as well -- remember the minor uproar in Tennessee when Bud started backtracking from his promise to rename the Oilers after the move? If the old city got a new team, it would have the option of adopting the old name.

I agree one hundred percent The name/unis should stay with the original city, but the owner, and not the NFL, are the ones who own the rights to that "property", correct?

I seem to remember hearing that McNair tried to buy the Oilers name from Mephistopheles, but he wouldn't sell.

p.s. I find it depressing that Firefox spell check flags "Oilers"

I agree with you on this, but the league has only gone to that extreme once. The Colts still claim Johnny U, he does not belong to Baltimore. The Cardinals have been in 3 different cities. The KC Chiefs where originally the Texans from Dallas. The team owned the name, not the city, except in Green Bay.

The commissioner did not really have the right to take Modell's history, but Modell allowed the city and the league the right to the name out of guilt. Bud just gave us the finger, guess he was listening all those years when we where cursing him.

It spell check flags "Astros" as well.

I'm pretty sure that is the case, although I know the NFL has certain merchandising rights (through NFL Properties) and approval rights over uniforms and logos.

I'm not holding my breath that the owners would vote to limit their own rights, and they probably wouldn't want to even suggest that the cities/fans have even a symbolic right to part of the teams.

And the Rams have been in three cities (Cleveland, LA, and St. Louis) and Chargers in two (LA and San Diego).

I had forgotten the Cleveland Rams, that was how they got the Browns, might of had a lot to do with the exception given to the fans about the history staying with the city.

People who love football know that Earl, Bum, Kenny, Dan and Billy were Houston Oilers. They know it was the Houston Oilers who cratered like little school girls in Buffalo. And they know it was the Houston Oilers when Buddy Ryan tried to sucker punch Gilbride on national TV. While I was upset at first that Bum took the name and history with him - and that the NFL let him do it, I'm okay with it now and find starting with a clean slate refreshing. For me it would have been harder to digest the first few years of this franchise had all the Oiler baggage came along with it. Now if only we could get competetive on a consistent basis and build some good Houston Texans history...

The "Oilers" were in, and part of, Houston for 30 something years. They wandered around Tennessee for maybe 3. And that gives them the right to flaunt the Oilers uniform in front of us? B.S.:mad:

It was weird seeing those uniforms last night, especially with "Houston Oilers" on the sideline gear. Will the Chiefs be wearing Dallas Texans uniforms at some point this season?

Speaking of the Oilers, I saw that free agent OT Jon Runyan is expected to be cleared to begin playing again after knee surgery. Unless I'm overlooking somebody, when he's gone there will be no former Houston Oilers playing in the NFL.

I'm finally watching this now, and yeah, it's a bit surreal. I keep having flashbacks. And it isn't helping when I see Oilers head coach Jeff Fisher on the sideline.