HOUSTON — As we reported over the summer, the Tennessee Titans will wear the old Houston Oilers throwback uniforms twice this season. The first time is this weekend against Atlanta in Nashville. The next time is on December 17 against – yes – the Houston Texans, according to the Titans' website. That game will also be in Nashville.
The throwbacks being worn by the Titans this season isn’t sitting with one former Texans’ star destined for the Hall of Fame. JJ Watt talked about the Oilers’ uniforms and what they mean to the city of Houston on a recent episode of the Pat McAfee Show.
Watt said they are one of the best uniforms in sports, but the Titans wearing them is a dagger to longtime Houston sports fans.
“I lived and played in Houston,” Watt said on the show. “I wanted to wear those uniforms very badly. They have such a massive history and tradition of 'Luv Ya Blue' with Bum Phillips and everything that went on there. I understand the end with Bud Adams and everything that happened. I don’t even want to get into all of that. I also love Amy Adams Strunk (Titans owner). She’s incredible. She donated to the Hurricane Harvey fundraiser. Nothing against her. Nothing against that organization. I loved playing in Tennessee every time I played there.”
Watt talked about the connection the uniforms worn by Earl Campbell, Warren Moon and Billie 'White Shoes' Johnson have to the city.
"It hurts to not have been able to wear them in Houston and it hurts to see them being worn somewhere else," he said.
But Watt had a simple solution to who should get to wear the uniforms going forward. He said it should come down to the Dec. 17 game in Nissan Stadium between the Texans and Titans.
“The winner of that game should get the uniforms,” he said.
You can see the full exchange over the Oilers uniforms above.