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Luv Ya Blue Oilers Make Greatest Losers list.

Texans_Chick

Texans_Chick

Utopian Dreamer
MDS at FanHouse, after the Rocco Mediate US Open, lists the Luv Ya Blue Oilers as one of the most beloved losers in all of sport:

Rocco Mediate Joins the Ranks of the Greatest Losers in Sports History

Houston Oilers, 1978

Heading into the 1978 season, the Houston Oilers had two big problems: They hadn't been to the playoffs in a decade, and the best team in football, the Pittsburgh Steelers, was in their division. They never solved that second problem, but in reaching the AFC Championship Game for two straight years in 1978 and 1979 they became one of the NFL's most beloved teams, even though they lost to the Steelers both times.

After losing to the Steelers in 1978 the Oilers returned to Houston to find 50,000 fans at the Astrodome for a pep rally. They lost to the Steelers in 1979, and 70,000 fans showed up to that year's pep rally.
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Texans_Chick said:
Rocco Mediate Joins the Ranks of the Greatest Losers in Sports History
After losing to the Steelers in 1978 the Oilers returned to Houston to find 50,000 fans at the Astrodome for a pep rally. They lost to the Steelers in 1979, and 70,000 fans showed up to that year's pep rally. [/URL]
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I was THERE baby!unfortunately I had to hear Vernon Perry (who had managed to intercept Dan Fouts 4 times the week before) on my way out as my dad wanted to leave as soon as Earl Campbell spoke. Thanks DAD! (sarcasm)
 
They need to add the 1985-86 Houston Rockets to that list. That team was awesome. Unfortunately, injury and drugs destroyed them before they ever won any championships.
 
The entire Houston Oilers history was one of 'lovable losers'. That franchise never really won anything in four decades, other than the hearts of fans.
 
TEXANRED said:
If instant replay was around the Oilers would of had a Super Bowl appearance.
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haha dude, we would still have been losing the football game even with 7 points. granted, it would have changed the game and things could have turned out differently.....but don't count on it. we are talking about the Steel Curtain era Steelers here. We may have been the 2nd best team in the NFL during that Campbell era, but we were a distant 2nd....its just fact.

mother nature hosed us more than not having instant replay ever did. that one championship game was played on an embarassing field and was practically a flood.
 
The Oilers showed me early in life the rewards of sticking with your team through thick and thin. After all the rain those wins (when they came) were some of the most beautiful, fragrant flowers I've ever seen.
 
I'll never forget the WR core with Givens, Jeffries, Slaughter, and Duncan. Drew Hill before that.


Mcdowell and Dishman in the secondary with Bo Orlando as well.

Childress and Sean Jones on the same team??

It is still mind boggling that they never won a SB with some of those rosters in the early 90's.
 
Second Honeymoon said:
haha dude, we would still have been losing the football game even with 7 points. granted, it would have changed the game and things could have turned out differently.....but don't count on it. we are talking about the Steel Curtain era Steelers here. We may have been the 2nd best team in the NFL during that Campbell era, but we were a distant 2nd....its just fact.

mother nature hosed us more than not having instant replay ever did. that one championship game was played on an embarassing field and was practically a flood.
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The wet field was the 34-5 game in the '78 season - Earl's rookie season. The Renfro non-catch was the next year, in the '79 season. If the Renfro catch was ruled a TD the score would have been tied (with a successful PAT) entering the 4th quarter. Like I've told everyone for the past 30 years, my money would have been on the Steelers anyway - at home with the score tied starting the 4th. Too many people tend to rewrite history with that Renfro catch - as if it cost them a late 4th quarter lead or outright win. Mo-changer or no, the way the Steelers jammed it up the Oilers ass on that drive after the Renfro non-catch was pretty indicative of what that team could do when seriously challenged. As far as the greatest loser designation, the 79 Oilers were a better team than the 78 version that the writer referenced. The Oilers would have crushed Ferragamo and his boys in the 79-80 SB.
 
Second Honeymoon said:
haha dude, we would still have been losing the football game even with 7 points. granted, it would have changed the game and things could have turned out differently.....but don't count on it. we are talking about the Steel Curtain era Steelers here. We may have been the 2nd best team in the NFL during that Campbell era, but we were a distant 2nd....its just fact.

mother nature hosed us more than not having instant replay ever did. that one championship game was played on an embarassing field and was practically a flood.
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You could also say that if instant replay was around then the Oilers would've appeared in the superbowl in 1992.

Beebe-out-of-bounds-catch represent.

EDIT: Now that Oiler team vs the Cowboys in the Superbowl. holeeeeeee ****.
 
Double Barrel said:
The entire Houston Oilers history was one of 'lovable losers'. That franchise never really won anything in four decades, other than the hearts of fans.
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I disagree about that. They began life as winners (albeit briefly) and then became dedicated losers without a single lovable thing about them for many years. Then the Luv-Ya-Blue Oilers became the lovable losers we're talking about before the team decided to spend most of the 80's losing like it was the early 70's all over again.

The Run-n-Shoot Oilers won more than they lost but when they lost they lost "epic" and there was nothing lovable about it. Three years in a row (Denver, Buffalo, and Kansas City) they lost in contemptible fashion. Their shortcomings set the stage for the people of Houston to hold the door open for Bud Adams to move out of this city.

The RnS era Oilers were highly talented underachieving bums who got less out of ten times the talent than the LYB Oilers had. If you could have transplanted the heart of the 78-80 team collectively into the RnS era guys the Oilers would have won 2-3 Super Bowls in the late 80's and early 90's (IMO).
 
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Hervoyel said:
I disagree about that. They began life as winners (albeit briefly) and then became dedicated losers without a single lovable thing about them for many years. Then the Luv-Ya-Blue Oilers became the lovable losers we're talking about before the team decided to spend most of the 80's losing like it was the early 70's all over again.

The Run-n-Shoot Oilers won more than they lost but when they lost they lost "epic" and there was nothing lovable about it. Three years in a row (Denver, Buffalo, and Kansas City) they lost in contemptible fashion. Their shortcomings set the stage for the people of Houston to hold the door open for Bud Adams to move out of this city.

The RnS era Oilers were highly talented underachieving bums who got less out of ten times the talent than the LYB Oilers had. If you could have transplanted the heart of the 78-80 team collectively into the RnS era guys the Oilers would have won 2-3 Super Bowls in the late 80's and early 90's (IMO).
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What he said!

Wasn't the '78 game the one where Earl fumbled about 5 times? It's really the only negative memory I have of Earl.
 
Hervoyel said:
I disagree about that. They began life as winners (albeit briefly) and then became dedicated losers without a single lovable thing about them for many years. Then the Luv-Ya-Blue Oilers became the lovable losers we're talking about before the team decided to spend most of the 80's losing like it was the early 70's all over again.

The Run-n-Shoot Oilers won more than they lost but when they lost they lost "epic" and there was nothing lovable about it. Three years in a row (Denver, Buffalo, and Kansas City) they lost in contemptible fashion. Their shortcomings set the stage for the people of Houston to hold the door open for Bud Adams to move out of this city.

The RnS era Oilers were highly talented underachieving bums who got less out of ten times the talent than the LYB Oilers had. If you could have transplanted the heart of the 78-80 team collectively into the RnS era guys the Oilers would have won 2-3 Super Bowls in the late 80's and early 90's (IMO).
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After the early championships and a new head coach every year or two after that (lots of losing seasons), Bud hired Sid Gillman in the mid-70's and turned the franchise around pretty much forever. After making Bum Phillips the DC and the Curly Culp trade the team won more than they lost going forward for the most part...just no championships.
 
After losing to the Steelers in 1978 the Oilers returned to Houston to find 50,000 fans at the Astrodome for a pep rally. They lost to the Steelers in 1979, and 70,000 fans showed up to that year's pep rally.
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Still having old 'polaroid' pictures of that, pretty much cements them as 'lovable losers' to me. Show me another football team that 120,000 people showed up to jam a stadium - for two losing teams..
 
Vinny said:
After the early championships and a new head coach every year or two after that (lots of losing seasons), Bud hired Sid Gillman in the mid-70's and turned the franchise around pretty much forever. After making Bum Phillips the DC and the Curly Culp trade the team won more than they lost going forward for the most part...just no championships.
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You're right of course and the RnS Oilers did win more, and for a longer period of time than the LYB Oilers but for some reason I've always held the "No Super Bowls" thing against them. They were so good and so dominant at times that it just seemed like there was no excuse for them to not at least reach a Super Bowl during that era. That they failed to do so and that they failed in such infamous fashion will always be their cross to bear in my eyes.

I don't know about everyone else but for me it's a case of finding the overachiever who comes up short to be far more "lovable" than the underachiever who doesn't finish the job. Both lost but one group wins your respect while the other just leaves you shaking your head in frustration.
 
Hervoyel said:
You're right of course and the RnS Oilers did win more, and for a longer period of time than the LYB Oilers but for some reason I've always held the "No Super Bowls" thing against them. They were so good and so dominant at times that it just seemed like there was no excuse for them to not at least reach a Super Bowl during that era. That they failed to do so and that they failed in such infamous fashion will always be their cross to bear in my eyes.

I don't know about everyone else but for me it's a case of finding the overachiever who comes up short to be far more "lovable" than the underachiever who doesn't finish the job. Both lost but one group wins your respect while the other just leaves you shaking your head in frustration.
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i think the LYB Oilers get a lot more love for a variety of reasons. first off, it was much tougher getting into the playoffs and they were a win away from the Super Bowl two separate times. secondly, you had a Texas legend at running back and a Texas icon at head coach. the RNS Oilers also choked a lot and never really beat any good teams in the playoffs. if memory serves me, the only playoff wins were against the likes of the Jets and Seahawks. No signature wins like Perry's great performance against the Air Coryell Chargers either. Some signature losses though...35-3.
 
Vinny said:
After the early championships and a new head coach every year or two after that (lots of losing seasons), Bud hired Sid Gillman in the mid-70's and turned the franchise around pretty much forever. After making Bum Phillips the DC and the Curly Culp trade the team won more than they lost going forward for the most part...just no championships.
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Ultimately, I think there is a lot to that. I think the original list is about teams that were especially beloved losers. I think that those Oilers are on that list is just a reflection on the numbers of people who showed up at the Dome. That just doesn't happen.

There were some loved and great players on those LYB teams. Bum Phillips has talked a lot about the connection that the football starved community had with those teams. Part of it was the Texas connection, and part of it was their style of play and part was dealing with losing for so long.

It was a different time.
 
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