One of the most exciting things to happen for the Houston Texans this offseason was the unveiling of their new uniform designs. Just over a week ago, the Texans revealed four new jerseys in different colors: white, dark blue, red, and a “color rush” version that was a different shade of dark blue.
Many Texans fans—especially those who remember when the Houston Oilers were still around—were hoping that one of the new jerseys would be a light blue. Even the Texans’ owner, Cal McNair, hoped for that too.
However, they faced opposition from the Tennessee Titans, the franchise that used to be the Houston Oilers. Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk objected to the idea of the Texans using light blue, creating enough of a fuss that the Texans had to compromise. As a result, the closest they could get to light blue (which they call “H-Town blue”) was to use it as trim around the letters and numbers on the “color rush” uniform. This change left some Texans fans disappointed.
But there’s more to the story. The University of Houston football team wore light blue uniforms in their season opener last season, which also upset Strunk, leading her to involve the NFL’s lawyers. The NFL then sent the university a cease-and-desist letter.
It’s a bit absurd when you think about it—a multibillion-dollar corporation trying to intimidate a college over a color. A color that was meant to pay homage to the very team causing the fuss. It’s ridiculous, and the University of Houston seems to agree. According to a report by Joseph Duarte in the Houston Chronicle, the university has informed the NFL that it plans to go ahead with an alternate light blue uniform—not just for football, but for ALL sports!
I think this is fantastic. The fact that the NFL let Amy Adams Strunk strong-arm the Texans into using H-Town blue only as an accent is embarrassing for the league. We’re talking about a uniform color here, not an oil derrick logo on the helmet. Good for the University of Houston for standing up to this nonsense!
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