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Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
The Houston Oilers are now the Tennessee Titans. The team was one of the original American Football League franchises in 1960 and was the league's first champion. Sadly for Oiler fans, that was the high point for a team that has never even been to a Super Bowl. Pirkle, a Houston attorney and lifelong fan, points out that owner Bud Adams, whose son-in-law now runs the team, was always in the business to make money, not to win. Tennessee fans, Pirkle cautions, might want to steel themselves against pending heartbreak. Even non-Texans will enjoy this fascinating team history, which is sprinkled with such marquee names as George Blanda, Earl Campbell, and folksy former coach Bum Phillips. The narrative is presented chronologically, and Pirkle wisely condenses the worst seasons and dwells on the best. Included within the on-field account are the sometimes Machiavellian financial motives of owner Adams. An intriguing and instructive slice of NFL life. Wes Lukowsky
From Kirkus Reviews
paper 1-891422-01-4 The highs and lows of the Houston Oilers football franchise, from its inception to its departure to Nashville, Tenn., are well documented in this team biography. The tone of Oiler Blues, as written by Pirkle, a former US Department of Justice trial attorney and a third-generation Houstonian, is one that reflects the emotions of the beleaguered Oiler fans who for 37 years saw hints of possible greatness but who were always ultimately disappointed. The team never appeared in a Super Bowl, even though they made the playoffs 10 times and advanced to the AFC championship twice. (At the beginning, in 196061, when they were in the AFL, they did win the championship twice.) The cumulative 37-year record for the Houston Oilers was 251 wins, 291 losses, 6 ties (.463). Throughout the years, there were stars and personalities for the fans to root for, including George Blanda, Ken Stabler, Warren Moon, and Earl Campbell, but there were also players whose promise never was fulfilled. And there was owner Bud Adams, coaches, and management, all of whom made decisions at times that seemed to undermine the teams success (for example, trading away Steve Largent and the rights to Joe Namath). The love affair the Houston fans had with their team becomes bittersweet, as the saga ends with the Oilers 1997 move to Tennessee. Breaking the book down year by year, Pirkle gives a good overview not only of the teams results, but also of the franchises mindset. It also gives an indication of the evolution of football, in the age of television, into a money-making vehicle. The oversize format of the book, with its black-and-white photos, makes Oiler Blues a good, nostalgic photo album for the fans and a good reference for anyone interested in the newly named Tennessee Titans as they embark on creating their own memories. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
See all Editorial Reviews
The Houston Oilers are now the Tennessee Titans. The team was one of the original American Football League franchises in 1960 and was the league's first champion. Sadly for Oiler fans, that was the high point for a team that has never even been to a Super Bowl. Pirkle, a Houston attorney and lifelong fan, points out that owner Bud Adams, whose son-in-law now runs the team, was always in the business to make money, not to win. Tennessee fans, Pirkle cautions, might want to steel themselves against pending heartbreak. Even non-Texans will enjoy this fascinating team history, which is sprinkled with such marquee names as George Blanda, Earl Campbell, and folksy former coach Bum Phillips. The narrative is presented chronologically, and Pirkle wisely condenses the worst seasons and dwells on the best. Included within the on-field account are the sometimes Machiavellian financial motives of owner Adams. An intriguing and instructive slice of NFL life. Wes Lukowsky
From Kirkus Reviews
paper 1-891422-01-4 The highs and lows of the Houston Oilers football franchise, from its inception to its departure to Nashville, Tenn., are well documented in this team biography. The tone of Oiler Blues, as written by Pirkle, a former US Department of Justice trial attorney and a third-generation Houstonian, is one that reflects the emotions of the beleaguered Oiler fans who for 37 years saw hints of possible greatness but who were always ultimately disappointed. The team never appeared in a Super Bowl, even though they made the playoffs 10 times and advanced to the AFC championship twice. (At the beginning, in 196061, when they were in the AFL, they did win the championship twice.) The cumulative 37-year record for the Houston Oilers was 251 wins, 291 losses, 6 ties (.463). Throughout the years, there were stars and personalities for the fans to root for, including George Blanda, Ken Stabler, Warren Moon, and Earl Campbell, but there were also players whose promise never was fulfilled. And there was owner Bud Adams, coaches, and management, all of whom made decisions at times that seemed to undermine the teams success (for example, trading away Steve Largent and the rights to Joe Namath). The love affair the Houston fans had with their team becomes bittersweet, as the saga ends with the Oilers 1997 move to Tennessee. Breaking the book down year by year, Pirkle gives a good overview not only of the teams results, but also of the franchises mindset. It also gives an indication of the evolution of football, in the age of television, into a money-making vehicle. The oversize format of the book, with its black-and-white photos, makes Oiler Blues a good, nostalgic photo album for the fans and a good reference for anyone interested in the newly named Tennessee Titans as they embark on creating their own memories. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
See all Editorial Reviews
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