The Tennessee Titans are one of those teams that people adore and love to follow. The team has only been around since 1999, but they sure have built a name and reputation for themselves. Loyal fans consistently fill stadium seating at every home game, leaving only a handful of nosebleed tickets for last minute shoppers. The Titans have fought hard to win their place in the South Division and will do whatever it takes to keep it.
The Tennessee Titans is a new name for an old team. The team was originally known as the Houston Oilers, and began playing for the AFL back in 1960. As members of the AFL, the Oilers won numerous championships, and nearly always came out on top. It was not long after they became a team that the NFL and AFL merged into one league.
After the NFL / AFL merger, the Oilers became an underdog, one of the worst teams in the division. It did not take long before the team began to bring their name back; by the end of the 70s, the team had begun to win some games and began - once again - to make an appearance in the playoffs.
Unfortunately, the beginning of a new decade appeared as though the team would once again be at the bottom of the division. Until 1987 the teams records were nothing to brag about, and an appearance in the playoffs was unheard of. Over night, the team made a 180 and became one of the best AFC teams from 1987 until 1993. Profits, during this time were astounding, so much so that the owner of the Oilers - Adams - decided to put $60-million into the Astrodome.
Unfortunately, for the players, negative press and pressure surrounded franchise owners. Rumor had it that Adams was the cause of no Super Bowl championship wins, and that he didn't know how to manage a team, let alone the financial aspect of things. Now, the city no longer supported team decisions, and Tennessee had to come in and save the team at the end of the '95 season; '96 was the last year the Oilers could call Houston their hometown.
The Oilers, in 1997, had a new hometown in Memphis, Tennessee and were known - for two years - as the Tennessee Oilers. It wasn't until 1998 that the team moved to the resting place in Nashville. After a year in their new home, a new name was agreed upon and the team was now called the Tennessee Titans - a name that will be remembered for years to come. This was a new chance for the team to reclaim their territory on the field, and they were off to a good start with a record of 13-3 at the end of the '99 season.
Titan fans have seen some great games since the beginning of the Tennessee Titans; so great, in fact, there have been AFC championship wins over the past few years. The team has made it to the playoffs nearly every year since 2003. It would appear that the move, along with the new name, has given the team a bit of hope, and they are beginning to play like a team again.
There is no doubt that 2009 will be an amazing year not only for the Titans, but for those fans who moved quick enough to get tickets for Titan home games. No experience could ever match up to watching the Titans live, on the field, right in front of your nose. After a 2008 AFC South Division championship title, they can do nothing but top it in 2009.
Written by Matt Ryan, article sponsored by StubPass.com. StubPass sells Tennessee Titans Tickets, sporting event tickets, concert event tickets, theater tickets, NFL Tickets and more to your favorite events around the world.
