Oiler Blues: The Story of Pro Football's Most Frustrating Team - Softcover

Pirkle, John

9781891422010: Oiler Blues: The Story of Pro Football's Most Frustrating Team

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1891422014 ISBN 13: 9781891422010

Publisher: Sportline Pub, 1999

Presents a detailed, season-by-season account of the Houston Oiler and Tennessee Oiler franchises of the NFL from the first AFL championship season in 1960 through their final season as the Oilers in 1998. The brawls among team members and between players and the press, the revolving coaches, the back-to-back 1-13 seasons, and the moments of glory it's all here, accompanied by b&w photos of players on and off the field. The author is a native of Houston and former US Justice Department attorney. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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About the Author:

John Pirkle is a Houston native and life-long Oiler fan. He is a graduate of Waltrip High School in Houston (1977), the University of Texas at Austin (BBA, 1981) and California Western School of Law at San Diego (JD, 1989). He worked as a trial attorney at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. from 1989 to 1996.

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.

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