Houston '93: The Oilers Say Goodbye to Houston | A Football Life | NFL+

it sits crumbling in the Texas Sun dwarfed by Reliance Stadium the Houston Astrodome once dubbed the eighth wonder of the world now looks like a practice bubble trapped inside this portal to the Past are the ghosts of the Houston Oilers here in 1993 they were one of the most talented teams in NFL history and maybe the most dysfunctional there are more good players here than anywhere I've been and I've been to three Super Bowl team one of the best most talented teams I've ever faced in the National Football League we just had more off the- field distractions than we really needed it was just one thing after another everybody needs to quit talking and start playing we were a mess we needed therapy so bad I defy anyone to try to come up with more crazy things that happened in an NFL season than the 1993 Oilers you going to be a football player when you today is the best day of your life believe he might be the finest quarterback in produced in the last 10 years of daylight that's all I need fortunately me I didn't lose my life didn't lose my job football convinced things that life is a team game rest of your life nobody can ever tell you that you couldn't do [Music] it the story of Houston 93 didn't begin in training camp it began the previous January at the end of the 1992 season get it go baby bills at their own 48 yd line Reich from the shotgun fourman rush for the Oilers Reich throwing it to the right through the hands of Mel down the S side they'll score for a touchdown oh when it rains it Pour don't it up 353 in the third quarter it looked as if the franchise was on its way to exercising the Demons of playoffs past you say I look ahead but I'll guarantee it I was thinking about the next round it's over you know I was I started loosening up my P everything was light we were taking it for granted but then the bottom just fell out trying to sweep to the left he's Racing for the flag he's got it touchdown Kenneth Davis got BB at the 10 at the five touchdown before you know it uh this thing started snowballing out of control re out of the shotgun looks toward the end zone touchdown down the middle touchdown Andre Reed we self-destructed and of all the losses in Oiler history this has got to rank as the most devastating the worst day of my life it'll never go away I think this one here going to break this team we're right there with the best shot ever and we blow the biggest lead in NFL history you know that is going to stay with you for a while oh yeah we embarrassed uh I mean what you want us to do you want us to go put a gun upside the head and shoot ourselves I'm sure everybody there is getting tired of this team making the playoffs every year and not finding a way to get U further especially with all the talent we have on this football team in fact I'm getting tired of that word talent this was the sixth straight year the Oilers who boasted nine Pro Bowl players had reached the playoffs and the sixth straight year they failed to reach even an AFC Championship Game fans were cynical when thoughts turned towards 1993 owner Bud Adams shared their impatience first time ever Mr Adams said if we can't win this year then you know the team is likely to be dismantled and a lot of y'all are going to be playing different places just like why would you say that I don't think we needed bu Adams to state that the light of fire under us we're only going to get so many chances here and if we don't make it happen they're going to blow this thing up Adams hired a new defensive coordinator he hoped would be the answer to Houston's problems it was a surprise to everyone even his head [Music] coach the Jack party show with the head coach of the Houston Oilers Jack party news out of the oil patch the Oilers have a new defensive coordinator buddy Ryan Jack par doing an interview at the same time that Bud Adams is announcing we've hired buddy Ryan that just kind of you know screws up the dynamic from the beginning because for the most part buddy Ryan doesn't really think he submits to Jack party's Authority he's the boss of the defense def he not running the the team did you answer the party at all no you say h you and Mikey we were certainly excited that you know buddy was coming and with his aggressive blitzing 46 defense damn go get him I thought we needed that little bit of spark and that little bit of fire to get our team going again they know uh that I I know what it takes to get that super bowl and win and uh that's what we're going to do here when you go through a lock like that you don't know how it's going to affect your football team emotionally and psychologically and Buddy is the type of guy that comes in with his bravado with his confidence he was going to bring that Swagger that we needed buddy Ryan brought Swagger and credentials but he also brought plenty of baggage everybody knew Buddy's reputation as being rather bombastic and that was so anti Jack party buddy liked to be out front the the limeline how is this going to work if Mike Dickus struggles you know to control buddy then Jack was going to struggle to to control by I certainly had heard of the you know the difficulty in Chicago with Mike dick until you go through the actual experience of it I don't think you have any idea how bad it really [Music] is one of the let me start it's okay you changed me up all right here we go okay all right I'll take a breath before you start and and stand still right okay and Camera ready and go one of our basic plays which will give you an opportunity to see some of the variations that exist for all of our receivers on every single play we have is our 91 switch X read the Houston Oilers claim to fame was a revolutionary offensive attack known as the run and shoot it had led the league in passing the previous three seasons it was video game type numbers and really a lot of fun and we came in with hey say we're going to throw this ball 50 times a game that was the NFL's first version probably of wide open football we had Pro Bowl receivers we had a Pro Bowl quarterback we had Pro Bowl offensive lineman tremendous offense lot of numbers a lot of scores lot of can you win a championship with it don't know we went the playoffs every one of those those years we were doing it uh we just couldn't finish the job but in the playoffs it seemed like we got there we're one of the best teams and just couldn't and just stalled the biggest liability is you couldn't control the clock in order to succeed with it you had to be aggressive with it you couldn't just sit on the ball you couldn't just run the ball you had to continue to throw the ball you know I mean it's a uh aggressive and risky [Music] proposition new defensive coordinator buddy Ryan earned a claim for creating the 46 defense at training camp he made known his feelings for the Oilers style of offense he thought that the run and shoot offense was accident prone he continued to make those comments uh in the locker room in the clubhouse every time he got a chance Chuck and duck run and shoot I just think it you know was uncalled for it's kind of a cheap shot down deep what he's going to find out at the at the end of this whole thing that he's going to be very appreciative of the type of offense that he has here are you opposed to the run and shoot well it's uh not an offense that I that I would have but it's one that I'm living with here and trying to win a Super Bowl our rooms were divided we didn't you know these were the older complexes and we had the old sliding doors there's no sound barrier and so yeah I mean buddy is talking loud and you know you know that Kevin can hear him you know next door there wasn't a flap in his gums just a little bit I mean it was every week consistently I mean there was a lot of stuff being said stuff that's fighting words you know and um that stuff doesn't just die the run and shoot and the 46 defense together they were supposed to get the Oilers over the hump early on the combination was explosive in other ways you could see it happening I mean you can see the glances during practice there was really attention mounting we knew how competitive coach gilbride was and Coach Ryan was and and that was a chance to show you know run shoot versus the 46 that was our primary purpose was to go out there and beat buddy up every day because the way he treated us we beat his defense so many times in practice and made him look bad so many times in practice I don't know where all this talk about the lack of respect for our offense came from because he couldn't stop it half the time and that's where the problem lied uh he didn't have respect for it but couldn't stop it and it just burned him up we get cards from Kevin gilbride and his team buddy would say forget that run this and so we sent a blit at him and you know po when we we hitting warm Moon and and Gil right what is that that's not on the car what is that offensively we were working on the last play of behalf buddy wasn't cooperating buddy blitzed it started an argument on the coaching staff and so we repeated the play and Buddy blitzed it again and we repeated to play and Buddy blissed again so all of a sudden the emotions ran high coach party tried to step in and Buddy sent them all in buddy sent all the coaches in buddy sent all the players in and at that point in time there was like what who's running this thing wasn't anything Jack do about it unless Jack punched him out but that wasn't the part way coach party was that kind of guy he would sit back he relaxed let all the craziness happen around for us he was maybe not the kind of leader that we needed at the time he kind of went along with the flow someone needed to step in we knew these guys on defense we've been playing with them you know for several years most of them we got along all of a sudden now you have the divide we was Buddy Ryan guys and that that's that's the mentality we had it was Buddy Ryan defense team Kevin gilbride offense team you know two separate teams or should I say oer versus oers but he just told him forget the rules just go run over and make your mark you know he was the Catalyst that Amplified every dysfunction that we had on that team but he knows exactly what he's doing psychologically buty F the tougher we made it on our own offense the you know the better they would get everybody was like even if you had a red jersey on or whatever but they said it wasn't no hands off in the game they going to get hit so why not get hit in practice guys were worried about you know getting cut they were worried about getting their knees you know knocked on and that's the motivation that was brought by that side of the football that we're going to we're going to beat you guys and he knew full well what was going to take place the cheap shots and trying to put guys out in practice there was some some ugly ugly [Music] fights that's what buddy wanted it was a fight every day and it was personal Ray childis was a perennial pro bowler Mike Munchak was a future Hall of Famer both were respected leaders but as the regular season approached even they were fighting fighting that was one of the craziest scenes I've ever seen in my life I mean it was a vicious fight Ray was kicking at unmentionables and trying to poke people in the eye we all had one goal that's to win games it wasn't to be best friends or you know to be pin Pals when those guys were going at it then we knew man there was there's there's something different about this football team a bevy of pro bowlers and the addition of Buddy Ryan made the Oilers a popular Super Bowl pick but as the 93 season began Great Expectations gave way to harsh reality we kept talking Championship opening day we go down to New Orleans they whooped our butts they beat the the mess out of us with Oiler owner but Adam saying this has to be the Oilers year and with national magazines picking Houston to go to the Super Bowl the Oilers defensive coordinator buddy Ryan will make some changes from a philosophical point of view we had um mental errors and uh so we're going to have to cut our game plan back hopefully and that'll eliminate some of them you know the system worked in Chicago you knew the system worked in Philadelphia so it wasn't the system it was it was us this works it works I'm telling we just got to stick with it's going to work I remember buddy pulling me on side and he's like 96 do you think I'm losing him I'm like we definitely got to play better he's like no know but am I losing them I said no coach I think we're going to be all right the next week Chief's quarterback Joe Montana sat out with an injury and the Oilers defense looked like it was supposed to throwing outside tight end Mike dial at the 45 fighting his way forward and the ball is Stripped Away by Dishman he just stole the ball from Mike di even even in Victory Ryan kept taking shots at the Oilers offense he again called it the Chuck and duck this time somebody shot back emotional wide receiver Ernest given don't get discouraged just keep working just keep working come on it's not only riled me up because it riled a lot of other guys on the team up but you know but everybody's not saying anything and I'm not trying to be the the big shot of the bunch or anything like that but I'm just get tired of hearing the same old then of course buddy Ryan and his the Own Way only buddy can be buddy he said you know Ernest given I don't even know who he is I don't even know Ernest given and I haven't said anything about our offense and they claim that I have all I said that when Jerry Glam put it in down here I called it Chuck and Duck and I'm not the only one in the league he calls that I'll guarantee you who is Ernest giv and I'm like I'm Ernest giv and then I repli back who the are you remember they went and got you I didn't go get you only thing you brought was an osity and jealousy this was a battle fought on many fronts including Houston's Airwaves the only time I ever ever gave him any thought was on Friday when I had to do my radio show because I'd have to defend the attacks that were made on me on Thursday with his radio show caught in the middle was 37-year-old Warren Moon who had plenty of pressure to deal with as it was he was a black quarterback in the state of Texas in the city of Houston Warren could never be seen in public having a drink Warren had to have the perfect home life can Warren finally get us to the Super Bowl I get to a AFC Championship game is warn the guy to do it and his fin I think he felt a little bit of just been pressed to get everything done and things wasn't working so well in a loss to the Chargers Moon threw four interceptions and was benched now it's Cody Carlson Cody Carlson has replaced Warren Moon Cody I thought he could come in and let Warren not have to press but we don't have any controversy Warren's a quarterback and uh we just got to get over this hump Warren will bounce back strong next week Moon struggled again and with former President Bush in attendance the Oilers felt the wrath of their unhappy constituents there's a lot of skepticism here in Houston I mean naturally this this game was not televised in Houston they couldn't sell out the Astrodome which is not a big Stadium Warren Moon went out to the offensive huddle to start this next series and they boot himout to G intercepted by Bailey waren Moon just looks like what was I thinking I don't know I think you're one and three we're just going through the motions it's the worst I've ever seen some Oiler faithfuls are no longer true blue believer fans are UC at particularly in Texas football is a big deal they know if you have the talent you're supposed to win and if you look at that roster you see those All Pro players on there there you have a reasonable expectation to think that you can win it win it all it was all kind of controversy party was going to be fired buddy be named head coach no gilbride would be named the head coach now I don't know if you're hearing all the speculation we're hearing the speculation about your job situation right now how much longer can this team afford to wait to do something about this I have got to wait till we play Buffalo now any suggestions well I think just the name Buffalo ought to bring out the best in US is this the SC of the crime didn't we win this in the playoffs there's no way that we could go in go into Buffalo and win that game we already knew we were doomed when we went in there we know we didn't have a chance just don't do what you did last time yeah same comic devation right same conversation you didn't get the ball earlier in the year Play playf Time testchown Andre Reed testchown Andre re here is Kelly play action pass over the middle a man is there Reed at the 10 Reed at the five he runs in for the touchdown Andre Reed moon was benched again maybe for good and the offense and defense finally found Common Ground ineptitude when you look up team and the dictionary and all the positive characteristics and qualities about team we had none of those in Houston the Long Knives were starting to come out and that's why you are one and four we were starting to talk about well who are going to be the high draft choices next year in April several of us in the front office had already written season off we didn't feel like it was going to be possible to recover from a start that bad [Music] war will you stop and give us a second will you stop and give us a second just one second two questions really hid in your face com what do you think Warren Moon had overcome much to reach his NFL status never had he been faced with being a second string quarterback he just wasn't playing well the team was not winning they were one and four I'm running out of excuses I really am everybody thought that he wasn't good enough he had nothing left in the tank the frustration on war Moon's face was palpable you could see it and to be in that situation where people didn't respect his gifts and his talent that put him in a in a tough spot are you going to the bench this Sunday that's hard for me to say but that certainly is a possibility Jack called me into his office and and I was u a little bit surprised and uh he told me he was going to make the change and he was very nervous telling me that too I I I knew Jack and I know he's a guy that doesn't like a whole lot of Confrontation and U I didn't want to make him feel any more uncomfortable than he was but I was very very disappointed I think it was an act of desperation hey we got to do something to get this thing going I think Jack felt that nothing would have shocked this team into into getting going more than you know sitting down your star quarterback the Oilers are on a three-game skid and they've taken I guess the most drastic measure you can and that's benching a guy who's been to the Pro Bowl five of his 10 NFL seasons and putting Cody Carlson in to run the offense putting on that hat as opposed to putting on your helmet and having to stand over there on that sideline I didn't know exactly what my what I what I was supposed to do very very different feeling for me as much as I wanted to root for Cody to do well because I wanted our team to do well well there was a definitely a side of VI that didn't want him to do as well and so maybe I'd get my job back I didn't play this game this long to have it in like this and he's going to run for it heads for the corner Dives and does he make it yes Cody actually started off the game playing pretty well and we he he sprinted for a gain and W up tearing his hamstring or or or I'm not sure Warren would have got back in so Warren Gets the opportunity and the team gets the opp opportunity to change the course of the Season Warren Gets new life and here comes Warren Moon in a relief role for Cody Carlson interesting twists and turns of of faith it was like a new life you know when I walked back into that huddle it was like guys here we go you know I'm back just make this thing [Music] happen his Cadence was more definitive you know you do this do this and he wasn't usually that way and when war came right back this time we told oursel well we're not going to let this happen again let's go ahead and and start winning ball games Moon again looks to throw looks looks over the middle in the endzone touchdown is their magic in mood bag of tricks this is the Oilers so with the win come problems his a win and the return of moon was buried in the headlines by a controversy that went National it's the Macho world of pro football versus the new sensitive man of the 9s in Texas the Houston Oilers football team is finding out what happens when a star athlete puts Pampers before Pigskins on Saturday offensive lineman David Williams had stayed home with his wife for the birth of their first child the Oilers wanted him to catch a flight the next day to make the game in New England when William will chose to remain home the Oilers find him a game check and baby gate was born the story surrounding babygate Encompass so much more than Athletics you're talking about the birth of a child and how you know a sport like the NFL is going to deal with that you know in today's NFL it's not even an issue you know if somebody's having a baby then they're going to stay at home and have a baby and it's understood 20 years ago it wasn't quite the same he was definitely the first to to step out that way and and put family above his job I'm learning I'm learning learning it's not exactly easy when I got up this morning to change him his diaper was on backwards so he's still Le in the locker room guys were debating openly about would you do what would you do man come on the work ethic in the National Football League is you don't miss I thought he should have been there I had had uh kids born during the season as well and I and I was somehow able to get to the game and play it's mind goling that he doesn't that you don't just get on a plane and get there you know once the baby's born what do we contribute nothing right see the baby tell mom kiss her on the forehead and say hey sweetie I'm going to go go to battle I'll be back in 36 hours you know keep me posted I knew all along I was going to be there for for for the birth of my first child and and I wasn't going to uh back down from that decision and like I said I I stand strong in what I did at some point Mr Adams May made the remark that David had misplaced priorities which I think was part of what set off The Firestorm we gave him time off for practice we gave him time off the meetings we gave him time off to be with the his wife so she could have the baby we expect him to be at the game the next day that story it just built and it built and it built until everybody was weighing in on it including Al Gore we're with David Williams I remember Bob Young our offensive line coach compared it to you know like you're going off to war you don't leave your buddies he just gets confused he's a great kid he just gets confused about you know everybody wants to be with their wife but you know that's be like World War II going on you say well I can't go fight honey my wife's going to have a baby you got go to war especially when you get paid like that women's groups all over the country mothers everybody was killing Bob Young we have feeli football pretty important not uh it's not bigger than World War II or having babies or anything like that but it's pretty important some of us maybe we can get down to football and see how we can be a better team and trying to solve all the world problems Houston did become a better team Talent eventually trumped the Avalanche of dysfunction as the unfaced Oilers began to play winning football the team that had been assumed dead was alive and well running play for Gary Brown 20 15 10 5 touchdown at some point in time a team reaches the bottom where there's nothing else dysfunctional that can happen to you this is who you are and the world be damned we were starting to now hit our stride and play the game The Way We were supposed to on both sides of the football the defense had figured it out they were knocking quarterbacks out of games they were playing the way they're supposed to play with Buddy Ryan we gave up 20 points one time for the rest of the [Music] season I think we back on track right now so uh all you doubs better look for Houston the or the bandwagon was getting bigger each and every week as it went along for the first time this season we can say it the first place Houston Oilers it was a long battle back but you finally got there [Music] so I'm inviting all the people that want to jump on our B wagon come on back come be part of us we'll take you and we love you we love you give me a hug people were back on CU you start instead of getting the finger you're getting the pat on the [Music] back super b super bow back on track back on track [Music] and there's no mystery why people so in the sports you know why it mirrors the drama of life it's so exciting you got to love this stuff man the Oilers new drama a win in Pittsburgh would give them a division title and Houston Was preparing to party the champagne was on ice but the team's issues bubbled beneath the surface from the outside it looked like everything was great but on the inside it was like a rotting grave as much as the wi streak and getting the home field advantage was something that I aspired for it was like at the same time why am I so miserable going through this process did I feel that that the winning somehow cured everything and then we we' all were singing Kumbaya at the end of the day absolutely not nothing slowed down we still fought just as much we still you know had just as many disagreements the latest was between running back Spencer Tilman and defensive tackle Jeff Al and nobody knew just how dramatic things were about to become Jeff hit my position Coach Frank Novak and um I took that personally and I flew into him I got him first and then all the calvary came to break it up and this kind of haunts me to this day cuz I told him afterwards I said you have something back is going to happen to you and he you know called me a couple of expletives and uh less than a week later he was dead investigators say Al was speeding and apparently lost control soon as the vehicle um hit the guard rail the passenger was strong from the vehicle and about 30 ft below the overpass lay the body of 25-year-old Shawn Lynch a friend from mm's Hometown Lynch was killed when he hit the concrete below they were both inebriated in his inebriated State he was in a complete panic and he called 911 59 nor 59 police theorized that Al became despondent when he got out of the wrecked car and realized his friend was dead they believe he took the shotgun from his car and then the shots three would be fired into the air the last into Jeff mm's mouth it was the day after the tragedy and as the orders reported to work you could see that the reality of Jeff Al's untimely death was starting to set in you think of yourself sometimes Invincible to have a teammate who was in the locker room you know with you literally you know days a week ago and have him gone yeah it had an impact on us Jack part's shiny moment as a coach for the Houston Oilers was that day Jack was a stoic and he was as sincere and as you know honest and as down to earth as anybody could ever be he'll certainly be remembered and uh you know for the rest of us uh you know Life Will Go On and we've got to uh make the best of that really did a a great job of kind of expressing what we were all feeling but in a very calm way the team actually got a lot closer how we started talking to each other more hanging out with each other more expressing to each other how we feel our camaraderie got closer hey we got to do it for Jeff man man that's the only thing on our M we do it for JE we go all the way from the shotgun OD Donald's going to throw it intercepted it's Orlando at the 35 30 25 20 down the nlight t five touchdown Houston Oilers they sting around here looking for Buffalo it's ain't the same team now we're a team of Destiny we're going to take this thing I think it's appropriate and fitting that we give this game ball to Jeff's parents on behalf of our Victory today and being Central Division champion the Oilers returned home United by tragedy and embraced by their City we didn't expect this but it's great to see it and U I'm just glad everybody's here they were a team together but in the regular season finale they would again be torn apart part with a two touchdown lead late in the first half Kevin gilbride kept the offense on the attack we got the ball said hey let's maybe there's enough time take it down put another touchdown on the scoreboard Carlon intended for Tony Jones the defense thought that they were done for the half and all of a sudden they're seeing we throwing it and I think uh tension start to rise what are we doing and then the fumble happened second and 10 hit from behind loose ball Logan after it recovered by the jet Bill pel buddy was so pissed off about that so apparently I'm being mfed up the sidelines behind me but I don't hear it until I somebody gets to you knowbody gets to my right side and I hear him say something I I what you say this is after the fumble take a look at what happened on the sideline with Kevin gilbride and Buddy Ryan there's buddy Ryan there's Kevin gilbride that's buddy Ryan taking a swing at Kevin gilb way he came at me I hit him that's the end of the first half the score the Oilers 14 the Jets nothing I went to the tall I said well I'm going to get that sun we going right now and there's cops all over the place you're in the same locker room but he'd come in with his defensive staff to again it was always a group around was well thought out I said buddy you're going to have to be prepared to deal with this situation when the game's over and there was a long pause and then buddy said maybe nobody saw it I don't think there's anyone in the right mind would say that they would condone their coach you know hitting another grown ass man on National Television a couple of guys that came and said coach you know do what you got to do at the end but can we're playing pretty good now let's get through this thing let's see and I said that's yeah I'm fine well let's let's focus on what getting to the Super Bowl we won and what have you and H be know to me everybody in the world has seen it and of course it was all all hell had broken out looking for a white poor old Kevin he just he was devastated people were saying buddy punched him people around the country did you see buddy Ryan Punch Out Kevin gilbride mram go back on that excuse us excuse us Budd he didn't punch Kevin tried to if if Curtis Duncan hadn't gotten in the way Kevin gilbride would have kicked buddy Ryan's ass I just wish it could have had an opportunity to finish it out a different way thank you so much sir Mr yeah let's go I'm I've already I've already told everything I know [Music] that's [Applause] nobody was talking about the playoffs or 11 straight wins the longest streak in the NFL since the 72 Dolphins the punch was a wildfire and Buddy Ryan kept stoking the Flames what he said about Kevin after the game was Kevin gilb will be selling Insurance in another year and he said it was with a smirk like you know buddy but I'm not supposed to comment but Buddy's comments that were not supposed to be in the paper are in the paper how much more can you take of this as you get ready for the playoffs no one is managing any of this stuff none of these train wrecks is being managed by anybody do you plan to do anything about this Mike any kind of action at all there's no team meeting about you know we're gonna force a coordinator to apologize to the coordinate other coordinators so we're on this there ain't none of that it's just every I'm just going on like okay nothing happened and you have to wonder how much of these things took a [Music] toll the Oilers had been waiting for this day for over a year a win over the Chiefs would prove they could finish when it mattered most and it would give them a rematch with the bills in the AFC Championship game from the oiler standpoint they thought they had this game pretty much won before it started we were playing a team that we had played earlier in the year and beaten soundly and we were playing him at home there was one big difference between that first meeting and this one Joe Montana who was that man oh that guy's 37 years old Lenny going to take it to him today knockout baby early on buddy Ryan's defense kept Joe Montana eating AstroTurf while the offense built a 10-point lead Bo on a delay Brown up the middle touchdown Houston Oilers the first half again same story we was wearing Kansas City out we were doing everything right you know it's like first half of the Buffalo game the Oilers carried a shutout into the second half but the Chiefs soon delivered a punch of Their Own the dude scored a touchdown and spiked it on Buddy's picture my the Bull's Eye was Buddy H all right there there's some sort of far-reaching message in that I I'm too tired or not smart enough to comprehend it right now we just didn't anticipate that they were going to have life momentum had turned and weighed down by a season's worth of karmic baggage the Oilers couldn't stop it I don't want to say we were emotionally exhausted but we had dealt with so much garbage What A Catch by Willie Davis and boy this place has gotten quiet it was a house of cards just waiting for that one card to get pulled away boom here comes the choke choke City running play Allan he's got the first down to the 10 to the five and he scores the Glitchy touchdown and ladies and gentlemen the fat lady is singing on another Houston Oiler season the Chiefs scored 21 fourth quarter points once again Houston had blown a late lead to lose a playoff game I just really disappointed uh didn't expect it all to end like this didn't expect it to end today and um just disappointed I mean we didn't get it done again in defeat offense and defense came together one last time to say farewell I remember embracing MJ and Matthews kind of like you're graduating from college you know and everybody's all their eligibility is over you're leaving 1994 would be the first season with the salary cap and owner butd Adams followed through on his threat to dismantle the team we had not prepared one iota for the camp we ended up just destroying a really good team the franchise jettisoned its stars and unthinkably it's face all right got a winner in town buddy Ryan was also gone despite the punch he'd landed a head coaching job and he was just as big a celebrity as ever okay he said Angry Angry be mad look mad pissed what [Music] I get a strut man gutted by the cap the team started 1 and N in 1994 Jack Pare was fired as was Kevin gilbride oh I think I predicted he'd be selling Insurance in two years and year had of schedule is that not typical uh you know that's that's vintage uh uh buddy and that's probably why he's the the least liked uh coach in our profession Houston had a new feud between the Oilers and fans heartbroken by the playoff loss and burned by the fire sale the emotion of the game a lot of it uh revolves around being able to to feel like you're you're you're loved and here it's almost antagonistic man that was a scorn City a scorn City that showed you just how frustrated they were by setting single season attendance records for lows Adams again today made it clear before leaving Houston that the Astrodome is no longer a suitable playing site for his team under any conditions I they can't expect me to sit here and go broke there was absolutely no public consensus for building a new building for him the apathy among the fans was the incredible part it was like don't let the door hit you in the rear end are you all ready for fo ball in 1995 the Oilers agreed to move to Tennessee maybe it didn't have to happen this way not if Houston had gotten over the hump had they won that game Oilers never would have left Houston Houston would have given Bud Adams the 180 million in public money he needed for new stadium today the Astrodome sits unused Houston ended up building that new stadium a few ft away it houses the Houston Texans who themselves have yet to reach the Super Bowl most of the ghosts live back across the parking lot some are happy memories some continue to haunt and not even winning the Super Bowl has put them to rest of all the things that you know you've been fortunate enough to be part of that you're proud of you know this is the last thing you would like to be considered you know attached to for the rest of your life but uh it happened do you regret the punch regret oh probably I'm unfortunately all we can do is to say we did it to [Music] ourselves we probably got what we deserved you can't win Super Bowls and you can't play among the elite teams in the NFL when you got coaches punching each other and if you got enough Talent you can win some games it'll look good but are you going to win a world championship nope