The Houston Texans get ready to start their 21st season in the NFL. In the 1st 20 seasons there's been a few things that have gotten the fans excited, but not many. The 1st ever game they ever played, a 19-10 win over the Cowboys, was a great night. After having never beaten the Colts for 4½ seasons, their Christmas Eve win against them was very memorable. Their 1st ever playoff game, and win, against the Bengals where J.J. Watt returned an interception for a TD, was unforgettable. Those are some of the biggest moments that stand out in the 1st 20 seasons, and there are a handful of others, but for the most part, what the Texans have done on the football field in 2 decades hasn't been all that great.
The Texans have pretty much had the same uniform for their entire existence. For many fans, the name Texans was already pretty lame. Looking back, it probably could have been worse considering the other finalists for the team name were Bobcats, Apollos, Wildcatters, and Stallions. In 2000, founder and CEO, the late Bob McNair, had a big shindig to announce the team name and logos. The name Texans was announced, and the logo was the same bull logo they have to this very day, except it was on a white helmet. When the Texans started play in 2002, the helmets were blue with that logo, and it's what they've worn in every game they've ever played to this point. The white helmet was never seen again.
The Texans color scheme is red, white and blue, except it's a very Texans specific red, white and blue. The red is called Battle Red, the white is Liberty White, and then there is Deep Steel Blue. The standard road uniform is a white jersey with red lettering, with blue pants, and of course, the blue helmet. The Texans even wore this combo at home in the early years for the 1st half of the season because there was some misconception about playing in white being cooler in the Texas heat, even though they had a retractable roof to keep the heat out. That theory got blown to smithereens when they decided to open the roof for an early season game against the Steelers, making them wear their black jerseys in the 90+ degree sun. The Steelers blew the Texans away 27-7.
The Texans standard home uniform has been the blue tops with white lettering, with white pants. This is the combination they wear for most home games now, and a handful of road games when opponents decide to wear their white uniforms.
For a good while now, the NFL has allowed teams to wear an alternate jersey for one game per year. Some teams choose that alternate to be throwback uniforms, as most teams have been around long enough to not only have changed uniforms, but color schemes as well. The brand new Texans franchise, of course, didn't have throwbacks. They were using the Liberty White tops and the Deep Steel Blue tops as their main uniform. So in 2003, the Texans introduced their Battle Red jerseys as their alternate. This is a red jersey with white lettering that they wear with white pants.
The Battle Red jerseys were a hit. The Texans took the field in red, fans dressed in red, it was great. Many Texans fans, even to this day, wish the Texans would make that their main uniform instead of the blue. With the success of "Battle Red Day" the Texans decided to make special days for the other jerseys as well. Every home opener every season is now called Liberty White Out. The Texans wear all white for this game, their regular white road tops, but with the white pants. They also ask the fans to wear white and white out the stadium on that day.
The Texans also dedicate one home game per season as Deep Steel Sunday, where they wear their regular blue jerseys, but with the blue pants. Everything blue. And yes, the fans are asked to wear blue as well.
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Evidently someone in the Texans organization liked the idea of all the uniform combinations they could do. To this point they were already at 5 different combinations. In 2007 the Texans made it 6 when they decided to go all red for Battle Red Day. Red tops, with red pants. It was the 1st time they had ever worn red pants. They were criticized by fans saying they looked like ketchup bottles, but the Texans wore that combination 3 more times.
The Texans went one more combo with Battle Red when they wore the red tops with blue pants in 2016.
Nike took over making NFL uniforms in 2012. That brought in the color rush era, where other teams were trying out different uniform combinations that they normally, if ever, did before. The Steelers, for example, would be in all black, black tops, black pants, a combo they've never worn before. And they've been around since the 30's. The Texans, well established in uniform combinations, had, of course, already tried just about everything. So their color rush jerseys ended up being a tweaking of their blue jersey where instead of white lettering, they'd have red. That would be worn with the blue pants. That brought the uniform combinations for the Texans to 8.
It will be the 1st time ever that the Texans will play a game not wearing the blue helmet they've worn for, including preseason and playoffs, and the 10 games they will play before the Eagles game, 421 games. It will also go down as their 9th uniform combination. They might not have any Super Bowl trophies, but dammit if they are not the fashion champions of the NFL.
After 20 years, they find themselves with a lifetime .433 winning percentage, with just 7 winning seasons in 20 years, and making the playoffs just 6 times, never getting past the 2nd round. It has been so blah these 1st 20 seasons that some of the things that get Texans fans excited has nothing to do with their actual performance on the field. For instance, when the Texans play a home game and the retractable roof at NRG Stadium is OPEN, fans get excited about that. The old Jeff Foxworthy 'you might be a redneck' jokes come into play with regards to Texans fans and the team. If you're more excited about the roof being open than you are for your team, you might be a Texans fan.
The Texans uniforms play a part in that as well. The current buzz about the Texans isn't the anticipation of Training Camp about to start. It's about the Texans announcing a uniform change this season. Well, for at least one game anyway.
The Texans have pretty much had the same uniform for their entire existence. For many fans, the name Texans was already pretty lame. Looking back, it probably could have been worse considering the other finalists for the team name were Bobcats, Apollos, Wildcatters, and Stallions. In 2000, founder and CEO, the late Bob McNair, had a big shindig to announce the team name and logos. The name Texans was announced, and the logo was the same bull logo they have to this very day, except it was on a white helmet. When the Texans started play in 2002, the helmets were blue with that logo, and it's what they've worn in every game they've ever played to this point. The white helmet was never seen again.
The Texans color scheme is red, white and blue, except it's a very Texans specific red, white and blue. The red is called Battle Red, the white is Liberty White, and then there is Deep Steel Blue. The standard road uniform is a white jersey with red lettering, with blue pants, and of course, the blue helmet. The Texans even wore this combo at home in the early years for the 1st half of the season because there was some misconception about playing in white being cooler in the Texas heat, even though they had a retractable roof to keep the heat out. That theory got blown to smithereens when they decided to open the roof for an early season game against the Steelers, making them wear their black jerseys in the 90+ degree sun. The Steelers blew the Texans away 27-7.
The Texans standard home uniform has been the blue tops with white lettering, with white pants. This is the combination they wear for most home games now, and a handful of road games when opponents decide to wear their white uniforms.
For a good while now, the NFL has allowed teams to wear an alternate jersey for one game per year. Some teams choose that alternate to be throwback uniforms, as most teams have been around long enough to not only have changed uniforms, but color schemes as well. The brand new Texans franchise, of course, didn't have throwbacks. They were using the Liberty White tops and the Deep Steel Blue tops as their main uniform. So in 2003, the Texans introduced their Battle Red jerseys as their alternate. This is a red jersey with white lettering that they wear with white pants.
The Battle Red jerseys were a hit. The Texans took the field in red, fans dressed in red, it was great. Many Texans fans, even to this day, wish the Texans would make that their main uniform instead of the blue. With the success of "Battle Red Day" the Texans decided to make special days for the other jerseys as well. Every home opener every season is now called Liberty White Out. The Texans wear all white for this game, their regular white road tops, but with the white pants. They also ask the fans to wear white and white out the stadium on that day.
The Texans also dedicate one home game per season as Deep Steel Sunday, where they wear their regular blue jerseys, but with the blue pants. Everything blue. And yes, the fans are asked to wear blue as well.
.jpg)
Evidently someone in the Texans organization liked the idea of all the uniform combinations they could do. To this point they were already at 5 different combinations. In 2007 the Texans made it 6 when they decided to go all red for Battle Red Day. Red tops, with red pants. It was the 1st time they had ever worn red pants. They were criticized by fans saying they looked like ketchup bottles, but the Texans wore that combination 3 more times.
The Texans went one more combo with Battle Red when they wore the red tops with blue pants in 2016.
Nike took over making NFL uniforms in 2012. That brought in the color rush era, where other teams were trying out different uniform combinations that they normally, if ever, did before. The Steelers, for example, would be in all black, black tops, black pants, a combo they've never worn before. And they've been around since the 30's. The Texans, well established in uniform combinations, had, of course, already tried just about everything. So their color rush jerseys ended up being a tweaking of their blue jersey where instead of white lettering, they'd have red. That would be worn with the blue pants. That brought the uniform combinations for the Texans to 8.
That brings us to 2022. We're just a couple of weeks from the start of training camp and the biggest buzz going on with the team doesn't have anything to do with football. Naturally. Instead, it's a uniform change. The Texans have announced that for this year's Battle Red game, which will be played against the Eagles on Thursday, November 3rd, they will be breaking out a brand new........helmet. RED!!!
It will be the 1st time ever that the Texans will play a game not wearing the blue helmet they've worn for, including preseason and playoffs, and the 10 games they will play before the Eagles game, 421 games. It will also go down as their 9th uniform combination. They might not have any Super Bowl trophies, but dammit if they are not the fashion champions of the NFL.
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