No. 9: The Houston Oilers

Oilers' derrick

Oilers’ Derrick

This was another “grower”, as I didn’t really appreciate this logo until it became obsolete when the Oilers changed over to the Titans. As averse as I am philosophically to the championing of non-renewable fossil fuels, there’s powerful iconography at play here, completely “American” in both its selection and its perceived importance. The red, white and blue imagery is obvious in meaning, but what’s really telling about our attitudes as citizens is the uncompromising pride this kind of logo evoked. At this point in history, with so much being said about converting the American economy base back to one of production from one of consumption, the spirit of the mark is accurate (when it hadn’t been for almost 25 years), but the paradigm shift from fossil fuels to green energy is totally at odds with what the oil derrick represents.

So as unfortunate as it is that such a great, meaningful logo had to fall by the wayside, it makes a ton of sense as a reflection of the cultural shift our country is currently undergoing. Give it another 10-15 years, and this little red, white and blue oil derrick will take on a quaintness no one would have ever associated with something football-related. And that’s kind of cool.

Logos, logos everywhere!

Shocker of shockers, in addition to being an avid consumer of pop music, I’m also a big sports fan (I had a hip coworker look at me quizzically one day when she saw me wearing a Washington Redskins football jersey the day after I was seen sporting a Joy Division tee). And a graphic designer with a passion for great logos and brand marks. So interspersed among our usual content, I’m going to be counting down my Top 10 favorite logos of the major professional sports leagues. Since we’re in the thick of the NFL season, and with an entire day of Turkey Day football right around the corner, let’s jump right in, shall we?

No. 10, Tennessee Titans

Thumbtacks!

Titans’ “thumbtack” logo

As a rule, I tend to hate expansion teams. Or rather, expansion teams chartered since I became sports-aware. They mess up divisional and conference affiliations, and tend to have very “of-the-moment” uniform and logo designs that look dated within about five to ten years.

To be fair, the Titans were not an expansion team; they represented the reinvention of the former Houston Oilers after they relocated to Nashville in the late 1990s. This logo was something of a grower; I hated it for a very long time. I wasn’t a fan of the light blue, and the design itself smacked of some lower-tier league, like the CFL or a European football team. But I’ve slowly come around, appreciating the thought that went into the design. The three stars representing the Tennessee state flag, the “t” with the star placed above it a stylized representation of a torch (in Greek mythology, Prometheus was the Titan that dared to bring fire down from the gods to give to man), which is further reinforced by the flame trailing behind it. The light blue is a clear reference back to the team’s history in Houston, which escaped me at the time of the logo’s introduction, but now seems honorable and worthy of appreciation. All in all, a fine logo for a team that looks poised to represent the AFC in the 2009 playoffs.