Luv Ya Blue
Encyclopedia
"Luv Ya Blue" was the term given to a movement by fans of the Houston Oilers of the National Football League
in the late 1970s that featured fight songs
, pom-poms and other features more reminiscent of the college game
than the NFL.
was hired as the coach and ushered in a new era for the Oilers. With the help of stars such as Billy "White Shoes" Johnson and Elvin Bethea
, the Oilers had their first winning season of the decade in 1975. In 1978, the Oilers drafted one of the most dominant running back
s in college football, Heisman Trophy
winner Earl Campbell
of the University of Texas. Campbell went on to become the NFL Rookie of the Year, as well as the Most Valuable Player in 1978.
Led by the charismatic Phillips, the team quickly became a sensation in Houston. Many team members, including Campbell, began adopting Phillips "good ole boy" attitude by wearing cowboy boot
s and "ten gallon" cowboy hats. As the 1978 season progressed, Campbell contributed such a large part of Houston's offense that many fans began referring to the team as the Houston "Earlers". This would soon change, however, as Campbell himself would give Oilers fans another catchphrase to use while cheering for their team.
On November 20, 1978
, the Oilers took on the Miami Dolphins
on Monday Night Football
. In order to boost team spirit, the Oilers gave each fan a blue and white pompom before the game. The sight of over 70,000 fans waving the pompoms inspired the Oilers to a 35-30 victory, behind Campbell's 199 rushing yards. After the game, Campbell stated, "The display of 'Luv Ya Blue' was a chance for people of all races and backgrounds to come together as a city. More than that, it was a feeling that the players and fans shared without even talkin'. We owed it all to one man: Bum Phillips."
were often organized and the Astrodome was regularly sold out as the entire city went wild for the Oilers. Houston's energy based economy was also booming at the time due to rising fuel prices, and this gave a large sense of optimism that boosted Oilers fans. Additionally, many thousands of new Houstonians had recently moved in from other parts of the US due to the surging economy, and the Oilers became a common cause for new and established citizens to feel civic pride. Local singer/songwriter Mack Hayes wrote and recorded the song "Luv Ya Blue" after the Oilers' 1978 playoff loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers
. The song became the Oilers' rallying song the following year and Hayes and the Love Ya Blue band played at the Astrodome for each of the 1979 home games. Lyrics to the song included:
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
in the late 1970s that featured fight songs
Fight song
A fight song is primarily an American and Canadian sports term, referring to a song associated with a team. In both professional and amateur sports, fight songs are a popular way for fans to cheer for their team...
, pom-poms and other features more reminiscent of the college game
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
than the NFL.
Coining of the term
In the early 1970s, the Houston Oilers had fallen on hard times. In 1975, Bum PhillipsBum Phillips
Oail Andrew "Bum" Phillips is a retired American football coach and the father of Wade Phillips, the Defensive Coordinator for the Houston Texans...
was hired as the coach and ushered in a new era for the Oilers. With the help of stars such as Billy "White Shoes" Johnson and Elvin Bethea
Elvin Bethea
Elvin Lamont Bethea is a former American football defensive end who played his entire career with the Houston Oilers...
, the Oilers had their first winning season of the decade in 1975. In 1978, the Oilers drafted one of the most dominant running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
s in college football, Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner Earl Campbell
Earl Campbell
Earl Christian Campbell , nicknamed The Tyler Rose, is a former professional American Football running back. He, Paul Hornung and O.J Simpson are the only people to have won the Heisman Trophy , were first overall National Football League draft picks and are in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame...
of the University of Texas. Campbell went on to become the NFL Rookie of the Year, as well as the Most Valuable Player in 1978.
Led by the charismatic Phillips, the team quickly became a sensation in Houston. Many team members, including Campbell, began adopting Phillips "good ole boy" attitude by wearing cowboy boot
Cowboy boot
Cowboy boots refer to a specific style of riding boot, historically worn by cowboys. They have a Cuban heel, rounded to pointed toe, high shaft, and, traditionally, no lacing...
s and "ten gallon" cowboy hats. As the 1978 season progressed, Campbell contributed such a large part of Houston's offense that many fans began referring to the team as the Houston "Earlers". This would soon change, however, as Campbell himself would give Oilers fans another catchphrase to use while cheering for their team.
On November 20, 1978
1978 NFL season
The 1978 NFL season was the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season from a 14-game schedule to 16. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 8 teams to 10 teams by adding another wild card from each conference...
, the Oilers took on the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
. In order to boost team spirit, the Oilers gave each fan a blue and white pompom before the game. The sight of over 70,000 fans waving the pompoms inspired the Oilers to a 35-30 victory, behind Campbell's 199 rushing yards. After the game, Campbell stated, "The display of 'Luv Ya Blue' was a chance for people of all races and backgrounds to come together as a city. More than that, it was a feeling that the players and fans shared without even talkin'. We owed it all to one man: Bum Phillips."
Spirit of Luv Ya Blue
After that night, blue-clad fans began to bring "Luv Ya Blue" signs to the Astrodome. Face painting also became popular, with many fans sporting the Oilers' logo painted on their cheek. Pep ralliesPep rally
Pep rallies are events that occur primarily in the United States and Canada. A pep rally is a gathering of people, typically students of middle school, high school and college age, before a sports event. The purpose of such a gathering is to encourage school spirit and to support members of the...
were often organized and the Astrodome was regularly sold out as the entire city went wild for the Oilers. Houston's energy based economy was also booming at the time due to rising fuel prices, and this gave a large sense of optimism that boosted Oilers fans. Additionally, many thousands of new Houstonians had recently moved in from other parts of the US due to the surging economy, and the Oilers became a common cause for new and established citizens to feel civic pride. Local singer/songwriter Mack Hayes wrote and recorded the song "Luv Ya Blue" after the Oilers' 1978 playoff loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. The song became the Oilers' rallying song the following year and Hayes and the Love Ya Blue band played at the Astrodome for each of the 1979 home games. Lyrics to the song included: