In the late 1950’s, Bud Adams partnered with Lamar Hunt to establish the American Football League, which would challenge the rival NFL’s dominance and eventually spawn a merger between the two leagues. With that, Bud Adams legacy was cemented as an early founder who helped shape the NFL as we know it today. So why after so many years is Bud Adams not a member of the Pro Football Hall Of Fame. In today’s video we’ll take a look back at the history of some of Bud Adams’s most controversial moves and why that may be keeping him from enshrinement to the hall.

Here's what this "Bud Adams and Houston Oilers History" video covers:

On a plane ride back from being rejected by NFL Commissioner Bell, Lamar Hunt came up with the idea of starting his own football league, one that would rival the NFL. Hunt then approached Bud Adams and other businessmen (some of whom had also made failed attempts to buy an NFL team), and asked them to join his league instead. Hunt planned to start a team in Dallas, and thought it would be perfect for Bud Adams to have a team in Houston, creating a natural rivalry between the two teams. On August 3, 1959 in Bud Adams’ boardroom, the brand new team owners got together to announce the formation of the American Football League, and nicknamed themselves “The Foolish Club” for their seemingly unwise attempt to take on the imposing NFL.

The history of the Houston Oilers begins here, where Bud Adams drawing from his own family's background in the oil business, called his new team the “Houston Oilers”. In the early years of the franchise, A major Houston Oilers highlight was that they achieved immediate success appearing in the first three AFL championship games. By the mid 1960’s, the AFL had firmly established itself as a real threat to the NFL’s dominance and in 1966 it was officially announced that the two leagues would merge. Post merger, the team’s fortunes would begin to change around the mid to late 1970’s, with the arrival of charismatic head coach Bum Phillps, Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, and future hall of farmers Elvin Bethea and Earl Campbell. This core group became a sensation in Houston and would usher in a new era of Oilers’ football dubbed, “Luv Yah Blue”. Some of the early Houston Oilers Earl Campbell highlights were his rookie of the year win, and helping the Oilers make the AFC championship game two years in a row in 1978 and 1979. However, the game would feature a back to back match up of the Houston Oilers vs Pittsburgh Steelers (with the Steelers winning both times). The Bum Phillips and Earl Campbell, Luv Ya Blue era would be short lived however, as by 1984 both of the fan favorites had left the team.

During the Oilers struggles throughout the 1980s, Bud Adams continued to grow increasingly frustrated with the Houston Oilers stadium situation. By the mid 1980’s, Bud Adams actually threatened to move the team to Jacksonville Florida if the Astrodome wasn’t brought up to date with new renovations. Harris County, where the Astrodome is located, offered to pay for improvements to the aging stadium. By the end of 1993, even with the improvements to the Astrodome just six years prior, Bud Adams continued to threaten to leave Houston if no new stadium deal could be agreed upon. The city of Houston had no interest in spending more money to build a new stadium after the most recent costly renovations. A secret meeting was then set up between Nashville’s mayor Phil Bredsen and Bud Adams about potentially relocating to Tennessee, leaving many to wonder what happened to the Houston Oilers? Nashville even offered to pay 144 million towards building a new stadium plus another 70 million to cover ticket sales. With this enticing offer, and the lack of momentum for a new stadium in Houston, it became clear that Bud Adams wasn’t going to get the funding necessary to build a new stadium in Houston. With that, it was revealed during the 1995 season that the Oilers leaving Houston had become a reality. The Oilers moving to Tennessee for the 1998 season, was the final nail in the coffin for Houston football fans. On November 14, 1998 the Oilers officially changed their name to the “Tennessee Titans”. The team would still hold onto all the Oilers old team records, and history. With one last slap to the face of Houston fans, the NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue moved to retire the name “Oilers” so that no other future NFL team in Houston could have that name.

So what did you guys think about Bud Adams not yet being a member of the NFL Hall Of Fame? Do you think he belongs there for all of the things Adams did before the Oilers left Houston, or do you think he should remain out of the hall for adding the Oilers to defunct teams? Let me know in the comments below!

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WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO HOUSTON OILERS OWNER BUD ADAMS' HALL OF FAME CHANCES?