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I meant to post about this earlier, but got distracted by other events.
Last Saturday, Troy Aikman, Warren Moon, John Madden, Rayfield Wright, Harry Carson and Reggie White were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
I am a long time Cowboys fan, and am especially pleased that two Cowboys made it in this year. The number of Dallas Cowboys in the Hall of Fame is remarkably low, given their record. Many suspect that a certain resentment against "America's Team" is the reason why. In any case, it's nice to see a couple of Dallas players get the credit they're due. (Okay, Aikman was pretty much a sure thing. But Wright wasn't. I really didn't expect two Cowboys to be picked in one year.)
Years ago, a friend of mine considered attending Texas Christian University, and toured the campus. She says it was near Texas Stadium, so she toured that, too. Apparently, the famous Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders work as tour guides in the off-season. She got to see the Cowboys' locker room, and was bemused to find that Troy Aikman's locker had phone numbers scratched all over it. Apparently, female tourists hoping to date him carved their phone numbers in his locker. (And if you're wondering, no, she didn't add her number. And she didn't go to TCU, either, choosing Boston University instead. Poor girl had to live in Red Sox Nation for four years.)
Harry Carson might be of more interest to the average New Yorker, as he played for the New York Giants his entire career. He helped the Giants win their first Super Bowl, in 1986.
Warren Moon is the first African-American quarterback inducted into the Hall of Fame. I believe he was the first black quarterback in the NFL as well - at least, the first successful one. Traditionally, the NFL converted black QBs to other positions. (Just as not too long ago, many people believed that blacks could not be pitchers or catchers in MLB.) Moon, however, refused to be converted. Not because he was taking a stand, but because he felt he didn't have the talent for other positions. His strong arm was his best asset, and he felt he didn't have the strength, size, or speed to play other positions.
He played for several teams, including in the CFL, but is best remembered for being the quarterback of the now-defunct Houston Oilers. (Well, the Oilers are not defunct, really, though the name is. The team moved to Tennessee. Realizing that the "Tennessee Oilers" sounded silly - if you're going to name yourself after a fossil fuel in Tennessee, it should be coal, not oil - they changed their name to the Titans.)
The Oilers' oil derrick logo, baby-blue uniforms, and run-and-shoot offense are no more, but in honor of Warren Moon's induction into the Hall of Fame, here's one more chorus of Houston Oilers #1, also known as Luv Ya, Blue, the Houston Oilers fight song.
All together now:
'Cause we're the Houston Oilers, Houston Oilers,
Houston Oilers, Number One!
Yes, we're the Houston Oilers, Houston Oilers,
Houston Oilers, Number One!
