Tennessee Titans

. ** Played in the era prior to uniform numbers; wore 33 while serving as coach.
. * Manager. Numerous key players were cut or traded by the Titans front office during the off season, including Derrick Mason, Samari Rolle, Kevin Carter, and others. This was done most likely to "clean house", or free up money to put the team farther under the salary cap to make further player acquisitions. Despite this, the Pirates' mediocre performance has translated to subpar attendance figures. Their 5-11 record turned out to be their worst in a decade. Due to its simple, unpretentious concept and strategic usage of the remarkably beautiful Pittsburgh skyline, it is frequently regarded (as in a recent ESPN article) as currently the best park in baseball.

The 2004 season was disappointing for the Titans, who suffered an unusual number of injuries to key players. The Pirates opened a new stadium, PNC Park, in 2001. The Titans made the 2003 playoffs, winning their first-round game over the Baltimore Ravens and losing in the AFC semifinals to the New England Patriots. Though this rash of trades has not been popular in Pittsburgh, it is generally accepted that it can mostly be attributed to the aforementioned "small market syndrome." It is felt that Littlefield is attempting, with perhaps mixed success, to follow the blueprint created by overachieving small market teams such as the Oakland Athletics and Minnesota Twins. In 2003, quarterback Steve McNair won the MVP award, sharing it with Peyton Manning. After the 2004 season, Kendall's salary was also dumped on the Oakland Athletics. Louis Rams when Kevin Dyson was tackled one yard short of the endzone as regulation time expired. Pirate fans found this trade much more palatable in the short run, as Pérez led the majors in strikeouts per inning and Bay won the Rookie of the Year Award award in 2004, while Giles put up a subpar season by his standards.

The Titans' Cinderella season led to a trip to Super Bowl XXXIV, where they lost a heartbreaker to the St. Brian Giles was one of the National League's best hitters for several years, but he and his $9 million salary were also traded in 2003 to the San Diego Padres for youngsters Oliver Pérez, Jason Bay, and Cory Stewart. This game qualifies as one of the greatest games in NFL history and became known as the "Music City Miracle". Enigmatic but talented third baseman Aramis Ramirez was traded to the Chicago Cubs in 2003 for a fairly minimal return under pressure to dump his $6 million salary for 2004, and he proceeded to become a star for the Cubs. The 1999 first round win was due to a lateral from tight end Frank Wycheck to Kevin Dyson on a late 4th quarter kickoff return; Dyson returned the pass 75 yards for a touchdown to win the game. Current General Manager Dave Littlefield was installed midway through the 2001 season and began overhauling the team to comply with owner Kevin McClatchy's dictum to drastically reduce the payroll. The Titans made the playoffs in their inaugural year in the "Music City", which was capped off by their unbelievable first round playoff victory over the Buffalo Bills and a third win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, the failure of the Pirates to compete in recent years has been blamed on "small market syndrome"; teams located in small cities such as Pittsburgh and Kansas City cannot compete with New York and Boston without a salary cap or similar agreement, as the better players tend to gravitate towards cities where teams generate more revenue, meaning larger salaries.

In 1999, Adelphia Coliseum, now known simply as The Coliseum, was completed and the newly christened Tennessee Titans were well received by their new fans in Tennessee's state capital. (Interestingly, video footage of Kendall's leg breaking from under him has been circulated on shock sites.). The team relented and played the 1998 home schedule at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville. No such incident has occurred with Kendall, but he has lost almost all of his power and much of his speed following a broken leg in 1999. The 1997 season is often recalled as having consisted of 16 road games. Despite poor play in 2001, Bell announced that he would begin "Operation Shutdown", a passive-aggressive ploy in which he would fail to play effectively in response to losing his role as a starter. Weary of babysitting Nashville's team, Memphis largely ignored the Oilers, who played before crowds ranging from sparse and indifferent to outright hostile (as in the case of a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers). Their overall lack of success in the last decade have been blamed partly on former General Manager Cam Bonifay, who gave large contracts to players such as Derek Bell and Jason Kendall while failing to identify, develop, and retain numerous young potential star players.

The Oilers rejected Vanderbilt Stadium and played their home games at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium while waiting for their new stadium to be finished in their permanent home city, Nashville. However, they did miraculously contend for the 1997 division title, finishing second and only being eliminated in the season's final week, despite having a payroll of only 9 million dollars. The soon-to-be Tennessee Titans spent 1997 in Memphis as the short-lived Tennessee Oilers. Since then, the Pirates have not had a winning season. Even before the Oilers relocated, they established the future cornerstone of their offense by drafting Steve McNair in 1995. Both players complained about the preferential treatment given to Van Slyke, leading some to believe that racism was well-ingrained in Pittsburgh sports. Unlike his support of an old-line NFL city (Cleveland) in holding on to its tradition, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue did not intervene when Adams declared that no other Houston football team could ever use the name "Oilers". Before the 1993 season, Bonilla and Bonds would leave for more lucrative contracts elsewhere.

Although the city of Cleveland kept the franchise's name "Browns", and the team's history when it left, Houston's status as the home of the first two American Football League championships did not save the city's AFL heritage. The Pirates would win the first three division titles of the 1990s, but failed to advance to the World Series each time, the second two losing closely contested seven-game series to the Atlanta Braves on questionable calls at the end of the final game. The mid-1990s signaled the decline of the Houston Oilers and the ill-fated "run and shoot" offense and by 1997, owner Bud Adams moved the team out of Houston. Jim Leyland took over as manager, and the Pirates gradually climbed out of the cellar behind young and exciting players such as Bobby Bonilla, Barry Bonds, Jay Bell, and Andy Van Slyke. From 1987 through 1993, the Oilers were one of the most successful teams in the AFC, making the playoffs each year but failing to reach the Super Bowl. Following was a period of decline until the Pirates were regarded as the worst team in baseball during the mid-1980s. In 1984, the Oilers won a bidding war for CFL legend Warren Moon but didn't return to the playoffs until 1987, where the Oilers nearly went to the Super Bowl. Adopting the then-popular disco anthem "We Are Family" as their theme song, the Pirates won a fifth World Series, again in seven games, in 1979.

From 1978 through 1980, the "Luv Ya Blue" Oilers would make the playoffs each year but three postseason losses prompted owner Bud Adams to fire head coach Bum Phillips and signaled the decline of the Oilers for a few years (the 1981 Oilers won their first two games, both on the road - but then the team lost 23 consecutive away games, an all-time NFL record which remained intact until the Detroit Lions lost their 24th straight road game on December 21, 2003). Stargell, speedy Omar Moreno and power-hitting but ostentatious and unpopular Dave Parker became the cornerstones of the Pirates as Murtaugh left and Chuck Tanner took over as manager in 1977. In 1978, the Oilers' fortunes changed when they drafted University of Texas football star Earl Campbell, who was both Rookie of the Year and MVP that year and led the Oilers to their first NFL playoff appearance. Clemente died tragically in a plane crash in 1972 while attempting to ship supplies to the victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua, and is today regarded as the most prominent figure in Pirates history, with a riverfront park and suspension bridge named for him. They then fell from the AFL elite, and the years immediately following the 1970 AFL-NFL merger proved to not be much brighter. He retired soon afterwards. The Oilers won the AFL Eastern Division title again in 1967, then became the first professional football team to play in a domed stadium, when they moved into Houston's Astrodome for the 1968 season. However, in 1973, Blass suffered a mysterious breakdown in his pitching abilities and posted an outrageous 9.85 ERA.

Dewveall that year caught the longest pass reception for a touchdown in professional football history, 99 yards, from Jacky Lee, against the San Diego Chargers. They also thought they had a genuine superstar pitcher (historically rare for the Pirates) in Steve Blass, who pitched two excellent games in the World Series and put together excellent seasons in 1968 and 1972. In 1962, the Oilers were the first AFL team to sign an active NFL player away from the other league, when wide receiver Willard Dewveall left the Bears to join the champion Oilers. The Pirates won their first of five division titles over the next six years, and won their fourth World Series the next year behind a .414 batting average by Clemente. They lost to the Dallas Texans in the classic 1962 double-overtime AFL championship game, at the time the longest, and still one of the best professional football championship games ever played. Slugger Willie Stargell became a fixture in the Pittsburgh lineup, and the Pirates would return to prominence in 1970 when Murtaugh returned as manager and the Pirates' home field, Forbes Field, was demolished in favor of the multi-purpose Three Rivers Stadium. After winning the first-ever AFL championship over the Los Angeles Chargers in 1960, they repeated over the same team (then in San Diego) in 1961. However, the Pirates struggled for the remainder of the decade, and Murtaugh was replaced by Harry Walker in 1965.

Cannon joined other Oiler offensive stars such as quarterback George Blanda, flanker Charlie Hennigan, running back Charlie Tolar, and guard Bob Talamini. The 1960s would continue with extremely solid defensive play by Mazeroski and the first Puerto Rican superstar, Roberto Clemente. Clemente was regarded as both one of the game's best all-time hitters and right fielders. They scored an important victory over the NFL when they signed LSU's Heisman Trophy winner, All-America running back Billy Cannon. In arguably the most memorable World Series in history, the Pirates were defeated by more than ten runs in three games, won three close games, then recovering from a 7-4 deficit late in Game 7 to eventually win on a walk-off home run by Bill Mazeroski. The Oilers appeared in the first three AFL championships. The 1960 team featured eight All-Stars, but was widely predicted to lose the World Series to a powerful New York Yankees team. The Tennessee Titans began in 1960 as the Houston Oilers, charter members of the American Football League. Murtaugh is widely credited for inventing the concept of the closer by frequently playing pitcher Roy Face late in close games.

The Tennessee Titans are a National Football League team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Pirates would have only one winning season until 1958, when Danny Murtaugh took over as manager. Frank Wycheck. The post-World War II years were not kind to the Pirates, despite the presence of a genuine superstar in Ralph Kiner. George Webster. The 1927 season was the first for the sharp-hitting combination of brothers Lloyd Waner and Paul Waner, who along with shortstop Arky Vaughan ensured that the Pirates had plenty of Hall of Fame-caliber position players through 1941. Webster Slaughter. The Pirates recovered from a 3-1 deficit to win the 1925 World Series over the Washington Senators, and reached the 1927 World Series before losing in a sweep to the New York Yankees, who at that time had built the most dominant team in baseball.

Charlie Tolar (1937-2003 ("the human bowling ball")). However, veteran outfielder Max Carey and young players Pie Traynor and Kiki Cuyler, along with a steady if unspectacular pitching staff, brought the Pirates back into the spotlight. Bob Talamini (born 1939, won two AFL titles with the Oilers, AFL and World Championship with the Jets). The decline of Honus Wagner, considered by some to be the greatest shortstop ever, led to a number of losing seasons, culminating in a disastrous 51-103 record in 1917, Wagner's last season. Mike Rozier. With largely the same star players, the Pirates would continue to be a strong team over the next few years and got their first World Series title in 1909, defeating the Detroit Tigers in seven games. Samari Rolle. Deacon Phillippe pitched five complete games, winning three of them; but it was not enough.

Allen Pinkett. However, owing to injuries to their starting pitchers, they lost the first World Series ever played, in 1903 to Boston. Warren Moon. The 1901-1903 Pirates completely dominated the National League, in part because they lost few star players to the rival American League. Ron McDole. In 1900, the Pirates picked up star players from the defunct Louisville, Kentucky club, including greats like Honus Wagner and Fred Clarke (who also served as the team's manager from 1900 to 1915), triggering a long string of pennants. Wahoo McDaniel. In 1890, they merged with the Pittsburgh team from the Players League after that league folded.

Bruce Matthews. The AA club picked up a number of players from a defunct Columbus, Ohio team in 1885. Derrick Mason. In its early days, the club benefitted three times from mergers with defunct clubs. Jacky Lee. They are in the Central Division of the National League. Ernie Ladd. The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Jevon Kearse. Bradenton Pirates. Sean Jones. Lynchburg Hillcats
Hickory Crawdads
Williamsport Crosscutters. Charlie Joiner. Altoona Curve. Billy "White Shoes" Johnson. Indianapolis Indians.

Haywood Jeffries. National League
. Bobby Jancik. Pitching strikeouts: Bob Veale (276, 1965). Drew Hill. Pitching wins: 28 Jack Chesbro (28, 1902). Charlie Hennigan (born 1935, first professional football player to catch more than 100 passes in a season (Oilers, 1964)). Hitting streak: Danny O'Connell (26 games, 1953).

Eddie George. Walks: Ralph Kiner (137, 1951). Miller Farr. Stolen bases: Omar Moreno (96, 1980). Ray Childress. Owen Wilson (36, 1912) [MLB record]. Kevin Carter. Triples: J.

Billy Cannon (born 1937, made All-League as a halfback in 1961 and as a tight end in 1969). Doubles: Paul Waner (62, 1932). 74 Bruce Matthews. Hits: Paul Waner (237, 1927). 65 Elvin Bethea. Runs: Kiki Cuyler (144, 1925). 63 Mike Munchak. Runs batted in: Paul Waner (131, 1927).

43 Jim Norton (born 1938, all-time American Football League interception leader). Home runs: Ralph Kiner (54, 1949). 34 Earl Campbell. Batting average: Arky Vaughan (.385, 1935). Steve McNair. Branch Rickey. Brad Hopkins. Bob Prince (legendary announcer nicknamed The Gunner).

Andre Dyson. Bill McKechnie. Keith Bulluck. John Galbreath. Chris Brown. Barney Dreyfuss (former owner and creator of the World Series). Drew Bennett. 42 Jackie Robinson (retired throughout baseball).

Gary Anderson. 40 Danny Murtaugh *. Mike Munchak. 33 Honus Wagner **. Ken Houston. 21 Roberto Clemente. Earl Campbell. 20 Pie Traynor.

George Blanda (born 1927, first player to pass for 36 touchdowns (Oilers, 1961)).   9 Bill Mazeroski. Elvin Bethea.   8 Willie Stargell.   4 Ralph Kiner.   1 Billy Meyer *.

Jim Leyland (1990, 1992). Manager of the Year