5 Cities that undeservingly lost an NFL team feat. St. Louis and Oakland
NFL teams are a major part of the overall culture within the city they call home. Local fans often make their home team a part of their daily lives while also attending games during the NFL season. The team provides a major boost to their city's economy and gives them an identity, among many other benefits.
While most teams are loved by their home city in general, that doesn't always make them a permanent fixture. Relocation of different NFL franchises has been a factor since the very beginning when the league was first created. Here are five major cities who disappointingly lost their home NFL teams after they moved to a new location.
#1 - Houston Oilers
The Houston Oilers played their home games at the Astrodome, but owner Bud Adams was seeking a new home stadium. After being denied by the city of Houston, he was given approval by Nashville to build one in their city. This sparked the decision to move the franchise for the first time since 1960.
The Houston Oilers became the Tennessee Oilers in 1996 before eventually becoming the Tennessee Titans in 1999. Three years later, in 2002, the Houston Texans played their first season as an expansion team, giving the city a new franchise.
#2 - St. Louis Rams and Cardinals
St. Louis received its first NFL team when the Cardinals moved there from Chicago in 1960. The Cardinals then moved to Phoenix in 1987 and would eventually become the Arizona Cardinals in 2006.
"I hate Stan Kroenke.. I can't stand that guy because he took the Rams from St. Louis" ~@patmaroon
#PMSLive https://t.co/Z4n5MmYWZj
The next time St. Louis received a team was in 1995 when the Rams relocated there from Los Angeles. The Rams remained there for 21 seasons before eventually moving back to Los Angeles again in 2016. St. Louis is still waiting for another NFL team after losing two of them.