[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 18008-18009]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                           NFL HOUSTON TEXANS

  (Mr. GREEN of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, it has been 3 long years and 
Houston once again has a professional football team, an NFL team. That 
name last week was decided to be the Houston Texans.
  Since 1997, when the Oilers left Houston to go on to Tennessee, 
football fans have hoped and dreamed for this moment. In Houston it was 
a long and hard road. Even though it is only 3 years, it seems like 
many more.
  I want to thank the owner who brought the NFL back to Houston, Bob 
McNair. Without his hard work, dedication and effort, we would not have 
this possible, but also to the people of Houston and Harris County who 
voted to build the new stadium right next to the eighth wonder of the 
world, the Astrodome.
  As any Texan can tell us, football is more than just a sport or game, 
it is a religion in Texas. Texans are crazy about football, and 
Houstonians are now crazy about the Houston Texans.
  Professional football has a long history in my hometown. In the early 
days of the AFL, the Houston Oilers were a powerhouse, winning the 
championships in 1961 and 1962; and when

[[Page 18009]]

they merged the AFL and NFL, Houston was competitive each year.
  Such great players as Dan Pastorini, Earl Campbell, and Billy ``White 
Shoes'' Johnson led our team to the brink of the Super Bowl.
  Houstonians continue to stand by their team in good times and in bad, 
and now we are ready for the professional Houston Texans.
  Madam Speaker, I look forward to the on-field debut of the Houston 
Texans in 2002. I am eager to resume our annual Governor's Cup with a 
victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

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