Growing up in Houston, Texas, can have a profound impact on your relationship with the game of football.

The former-Houston-Oilers-now-Tennessee Titans had a devious way of making an entire city leap on the proverbial bandwagon in anticipation of a championship and then stomping upon the heart of every single individual who ever shouted, “Luv Ya Blue.”

Year after year, my older brother and I would start wearing only periwinkle and white (much to my father’s dismay and confusion) towards the end of each season, hoping that our terrible fashion faux pax would be viewed as a heartfelt offering to the football playoff gods.

In those days, we had a talented corps of Pro Bowlers who were all capable of taking us to the big game.

Warren Moon, Cris Dishman, Ray Childress, Mike Munchak, Bruce Matthewsall—nationally recognized players whose immense talent was surpassed only by their desire to bring home a championship.

But after zooming effortlessly through the competition during the regular season, the Oilers always sputtered come playoff time.

Fumbles, missed field goals and poor blocking forced their loyal fans to become increasingly jaded as each playoff season approached.

There was the Chiefs 28, Oilers 20.

There was the 26-24 loss to the Broncos in the 1991 AFC Divisional Playoffs. A 28-20 loss at the hands of the Chiefs in the 1993 Divisonal Playoffs. And of course—the game that remains a taboo subject of conversation in Houston—the 41-38 overtime loss to Buffalo in the 1992 Wild Card game.

In each game the Oilers led by a comfortable margin.

And the Oilers lost each game.

With each loss, Houstonians began to put up an emotional wall between themselves and their love of their hapless home team.

We weren’t even the best losers—we were the fans of a second-rate Buffalo Bills.

So even though Texas is a place where Friday night football and homecoming games reign supreme, Houston is a city that remains seriously scarred by its former professional football team. Most Houstonians try not to call any team their own simply because they fear that cheering for the home team will only result in dashed hopes and bitter disappointment.

When it comes to football, the city has a big fear of commitment.