When a team like the LA Rams change cities, is it still technically the same team? Do they keep their history?

Question

Some stupid girl is trying to tell me that the Colts never went to a superbowl because they were Baltimore in 71....please help!

Answer 1

If they keep their team name I think they keep the history as well. If they change the name (Houston Oilers to Tennesse Titans and Cleveland Browns to Baltimore Ravens) then the history stays with the city until it is given a new franchise.

Answer 2

In most cases, yes, but it depends. For example, the Tennessee Titans and the Houston Oilers are considered the same team, since the Oilers moved to Tennessee and later became the Titans, so basically they use all the Oilers stats and history. The Texans, however, are considered a separate team from the Oilers. They don't use all the stats and history of the Oilers. On the other hand, Houston may pay homage to all its former Oilers players as they do to their Texans players, since they are associated with the same city. (Please correct me if I'm wrong on any of this.) Similarly, the Indianapolis Colts use all Baltimore's old stats, the St. Louis Rams use all the LA Rams (and Cleveland Rams before that) stats, and so on. So even though the Colts were in Baltimore when they won Super Bowl II, they are technically and officially the same team that won Super Bowl XLI even though they are now in Indy.

The exception is with the Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens. When the Browns left Cleveland for Baltimore in '96, they adopted a new team name, colors, and logos, and left the Browns name, colors, logos, stats, and history in Cleveland, with the NFL promising Cleveland an expansion franchise with the "Browns" name in the near future. The Ravens were considered a completely new team with a blank slate, even though they were technically the same team as the "old" Browns. Then when the "new" Browns entered the league in '99, they basically picked up where the "old" Browns left off, using the same name, logos (or lack of a logo), colors, stats, and history as the "old" Browns. So basically, the "old" Browns and the "new" Browns are officially considered the same team (even though they are technically two different franchises) who took a 3-year hiatus when the "old" Browns left for Baltimore. Does that make sense? I hope so!! :)

Answer 3

Yes, it is the same franchise. Just a new home city. At one time the Bears' home was in Decatur, and the Cardinals have been in Chicago and St. Louis before going to Phoenix. Teams move unfortunately. The only exception to this, if I recall correctly, is when the Browns moved to Baltimore, the NFL somehow prevented the Ravens from claiming the historical titles of the Browns championships from 50's and 60's. The Ravens were considered a brand new team.

Answer 4

The only team that has not kept their history is the Baltimore Ravens - after they moved from being the Cleveland Browns in 1995.

But, before the new Cleveland Browns were re-introduced in 1999, the Baltimore Ravens HAD kept the Browns history.

When, the Cleveland Browns came back in 1999 they insisted on keepin the history of the team that played there until 1995.

Baltimore Ravens gladly gave it to them.

If you find Baltimore Ravens media guides and game programs from 1996-1998 on Ebay they are worth a lot of money!!!


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Answer 5

There is a grey area when dealing with moving franchises,The Chicago Cardinals later became the St Louis Cardinals then The Arizona Cardinals and they did not carried their history from their former cities,on the other hand The Raiders have been moving around back and forth between Oakland and Los Angeles and they do keep their history,The L A Rams moved to St Louis and kept their history,The Houston Texans moved to Kansas City and became the Kansas City Chiefs and did not keep their history even though it was the same team

Answer 6

The team keeps their history even if they change names. The Titans franchise history goes back to the days when they were the Houston Oilers.

Therefore, Vince Young is the best quarterback in franchise history since Warren Moon!

Answer 7

it's a good question, but yeah it's the same team cause its the same organization and structure. the rams are the same team cause its the same organization. same with the colts. the only change would be such as the browns becoming the ravens in the late 90's.

Answer 8

The team does keep their history, stats and records etc. so it was incorrect for her to say the Colts had never been to a Super Bowl.

Answer 9

The team history stays the same...You can't change whats already been written. When a team changes its name...thats all they are changing....the players are the same, the owners stays the same, they will stay in the same division until the NFL does a modification of the divisions. IT STILL IS THE SAME TEAM. Only the name changes. -Playbookcritic

Answer 10

If the team keeps its name than yes that team keeps the history. If it changes it names it is almost like it is an expansion team and it has no history.

A better question would be when the Oilers left Housten what happened to their history because they became the Titans and the new team in Housten is the Texans.