Longtime sports PR man Chip Namias shares some Love Ya Blue magic and memories with Nestor
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
oilers, game, chip, euler, baltimore, players, houston, pr, pele, people, colts, friends, dolphins, lost, locker room, super bowl, titans, play, night, texans
SPEAKERS
Chip Namias, Nestor Aparicio
Nestor Aparicio 00:01
W and S, T, Towson Baltimore and Baltimore positive. We have a fun one I had here if you’re watching out on the web camera on YouTube you see that this is not a Baltimore Ravens Jersey this is it’s not a Lansdowne High School Jersey either, although it could pass this one. We’re gonna be doing the Maryland crab cake tour out at State Fair in Catonsville near lands down the home of Jim Schwartz. You just got that brownies job, holiday cash crop giveaways from the Maryland lottery gotta do that on Friday, as well as our friends at window nation 866 90 nation you buy through you get through free 0% financing for 60 months, and it is wintertime and I’m digging my new windows, my cat digs my new windows, the birds are flying into it, digging the new windows. Alright, this is gonna be fun segment in my spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of wise conversations we have here at Baltimore, positive wn St. I have a really full, rich, beautiful life at 54 that I was celebrating during the holidays and getting up on New Year’s and my wife’s donor being here. And I have so many old friends on Facebook and LinkedIn in different places. And I really thought to myself 2023 is gonna be the year I go to some new places. I’ve seen the same old Springsteen shows, but I am going to some new cities, new places and doing new things. And I have some people that I’ve been wanting to invite on the show. And they’ve been camera shy, or I’m back of house. I’m the PR guy I don’t do Yeah. And the PR guys are always the guys with the best story. They can’t tell them all. Some of them have sort of a timeline on it. Some of them, you know, the statute of limitations passes and we can find out exactly what happened in that Kevin Gilbride fight with Russia or with Buddy Ryan. But chip nacmias has been a friend of a Houston Oilers PR guy in the early 90s. When I first went on the radio as nasty Nestor on December the 13th 1991 then with Kenny Albert, and I called him back when I started a radio show and I said I’m the world’s biggest Houston Oiler fan. I want to have Oilers on my show sometimes. I’m a legitimate media guy was a newspaper guy, can you help me and ship nacmias took pity on me. And 30 years later, we are celebrating our friendship, our relationship. The few beverages we’ve had along the way at many many Super Bowl radio rows and and he knows of my affinity for the Oilers. But I thought of him and saw him getting honored in Nashville Tennessee by the Addams Family and he had his name in lights in in oil or blue, never to be tightened blue. And I welcome you on to the program. I’m going to put some royal farms coffee and my Houston Euler mug chip Nam Yes. And it is good to have you on and I know you’ve done a lot of things in your life, but nothing is significant as being the love you blue PR guy for the Oilers in the early 90s. So welcome, man, how you been bro? Good Nestor. Good to be with you. Good to see you. As you mentioned, it’s been a long time we got a lot of history together and happy to be here. Well, you come to me in many ways, not the least of which would be that Euler blue helmet you have over you that you put onto your set. And me and my elbow and this is a game worn elven buffet a jersey that I ripped his name off the bat because it was appealing. I mean, you know, but when a little cheap on the Jersey, so they’ve territor away Derner Oh Campbell, and the name were off. So I put my name on the back. But this is a legitimate sand knit team issue elven buffet, a real jersey that I’ve had for 35 years. And you know of my love for the Oilers. Do you think fondly I mean it was a job for you. You work for the dolphins. You work for the Bucs. I saw all the Pele stuff coming out last month. And I forget about your time in the NASL I mean, you’ve had a really wonderful life and sports and I have so many people like you in my life that I’ve never had you on the storytel but like to the Oilers, when when they show that old Buffalo game still piss you off, or do you look back now and say, Man, I work in the NFL with Warren Moon it was good stuff, man. Well, when they do show that documentary on the water bills game, I always do the same thing. I DVR it. I watch it, and then we’re Bubba McDowell makes the interception return for a touchdown and we go up 35 to three and change the channel. There you go. All right, it was good, right till then, you know, I watched that game with like rustic Liano the famous artists here from the Baltimore Sun, who’s one of my dearest friends, we talk about it all the time. You know, as we do this interview chip. The ravens are interviewing Frank Reich to be their offense coordinator. You know,
Chip Namias 04:51
I a few years ago when Frank was the offensive coordinator for the chargers and I was working as an NFL replay official so I’m on the sideline a couple hours before the game and I went up to him. And I just said, You don’t know me, but you ruined my life. And he had a real puzzled look on his face today had to explain I was the PR guy for the Houston Oilers. And you know, in the game, you could have been the PR guy for the Miami Hurricanes and done the same thing because he did that as a term. I’m well aware that you know, the amazing thing about that game that people forget, that makes it even more incredible from the bill standpoint, is Buffalo didn’t have their two best players, Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas didn’t play that game. And that makes it even more painful. And you were mentioning the Oilers. And obviously, that was a big part of my life. I was there for nine years. And we just had a reunion in October, Amy Adams, who is now the author of the Titans after father’s passing away, you know, for many years that you still remember, players kind of felt like men without a country, the Titans really never brought them in or invited them to anything. And they were a lot of them still live in Houston, they kind of felt like, you know, we played and poured our blood and guts for an organization that doesn’t technically exist anymore. And the organization that it’s become, doesn’t pay any attention to us. Well, Amy Adams when she got control of the team, she’s changing that. And she’s really brought the Euler players back in because that was a big part of the history of that organization from 1960 to 1995 35 years of, of Euler football. And this past October, Amy brought about 85 former Euler players to Nashville for a beautiful three day weekend, which literally no expense was spared. And it was a great time to see all the old guys again and hang out for not just a day but three days chock full of activities and, and Amy Adams did it up right and kudos to her for recognizing Euler history, which I know is important to me and important to you as well.
Nestor Aparicio 06:55
It’s important to me, man it is. It’s the legs of my fandom that led me to cover this league. At the level I covered last for the last three decades to become, you know, they become all purple. Right? And they lived in the league very briefly. I have some pictures of me and Blaine bishop on the field in 9897 Excuse me when they closed Memorial Stadium because the last game for the Colts was Earl Campbell and the Oilers in 83. You weren’t there yet, then right? You were in Miami.
Chip Namias 07:26
I was in Miami but we had a last game a memorial that in December of that last year,
Nestor Aparicio 07:32
go to the Steelers play here that month, too. Yeah, that was memorable. And
Chip Namias 07:35
I’ve never forgotten it because that was the only time I was ever at Memorial Stadium. And I was a huge even though it seems weird since I had no Baltimore connections growing up the Colts were my team. John Mackey was my guy. And I love Chuck Thompson.
Nestor Aparicio 07:53
John Mackey was a friend of mine and you know obviously suffered at the end of his life and Sylvia’s a friend as well. It’s funny you would mention that and it’s serendipity. Anytime I have somebody like you want because one thing is going to be I have no idea where this conversation with Chip is going. It’s gonna it’s gonna involve before we’re done, it’s going to involve at least one king. It’s going to involve soccer to King’s Pele and Jerry Lawler. So ships Ben and Warren Moon as well it Chris Dishman was the king of something I’m sure too, but um, you know, chip for me with that part of my life and loving the Oilers and being a fan, and for you to even talk about. The oiler players being wayward. You know, we had that here with all the Colts right? Because no one can live in Baltimore and ever. I mean, Johnny, you was like, I’m not going to Indianapolis, and getting anything and John Mackey wouldn’t accept this hall of famer and he accepted it here. As part of the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Fame Game, the preseason, get Baltimore the ballgame, which was dolphins and saints in 93. And John Mackey, I was with my wife at Nacho Mama’s, which is this wonderful place the proprietor died 10 years ago, he was a dear friend of mine, a guy named Scotty real Baltimore legend guy, Nacho Mama’s there’s two locations and we were in the Towson location the other day. My wife and I were having a margarita we’re having some delicious Berea case studies. And they’re on the wall and sunny stole everything. Everything on the wall with some I can say that he’s been gone for 10 years, but there’s a ce o LTS, and they literally were from the side of the stadium. And they’re probably four foot C four foot Oh, and it’s above the bar, and they’re autographed by a couple of people. And you know, and I wanted to get up and figure out who signed John Mackey signed all five of them to see Oh, l t and f. And you know, they’re all signed, but your modular few that fell as it lived a little longer, you know that some of the others did. And so I saw John Mack He’s named five times three nights ago with my wife. And she and my wife said, I wonder how Silvia is and we’ve started talking about John. So for you to say you love John Mackey. Where did you grow up? You’re a Memphis guy
Chip Namias 10:15
I lived in. I lived in New York City through first grade. And then after first grade, we moved to Memphis I lived there from through the eighth grade. And then when I was in high school, my mother got remarried, and we moved to a suburb of New Haven, Connecticut, but the Colts were my team. I remember watching a Super Bowl three, with my little kitty colts helmet on in my bedroom, my heart was broken. That was a tough game to endure. Little did I know that. Ultimately, I’ve worked for Coach Shula years later, but
Nestor Aparicio 10:50
how many kings have you been associated with
Chip Namias 10:53
the culture of a team? You know, all throughout my childhood? Mackey was my favorite player. Firstly, I love Johnny, you loved Ray Perkins when he was on the Colts and you know, that was my team. Still remember my Curtis leveling the guy who was dumb enough to run out on the field with that classic? You know, that would be That’s That’s a penalty in today’s League, the horse collar. It was it was great. So
Nestor Aparicio 11:21
let me go back to the beginning of our relationships. I want to paint the scene of my oiler fan. And for anybody that doesn’t know about anybody, it’s been in my life a long time knows about it. So in 1974, I went to my first Colts game and I brought this back up with Stan white recently, I first got to have the program, Stan white separated Joe NamUs shoulder in the game. And I just found that I ran into Stan at the Cal Ripken foundation basketball lunch with Jay Wright and Gary Williams. They do this big thing here every year. It’s beautiful they do in September for the Cal Ripken senior Foundation. And, and, you know, a little throwback, I run into Stan and I saw him and I’m like, and Stan was in the locker room for 20 years to win postgame radio. So I know Stan, well, I’ve never taken a picture with Stan that I’m aware. I did find one of me him and Bert Jones together at a bank with 20 years ago. But I said to Stan, I want to take a picture with you, man. Because I always have said to Stan since I was a very young man since as long as I’ve known you. Stan was a celebrity here in the 90s He ran the indoor soccer team for a long time he had gyms and the first time I met him, I said to him, Stan, why’d you sack Joe Nemeth first game I went to Oh, thank you very much young man, you know, like 30 years ago. So every time I see Stan, I remind him it was a great game for him. But he told me he’s like, we threw eight interceptions in that game. That’s true. I’ll never forget it. I’m like, what how’s that possible? You through eight interceptions. I looked it up online and went back September 10 1974. Burt Jones through four and and I’m losing the name here. Marty dimers. Through for, say through eight interceptions in the game. He lost 34 to seven to the Jets. Joe Nemeth got a shoulder separate and that was the beginning of my first football game my dad took me to I was five years old. I wasn’t even six yet. I remember it vividly. I sat in the outfield, which you could never do at a baseball game Memorial Stadium. You know, they opened the outfield. The seats out there, they put a little rope up. The band was out there, the cheerleaders the line all of that. And on the way out of the stadium. Honestly, God chip on the way out of the stadium. There was a man selling pennants and banners when we got the bus right in front. The NFL films just always capture that Japan had scorecard program on the way out. There was my dad was so pissed at the Colts. They had just dealt Johnny you to the Chargers. And my dad was so pissed off that when I went out, I wanted to pin it a banner. And I looked at the Euler blue and I loved the helmet. And I said I want that one pop and he’s like, Well, I’ll get you out and he must have made a deal with the guy because I have the Chargers went to the Dan Fouts you know that. So I have a chargers one and an Oilers, one that my father bought from me, and I fell in love with the Oilers that day. I always loved the Oilers. A couple of years later they drafted Earl Campbell, the Oilers played on the night that Jimmy Carter was elected on that Monday night before that Tuesday, and I had off from school I was in third grade and the Oilers were in Baltimore Monday Night Football Howard Cosell Bert Jones. I saw the Oilers play Monday Night Football on Memorial Stadium that night, and I just always loved the Oilers right? Then we the cold stink right when I was at the ghost of the postgame with my dad. I was at the famous playing in the upper deck in Baltimore against the Steelers. I was at those games 7576 77 The Tony Linhart fall game shake and bake that dolphin steak beat and sure all that I was at the He’s got 789 10 years old, we lose our football team. Right? So we lose our football team. I was already Earl Campbell up in 7980 81 I was definitely Passerini top. I was just called stunk. I mean, the Colts were just terrible 7879 After Bert got hurt, so the Oilers were my thing, and then we lose. I was at the last game Memorial Stadium, Earl Campbell played in that game, and we lose the team. And I’m 15 years old, and I don’t have a football team. And I’m about to go through that. And I was working at the paper as an intern, John Steadman was there. And Stedman knew how much I used to wear this jersey into work on Sunday night, every Sunday night, this jersey 9087 8889 90. Go through all of the, you know, the Warren Moon run and shoot all of that. And then in 91, I got to show Kenny Albert and I started the show on December 13, of 91. And in 92, I’m on the air without Kenny Kenny’s off being Kenny gonna do Kenny things. And I have this show. And I was just trying to book gas and we didn’t have a football team in it barely had a prayer having football team. But I was a legitimate media member. And I knew what a PR director was. And I had been doing newspaper worked for eight years, I had been in NHL locker rooms, and I had interviewed Dr. Jay, I, you know, like I was a legitimate media guy. And I reached out to you and I call down on Fannin street into your cave. And I said, you know, whatever. It’s 71361655 I’m gonna do it. And I said up PR please a chip nameless, because I’m from Baltimore. That’s where I would say it. And you pick them from PR. Oh, it was PR. Oh, hey, Chip, sob. It’s gonna be strangest phone call you get all day. But I’m immune from a music critic. It’s Son. I’ve interviewed people. I’ve done David Bowie, Billy JAMA, legitimate guy, I’ll send you can you maybe get a player to one for me from time to time to make my show more fun? I don’t that’s how I called you. Right? That’s how you met me. Right? Kind of sort of. No, that’s why did you why did you put Oilers Why did you give put Jack party on the phone with naked eye? Like seriously?
Chip Namias 17:09
Before I answer that question, you know, you, you mentioned Bert Jones a couple of times. And just I talked about Bert Jones all the time. And we were just talking about him with a buddy of mine last week, because I was a huge Bert Jones fans. But Bert Jones is probably the best quarterback who’s not remembered to guess he was so style of play and what he was able to do and the way he played the game. That wasn’t done back in that era. Bert Jones today would be a huge superstar. But you know, it crushes me that people don’t remember I know they do in Baltimore. But outside of Baltimore, people don’t really remember Bert Jones. And that’s a shame because he was a talented, talented guy.
Nestor Aparicio 17:57
And everybody loves burn. I mean, and I have such a crush on Berg. By the way. I think I’m getting John Waters on next week, which will comply can die after that. Like that’s the end of my bucket list. But But bird would come on with me every couple years. And I’ve only met him once or twice. And when I’ve met him he’s been incredibly magnanimous. But all the reporters that covered him back then Clark, George loves to come on and tell our own stories because he just loves Burt Jones like, Yeah, everybody loves Bert.
Chip Namias 18:25
And you also mentioned Kenny Albert. So I knew Kenny, when Marv was doing games, way back when I first started in the league in the early 80s. Kenny was like 15. And he was like Barb’s traveling spotter. And he’d come with his dad to the games and find on Kenny since he was a teenager, but, you know, a great guy. To answer your your question, you know, why would I take pity upon you and furnish oil or players to show in Baltimore, which back in the early days was, you know, it was out of our market and obvious and who would care? You know, it was such a unique thing that you had this, your immediate guy with this Euler passion. And you know, how can I turn my back on that?
Nestor Aparicio 19:09
Well, I have all the tapes. And when a couple of years ago when I was putting old tapes together and I may be doing this again, Super Bowl week. I have Hall of Famers that had been on my show. I’m 30 and I’m in my 32nd year of doing radio now. So I’ve known you 31 years. It’s my 25th anniversary this summer on August of the station. I’ve owned the station for 25 years this summer. And and we’ve broadcast nonstop and our sponsors have been great and our audience is beautiful and some people know of my Euler Jones from time to time it kind of has come up but this sort of battle thing I’ve had with the Ravens honestly over the last four months is sort of enervated my life in a lot of ways in weird ways, where I don’t really want to wear Raven swag being how they’ve treated me, but the honest to God, truth is I’ve never, ever, ever thrown away anything that had Oilers on it, and part of the reason is they became a dormant franchise, right? Like I had friends that were Browns fans and dolphins fans and Redskins fans and still, you know, like, and they adopted the Ravens. It made it really weirdly easy for me. Like in 96, we played the Oilers in and I was raised I had denounced the nuts denounced the Oilers, but I had been taught that there was every day in my life the first five years on the radio, right? And by the way, just so you can I want you to see this chip, because I broke this out for you. This is the Euler fight song on the cassette tape that I used to play on the air. It says Euler fights online it says Euler songs, so it didn’t just have the Euler song and had the Euler cannonball on it. It had all of the Hokey country songs from the 70s on it’s the album, but I would queue this up and I would play look at a football here we come Houston Oilers number one, right so Houston has the Oilers though greatest football team. So and I would tape with this was the actual tape I played for five years back in the era of tapes. So I found this for you today. So everything I’ve ever had this Euler, I have Dan Passerini has game used helmet from 1973. It has all of the colors of the other teams that they collided with, which is how I figured out it’s a 73 helmet. And I showed it to Passerini I have I have Chip, I have a Houston with a trash can. And I’m not kidding you. I still have all of my stuff. So
Chip Namias 21:34
I gotta jump in and out the song because you know, the guy who did that song’s name is Lee Hoffman. And I’m assuming you know that he did the exact same song for the Gulf dolphins. Yeah. And there was always a controversy. Who had it first Gusau really is it and when I went from the dolphins to the Oilers, you know, my joke was you know, I had to go only go to the Oilers because I wasn’t smart enough to learn another song. That but the I have I have the saw they were really up in version on my on my on my iTunes. So yeah, it pops up from time to time.
Nestor Aparicio 22:12
So you know, I don’t collect much anymore. I’ve gotten rid of all of the old autographs. I keep stuff that’s personal to me. I have all of my press credentials. And they’re in three boxes because it’s been 31 years. I mean, I’ve covered with a press credential. Oh 750 NFL games easily, and I probably attended. Oh, Chip 2000 NFL game or like not maybe not that maybe 1200 Because I’m thinking how many are a year but I went to games. I went to 10 games 12 games a year I was an Eagles season ticket holder. I was a cold season ticket holder. When the Colts left I went to Eagles games. I went to Euler home and road games in your era. I saw the Oilers play when they played the East Coast. I’d see him play five road games. Some years. I’d see him play in Washington, New York, Pittsburgh, Cleveland. But I collect these these belt buckles these Pacifica rock and Ron I know what a rock and roll guy you are, because I see all of your next time you come on. We’re going to do wrestling and oldies music and you and I go on to the Hollywood Bowl together. But this evening, I collect pacifical rock’n’roll belt buckles from the late 70s and I have a box and I can’t find it right now. I was gonna do it for the air. I have a box of boiler stuff, which is like hats, sweatshirts, pom poms, weird, weird little trinkets, Christmas ornaments, keychain, the stuff that I had, that I never got rid of, because the Oilers were dormant right, and they’re not hurting anyone. They’re there. It’s that blue helmet behind you only mean stuff to people mean stuff to and when I’ve gone on eBay, like you could buy it or Oh Campbell Jersey like this for 25 bucks in any size. And Warren Moon wood you can get it in white get in blue, because they were made and now nobody like nobody wraps it right. To your point the players are like, like, last chip, how was that thing in October? What Wait, that’s the weirdest thing because none of our guys stand White would never go to Indianapolis to claim John Mackey. None of the guys here would do that. I mean, it was very, very North and South Korea, right. Like you just didn’t do it. And I would think and I know I talked to Passerini about this, and I’m sure I talked to John McClane. Did the Texans just like not do anything for these cats? I mean, I just was wondering about the Texans or the Titans. The Texans like ways they lived in Houston like the Texans not want to like embrace Dan Passerini. I mean, that’s kind of crazy, right?
Chip Namias 24:44
Of course they did. In fact, it’s funny you bring that up because I’ve had a lot of conversations with oil horn players that were in Houston when the when the Titans organization wasn’t really paying attention to them. And the Texans tried to jump on that when they first started out with all these formal Well, we’re players in town. The Texans of course didn’t have a history. So they tried to steal the Oilers history and make some of these oiler players in Houston Texans ambassadors, give them blazers of the Texas ambassadors patch. And so their credit, most of the guys declined. And they said, you know why we appreciate that you want to bring us in the Texans bowl, but we’re not Texans, we didn’t spill our blood for the Texans. We don’t have any routes for the Texans. Our organization is the Oilers, and hopefully the Titans will do the right thing and, and make us feel part of the family which, as I mentioned, you know, throwing bouquets at the feet of Amy Adams is what she’s doing. And in fact, she and I talked about this at the willow reunion in October with the Texan to try to do that. And Amy got her backed up a little bit and she said, you know, they’re not going to see those are my players, those little players, those are my players. They’re not going to she was pissed that they were you know, trying to steal her players and she said that’s that’s why we’re gonna keep doing what we’re doing. We’re gonna have this lavish reunion every year and I’m gonna make those guys feel a part of this and and that’s what she’s doing but yeah, the Texans try, but it didn’t work.
Nestor Aparicio 26:16
But but she owns the derrick right and she owns the markings right i mean it’s still a property of the tech Titans Correct?
Chip Namias 26:22
I assume it must be because they will sometimes work throwback uniforms and and they sell Oilers licensed merchandise and their gift shop so yeah, I’m sure they still do all the marks Yeah,
Nestor Aparicio 26:36
yeah, well, the one time they wore the old throwbacks they got crushed by the the Patriots in the snow right and lost 50 to nothing or something like that. And they were wearing the cool, the, you know, the appropriate throwbacks as I would say, from that, how much stuff do you have do I mean I have a box and I’m literally I told my wife this I’m going to see Springsteen in Houston in a couple of weeks right and I just have a hours there I have a cousin that lives there some good friends but I’m going to go down Westheimer and and and vintage shop and I may pick up a couple of trinkets and make a little room for my the Oilers can never do me wrong. You always did me right even more Moon Dust me right when I bumped into him these days people treat me right. But I I love my members of the Oilers and I and it’s it must be what it’s like to be a Bills fan. Ah, they never win, right? I mean, you never climb the mountain. I guess story for you because I Jimmy Schwartz. I already already pimped him out and talked about him getting the Browns job. And he’s running the OC. In 2003. The Ravens got eliminated by the titans in Baltimore in a playoff game, wild card game. Orlando Brown, the late Orlando Brown had a penalty move. The Joe Netanya 15 yards they beat us knocked us out of the playoffs. Big Titans lost to the Patriots and next week is five degrees or something. And about three months later, Rush open their tour in Nashville. And Schwartz and I are you know we’re boys right? Your betas and Dundalk rock and roll guys. So Schwartz, I’m flying to Nashville to hang out with shorts to go see rush. And I flew in in the morning and he comes out to the airport picks me up. I’m in the passenger seat. He’s like, hey, gotta stop by the office. Okay, your fiscal year? Yeah, it’s May but okay, if you got to work fine, you know, to be stopped by the office. And he takes me on to the Cumberland River. And he takes me into at that time, the old facility was like an old airport airplane hangar wasn’t a very, it wasn’t as nice as what we have here. And it was milled. And I walked in. And the first thing he did was take me into the cafeteria there. And the cafeteria is the Oilers cafeteria and 2003. Right. I mean, the Titans had four years of history. They had played in a Super Bowl, right? They had their own thing. But it’s buds team buds alive. Dude, I went into that cafeteria. And it was just all Euler. And he said, I thought, you know, I thought you’d like this. And then he proceeded to take me upstairs, lock me in a room and make me watch his team kicking my teams as out of the playoffs. So he tortured me. And then we went saw Russia was great night. We had a good time. I don’t remember anything after that. But I do remember it was like being in Disney World. For me. There was that moment where you get that feeling that the logo makes you feel or the derrick and all of a sudden, you meet Earl Campbell and you’re in Dallas one night and there’s Earl Campbell, and he offered to let me sit on his lap and take a picture chip, you know, and then Dan Passerini spent a whole evening with me after my wife had cancer. Dan at the Astros game, and these I’m a kid again, you know what I mean? Does that make any sense to you? I’ll never be a kid around Ray Lewis. I can be a professional and I love Ray and I love the Ravens. And I love that you have a Super Bowl, right? Like all of that. But the Oilers are the innocence in me. Does that mean any I said, I almost made me cry. But does that does that weird? Because they’re dead? That it’s okay for me to wear this?
Chip Namias 30:16
No, not at all. I mean, the way you describe, that’s how I still am with the with the New York Yankees because when I was five years old, my dad took me to my first game, and that’s submitted my loyalty to the Yankees. And, you know, when I’m around the Yankees, it still kind of, you know, brings out the kid. And you know, that’s, that’s, that’s all great. And, you know, it was so for me was so meaningful, being at that reunion in October, and getting to be around those guys. And I was explaining this to somebody recently, what was really special to me, like, when I was working with those guys is the PR guy. I mean, their players and on the PR guy, I’m always asking him to do stuff, or whatever. But what was really special and unexpected for me when I was at that reunion was they treated me like I was a player. I mean, it wasn’t like, yeah, we’re Sol hanging out with each other. Oh, yeah, there’s chip used to work in the front office. No, it they made me feel like I was just as much a part of it as they were. And I was like, seeing me, and hanging around me was just as valuable to them and meaningful to them as it was, to me and to them. And it’s like I was a former teammate. And that was unexpected. And that really made me feel even better about what was a very special weekend.
Nestor Aparicio 31:36
Ship. I have been treated that way for 21 years by the members of the Super Bowl 35 team. And we lost Tony last year. But when they come to town, they call me. And we wind up going out and having good times, whether it’s Jack Del Rio or Kim herring, and these and they want a Super Bowl and it’s in obviously it’s different. I was media but they were coming out through on my show on Monday night drinking beer. We’re the same age. It was it was total innocence to get the franchise here. And then the winner of Super Bowl was some of those guys, Marvin, I mean, I talked to Marvin last week, right? And now they’re being immortalized in this Baltimore bullies thing that’s happening next week on 3430 as well, but the oiler players of that era being wayward and coming back and doing this. Um, is it weird flying in the net? Was that that that is unprecedented, right? Like what they were doing? Because the rams have a problem with that. Right? Like, I would go to St. Louis to see Jack Young brother’s name on the wall. Jack Young one in St. Louis. Right. And you would see those sort of, you know, Roman, Gabriel weird things that went on. But I would think for the living souls, and these were all young guys with a franchise I mean, Mormon still young guy, right. That to have some sort of football home, even for you that that that weekend was 20 years in the making, though, right, literally.
Chip Namias 33:00
Yeah. But you know, when you look back on it, you know, how the Oilers, you know, what happened when they left was all very predictable. I mean, we all knew what was going to happen. At the time it was happening. You know, Bud was trying to get the city to give money for new stadium. The Astrodome was not really a football facility. It was, you know, even then it was kind of in disrepair. And as I mentioned, it wasn’t a football specific place. So it had a lot of nuances to it that weren’t great. And, you know, it been had been a more popular figure in Houston, which he was not. He probably would have gotten a stadium deal done. The Oilers would have gotten their deal, the team would have never moved and there would be no Tennessee Titans. But there was a lot of animosity towards bud from the the citizens of Houston, the pool of politicians in Houston. As I said he wasn’t a popular guy, and he wasn’t a really good schmoozer. So when it came time to put his hand out and trying to get a stadium deal done. There weren’t people really lining up to help it. And so we knew what was going to happen, but it was going to move the team. Somebody else would eventually come in who would be more popular would get a new stadium, it would end up costing the city of Houston, the Harris County taxpayers way more money than it would have ever cost them to just help bud and that’s what happened, you know, butts on popularity. He didn’t get a deal done. He moved the team. Bob McNair came in the city of Houston built a stadium, the county and the city and it cost way more than it would have if they had just done what Bob had asked at the time. But it was an unpopular owner and and when to some extent maybe that’s mirrors a little bit what happened with art there.
Nestor Aparicio 34:54
Chip nannyish is our guest the one time Houston Oilers PR Director You were there in 9394. Were you gone at that point?
Chip Namias 35:03
I was there. I got there in 86 and went to the bucks and 94
Nestor Aparicio 35:07
Okay, I was credential.
Chip Namias 35:10
I missed the move by a year which
Nestor Aparicio 35:11
okay, I was at. I only went to one Euler game in Houston. It was a holy grail moment for me. The Giants played the Oilers in a really bad Monday Night Football game with Dan Dierdorf. Colin color. I sat with Ernie Accorsi for a long period of time that night he was the GM of the giants. And it was the first night that Jeff Fisher coached the Oilers. So whenever that was that he was November 94. If I’m not I was I was in Texas to see the Rolling Stones at the Cotton Bowl today. I made a weekend of it. I actually went to Irving stadium to see the Cowboys but the Redskins was Thanksgiving weekend. 94. So I guess you were gone at that point. But also, I want to say so you went to Tampa and some railroad with the Culverhouse folks, you were in Miami with Joe Robbie, and with legendary PR people there and Harvey and and obviously Don Shula and all of that and Dan Marino as well. But the Pele thing, a couple of weeks ago, Pele died. About four months ago, you put up this series of pictures in Memphis, Tennessee, in the old mid south Coliseum where I’ve never been, by the way, I had been to the Liberty Bowl to see the Orleans play in 97. But you put a couple of pictures up and we’re Facebook friends, we have a good time and I comment on all your oldies music stuff with the turtles and happy together and all that good stuff that the throwback stuff monkey stuff that you see. But the the people that you’ve associated with, I mean, you brought Burt Reynolds by on radio row, you brought Adam Sandler by my show, and you’ve been around a lot of amazing things. I mean, you’ve really led this weaving you’re a lot more than the Oilers PR Director chip Naomi’s.
Chip Namias 36:55
I appreciate that. Nestor Yeah, no, it was from the dolphins, to the Oilers to the Buccaneers. And then working in my own sports PR firm for the last 20 years and doing PR campaigns for sports movies has been fun, you know, getting to, to, you know, first work with athletes and then work with with movie people. Very different, very different. You know, when I first started doing that I was going to be interested in my own head to see what we’re going to be the primary differences in working with athletes and movie stars. And there were a lot of differences. It wasn’t what I was what I expected. I was expecting that athletes were going to be tougher because athletes have really been treated special for longer than movie stars, movie stars, and normal high school lines and college lines. For athletes. You know, maybe since they were eight years old, they’ve been treated as if they were special things have been passed been paved for them. Not so much with with movie stars who didn’t become famous until they got into adulthood. But it’s a lot harder to deal with the movie industry than it is with the athletes because there’s so many more layers. When you’re dealing with a Kevin Costner or Jennifer Garner and Adam Sandler. They can be great. But there’s managers and publicists and agents and studio executives and blah, blah, blah. And that can be a, you know, kind of a trippy thing to go through.
Nestor Aparicio 38:25
But athletes win and lose. Right? You know what I mean? Like the losing part of being an athlete. I don’t ever take that for granted. I mean, I’ve been doing this, you know, 31 years on the radio, but 39 years I’ve been in locker rooms. I mean, i chi Newbury, Jaco was the first coach I ever went up to with a notebook. I was 15 years old. I’m 54. And I’ve been doing this a long, long time. But every game I’ve ever gone to. Half of the people are pissed. They lost and usually, and so if you get blown out, you’re pissed if you lose the last bucket, or it’ll let you know last, you know, the losing side of it. There’s a humility, part of losing and an acceptance of defeat to some degree and at least facing defeat. That makes being an athlete. You know, I’m sitting at the locker with Lee Evans. After he dropped the pass and sitting at the locker with Billy Cundiff after he missed the kick that would have gone to the Super Bowl. I mean, you talk about those Oilers players loving you and treating you like not chip the PR guy but maybe chip the long snapper the kicker the punter like you’re at the edge of the roster because you were in there crying with them when they lost in Buffalo that day and you’re on the plane back and you it hurt you as much as it hurt them right I mean it really and I know that about everyone that works for teams and I you know, I’ve talked about that with Chad steel Kevin Burnham where I respect you know how hard it is for you to get the cornerback that got toasted on the Jacoby Jones pass and get them out to say a few things to the media about the play. And that how hard that is to do in the modern era. It was hard Are your ERA it’s much harder in the modern era?
Chip Namias 40:03
Yeah, it is hard. But and, you know, that’s one of the things that you miss when you don’t work for a team is that, you know, besides, besides the structure of like, whether you’re a player or a PR guy, your Monday is your Monday or Tuesday, you know how each day of the week is going to play out, whether your PR guy or your, your, your player. And you, when you’re the PR guy, unlike maybe the ticket person, or the salesperson who’s not working with the players, and PR, you’re in the locker room every day, you’re on the field during the you know, for part of the games. So when that scoreboard shows you at the end of the game, whether you won or lost, it’s that just you don’t just feel it as a player, you feel it as a staff person, you know, whether you won or lost, you know, it hurt me inside when we lost. You know, the week was different after you lost than it was after your wine. And you know, you knew that that was just a part of it. But you know, the highs were high and the lows were low. And I was fortunate enough to be with two teams that competed in the Super Bowl. And that was, you know, unbelievable. And, you know, but you can’t replicate that in the business world. I mean, it’s not the same.
Nestor Aparicio 41:20
Pele, I got to ask you about Pele and then I gotta get a Jerry Lawler story and I’m let you go. And I’ll have you back on and we’ll do no sports at all. And it’ll just be only music. Good music before 1980 That’s it usually before 1980 will be our next category. But chip name is former longtime PR guy in sports and entertainment and my friend. But before all of this football stuff you were trying to kick off the little Euro thing. They were kicking the ball and the shorts back in the 70s. Man you were on a on the pitch. We Pele literally right as a kid. Well, no,
Chip Namias 41:56
not really. I worked. You’re right. I worked in the NFL for three teams, the Memphis roads, the Tulsa roughnecks and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. But Pele was just had just stopped playing when I came into the league in 78. But I did get to meet him a few times. And you know, be around him a few times, which was pretty incredible. But
Nestor Aparicio 42:22
anyway, in 1978, is the most famous man in the world literally, right?
Chip Namias 42:27
Well, we, maybe when Pele passed away, you know, a few weeks ago, we were talking about this. And I think that as far as an athlete, or as far as an athlete, being a member of the club, where you can show up in any country on the planet, and people immediately recognize you. It’s a two member club. It’s Pele and Muhammad Ali. I think those are the only members of that club who can show up on any planet, and people will immediately know who they are. So that’s pretty rarefied air to people, you know, in history of sports. Who can make that claim?
Nestor Aparicio 43:06
I met Holly once and I’m still bragging about it. And you know how I knew Pele was a big deal. My buddy Phil Jackman and love Phil send the love out to his family. He’s still with us, but not fully capable. Certainly not a coming on the show. And I have a bunch of old tapes that I’m shining up to keep his voice and his magic alive. But he was a bit of a not a bit and he was a mentor. He’s a crazy uncle to me. He was you know, father figure. And we in the 80s when I was the cub sports writer 8586 87 When I was wearing my boiler Jersey in his car going to capitals games back in the day. He would always say to me kid I covered them all. All the fight he covered all the covered all the fights sugary love, like hockey, basketball, all of that. Only one time I got an autograph. I was at I was at a conference with Pele I threw the program up there. I have one one autograph, Pele. And he would always say and this is in the 80s he would say to me, I’m like, Man, Phil’s like, you know, Phil’s got integrity on the up and up but like Pele broken down you know what I mean? I mean, McCartney would do that to you and me right? Um, Jerry, the king. You mentioned this shout at in Memphis. I’ve been meaning to ask you because I’m trying to get Jerry The King on the show and you’re trying to facilitate and organize and, and the king came on and regaled me with stories one time about 25 years ago to a Raw is War. That night. I had Jerry Lawler the rock. Vince McMahon. I mean, I had a hell of a show that night but break that went out one night too. But your association with the king and wrestling in Memphis because I saw you taking pictures. That arena is iconic. You only read it. It looks even a little bit like it’s the Hershey Park Arena.
Chip Namias 44:48
But there was another arena of the Jacksonville arena which has since been torn down. There’s a mid south Coliseum we’re talking about where the Beatles performed Elvis perform. You know Michael Jackson It’s in Memphis State basketball when it was big in the 70s when they went to the Final Four against Bill Walton, and, you know, all the iconic events that have been held in that building, they’re trying to save it. I don’t know if it’s going to be successful. They’re talking about tearing it down to use that space for an outdoor soccer stadium for a the equivalent of an MLS triple eight team. But you know, I sure hope he could say but you know, getting I’m pretty good friends with Jerry Lord. As a kid, I was a huge wrestling fan. And used to go see Jerry Russell when I was in college and in high school, and then I got to meet him in the late 80s at a nappy, which is a national television syndication convention. I met him there and we in the late 80s, and we’ve been friends ever since when I go back to Memphis to visit my family. I always see Jerry was there in November saw Jerry like three times. And you know, the best story about Jerry is when I would be in Memphis visiting family when they had the old Saturday morning live wrestling show. And I would you know, Jerry would say, Hey, come on down with me to wrestling down to the TV station, I’d go down with him. So this one particular time, I go down with him for the live hour and a half wrestling show, which was iconic in Memphis. And we’re backstage and he throws me a referee shirt. And he says you’re gonna referee a match on TV today. And so I’m like in shock. I mean, I’ve watched wrestling long enough to know what a referee does, but to go and do it on live TV when you’ve never done it once in your life
Nestor Aparicio 46:47
was one of his matches, or was it a bone that what what kind of match was it?
Chip Namias 46:49
It wasn’t it wasn’t it wasn’t one of his matches, but it wasn’t a book was his his son, Brian Christopher, who has since passed away. And a couple other guys. And there was going to be an angle on the match. I don’t know if you remember a guy named Mabel. Okay. Nabal. Sure. He was a WWE wrestler who was about 600 pounds. And the gimmick of the match was when there was going to be a pin. I was supposed to count slow. And before I would get to three, Mabel would run in from the outside, clear the ring interfere in the match, blah, blah, blah, pre eight, mayhem and so forth. Well, two things happened that were noteworthy number one. So I’ve never done this. So the guys on the panel and I’m counting, I’ve been told don’t go to three. So I’m like one, two, where’s the outside interference. I’m waiting and waiting and waiting. Finally Mabel shows up. Now, before I finish the story. I got chastised later, because I guess it’s an unwritten rule. The Wrestler misses his mark and doesn’t get in the ring when he’s supposed to. You can’t. You can’t mess with the credibility. You gotta go three. So I didn’t know that I was going by what I was told. Anyway, Mabel runs in the ring, he creates mayhem. He’s tossing guys out of the ring. He’s beaten up everybody. And so finally just throwing everybody out of the ring. And it’s just him and me. And this is live TV. Now Jerry has told everybody backstage, don’t mess with my friendship. He’s not a real referees never done this before. You know, blah, blah, blah. So anyway, there’s all this excitement, the bench are going crazy. Everybody’s been thrown out of the ring, navels, the last man standing, except for me the referee. So suddenly he looks at me. And I’m thinking, this is not going to end well. So he comes over and he literally picks me up, and he throws me over the top row. Now I don’t know how to land. I’m not an experienced guy. Fortunately, there’s padding out there. I landed on the panning. The fans are going crazy. Now I’m smart enough to know, I’ve got to ride around in pain here for a while before I ultimately get up. So then they go to a commercial, the famous wrestling announcer Lance Russell goes to a commercial but there’s still a live audience there. And I’m about to get up and kind of make my way back to the locker room. When I hear Mabel shouting out now just playing to the fans in the studio because they’re in a commercial break. Goes where’s that referee. And I can see under the ring his feet coming around towards me. I’m going this is also not going to end well. So he picks me up by the hair. And he says no referee should wear glasses. He pulls my glasses off off my head. He puts them down on the corner of the floor on the mat. He gets back in the ring he gets up on the top row and he jumps off the top rope onto the mat and smashes by glasses into about a million pieces. And then he goes back to the locker room. I lit back to the locker room still plan that I’m heard from being thrown over the top row as soon was a door closed. I NF and screamed at Jerry and everybody back there. You know what the heck is going on? You know, I got thrown over the top rope table smashed my glasses. It was not a great experience but I have the videotape of the whole thing.
Nestor Aparicio 50:15
Oh you asked do you have to have you have evidence of that right?
Chip Namias 50:18
I don’t have evidence of the breaking my glasses because I was during a commercial break but I have a videotape of me being for over the top. Have
Nestor Aparicio 50:26
you ever lived a full life? I knew there was a better story. There was a story behind those pictures you and Jerry Lawler and I do I get it out of you. So I’m glad that you finally broke kayfabe and decided to kind of come on the show here. Ship Nam is the longtime one time Houston Oilers PR director who coddled me and took care of me in my early nasty Nester phase in 1991 9293 Fishing me Oilers, you got me. Hey, what Jeffrey’s you got me Chris Dishman.
Chip Namias 50:57
By the ways if you said name your absolute favorite player of all years in the NFL who needs the most of your heart? They would Jeffrey’s love, love that guy. So do
Nestor Aparicio 51:08
you do know you got him for me? You got me Chris Dishman. You got me Bubba McDowell. You got me Jack Pardee, which I’m eternally grateful, but he’s a Hall of Famer, and that’s added to my hall of fame collection of of interviews, but and you also got me credentialed at a preseason game in 1993, in Detroit at the Silverdome and I went into the locker room into your locker room into the cages of the visiting locker room in the big bubble. And I had oiler players record, I didn’t know I was gonna say this chip. I’m just thinking, I’m like making this up as I go along. But I, I went it players in your locker room, and they all did bumpers for me. And I remember meeting Ernest Gibbons, who was about my size, and I loved Ernest Givens, right? Like he caught big balls, called third downs made plays, run and shoot the whole deal. And I went up to Ernest Gibbons and I said, Hi, Ernest, I’m Nestor from Baltimore. I do this radio show shipped. Let me in. Can you do a bumper from an ad? Hey sirness Kevin’s from the Houston Oilers and you’re listening to W you’re listening to the sports forum and nasty Nestor Aparicio. On wn S T. R is gonna be wi th and fit. He can call the show for 10 For one thing, so is the script. And earnest Kevin’s gave me this sly handshake he’s like, call me eg baby. And I remember this 30 years later that earnest give and said to me call me Gee baby, and I thought to myself, I’m glad I root for you earnest given Thank you very much. So I remember all this all these years later. I didn’t get your Warren Moon and he didn’t play was preseason game. You know, it’s kind of thing. But I have all the bumpers there on a tape just like the other fight song. And I am eternally grateful not just to your friendship and our friendship and that I owe you a beer for doing this and breaking kayfabe and coming on and telling your stories. But the next time we’re going to do Hollywood ball and why I need to get there. Okay.
Chip Namias 53:06
That’s so my god, I gotta give you a couple of Don Shula story. He’s got some good ones on that as well.
Nestor Aparicio 53:12
I’ve really screwed up because fudge offered me Don Shula several times in the end of his life in Harvey to because I was working on a book on Baltimore coaches and I kind of I just, it just we never made it happen. You know what I mean? It was I effed up. I I know after I complete I met Mr. Show, I’ve had him on the show I had I don’t have pictures. By the way. I have a picture of him in the Orsay dummy in Indianapolis like 10 years ago. It’s legendary. I’ll send it over you’ll get a good chuckle out of it.
Chip Namias 53:44
For me to tell one Don Shula story,
Nestor Aparicio 53:46
all I have is time for you chip names. Go ahead, man. Let’s do it. Let’s do it. Let me tell you.
Chip Namias 53:49
It’s my favorite coolest story. I wasn’t there when it happened. I wish I had been. But it predated me it was after the dolphins had gone to their first Super Bowl which they they lost in what 73 Or excuse me 7170 Whatever it was, they lost the Super Bowl. And but before the 72 undefeated season, and Shula and his wife, Dorothy, took they had three kids at the time. They took them up for vacation during the offseason to a coastal island in Maine. And they were you know, off the coast of Maine. They were walking around like 730 at night. They had already had dinner they decided you know it’s too early to take the little kids back to the hotel and put them to bed what
Nestor Aparicio 54:33
little kids are future coaches there right my day, right? Okay. Sure. Right.
Chip Namias 54:37
What can we do with the with the little kids at 730 at night, we’ve had our dinner let’s go a little time. So this small coastal Maine town, there’s a movie theater, like, let’s let’s take them to the movie. So they walk in the movie theater, Don Dorothy, three of the kids and they come in the lights are still on in the movie theater and they’re walking down the ramp in the theater. They come in finding seats. It was hard Really anybody in the theater and the few people that were in there, turned around and saw Coach Hill and Stanley and they started applauding, and Coach Shula turns to his wife, he’s kinda all the way up here in Maine. They know me, I guess it’s from the Super Bowl we just love so he’s doing his presidential way to the you people in the theater and he and his kids and his wife, find their seats and take your coats off and watch the movie. And so when the movies over the lights come on, kotula is gathering his family, they’re gathering up all their belongings and making their way out of the theater and this man in the little small crowd rushes up to him when he says, I want to shake your hand. And coach will fix this. And he goes, Oh, are you a big Dolphins fan? And guy says, Dolphin said, I don’t know what you’re talking about. But the manager said we didn’t have 10 people in here they weren’t going to start the movie
Nestor Aparicio 55:55
coach you shoulder man made a nice steak too is I remember uh, too, so yeah, absolutely man and I you know, I love to having you on. You made me break out my oil or stuff and, and my mug and my trash can and my oil or flight. So somewhere around here, there’s pom poms, and tree ornaments and different things. And at some point I’m going to add to the legacy and the lore of the defunct franchise. Look out football. Here we come Houston almost looks like Patriot pad a little bit in that light. But it is a Houston older mug. Chip. Thanks for coming on and being a good friend all these years and making my show better.
Chip Namias 56:31
Thanks, Nestor. Thanks for having me enjoyed it. A real professional
Nestor Aparicio 56:34
PR professional chip Dami. Its longtime Euler PR director as well as the the buckos as well as the dolphins and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers back in the day and doing Hollywood things around here. On our next presentation of remember the Oilers, I will play the Euler cannonball and make everyone laugh. I am Nestor. We are W NSTA and 1570, Towson Baltimore. And even when our football team gets bounced out, we’re still talking football around here. It’s Baltimore positive.com Stay with us.
