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Pittsburgh Pirates (Football) Team Formation
In May 1933, in anticipation of the repeal of some of Pennsylvania’s restrictive laws in the fall of that year, Rooney applied for a franchise with the NFL. His request was granted on May 19, 1933, and the Pittsburgh Professional Football Club, Inc. joined the NFL in exchange for a US$2,500 franchise fee (roughly $45,000 in today’s dollars). The new team was known as the Pirates in reference to their baseball club landlords at Forbes Field. Before settling on Forbes, Rooney considered playing at Greenlee Field, which housed the city’s Negro League baseball club. Since the blue laws were not repealed until November’s general election, the team was forced to play its first four home games on Wednesday nights.
In May 1933, in anticipation of the repeal of some of Pennsylvania’s restrictive laws in the fall of that year, Rooney applied for a franchise with the NFL. His request was granted on May 19, 1933, and the Pittsburgh Professional Football Club, Inc. joined the NFL in exchange for a US$2,500 franchise fee (roughly $47,000 in today’s dollars). The new team was known as the Pirates in reference to their baseball club landlords at Forbes Field.
In early 1940, Rooney decided that he had had enough of the copycat Pirates moniker. He worked with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to run a contest to find a new name for the team. Former coach Joe Bach led the panel which selected the name Steelers from amongst the entries. The new name paid homage to the city’s largest industry of producing steel.
Established
1933
City
Pittsburgh
League History
1933 – Present / National Football League
Team History
1945 – Present / Pittsburgh Steelers
1944 / Card – Pitt
1943 / Philadelphia – Pittsburgh “Steagles”
1940 – 1942 / Pittsburgh Steelers
1933 – 1939 / Pittsburgh Pirates
Nickname
Pirates – Pittsburgh’s football team shared the same nickname as the city’s baseball team, the Pirates, from 1933 to 1940. They never posted a winning record.
Championship
Super Bowl 0
2008, 2005, 1979, 1978, 1975, 1974
Stadium
2001 – Present / Heinz Field
1970 – 2000 / Three Rivers Stadium
1958 – 1969 / Pitt Stadium
1944 / Comiskey Park
1943 / Shibe Park
1933 – 1963 / Forbes Field
Owner
2017 – Present / Art Rooney II
1988 – 2017 / Dan Rooney
1933 – 1988 / Art Rooney
Retired Number
70 Ernie Stautner
75 Joe Greene
*Blue is this team’s history
