How They Got Their Name: Pittsburgh Steelers

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Professional football began in Pittsburgh in 1933 after the state of Pennsylvania repealed its “blue laws,” which forbode sporting events to take place on Sunday.  Once this law was no longer in place, former baseball, football, and Olympic boxer Arthur Rooney saw an opportunity to establish a professional football team.  For $2,500 he established the Pittsburgh Pirates, named after the city’s professional baseball team.  This was not an uncommon thing to do in those days, as baseball reigned supreme in the professional sports world and football owners hoped it would spark an interest from the local baseball fans.

The Pirates struggled mightily, however, going through five different head coaches in their first seven years and not doing so well sustaining fan interest.  So after the 1939 season, Art Rooney decided it was time to change things up with a new name.  He held a “name the team” contest in the local Pittsburgh Post-Gazette newspaper, which drew around 3,000 votes.  21 people submitted the name “Steelers,” and that’s the one that really connected with Rooney.  He loved how it incorporated the entire city and its rich history in the steel industry.  Much of the fanbase worked in steel mills and it would help them feel connected to the team.  Even the logo is directly derived from the Steelmark logo that belongs to the American Iron and Steel Institute, with the word “steel” changed to “Steelers.”

Garett