The 1933 Pittsburgh Pirates season marked the debut of the team known today as the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team was established by Arthur Rooney Sr., a former boxer and semi-pro football player, who paid the National Football League (NFL) its $2,500 expansion fee with winnings from successful weekend gambling at the Saratoga Race Track in New York.[1]
Rooney named the team "Pirates" and made use of black-and-gold team colors as a means of attaching his fledgling team to the Pittsburgh Pirates of baseball's National League.[1] Home games were scheduled for Forbes Field, stadium used by the baseball Pirates.[1] The new squad was composed largely of local semi-pro players.
Rooney quickly ran into Pennsylvania'sblue laws, which prohibited professional sports from taking place on Sundays, when most NFL games took place.[1] Rooney slyly circumvented the law by providing the superintendent of police with free box seats.[1]
Except for a brief period in 1940 and 1941, Rooney would remain the franchise's principal owner until his death in 1988. The Rooney family has retained a controlling interest ever since.
The Pirates took the field for the first time on September 20 against the New York Giants at Forbes Field, losing 23–2. The following week, the team got its first win, defeating the Chicago Cardinals at home 14–13.
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