Put on the party hats and blow out the candles. It’s the Pittsburgh Steelers’ big day. Ninety years ago, July 8th, 1933, the Steelers officially became an NFL franchise.
That’s when the NFL accepted Art Rooney Sr.’s $2500 bid to buy a team in the upstart league, founded in 1920 and still trying to find its footing. At the time $2500 was big money, especially during the Depression, and contrary to popular lore, Rooney did not get that money from a big day at the Saratoga horse track. That payday wouldn’t come for years later. It turned out to be a solid investment.