Pennsylvania Keystoners
Encyclopedia
The Pennsylvania Keystoners was the idea for an American football
team thought up by then-Pittsburgh Pirates
owner, Art Rooney
, in 1939 to have a single National Football League
franchise based in both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. The team would play half of its home games in each location. The idea for the Keystoners is the result is from a "franchise two-step" between the Philadelphia Eagles
and the Steelers that still exists with the most convoluted in sports history.
was estimated to have lost $100,000. Neither the Eagles nor the Pirates-Steelers had posted a winning record in their first eight years of existence. Losses on the field were compounded by the combined loss of about $190,000 in Depression dollars. The Steelers were so bad that Rooney sold them at the end of the, 1940 season
to Alexis Thompson
, a 26-year-old steel heir from Boston, Massachusetts frequently described in the press as "a well-heeled New York
playboy". Thompson renamed the Steelers the Ironmen, but he planned to move the franchise to Boston and play games in Fenway Park
. Eagles owner Bert Bell
brokered a deal in which Rooney sold the Steelers for $160,000 which was 64 times his original franchise start-up fee of $2,500 in 1933
, and Rooney in turn invested $80,000 to become partner with Bell in the Eagles. The deal, which also involved the trade of 11 Steelers to the Eagles and eight Eagles to the Steelers, came to light on December 8, 1940, the day the Chicago Bears
defeated the Washington Redskins
, 73-0, in the NFL title game.
Meanwhile, the Eagles were owned by a syndicate headed by Bell, however the team lost $80,000 and 21 games in its first three seasons. Soon all of the team's investors left the franchise, and by the end of the 1935 season
Bell had the Eagles to himself. He became the coach, general manager
, scout and public relations director, and took to selling tickets on downtown Philadelphia street corners. Because the rent was cheap, the team played in the 102,000 seat Municipal Stadium before at least 100,000 empty seats. According to one account, one rainy Sunday, only 50 people showed up for a game against the Brooklyn Dodgers
; Bell invited those few fans up to the covered press box, where he provided free coffee and hot dogs.
in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia's Municipal Stadium.
. Bell continued as part owner of the Steelers until 1946 when he was elected NFL commissioner. Bell served as commissioner until 1959 when he died of a heart attack at Franklin Field
in Philadelphia during a game between two teams he had helped form, the Steelers and the Eagles.
Because the Steelers never actually missed a game in Pittsburgh, the NFL considers the Rooney Family's
ownership reign to be unbroken. But from 1941 to 1946, when Bell became NFL commissioner and gave up his half interest in the Steelers, the club's operating name was still technically referred to as the Philadelphia Eagles Football Club Inc.
The teams would merge though for one season in 1943
as the Philadelphia-Pittsburgh "Steagles"
due to player shortfalls brought on by World War II
. The league only approved the merger for one year; Pittsburgh was willing to merge again for 1944 but not Philadelphia. This forced the Steelers to merge with the Chicago Cardinals (as Card-Pitt
) for 1944.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team thought up by then-Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
owner, Art Rooney
Art Rooney
Arthur Joseph "Art" Rooney, Sr. , often referred to as "The Chief", was the founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers American football franchise in the National Football League.-Family history:...
, in 1939 to have a single National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
franchise based in both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. The team would play half of its home games in each location. The idea for the Keystoners is the result is from a "franchise two-step" between the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the Steelers that still exists with the most convoluted in sports history.
Origins
During their early histories, the Pirates and the Eagles were among the weakest in the league. In his first eight years of operating the Pittsburgh franchise, Pirates founder Art RooneyArt Rooney
Arthur Joseph "Art" Rooney, Sr. , often referred to as "The Chief", was the founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers American football franchise in the National Football League.-Family history:...
was estimated to have lost $100,000. Neither the Eagles nor the Pirates-Steelers had posted a winning record in their first eight years of existence. Losses on the field were compounded by the combined loss of about $190,000 in Depression dollars. The Steelers were so bad that Rooney sold them at the end of the, 1940 season
1940 NFL season
The 1940 NFL season was the 21st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended when the Chicago Bears defeated the Washington Redskins in the NFL Championship Game, 73–0. This game still stands as the most one-sided victory in NFL history...
to Alexis Thompson
Alexis Thompson (football owner)
Alexis "Lex" Thompson was an owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia-Pittsburgh Steagles. Thompson was a graduate of Yale University, was the heir to a six million fortune in steel stocks, a U.S. Army corporal, and an Entrepreneur who made millions selling eye care...
, a 26-year-old steel heir from Boston, Massachusetts frequently described in the press as "a well-heeled New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
playboy". Thompson renamed the Steelers the Ironmen, but he planned to move the franchise to Boston and play games in Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
. Eagles owner Bert Bell
Bert Bell
De Benneville "Bert" Bell was the National Football League commissioner from 1946 until his death in 1959. As commissioner, he helped chart a path for the NFL to facilitate its rise in becoming the most popular sports attraction in the United States...
brokered a deal in which Rooney sold the Steelers for $160,000 which was 64 times his original franchise start-up fee of $2,500 in 1933
1933 in sports
-Alpine skiing:Events* Taft Slalom, the first racing trail in North America, is cut on Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire-American football:NFL championship...
, and Rooney in turn invested $80,000 to become partner with Bell in the Eagles. The deal, which also involved the trade of 11 Steelers to the Eagles and eight Eagles to the Steelers, came to light on December 8, 1940, the day the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
defeated the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, 73-0, in the NFL title game.
Meanwhile, the Eagles were owned by a syndicate headed by Bell, however the team lost $80,000 and 21 games in its first three seasons. Soon all of the team's investors left the franchise, and by the end of the 1935 season
1935 NFL season
The 1935 NFL season was the 16th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended when the Detroit Lions defeated the New York Giants in the NFL Championship Game....
Bell had the Eagles to himself. He became the coach, general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
, scout and public relations director, and took to selling tickets on downtown Philadelphia street corners. Because the rent was cheap, the team played in the 102,000 seat Municipal Stadium before at least 100,000 empty seats. According to one account, one rainy Sunday, only 50 people showed up for a game against the Brooklyn Dodgers
Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL)
The Brooklyn Dodgers were an American football team that played in the National Football League from 1930 to 1943, and in 1944 as the Brooklyn Tigers. The team played its home games at Ebbets Field. In 1945, because of financial difficulties, the team was merged with the Boston Yanks...
; Bell invited those few fans up to the covered press box, where he provided free coffee and hot dogs.
The deal
Rooney and Bell had become close friends during the early NFL years, and so, soon after he sold the Pittsburgh franchise, Rooney bought a half interest in the struggling Eagles operation. The two owners planned was to field a combined Philadelphia-Pittsburgh team called the Keystoners that would play home games in both cities. The original proposition was that Thompson would buy the franchise and take the Pittsburgh club to Boston and Bell and Rooney would pool their interests in the Eagles to form a Philadelphia-Pittsburgh club, splitting the home games between Forbes FieldForbes Field
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise...
in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia's Municipal Stadium.
Second thoughts
The Pittsburgh Pirates were supposed renamed the Boston Iron Men, however Thompson's move to Boston fell through. The Rooney/Bell idea to have one Pennsylvania Keystoners franchise with games in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh was vetoed by the league as well. However Rooney had second thoughts about leaving Pittsburgh for Philadlephia, he caught Thompson at the right time and the two men changed their plans. As a result, Rooney and Bell would take their Philadelphia operation back to Pittsburgh and rename it the Steelers while Thompson, could move Rooney's original franchise to Philadelphia and play as the Eagles.Afterwards
Before the 1941 season, Rooney returned the name to Steelers back from the Ironmen. Bell began the season as the Steelers' coach, but after two losses, Rooney hired Aldo DonelliAldo Donelli
Aldo "Buff" Teo Donelli was an American football and soccer player. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.-Club:...
. Bell continued as part owner of the Steelers until 1946 when he was elected NFL commissioner. Bell served as commissioner until 1959 when he died of a heart attack at Franklin Field
Franklin Field
Franklin Field is the University of Pennsylvania's stadium for football, field hockey, lacrosse, sprint football, and track and field . It is also used by Penn students for recreation, and for intramural and club sports, including touch football and cricket, and is the site of Penn's graduation...
in Philadelphia during a game between two teams he had helped form, the Steelers and the Eagles.
Because the Steelers never actually missed a game in Pittsburgh, the NFL considers the Rooney Family's
Rooney family
The Rooney family has been the majority owners and operators of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania since the formation of the franchise in 1933. Art Rooney was the founder and owner of the team until his death in 1988; ownership of the team was then transferred to...
ownership reign to be unbroken. But from 1941 to 1946, when Bell became NFL commissioner and gave up his half interest in the Steelers, the club's operating name was still technically referred to as the Philadelphia Eagles Football Club Inc.
The teams would merge though for one season in 1943
1943 NFL season
The 1943 NFL season was the 24th regular season of the National Football League. As more players left to serve in World War II, three teams were affected by the depleted rosters. The Cleveland Rams were granted permission to suspend operations for this season. The Philadelphia Eagles and the...
as the Philadelphia-Pittsburgh "Steagles"
Steagles
The Steagles is the popular nickname for the team created by the temporary merger of two National Football League teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles, during the 1943 season...
due to player shortfalls brought on by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The league only approved the merger for one year; Pittsburgh was willing to merge again for 1944 but not Philadelphia. This forced the Steelers to merge with the Chicago Cardinals (as Card-Pitt
Card-Pitt
Card-Pitt was the name for the team created by the temporary merger of two National Football League teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Cardinals, during the 1944 season. The teams were forced to merge, because both had lost many players to World War II military service...
) for 1944.