1933 Pittsburgh Pirates season | |
---|---|
Owner | Art Rooney |
Head coach | Forrest Douds |
Home field | Forbes Field |
Results | |
Record | 3–6–2 |
Division place | 5th Eastern Division |
Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
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's blue 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.
The team finished 3–6–2 for the season.
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 20 | New York Giants | L 2–23 | 0–1 | Forbes Field | Recap | |
2 | September 27 | Chicago Cardinals | W 14–13 | 1–1 | Forbes Field | Recap | |
3 | October 4 | Boston Redskins | L 6–21 | 1–2 | Forbes Field | Recap | |
4 | October 11 | Cincinnati Reds | W 17–3 | 2–2 | Forbes Field | Recap | |
5 | October 15 | at Green Bay Packers | L 0–47 | 2–3 | City Stadium | Recap | |
6 | October 22 | at Cincinnati Reds | T 0–0 | 2–3–1 | Redland Field | Recap | |
7 | October 29 | at Boston Redskins | W 16–14 | 3–3–1 | Fenway Park | Recap | |
8 | November 5 | at Brooklyn Dodgers | T 3–3 | 3–3–2 | Ebbets Field | Recap | |
9 | November 12 | Brooklyn Dodgers | L 0–32 | 3–4–2 | Forbes Field | Recap | |
10 | November 19 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 6–25 | 3–5–2 | Baker Bowl | Recap | |
11 | Bye | ||||||
12 | December 3 | at New York Giants | L 3-27 | 3–6–2 | Polo Grounds | Recap | |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. |
NFL Eastern Division | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | T | PCT | DIV | PF | PA | STK | ||
New York Giants | 11 | 3 | 0 | .786 | 7–1 | 244 | 101 | W7 | |
Brooklyn Dodgers | 5 | 4 | 1 | .556 | 2–2–1 | 93 | 54 | L2 | |
Boston Redskins | 5 | 5 | 2 | .500 | 2–3 | 103 | 97 | T1 | |
Philadelphia Eagles | 3 | 5 | 1 | .375 | 1–2 | 77 | 158 | L2 | |
Pittsburgh Pirates | 3 | 6 | 2 | .333 | 1–5–1 | 67 | 208 | L3 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Giants | 0 | 7 | 0 | 16 | 23 |
Pirates | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Scoring drives:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cardinals | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
Pirates | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Scoring drives:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Redskins | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
Pirates | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Scoring drives:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Reds | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Pirates | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Scoring drives:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pirates | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Packers | 7 | 20 | 13 | 7 | 47 |
at City Stadium, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Scoring drives:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pirates | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Reds | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Redland Field, Cincinnati, Ohio
Scoring drives:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pirates | 0 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 16 |
Redskins | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts
Scoring drives:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pirates | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
Dodgers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York
Scoring drives:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dodgers | 6 | 7 | 13 | 6 | 32 |
Pirates | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Scoring drives:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pirates | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
Eagles | 6 | 0 | 13 | 6 | 25 |
at Baker Bowl, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Scoring drives:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pirates | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Giants | 0 | 0 | 7 | 20 | 27 |
at Polo Grounds, New York City
Scoring drives: