1933 Pittsburgh Pirates (NFL) season



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.

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. Home games were scheduled for Forbes Field, stadium used by the baseball Pirates. 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. Rooney slyly circumvented the law by providing the superintendent of police with free box seats.

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 1 (Wednesday September 20, 1933): New York Giants
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania


 * Game time:
 * Game weather:
 * Game attendance: 20,000
 * Referee:
 * TV announcers:

Scoring drives:


 * New York – Strong 33 interception (Strong kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Safety, Strong punt blocked out of end zone by Oehler
 * New York – Newman 5 run (Strong kick)
 * New York – FG Newman 39
 * New York – Burnett 37 pass from Newman (kick failed)

Week 2 (Wednesday September 27, 1933): Chicago Cardinals
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania


 * Game time:
 * Game weather:
 * Game attendance: 5,000
 * Referee:
 * TV announcers:

Scoring drives:


 * Chicago Cardinals – McNally 51 intercepted lateral (kick failed)
 * Chicago Cardinals – Moe 35 pass from Lillard (Lillard kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Kottler 99 interception (Kelsch kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Moss 11 pass from Tanguay (Kelsch kick)

Week 3 (Wednesday October 4, 1933): Boston Redskins
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania


 * Game time:
 * Game weather:
 * Game attendance: 15,000
 * Referee:
 * TV announcers:

Scoring drives:


 * Boston – Battles 70 punt return (Musick kick)
 * Boston – Musick 1 run (Musick kick)
 * Boston – Holmer 1 run (LaPresta kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Brovelli 1 run (kick failed)

Week 4 (Wednesday October 11, 1933): Cincinnati Reds
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania


 * Game time:
 * Game weather:
 * Game attendance: 5,000
 * Referee:
 * TV announcers:

Scoring drives:


 * Cincinnati – FG Clark 12
 * Pittsburgh – Westfall 2 run (Brovelli kick)
 * Pittsburgh – FG Kelsch 36
 * Pittsburgh – Vaughan 3 run (Westfall kick)

Week 5 (Sunday October 15, 1933): at Green Bay Packers
at City Stadium, Green Bay, Wisconsin


 * Game time:
 * Game weather:
 * Game attendance: 4,000
 * Referee:
 * TV announcers:

Scoring drives:


 * Green Bay – Hinkle 1 run (Monnett kick)
 * Green Bay – Monnett 7 run (kick failed)
 * Green Bay – Goldenberg 67 interception (Grove kick)
 * Green Bay – Goldenberg 3 run (Monnett kick)
 * Green Bay – Bruder 52 run (Herber kick)
 * Green Bay – Monnett 12 run (kick failed)
 * Green Bay – Englemann 40 lateral from Monnett after 9 pass from Herber (Monnett kick)

Week 6 (Sunday October 22, 1933): at Cincinnati Reds
at Redland Field, Cincinnati, Ohio


 * Game time:
 * Game weather:
 * Game attendance:
 * Referee:
 * TV announcers:

Scoring drives:


 * none

Week 7 (Sunday October 29, 1933): at Boston Redskins
at Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts


 * Game time:
 * Game weather:
 * Game attendance: 7,500
 * Referee:
 * TV announcers:

Scoring drives:


 * Boston – Battles 5 run (Musick kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Moss 30 pass from Holm (kick failed)
 * Pittsburgh – FG Engebretsen 21
 * Pittsburgh – Westfall 60 pass from Holm (Brovelli kick)
 * Boston – Weller run (Musick kick)

Week 8 (Sunday November 5, 1933): at Brooklyn Dodgers
at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York


 * Game time:
 * Game weather:
 * Game attendance: 15,000
 * Referee:
 * TV announcers:

Scoring drives:


 * Brooklyn – FG Hickman 30
 * Pittsburgh – FG Kelsch 15

Week 9 (Sunday November 12, 1933): Brooklyn Dodgers
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania


 * Game time:
 * Game weather:
 * Game attendance: 12,000
 * Referee:
 * TV announcers:

Scoring drives:


 * Brooklyn – Kelly 15 run (kick failed)
 * Brooklyn – Kelly 70 punt return (Hickman kick)
 * Brooklyn – Nash 61 pass from Cagle (kick failed)
 * Brooklyn – Kelly 2 run (Kelly kick)
 * Brooklyn – Fishel 7 run (kick failed)

Week 10 (Sunday November 19, 1933): at Philadelphia Eagles
at Baker Bowl, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania


 * Game time:
 * Game weather:
 * Game attendance: 6,000
 * Referee:
 * TV announcers:

Scoring drives:


 * Philadelphia – Hanson run (kick failed)
 * Philadelphia – Carter pass from Kirkman (Kirkman kick)
 * Philadelphia – Carter pass from Kirkman (kick failed)
 * Pittsburgh – Brovelli run (kick failed)
 * Philadelphia – Woodruff run (kick failed)

Week 12 (Sunday December 3, 1933): at New York Giants
at Polo Grounds, New York City


 * Game time:
 * Game weather:
 * Game attendance: 10,000
 * Referee:
 * TV announcers:

Scoring drives:


 * Pittsburgh – FG Kelsch 14
 * New York – Krause 20 pass from Strong (Strong kick)
 * New York – Badgro 25 pass from Newman (kick failed)
 * New York – Richards 14 pass from Newman (Richards kick)
 * New York – Richards 22 run (Krause pass from Newman)