NFL Countdown: From 'Steagles' to 'Card-Pitt', the Steelers had a dizzying ride back in the 40s

The Pittsburgh Steelers are the oldest franchise in the American Football Conference. They were first established in 1933, under the guise of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Entering 1940, Pittsburgh owner Art Rooney decided to change the team name to something that better celebrated the heritage of the Iron City. With that, the Pittsburgh Steelers were born.

During this time, Europe was at war. The US was just a few years away from joining the conflict. The switch to the Steelers name in 1940 would be the first of many that occurred during a turbulent five-year period. The world was dealing with the devastating impact of WWII, and the NFL was not immune.

While plying their trade as the Pirates, Pittsburgh failed to register a single winning season. Head coach Walt Kiesling led the Steelers to a 7-4 finish in 1942. This led fans to hope this would be a sign of things to come for the recently christened Steelers. But fate would intervene.

After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941, America decided to join the war. Following adaptations to the Selective Training and Service Act, all men between the ages of 20 and 44 were now liable for military service. All men between 18 and 64 were forced to register.

The NFL soon found themselves with a player shortage. The league had to take some drastic action to deal with the depleted rosters. Those plans included the merger of several existing teams. In 1943, Rooney announced that the Steelers would join the Philadelphia Eagles to create Phil-Pitt Combine. It was more affectionately known as the Steagles.

The Eagles and Steelers have long had an intertwined history. In 1939, a proposal was made that either Rooney or Eagles owner Bert Bell should complete a takeover. This takeover would form a Pennsylvania-based franchise called the Pennsylvania Keystoners.

Rooney did, in fact, sell the Steelers to Alexis Thompson in 1940. Thompson renamed them the Ironmen. Rooney went on to purchase a stake in the Eagles. Thompson planned to move the team to Boston. The move, however, collapsed at the last minute. Instead, Thompson would rename his team the Philadelphia Eagles. The former Eagles assumed the Steelers' name. The teams effectively switched names and cities.

The Steagles 1943 season

The Steagles merger would only last for one season. The team finished a credible 5-4-1 under the leadership of their co-head coaches Philadelphia's Greasy Neale and Pittsburgh's Walt Kiesling. Both of whom refused to accept a demotion. The relationship between the pair was a stormy one. Players reported multiple heated arguments between the duo.

Frank Kilroy, an Eagles tackle who played for the Steagles, said the following about the coaching duo:

"I thought Greasy was the most stubborn man I ever met until I met Kiesling. They didn't get along at all. The idea was for Greasy to coach the offense and Kiesling to coach the defense, but they spent most of the time fighting with each other. It was actually kind of funny to watch."

Vic Sears, an All-Pro lineman with the Eagles, added:

"Greasy would put in a play and Kiesling would say, 'That'll never work." Greasy would tell him off, and Kiesling would come back at him, and we'd be there wondering when we'd get back to work. It was the craziest thing I ever saw in all my years of football, but we finished with a winning record. Don't ask me how."

Philadelphia secured what was technically their first winning season. Unfortuantely, their ownership was unhappy with the Pittsburgh merger and made it clear that it would not continue past the 1943 season.

The 1944 Card-Pitt season

With the Eagles and the Steelers going their separate ways, and the NFL still struggling for players, Rooney engineered another merger for 1944. This time, it was with the Chicago Cardinals, as the team adopted the name Card-Pitt.

The Chicago Cardinals were one of the worst teams in the league at the time. They went gone sixteen games without a victory. Again, the merged team implemented a co-head coach approach, with Walt Kiesling of Pittsburgh and Phil Handler of Chicago.

Unfortunately, while there was less animosity between the coaching staff, that did not translate to better performances on the field. The Card-Pitt team went winless in 1944, with a 0-10 record. For Pittsburgh, it was a return to their Pirates days. For the Cardinals, it was merely business as usual, as they extended their winless run to 26 games.

The team were so bad that fans and pundits renamed them Car-Pitt because their opponents walked all over them.

With the war ending in 1945, there was no longer a shortage of available talent. The Pittsburgh Steelers would, once again, take to the field for the 1945 next season.

Nearly eighty years on, the Pittsburgh Steelers are still owned and operated by the Rooney family. They are considered one of the most successful franchises in NFL history, having secured six Super Bowl titles. Without the guidance and resolve of Art Rooney, the team may very well not have made it past the 1940s.

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