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When it came to football in the 1930s, the college sport was king. But in 1933, former boxer and minor league baseball player Art Rooney, who had quarterbacked the squad at Duquesne University, purchased a team for Pittsburgh for $2,500. Thus began the legacy we know as Steeler Nation. At the time, no one could have imagined that the Pirates, as they were originally named, would become a treasured possession for Pittsburghers. For the first 40 years, the franchise was a national joke. With only one playoff performance a 21 0 defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles for the eastern division title in 1947 highlights were minimal for a team that regularly found itself at the bottom of the standings. Then in 1969, Art Rooney's son Dan hired Chuck Noll from the Baltimore Colts to coach his team.