Pittsburgh Steelers: Great Franchise or the Greatest Franchise?

Recenly the Steelers won their 6th Super Bowl Trophy and with that victory came a big buzz, and an even bigger question: are the Steelers the greatest

Recenly the Steelers won their 6th Super Bowl Trophy and with that victory came a big buzz, and an even bigger question: are the Steelers the greatest franchise in pro sports or just a great franchise?

To answer that question first one must understand what makes a good franchise. To judge a franchise you must judge an entire organization, from top to bottom. Ownership, coaching, and players all make a franchise and of course those things must be taken into consideration. Obviously, other things must be considered as well, like consistency, excellence, and most of all winning. With these things in mind, it’s hard not to consider the Pittsburgh Steelers as the best franchise in professional sports, or at least near the top of any list one would compose.Â

Let’s start at the top: Ownership. The Black and Gold have been owned by the Rooney Family in Pittsburgh since the franchises start as the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1933. Art Rooney founded the team and handed it over to his son, Dan, in 1975. Art Rooney II was then named President of the team in 2002. The Rooney’s have been top flight NFL owners.  

Some may argue that the Rooney’s aren’t the best owners in professional sports. Many would say an owner with a desire to win, and the deep pockets of the Steinbrenner’s or media favorites like the Dallas Cowboys’ Jerry Jones or Mark Cuban of Dallas’ Mavericks makes for a better owner, but the quiet class of the Rooney Family has worked well in Pittsburgh for years, and has lead to as many championships, if not more than the other owners mentioned.

The Rooney’s have done more than just put a great product on the field for the fans, they have been innovators within the league for years. Dan Rooney was the head of the expansion committee in 1976 that lead to the births of the Seattle Seahawks, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Rooney is also largely credited with the NFL’s realignment in 2002 and Rooney also contributed to the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement in 1982. The Rooney Rule, named after Dan, is credited to the Steeler boss. Rooney’s Rule requires NFL franchises to interview minority candidates for head coaching jobs, in an effort to create more coaching opportunities for minorities in the NFL.  

Not only did the Rooney’s create this rule, they also lived by it when they hired their head coach Mike Tomlin. While many thought that long time Steelers assistants Ken Whisenhunt or Russ Grimm were right for the job, the Steelers arrived at Tomlin through the interview process. Clearly the Rooney’s have been innovators in the NFL for years.  

Speaking of coaches, the Steelers coaches have been symbols of the teams’ class, and consistency. Since 1969 the Steelers have only had 3 head coaches: the afore mentioned Mike Tomlin, future hall of famer Bill Cowher, and hall of famer Chuck Noll. That’s 3 coaches in 40 years! The Detroit Lions have had 5 coaches dating back to 2000 (Marinelli, Jauron, Mariucci, Mornhinweg, and Moeller). The longevity of the coaching staffs shows a consistency that goes hand in hand with great franchises.  

Finally: the players. The Steelers have a history of drafting great players. To date, the Men of Steel have produced 19 Hall of Famers, 15 of them being players. Names like John Stallworth, Lynn Swann, “Mean” Joe Greene, and Terry Bradshaw are permanently etched into the NFL’s history books, and that is just to name a few. Even this weekend the Steelers sent 3 players to the annual Pro Bowl in Hawaii, marking excellent seasons for them.

The players are key because they lead to wins, and wins are what makes a franchise great. In the beginning the Steelers had a hard time getting wins, they didn’t have a winning season for their first 9 years in existence. Since then, in 1942, the Steelers have made 25 playoff appearances, just 3 behind the Cowboys for most all time. Most obviously, they have reached the pinnacle of their sport 6 times. Some may argue that the Yankees 26 World Series Championships trumps the Steelers, but you have to consider that baseball has no salary cap, which has kept the Yankees stocked with great players while the Steelers have had to build championships through drafts and by managing their salary cap space. Also the Yankees have only won 26 of a possible 104 championships, which makes the number seem less daunting.

In addition to winning, there is longevity. The Steelers have almost always had good teams. It is hard to find back to back losing seasons when looking back in Steelers history. Think about it, when was the last time you heard of a team having an easy road trip to Pittsburgh? Probably never. If you look back in your mind you can recall a time when most other franchises have struggled though, like the Yankees of the CBS era, the Dallas Cowboys of the late 80’s and early 2000’s, and even the Redwings from the 70’s that were infamously known as the “Dead Wings.” With the Steelers there are no sub par eras, only a sub par year here and there blemishes the sterling Steelers record.   

The Steelers have always had a certain mystique about them. I think it’s that they are never a team without an identity. “Blitzbugh” and “The Steel Curtain” are still very much a part of the Steelers identity as a team, and have become the fabric of their identity as a franchise; the greatest franchise in pro sports.