Local News

Historian: Steelers, Rooneys Remembered As One

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― There is good reason why Pittsburghers view the Steelers and Rooneys as one says Steelers historian Abby Mendelson.

"They bought the franchise in 1933 from the national football league and the family has owned the franchise ever since," said Mendelson.

With his stogie firmly in place the Chief raised his franchise and five boys together.

Mendelson says,"The story is that Art never gave his kids money but he gave them a way to make a living. So the football franchise was divided between the five sons and his sister's husband, the McGinleys and that family."

While Art Rooney may have split the Steelers ownership evenly between his sons, he put left his oldest son Dan in charge of the team.

Sons, Pat, Tim and John left town to own and operate racetracks and casinos while Art Jr. stayed home in Pittsburgh to work for the Steelers and older brother Dan.

But Mendelson says Art Jr. left the team 20 years ago.
 
"It was not an amicable departure at all," said Mendelson.  "There was a question about which way the scouting was going.  He was the head of scouting.  Chuck Noll wanted it one way.  Art Jr. wanted it another way.  Dan sided with Chuck Knoll and Art left."

Mendelson has been the writing the teams official history for about 15 years and extensively interviewed both Dan and Art Jr.
 
"If there was bitterness neither Dan Rooney, or Art Jr. ever expressed any bitterness to me," recalled Mendelson.

Super Bowl running back Rocky Bleier agrees.

"Never seen it or heard it," said Bleier.  "There was never any rumbling within the organization, it never came to the forefront."

Bleier who darted out of the backfield to help bring four Lombardi trophies home to the Chief says the Rooney family built a Legendary franchise and the Steelers Nation out of a foundation of hard work.

"So it becomes bigger than life in that regard," said Bleier.  "So, as we view the Steelers today we view it from an emotional point of view."

Mendelson says the "local Rooneys" have played to that sense of history, building it up, celebrating it, and engraining it in the hearts of Pittsburghers.

But the historian adds, "For the brothers that are not involved, it is business, it is not personal, they would like their money.  Aside from the NFL, aside from the gambling issues, I think they've have said it's time for us to go our separate ways."

Bleier says it was virtually inevitable.

"Would we like to have Rooney's involved, yea I think we'd like to have a third generation, but I don't know if we'll have a fourth generation," said Bleier.  "I don't know if it will go that far," Mendelson agrees. "To expect that to continue in this day and age seems to be to be fantasy."

And Mendelson says if the root of the organization changes, so will the Steelers.

"The Steelers franchise has always had the best interest of the team and the town at heart.  The fact that there has been a quiet nobility at the top of this franchise has been enormously important," said Mendelson. 

Rocky Bleier remains eternally optimistic.

"It will work out, and the Rooney's will be running the club," he said.

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

---