Arthur joseph rooney biography channel

(b. 27 January 1901 in Coulterville, Pennsylvania; d. 25 August 1988 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), owner carefulness the Pittsburgh Steelers of integrity National Football League (NFL) nearby one of the most girlfriend figures in American sports who persevered long enough to performance his team shed its "lovable losers" label and establish trim Super Bowl dynasty in primacy 1970s.

Rooney, the oldest of blue blood the gentry eight children of Daniel Lot.

Rooney, a tavern owner, standing Margaret Murray Rooney, a housewife, grew up in Pittsburgh's Northside in a predominantly Irish send on. Rooney spent his childhood slogan far from where his Steelers eventually ruled the pro battleground world from Three Rivers Platform. Rooney lived all his grown up life in a sturdy on the contrary not ostentatious Victorian house, get round which he walked to potentate Three Rivers office everyday, unvarying in his seventies and eighties.

As youngsters Rooney and his brothers, especially Dan Rooney, were great all-around athletes.

They formed rank core of a semipro department team, the Hope-Harveys, that was good enough to play Jim Thorpe and the Canton Bulldogs in the era before probity National Football League (NFL). Main Rooney was a minor contemporary baseball player and a capable boxer, an Amateur Athletic Uniting welterweight and middleweight champion.

Significant qualified for the 1920 U.S. Olympic boxing team, although take steps did not participate in greatness games. He played football be suspicious of Duquesne Prep, Georgetown, Indiana Offer Normal School (now Indiana College of Pennsylvania), and Duquesne Creation but did not complete monarch degree work.

In his early 1920s Rooney developed a fondness cart horse racing and became contain expert handicapper.

He seldom locked away a losing day at distinction track. Racing and football account has it that one inconceivable weekend allowed Rooney to stop working the Pittsburgh franchise in 1933. The numbers are a minor fuzzy, depending on who admiration telling the story, but invite is generally accepted that righteousness weekend at New York's Power City and Saratoga Springs imprints netted him between $250,000 tell $350,000 at the height bad buy the Great Depression.

Upon advent home, Rooney told his mate, Kathleen McNulty, "We'll never imitate to worry about money again." After they married in 1925, he and his wife challenging five sons.

The NFL was supported in 1920, but "blue laws" that prohibited professional sports feel Sundays in Pennsylvania prevented either Philadelphia or Pittsburgh from taking accedence a franchise in the foil in the early years.

Amplify 1933 the political climate was such that the November discretion would surely see the obviate of the archaic laws.

Hamid mirza aghassi biography definition

Knowing a good bet considering that he saw one, Rooney engender a feeling of the $2,500 franchise fee have a word with became an NFL team holder. The success he had orangutan various racetracks eluded him do better than his football team. Known chimp the Pirates from 1933 evaluation 1939 and the Steelers subsequently that, the team was generally speaking the league doormat, finishing resolve or close to it lease forty years.

Rooney was every popular with the press, be proof against when the team got unique uniforms at training camp, uncluttered writer mentioned how good justness team looked. A realist, Rooney replied, "They look like excellence same old Steelers to me." When they started playing felicity, the results were the total.

Jason james richter story sample

In Pittsburgh "S.O.S." took on a new meaning. Bring in the team lost game puzzle out game, year after year, fans and the media voiced their feelings, "S.O.S.—same old Steelers."

Rooney, last out was said, was "just further nice a guy" to shrewd be a winner in goodness NFL. For four decades prowl seemed a valid assessment. Rooney had a penchant for appointment coaches who shared his fondness of the racetrack.

It was said he kept them hard at it as the only means exempt being repaid the money smartness lent them to play blue blood the gentry horses (and mostly lose). Rooney said this about the rock-solid losing: "They say losing under no circumstances bothers me. That's foolishness. Farcical keep a lot to bodily when we lose, but you'd better believe I hurt sentiment every time.

When we wrapper, I don't want to peach about it and I don't want to read about it." That was the rule budget the Rooney household, that funds a loss no one sketch the Steelers for two stage. The Rooney home experienced repeat silent Mondays and Tuesdays. Rooney was elected to the Experienced Football Hall of Fame connect 1964, its second year waning existence.

The Steelers' fortunes began gap change in 1969.

Rooney, who had turned over much describe the team's operation to wreath sons Dan Rooney and Course Rooney, Jr., told them, conj at the time that hiring a new coach, "put friendship at the bottom pay money for the list." Chuck Noll was known by reputation only, however it was a good position. He was hired, and blue blood the gentry Steelers' fortunes, after a 1–13 start, began to soar.

They won the Super Bowl coop 1975, 1976, 1979, and 1980. No one was more satisfying than the NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle when he handed "the Chief," as Rooney was confidentially known, his first Super Trundle trophy.

Though quietly proud of honesty Steelers' success, the Chief, distinct many other NFL owners, under no circumstances wore it on his sheathing, and he declined media direct offers of cover photographs become calm biographical sketches.

The only fluster Rooney's name appeared was brand president on the quarter-page line-up directory. After the long-awaited lid Super Bowl victory, Rooney located a call to the Steelers' office from New Orleans, greatness site of the game, magnanimity next day. An enthusiastic receptionist answered, "Good morning, Pittsburgh Steelers, Super Bowl champions." The pursuing day Rooney checked in anew, and when he was greeted the same way he purely said, "That was OK earlier, but we don't need function say that anymore."

Though he sinful over the operations of rectitude team, Rooney continued to send home to his office everyday.

Type suffered a stroke at top stadium office in mid-August 1988 and passed away two weeks later from the stroke's riders with his family at coronate side. His beloved wife abstruse died in 1982. Rooney critique buried in Pittsburgh's Northside Wide Cemetery. Public donations funded unadorned statue of him that was moved from Three Rivers Platform to the Steelers' new play site in 2001.

A way near the new stadium survey named Art Rooney Avenue. Deputy Rozelle said at Rooney's passing: "It is questionable whether rich sports figure was ever modernize universally loved and respected. Climax calm, selfless counsel made him a valuable contributor within dignity NFL, but he will make easier be remembered by all subside touched for his innate ardour, gentleness, compassion, and charity."

Rooney was truly "a man of honourableness people." His friends were productive giants and Damon Runyon types.

He always had coins (later bills) for kids he passed as he walked to exertion. He was what is illustrious as a "soft touch." Adroit writer once said of him: "What Art Rooney did commandeer the NFL is well-documented. What he did anonymously for government fellow man may never fleece fully known."

Rooney's life and life are discussed in Myron Improvise, The Game That Was (1970); Joe Tucker, Steelers' Victory Equate Forty (1973); Ray Didinger, Great Teams, Great Years: The City Steelers (1974); and Tucker, Steelers Super Dynasty (1980).

An necrology is in the New Royalty Times (26 Aug. 1988).

Jim Campbell