The episode delves into the historical significance of the Pittsburgh Steelers' helmet logo, an emblem that has become synonymous with both the team and the city itself. We explore the origins of this iconic insignia, tracing its roots back to the early 1950s when the Steelers initially displayed player jersey numbers on their helmets. The discussion transitions to the pivotal moment when the franchise adopted the US Steel logo, which comprises three diamond-shaped hypocyloids, each representing essential elements of steel production. As we reflect on the emblem's connection to Pittsburgh's industrial heritage, we also address the recent controversial acquisition of US Steel by Nippon Steel, raising questions about the future of this storied symbol. Ultimately, we consider the enduring legacy of the Steelers' logo and its deep ties to the hardworking steel industry that shaped the region's identity.
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Transcripts
Speaker A:
We've talked about it a lot, but the helmet logos are an important part of the football and modern game and really an emblematic of the team and the franchises that wear them today.
Speaker A:
We're going to dig into the Steel City on this football Friday and their logo, where it came from and where it's going.
Speaker A:
It's all coming up with more right after this.
Speaker B:
This is the Pigskin Daily History Dispatch, a podcast that covers the anniversaries of American football events throughout history on a day to day basis.
Speaker B:
Your host, Darrin Hayes is podcasting from America's North Shore to bring you the memories of the gridiron one day at a time.
Speaker B:
So as we come out of the tunnel of the Sports History Network, let's take the field and go no huddle through the portal of positive gridiron history with pigskindispatch.com.
Speaker C:
This podcast is part of the Sports History Network, your headquarters for the yesteryear of your favorite sport.
Speaker C:
You can Learn more at sportshistorynetwork.com hello.
Speaker A:
My football friends, this is Darren Hayes of pigskindispatch.com welcome once again to the Pig Pen, your portal to positive football history.
Speaker A:
And boy, we have some big news happening in Western Pennsylvania lately and it has to do with not the Steelers, which there is quite a bit going on with a new quarterback coming in town and some brand new players off of the NFL draft and some high hopes for the black and gold.
Speaker A:
But this sort of has to do with their logo and where their logo came from.
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gos started back in the early:
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And after a few years of the growing a little bit tired of that, the folks over at Cleveland's Republic Steel recommended that the Steelers take and use the US Steel emblem, which is a steel mark logo is what it's often called.
Speaker A:
It basically contains three hypocyloids, sort of diamond shapes with curves in them.
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And they originally meant that the steel lightens your work, brightens your leisure and widens your world with the yellow, red and blue colors inside them.
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Later on they came to represent the three materials used to produce steel, yellow for coal, orange for the iron, and blue for steel scrap.
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Well, the Steelers wear that emblem with pride on one side of their helmet.
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have worn that since the late:
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I'm certain:
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They've wore that for years.
Speaker A:
The US Steel is such an emblem of Pittsburgh's growth and turning into a major city now.
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t came about by, you know, in:
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Building the skyscrapers in New York City and Chicago and all around and building the rail systems that connected the United States.
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The ships of war and the airplanes and everything.
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Steel was very much a big part of Pittsburgh.
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And it was from the, the blast furnaces and the foundries of the hard working steel workers that the Steelers ended up adopting their name from.
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Because remember in:
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They were also called the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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It was about a little over half a decade later they adopted the nickname moniker of Steelers to represent those workers in the steel mills and foundries across the region of southwestern Pennsylvania right around the Iron City.
Speaker A:
And that's where Iron City Beer got its name, also from the iron industry that is right around the town.
Speaker A:
So the Steelers will still have that logo.
Speaker A:
Recently the news has been that US Steel has been controversially sold to Nippon Steel, a Japanese conglomerate of steel companies and is no longer owned by U S interests.
Speaker A:
And so probably the US Steel name will eventually disappear or be greatly reduced in importance and the Nippon Steel emblem and name will carry out in their factories.
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But who would have thought after 124 years of US steel that their logo would remain on on a small franchise that not many people thought would make it?
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Especially the first four decades of the NFL franchise.
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They weren't very good.
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And this franchise still carries that tradition and that emblem of the three hypochlorides being the red or orange, yellow and blue to represent those very important elements and characteristics of steel that they originally came about of being the US Steel logo.
Speaker A:
So just some food for thought.
Speaker A:
The Steelers and the US Steel emblem live on.
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So enjoy that every Sunday during the fall when you're watching a Pittsburgh Steelers game and remember where it came from.
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And remember the hard workers of the U.S.
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steel and the other steel mills and foundries around the Pittsburgh area that helped the Steelers get their name and their logo.
Speaker A:
That's all we have for today.
Speaker A:
Thanks for joining us and have a great gridiron day.
Speaker D:
Peeking up at the clock the time's running down we're going to go into victory formation, take a knee and let this baby run out.
Speaker D:
Thanks for joining us.
Speaker D:
We'll see you back tomorrow.
Speaker D:
For the next podcast.
Speaker D:
We invite you to check out our website, pigskindispatch.com not only to see the daily football history, but to experience positive football with our many articles on the good people of the game, as well as our own football comic strip, clete marks comics, pigskindispatch.com is also on social media outlets, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and don't forget the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel to get all of your positive football news and history.
Speaker D:
Special thanks to the talents of Mike and Gene Monroe, as well as Jason Neff for letting us use their music during our podcast.
Speaker C:
This podcast is part of the Sports History Network, your headquarters for the yesteryear of your favorite sport.
