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Helmet History

Steelmann

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Nothing but draft,draft,draft for 6 months now. Here’s a little refresher history on the best helmet in Sports.



The Pittsburgh Steelers’ famed three-star logo is one of the most familiar symbols in sports, partly because steel's inherent strength and toughness is a perfect match for the Steelers' highly touted, bone-crunching defense. Only the steel trademarked logo found on the Steelers helmet brings worldwide recognition and appreciation for these strengths.



Seven decades after Art Rooney purchased the NFL franchise and five Super Bowl victories later, it has come to symbolize the strength of the team and the Steel City it represents. But how many fans know what the starlike figures mean and where the logo came from?



In fact, the three four-pointed starlike figures within the circle, called hypocycloids for their geometric origin, made it to the NFL in 1962, when Rooney adopted the Steelmark for his football team. The Steelers logo is based on the Steelmark logo belonging to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). The Steelmark was originally created for United States Steel Corporation to promote the attributes of steel: yellow lightens your work; orange brightens your leisure; and blue widens your world. The logo's meaning was later amended to represent the three materials used to produce steel: yellow for coal; orange for iron ore; and blue for steel scrap.



Back in the early 1960s, the Steelers had to petition the AISI in order to change the word "Steel" inside the Steelmark to "Steelers" before the logo was complete. Cleveland's Republic Steel suggested to the Steelers that they use the Steelmark as a helmet logo.



The Steelers are the only NFL team that sports their logo on only one side of the helmet. At first, this was a temporary measure because the Steelers weren't sure they would like the look of the logo on an all-gold helmet. They wanted to test them before going all-out.



Equipment manager back then Jack Hart was instructed to put the logo only on one side of the helmet – the right side. The 1962 Steelers finished with a 9-5 mark and became the team with the most wins in franchise history to date. The team finished second in the Eastern Conference and qualified for the Playoff Bowl. They wanted to do something special for their first postseason game, so they changed the color of their helmets from gold to black, which helped to highlight the new logo.



Because of the interest generated by having the logo on only one side of their helmets and also due to the team's new success, the Steelers decided to leave the helmet that way permanently. Today's helmet reflects the way the logo was originally applied and it has never been changed.
 

Poobah

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Bob Labriola had a nice write up on his Asked Answered piece on Steelers web site. Worth the read
 

Drink IRON City

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Nothing but draft,draft,draft for 6 months now. Here’s a little refresher history on the best helmet in Sports.



The Pittsburgh Steelers’ famed three-star logo is one of the most familiar symbols in sports, partly because steel's inherent strength and toughness is a perfect match for the Steelers' highly touted, bone-crunching defense. Only the steel trademarked logo found on the Steelers helmet brings worldwide recognition and appreciation for these strengths.



Seven decades after Art Rooney purchased the NFL franchise and five Super Bowl victories later, it has come to symbolize the strength of the team and the Steel City it represents. But how many fans know what the starlike figures mean and where the logo came from?



In fact, the three four-pointed starlike figures within the circle, called hypocycloids for their geometric origin, made it to the NFL in 1962, when Rooney adopted the Steelmark for his football team. The Steelers logo is based on the Steelmark logo belonging to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). The Steelmark was originally created for United States Steel Corporation to promote the attributes of steel: yellow lightens your work; orange brightens your leisure; and blue widens your world. The logo's meaning was later amended to represent the three materials used to produce steel: yellow for coal; orange for iron ore; and blue for steel scrap.



Back in the early 1960s, the Steelers had to petition the AISI in order to change the word "Steel" inside the Steelmark to "Steelers" before the logo was complete. Cleveland's Republic Steel suggested to the Steelers that they use the Steelmark as a helmet logo.



The Steelers are the only NFL team that sports their logo on only one side of the helmet. At first, this was a temporary measure because the Steelers weren't sure they would like the look of the logo on an all-gold helmet. They wanted to test them before going all-out.



Equipment manager back then Jack Hart was instructed to put the logo only on one side of the helmet – the right side. The 1962 Steelers finished with a 9-5 mark and became the team with the most wins in franchise history to date. The team finished second in the Eastern Conference and qualified for the Playoff Bowl. They wanted to do something special for their first postseason game, so they changed the color of their helmets from gold to black, which helped to highlight the new logo.



Because of the interest generated by having the logo on only one side of their helmets and also due to the team's new success, the Steelers decided to leave the helmet that way permanently. Today's helmet reflects the way the logo was originally applied and it has never been changed.


EXCELLENT post and change-up, thanks for all your great ones along the way.

I always love reading of the “History” of our beloved Steelers, regardless of how many times I’ve read it before.

I’ve also read somewhere that statistically speaking, the color combination of Black & Gold (some call it yellow, but those are just the dumb ****-s) is the most winning color scheme in professional sports history.



Salute the nation
 

Steelmann

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EXCELLENT post and change-up, thanks for all your great ones along the way.

I always love reading of the “History” of our beloved Steelers, regardless of how many times I’ve read it before.

I’ve also read somewhere that statistically speaking, the color combination of Black & Gold (some call it yellow, but those are just the dumb ****-s) is the most winning color scheme in professional sports history.



Salute the nation
It’s funny Drink….when I was 8 years old I put on my first Black & Gold uniform in my first year of mini-minor ball. Of course called the Pirates. Fell in love with the Buc’s….idolized Roberto Clemente,which lead me to the Steelers. Which in turn got me idolizing a rookie named Franco. And the rest is history as they say. All because as a kid I loved the B&G uniform.

P.S. It’s time for those Pirates to contribute something towards this color scheme. Mann.
 

Drink IRON City

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It’s funny Drink….when I was 8 years old I put on my first Black & Gold uniform in my first year of mini-minor ball. Of course called the Pirates. Fell in love with the Buc’s….idolized Roberto Clemente,which lead me to the Steelers. Which in turn got me idolizing a rookie named Franco. And the rest is history as they say. All because as a kid I loved the B&G uniform.

P.S. It’s time for those Pirates to contribute something towards this color scheme. Mann.


Here's another example, I played on this men's slow pitch softball team. We had these red/white unis' and we weren't doing to well, even though we had talent on the team. The next season, I took over coaching and moved a couple players to better positions.

I also changed the unifor colors to a black and gold combination. We won league tournament and several others throughout the season. We became the dominant team.

I have a lot of other examples' but everyone gets the drift.

I'm a full PITTSBURGH sports fan all the way around.

I have so much equipment / projects / ect. all with B & G paint schemes.


Salute the nation
 

Lunar

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Here's another example, I played on this men's slow pitch softball team. We had these red/white unis' and we weren't doing to well, even though we had talent on the team. The next season, I took over coaching and moved a couple players to better positions.

I also changed the unifor colors to a black and gold combination. We won league tournament and several others throughout the season. We became the dominant team.

I have a lot of other examples' but everyone gets the drift.

I'm a full PITTSBURGH sports fan all the way around.

I have so much equipment / projects / ect. all with B & G paint schemes.


Salute the nation
But the LS10 is not Black and Gold.
Slacker.
 
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