Acrisure (Heinz) Stadium

Was watching the US Open which is in Pittsburgh area and they keep showing pictures of downtown. They showed where the Steelers played and then told a story about a sign in front of it. I missed most of it but I think Pittsburgh had the first NFL game ever or maybe had a game that started what would become the NFL? Said something to the effect the guy made 500 dollars who played? This was in the late 1800's.

Anyone know about the sign? How about the story?

Thanks.

 

In an era in which football was a major attraction of local athletic clubs, an intense competition between two Pittsburgh-area clubs, the Allegheny Athletic Association (AAA) and the Pittsburgh Athletic Club (PAC), led to the making of the first professional football player. Former Yale All-America guard William (Pudge) Heffelfinger was paid $500 by the AAA to play in a game against the PAC, becoming the first person to be paid to play football, November 12, 1892. The AAA won the game 4-0 when Heffelfinger picked up a PAC fumble and ran 35 yards for a touchdown.

I’m guessing the game was played at Exposition Park

Exposition Park was the name given to three historic stadiums, located in what is today Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The fields were used mainly for professional baseball and American football from c. 1879 to c. 1915. The ballparks were initially located on the north side of the Allegheny River in Allegheny, Pennsylvania.

A historical group still marks the spot of the home plate at Exposition Park where the first World Series game was played 1903.

 

There is a sign near Acrisure Stadium and literally feet from the immaculate Reception site that commemorates the site of the First World series game in 1903. Pitt vs Boston at Exposition Park. Maybe that’s what you saw on TV. At one point SABR (The baseball research guys) had painted the layout of home plate and bases in the parking lot. But I don’t think this survived subsequent resurfacing.

 

Ahhh.....from the mouth of an eyewitness.
LoL

 

Michael Keaton just gave a nice tribute to Pittsburgh. They only showed one sports team and player, Terry Bradshaw.

 

I had good seats

 

See last sentence of my post

 

Cut him some slack. That was a lot a of words - and punctuation - for one of your posts.

 

The stadium that the game was played in was Recreation Park which was torn down in 1905. Like you said it was in Allegheny City which is now the North Side of Pittsburgh. Back then a TD was only 4 points thus the final score of 4-0.

 

There was a marker outside 3 Rivers Stadium that commemorated the first pro football game that was played. When 3 Rivers was demolished the marker was moved a few blocks away to the actual site where Recreation Park stood. That's where the pro baseball team the Alleghenys played as well as the Western Pennsylvania college football team (Now the University of Pittsburgh) played.

 

Sorry, didnt see your post at all.

 

Well that just hurts my feelings I

 

Exposition Park marker for anyone going to a Pirates or Steelers game




https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/exposition-park-marker

 

I didn't know that about the 4 points.

 

Never knew that and I was at TRS a lot. Youngster, so I wouldn't have paid attention to things like that.

 

Funny story, well, just a story, I was headed for a parking spot near the end and out of nowhere a car struck the side of my truck.
After the dust cleared, I got out to see what the heck just happened.
She had got into her car and started it, but something about putting her purse(bag) away, it caught the shifter and in the chaos she floored it... smack into me.
I looked down, right at that marker.

So my memories of it are bittersweet.
I did get a new truck.

 

Best of all, nobody was seriously hurt, at least I'm guessing.

 

No sir. All was well.