Pittsburgh Americans

The Pittsburgh Americans were a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1936 until 1937. The team was a member of the major-league American Football League. When plans for the league were announced on November 15, 1935, fifteen cities bid for charter franchises for the new league. On April 11, 1936, Pittsburgh and seven other cities were awarded franchises.

The 1936 season resulted in a winning season and a fourth place finish for the Americans with a record of 3-2-1. The Americans were also not without stars: they signed former Pittsburgh Pirates' Ben Smith and Loran Ribble. However the team's performance on the field didn't mirror that of ticket sales and attendance. The Americans finished last in the league for attendance, averaging only 2500 spectators in attendance for home games at Forbes Field.

While the Americans survived their first season, the team was folded after the third game of the 1937 season. The rest of the league would cease operations at the end of season.