Ahead of you is the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the most successful franchises in National Football League history. The stadium opened in 2001 as Heinz Field, named for the H.J. Heinz Company, the Pittsburgh condiment empire founded by Henry John Heinz in 1869. Heinz built his business on the slogan 57 Varieties — actually a marketing invention, since the company made far more than 57 products — and his ketchup became the most recognized food brand in American history.
The stadium was renamed Acrisure Stadium in 2022 when an insurance company purchased the naming rights, but to most Pittsburghers it remains Heinz Field. The Steelers have won six Super Bowls, more than any other NFL team. The franchise was founded in 1933 by Art Rooney Sr., an Irish-American from the North Side who bought it for $2,500 from a professional gambling stake.
Pittsburgh's working-class identity — its attachment to hard physical labor, toughness, and collective loyalty — finds its clearest expression in the black and gold. The Terrible Towel, the gold cloth fans wave at games, was created by broadcaster Myron Cope in 1975 and is one of the most recognizable symbols in professional sports.