'83 Chronology-Stadium Deal

Event Date; November 15th, 1983

Event Description: Maulers Find Home

Source: Pittsburgh Post Gazette-UPI

The Pittsburgh Maulers of the United States Football League Thursday said the team would play its home games at Three Rivers Stadium, also home of the NFL Steelers.

The team and city officials made the announcement despite a clause in the city's lease with the Steelers that prohibits other professional football teams from playing there. The Maulers and city officials said they hoped the Steelers would not file a lawsuit to contest the agreement.

Mayor Richard Caliguiri and George Whitmer, chairman of the Stadium Authority, said they were advised that the exclusivity agreement in the lease with the Steelers would not be upheld by federal court. Failing to lease the facility to the Maulers would be in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act, they said.

The agreement with the Maulers, however, will be voided if the courts determine the agreement improperly violated the Steelers' lease with the city.

The Steelers issued a statement Thursday saying they were 'disappointed' the city violated the terms of the lease.

“We consider this a serious breach of our lease agreement with the Stadium Authority,” the Steelers said. “This breach requires that we review all options open to us in this matter.”

Under the agreement, the Maulers will pay the city $235,000 per year or 10 percent of the gate receipts, whichever is higher. The four-year deal also specifies the city and the Maulers will split profits from concessions and parking.

Overall, the city will make more than $500,000 a year on the deal, Caliguiri said.

The team also took the occasion of the lease announcement to unveil its uniforms and logo. The uniforms will be purple, white, red and gray. The team logo depicts a “Mauler” swinging a sledgehammer or “maul” as the long-handled hammers are referred to in the steel, river and railroad industry.

The Maulers will be the only professional team in the city that does not have black and gold as its main colors.

Story-(UPI)