Faced with a crippling shortage of players during the height of World War II, the NFL officially approved a temporary merger between two bitter intrastate rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles, on June 19, 1943. Officially designated as the “Phil-Pitt Combine,” fans quickly gave the team the iconic, unofficial nickname of “The Steagles.” Playing their home games split between both cities, this makeshift brotherhood defied expectations to pull off a surprising 5-4-1 winning record.
The logistical nightmare of running the Steagles was a comedy of wartime errors. Because nearly every player held a full-time job in local defense shipyards or steel mills to support the war effort, practicing together was nearly impossible. The team frequently practiced at night under dim lights, and the two head coaches—Greasy Neale of Philly and Walt Kiesling of Pittsburgh—absolutely loathed each other. The coaches refused to share a playbook, resulting in a bizarre system where one handled the offense and the other ran the defense, barely speaking throughout the entire season.
