The Pro Football Hall of Fame will visit Tacoma on Saturday for a three-and-a-half month run at the Washington State History Museum. Helmets, shoes and jerseys, primitive documents and trophies collected by long-forgotten franchises are among the 200 artifacts on display, each telling a story about how the sport evolved from a second-rate, semi-pro operation to a multibillion dollar business.
An elevator panel skeleton, salvaged from a demolished stadium, is not obviously relevant to such an exhibition, but it not only tells a story, it tells a story that resembles a parable.
On Dec. 23, 1972, Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney left the owner’s box at Three Rivers Stadium to console his valiant but seemingly beaten team.