Stadium: Elizabeth Resetar Stadium (60,000)
Opened: 2005
Cost: $410,250,000
Roof: None
Surface: Artificial
Team Colors: Black, White, and Red
Owner: Resetar Debt Management. & Moving Co.
President/GM: Michael E. Resetar
Ring of Honor: none
Franchise Record: 36-27-1 (.571)
Home Record: 23-8 (.742)
League Championships: 1 (2006)
Division Championships: 1 (2006)
Franchise Championships: 1 (2006)
Playoff Appearances: 3
Balance: $487,805,790
NORTHAMPTON W 280-264
@ Baltimore W 318-206
NEW ENGLAND W 267-242
@ Indianapolis L 259-237
@ Chicago L 254-228
@ Las Vegas W 232-208
@ New York W 319-294
@ Northampton W 345-266
BALTIMORE L 281-271
@ New England L 260-213
LAS VEGAS L 271-257
CHICAGO L 291-250
NEW YORK W 313-293
INDIANAPOLIS W 321-207
One of the first potential owners contacted by CFFL Commissioner Greg Karpuk about owning a franchise in the reborn CFFL, owner Mike Resetar jumped at the chance to own a team. Thus the Hardcores were born in Pittsburgh, a city which has always been represented in CFFL play.
The Hardcores exploded onto the scene, beginning the season 3-1, dominating Northampton and New York in their first two games. They looked unstoppable. Then bad luck began to haunt them.
Injuries began to pile up, as the team lost starting QB Donovan McNabb for the season in Week 10. McNabb's backup, Ben Roethlisberger, missed several games in the middle of the season after suffering a knee injury. RB Brian Westbrook missed the last several games of the season due to injury. And WR Terrell Owens, after causing problems during training camp and the first half of the season due to a contract dispute, was suspended for the final 2 months of the season.
However, Pittsburgh persevered, retooling their offense around the emergence of RB Larry Johnson, who rushed for 100 yards in each of the last 9 games he started. The Hardcores, who were left for dead with a 4-6 record, suddenly came alive, winning 3 of their last 4 games to clinch the wild-card spot in the Baugh Division. They then upset Indianapolis in the divisional playoff game at The Black Forest before losing the championship game to cross-state rival Northampton at Tiger Field.
The Hardcores came back strong in 2006, starting 7-0 on their way to a 12-3-1 record and the 2006 CFFL Championship. They also won the Baugh Division title and the Franchise Championship in 2006.
The Hardcores fell on hard times in 2007, missing the playoffs for the first time. Injuries to Donovan McNabb and Larry Johnson proved too much to overcome, but the team did recover to win the Draft Pick NIT and the first pick in the 2008 CFFL Draft.
Pittsburgh was another team that never seemed to hit their stride in 2008. They made it back to the playoffs after missing them in 2007, but lost to Chicago in the divisional playoffs.
The Hardcores call Elizabeth Resetar Stadium home. It is a 65,000-seat open-air stadium, the only one in the league with an artifical surface, "The better to maim people with", claims Resetar. The Hardcores are nearly unbeatable there, going 19-5 in their first 3 seasons.
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