The Glassport Odds were a professional, later semi-professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

team from

Glassport, Pennsylvania Glassport is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, approximately south of Pittsburgh and the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers where they form the Ohio River. Glassport lies along the east side of th ...

from 1913 until 1950.

History

The Odds were organized in 1913 under the leadership of Victor Jaskolski, who coached, and Joseph Pazick, who managed the team. Over half of the players on the team were of Polish descent. One of the most well-known players for the Odds was Samuel Arthur Weiss. After

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, from 1919 to 1921, Glassport Odds held a reputation for being one of the fastest teams in independent football. In 1925, the Odds were undefeated during the regular season; however, the team then played the 27th Ward Traders in semi-finals for the independent championship of

Western Pennsylvania Western Pennsylvania is a region in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, covering the western third of the state. Pittsburgh is the region's principal city, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic ...

. The first game ended in a tie, while the second was won by the Traders by a score of 13-3. In the 1920s and 1930s The Odds played against many of the early professional football teams from Pennsylvania, most notable the Art Rooneys Majestics and

McKeesport Olympics The McKeesport Olympics were a professional football team from McKeesport, Pennsylvania from 1896 until around 1940. The Olympics were considered one of the top football teams in Pennsylvania from 1910 until 1919. The Olympics played against man ...

. In 1935, the Odds won the semi-professional Allegheny County League. The Odds had two of their most formidable teams in 1940 and 1941. Prior to these successful seasons, a lack of interest by the people of Glassport and poor equipment almost caused the team to disband. However, an earnest endeavor by coach Steve Zurenda and manager Joe Trunzo, with financial aid by Joe Witkowski, kept the team together. In 1942, the Odds had another successful year, posting a 9-2 record, while battling the Stowe-Rox Cadets to a scoreless tie. Prior to the 1943 season, the entire squad of 22 players were drafted into the

United States military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

to fight in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Undaunted, the Odds were forced to field one of their youngest teams. However, the team still recorded a successful season by posting a 6-1-1 record. The team's only loss in 1943 was to the Army Engineers of Carnegie Tech, a team that consisted of several former

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

stars. In 1944, the Odds joined the Honus Wagner Conference. In 1947, the Odds merged, taking under its wing an infant of one season, the Glassport Semi-Pros.

References

* * {{Pittsburgh sports American football teams established in 1913 American football teams disestablished in 1950 Early professional American football teams in Pennsylvania Defunct American football teams in Pennsylvania Polish-American culture in Pennsylvania American football teams in Pittsburgh 1913 establishments in Pennsylvania 1950 disestablishments in Pennsylvania Allegheny County, Pennsylvania