Myron Cope is synonymous with Pittsburgh Steelers football. The legendary Steelers radio color commentator would have turned 95 today, and to honor his memory, the Cope family unveiled an original Terrible Towel that they donated to WTAE Channel 4 in Pittsburgh.
Cope called Steelers games for 35 years for WTAE Radio, from the 1970 season until 2004. He was the voice of all four Steelers’ Super Bowl wins in the 1970s, providing exceptional commentary and many unique catchphrases.
He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2005 and received the Pete Rozelle Radio and Television Award at the 2005 Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony, before passing away at the age of 79 on Feb. 27, 2008.
Along with his iconic voice, Steelers fans remember him today through the blocky gold letters at the top of every Terrible Towel reading “Myron Cope’s Official.” Cope spawned the Terrible Towel in 1975, when he rallied fans to bring yellow dish towels to wave around at a playoff game against the Baltimore Colts. The Steelers won the game, and the NFL’s most iconic fan paraphernalia was born.
In a WTAE news tribute, Elizabeth Cope, Myron’s daughter, presented the original towel to be framed at the WTAE studio saying, “I thought this is a good place for them, as opposed to sitting in my closet, and I just felt it was something my dad would want.”
Beyond the game of football, Cope was committed to giving back to the community throughout Pennsylvania. A portion of all Terrible Towel sales are donated to the Merakey Allegheny Valley School, a non-profit organization that supports adults with disabilities. Just like Myron Cope’s voice, the Terrible Towel has united generations of Steelers fans, bringing the Pittsburgh community closer together through its usage at Steelers games, tailgates, bars, and even to swaddle newborn babies from time to time in Pittsburgh hospitals.
Cope is the quintessential model of what it means to be a Pittsburgher, and I implore all Steelers fans to find one of their Terrible Towels and give it a celebratory wave on what would have been his 95th birthday.
