Most Pittsburgh Steelers fans know some things about the origin of the Terrible Towel as a tradition in Pittsburgh. Myron Cope conceived the idea. Steelers fans have been waving the towel since 1975. A portion of the money fans use to buy official towels goes to charity. But what about playing Renegade at Steelers home games?
How long has it been a tradition to play the 1978 Styx song at Pittsburgh games to rally the team? And who conceived the idea?
The Renegade Origin
I found a great video of the Renegade origin story on the Steelers website. Their “A Steelers Story” series is great for fans who want to learn the history of the team. Tommy Shaw of Styx describes writing the song in 1978—basically, a stream-of-consciousness moment.
The origin starts with the opening of the new stadium in 2001. The Steelers wanted to use modern technology at Heinz Field, which was unavailable at Three Rivers Stadium. The staff wanted to create videos and content to interact even more with the fans during games. Mike Marchinsky started working for the Steelers in 1998. He became a full-time employee of the marketing staff in 2000. His mom loved Styx, as did his young bride.
One day driving to work, he listened to Styx Greatest hits on a CD during his commute. First, a slow song called Babe played. Then Renegade. It was the perfect moment. Marchinsky got to work and played it for the executive marketing manager in the control room. His reaction: “Pittsburgh is a classic rock town.” They put the music together with video footage from games, first in black and white and then to color once the tempo picked up.
Renegade Becomes a Staple Feature
Renegade did not start as a staple feature at home games. Marchinsky can’t recall the first game they played Renegade during the 2001 season. At first, they did not even play Renegade in every game. Just when they felt it was needed. He continued that it didn’t become a staple until the Steelers’ first playoff game following the 2002 season. The Cleveland Browns scored a touchdown to go up 24-7 in the third quarter. The Steelers’ offense punted after a three-and-out. So, they played Renegade. Mike Logan ended the Browns’ next possession with an interception. They played Renegade again in the fourth quarter. It was the first time Renegade ever played twice in the same game. Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala scored the final go-ahead touchdown on a 3-yard run with 58 seconds to play.
According to Marchinsky, Renegade did not have a season-long impact until 2008. Then it became an anthem. Mike Tomlin is quoted reciting some of the lyrics in the video. “The jig is up. The news is out. They finally found me.” Tomlin says he became a believer after a Deshea Townsend pick-six in a defensive series that followed Renegade.
Chris Burns, Executive Producer of Live Stadium Events, explains that timing is important. The song can’t be played during an injury timeout, official review, or when the offense is on the field. They have to select the right moment. Then, in the control room, a voice tells the staff, “Warning Renegade Moment. Slowly (fade)everything to black.”
Almost everyone in the stadium knows what is coming when the scoreboard monitor goes dark late in the game. For the staff, getting a turnover after playing Renegade is “as good as it gets.”
The Steelers Players Hear Renegade
Steelers players hear Renegade during the game. Joey Porter said he didn’t know the words when he first heard it played. Porter thought the song was called “Oh Momma.” “But the pulse of the beat” got to him. That’s Joey Porter senior.
Troy Polamalu is amused at how other teams talk about it. Some even play it during their practices leading up to a game in Pittsburgh to prepare for it. Among current players, Cam Heyward described how it gets the team hyped. Alex Highsmith likes how it “brings the juice and energy to the crowd.” T.J Watt says, “It’s a tone setter.”
Color commentator Craig Wolfley heard on the video during a game, “Renegade – the mojo is working.”
Some Steelers fans believe that Renegade has run its course. “Renegade doesn’t work anymore.” They want a new rally song. I wonder if those fans attend many games.
For me, Renegade is just as fresh today as it was back in 2001. Once the monitor goes dark, the fans make more noise than ever. One of my favorite moments was from 2016. The Steelers played the Ravens on Christmas Day and were losing 20-10 going into the fourth quarter. Renegade was played, and my son Max absolutely bought into it. The Steelers went ahead until Baltimore scored with 1:18 to play. But Antonio Brown fought through several defenders, including one yanking on his facemask, to win the game 31-27 with nine seconds left. Just electric. Here is my second-ever article submitted to Steelers Depot describing that game.
Mike Marchinsky remains with the Steelers organization 23 years after conceiving Renegade as a Steelers rally song. Currently, Mike is the Senior Manager of Alumni Relations and Youth Football. Thanks for contributing to the Steelers’ legacy, Mr. Marchinsky!
Conclusion
Renegade is a unique event at NFL games. Almost every team has a rally song. But few are as iconic as Renegade after the screens go dark. What’s your favorite Renegade moment? Here we go.
Your Song Selection
I always like to include a bit of music. What other choice is there? Here is Renegade as recorded on my phone on Christmas Day 2016.
