Myron Cope (January 23, 1929 – February 27, 2008), was best known for being "the voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers", but he was also an award winning journalist and radio personality. For more than 30 years Myron was a fixture on Pittsburgh’s TVs and radios. He was a sportscaster for WTAE TV as well as hosting a radio talk show on WTAE-AM.
Myron was a color commentator for the Steelers' radio broadcasts for 34 years. He was known for his distinctive voice with an identifiable Pittsburgh accent and a level of excitement rarely exhibited in the broadcast booth.
Cope invented the Terrible Towel. Needing a way to excite the fans during a 1975 playoff game against the Baltimore Colts, Cope urged fans to take yellow dish towels to the game and wave them throughout. Originally, Cope wanted to sell rubber Jack Lambert masks, but realizing the high costs involved, opted for the inexpensive option for the Terrible Towel. The Terrible Towel has gained much popularity since its invention and "is arguably the best-known fan symbol of any major pro sports team".
According to Myron in his book Double Yoi "I said, what we need is something that everybody already has, so it doesn't cost a dime. So I says, 'We'll urge people to bring out to the game gold or black towels,' then I'll tell people if you don't have a yellow, black or gold towel, buy one. And if you don't want to buy one, dye one. We'll call this The Terrible Towel."
Myron was a color commentator for the Steelers' radio broadcasts for 34 years. He was known for his distinctive voice with an identifiable Pittsburgh accent and a level of excitement rarely exhibited in the broadcast booth.
Cope invented the Terrible Towel. Needing a way to excite the fans during a 1975 playoff game against the Baltimore Colts, Cope urged fans to take yellow dish towels to the game and wave them throughout. Originally, Cope wanted to sell rubber Jack Lambert masks, but realizing the high costs involved, opted for the inexpensive option for the Terrible Towel. The Terrible Towel has gained much popularity since its invention and "is arguably the best-known fan symbol of any major pro sports team".
According to Myron in his book Double Yoi "I said, what we need is something that everybody already has, so it doesn't cost a dime. So I says, 'We'll urge people to bring out to the game gold or black towels,' then I'll tell people if you don't have a yellow, black or gold towel, buy one. And if you don't want to buy one, dye one. We'll call this The Terrible Towel."
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Myron wore his enthusiasm for his team and Pittsburgh on his sleeve. His unique voice was his trademark, as were his expressions such as “Yoi!”, "Mmm-Hah!" and "Okel Dokel". Myron is credited for coming up with the name "the Steel Curtain" for the Steelers defensive front four. But he will be most remembered for The Terrible Towel.
Sadly, Myron Cope passed away on February 27, 2008, but his legacy lives on. Myron cared passionately for those like his son, who had a developmental disability, and wanted to help them in any way he could. In 1996 he donated a tremendous gift to a Pittsburgh charity, donating The Terrible Towel® trademark. Since that time, royalties from all “Terrible Stuff” (including towels, pillows, gloves, earrings and much more) have raised more than $4 million for charity. |
Many do not know that Myron actually got his start in journalism writing for newspapers and magazines. His 1994 article on Howard Cosell for Sports Illustrated is still regarded as one of the 50 best articles in the magazine’s history. Click here for all his Sports Illustrated articles. Cope received many awards and honors, including:
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