RIP Myron Cope

Immaculate Reception
Terrible Towel

These two phrases are perhaps the most famous and well known of the entire Steelers historical lexicon, and both were made famous by the same man, who passed away today. Myron Cope (1929 - 2008) was the Steelers' radio analyst for 35 seasons, from 1970 to 2004. This is the longest run any individual has had announcing with the same NFL team. While most famous for his radio work, he also was an outstanding writer for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and Sports Illustrated during his career. He is most known around the country for the Terrible Towel innovation, which was created as a gimmick before a playoff game in 1975 and has stuck around ever since. His trademark on the product has all profits go to help mentally challenged children in the Pittsburgh area. He is also known for his high pitched nasal voice, which was a combination of Jewish and Pittsburgh accents. He would often break out Yiddish phrases during games, the most popular being "Yoi!", "Double Yoi!", or "Triple Yoi!" (depending on the magnitude of the play). His voice was admittedly probably really irritating to any casual fan, but very much loved by those in Pittsburgh.

To Steelers fans, Cope is held in the same regard as Joe Paterno is by Penn State fans. He was the symbol of the team for all his years in the booth. From the destructive teams of the 70's, to the mediocre teams of the 80's, to the heartbreakers of the 90's and early 00's, the one constant for Steelers fans was getting to listen to Myron on the radio on Sundays. Many would mute the TV if those announcers were insufferable and listen to the radio call instead. Cope wasn't an ex player or coach, or a disinterested journalist using Pittsburgh as a stepping stone to bigger places. He was truly a fan in the broadcast booth: born and raised in the city, he was living a dream by being able to announce the Steelers and that was obvious to anyone who listened to him. That kind of enthusiasm from announcers is becoming increasingly hard to find these days.

For those who are unfamiliar, here's the best YouTube clip I could find of Myron. I believe this was the intro to a Monday Night game shortly after he retired, and he's talking about the Terrible Towel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4xi7eA68og