Terrible Towel
[3] Numerous versions have been produced; almost all are black and gold in color with the words "Myron Cope's Official The Terrible Towel" printed on the front.
Two weeks prior to the Steelers' first playoff game, WTAE's Vice President and General Manager, Ted J. Atkins, and President of Sales, Larry Garrett, said that they needed the assistance of Myron Cope, the Steelers radio broadcaster, in inventing a "gimmick" which would attract sponsors to his daily commentaries and talk show.
He approved the idea on the stipulation that black towels would also be allowed, in order to avoid accusations of racism from the FCC; Cope and Garrett agreed.
"[7] Growing nervous about the negative feedback, Cope, who had already advertised the towel on the news multiple times, polled the rest of the players with a "banana-republic vote".
I check him off as a yes...I reported back to Ted Atkins that the Steelers overwhelmingly approved of the Towel.The Towel made its debut on December 27, 1975, in a playoff game against the Baltimore Colts.
Prior to the game, Cope, whose idea had been mocked by the local Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, watched the gathering fans through his binoculars from the broadcast booth.
[7] Cope recalls, "Nearing kickoff, the Steelers gathered in their tunnel for introductions, whereupon the crowd exploded—and suddenly, by my estimation, 30,000 Terrible Towels twirled from the fists of fans around the stadium!
In the following weeks, the team defeated the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys, to capture the franchise's second consecutive Super Bowl victory.
The current version of the Towel, introduced in 1998, adds the words "Myron Cope's Official" on the top and "A Pittsburgh Original" at the bottom.
[19] A giant Terrible Towel measuring 54' x 90' was introduced at the 2014 home opener at Heinz Field and was "waved" by the 144 fans holding it.
The original version of The Terrible Towel was manufactured by Fieldcrest and distributed by St. Mary's Inc. of New York and was available in two colors: Gold and Black.
[28] Fans have taken the Towel to locations such as the Great Wall of China, the South Pole, Vatican City, and to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro.
[31] Fans waved Terrible Towels at the gold medal match for Women's beach volleyball at the 2008 Olympic Games.
[32] Prior to the 2008 AFC Championship Game astronaut Colonel Mike Fincke, a Pittsburgh Native, waved the Terrible Towel from the International Space Station.
[33][34][35] The Terrible Towel is seen in the Scrubs season five episode "My Bright Idea", hanging on the cork board of Carla and Turk's apartment as she comes out of the bathroom after performing what she believes to be another unsuccessful pregnancy test.
[37] The Terrible Towel is displayed prominently and waved by Rapper Wiz Khalifa in the music video for his song Black and Yellow, which debuted during the 2010 NFL season.
After Hines Ward danced, Hall of Fame Pittsburgh Steelers running back Franco Harris is seen twirling the towel.
Pittsburgh native Meghan Klingenberg waved a Terrible Towel after scoring a goal at Heinz Field during the US Women's National Team victory tour following the 2015 World Cup.
In 2005, Cope retired after 35 years as the Steelers radio announcer – the longest tenure of any broadcaster with a single team in NFL history.
It would be a positive force, driving the Steelers to superhuman performance, but if it experienced a yen for mischief and created fatal mistakes by opponents, I would tolerate that."
Before the September 29, 2008, Steelers game at Heinz Field, Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason stomped on a Terrible Towel.
Shortly after the start of the third quarter, Jaguars mascot Jaxson de Ville stood alongside some cheerleaders, and produced a Terrible Towel, which he used to rub his armpits and buttocks.
"[49] Former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher, by this point working for CBS as an analyst on The NFL Today, mentioned on the program that such antics can come back to haunt teams.
Several Blue and White "Terrific Towels" were made for the Indianapolis Colts in the 2009 season playoffs, one of which received some airtime during their AFC championship victory.
After a 13–10 Ravens win in Pittsburgh on November 18, 2012, Ray Rice walked off the field waving a Terrible Towel over his head and singing Steelers rally song "Renegade" with teammates.
However, prior to the 2014 season, Ray Rice was suspended due to a domestic violence incident in the offseason and was subsequently released and has not been signed by another team since.
[54] On an October 5, 2014 game between the Steelers and the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field, in which the Steelers won 17–9, Jaguars mascot Jaxson de Ville was seen holding a Terrible Towel on one hand and a handwritten sign that reads "Towels Carry Ebola" on the other hand, mentioning the deadly outbreak that started in West Africa.
According to Elias Sports Bureau, this was the first time in Pittsburgh Penguins franchise history that they have overcome a 2–0 deficit to win with six minutes left in the game.
Kris Letang scored the OT winner, and Sidney Crosby tied the game with the goaltender pulled late in regulation.
After attempting to rip the Terrible Towel, Hill finished the 2016 season with 15 carries for 30 yards while missing week 17 with an injury.
