What Is the Story Behind the Terrible Towel?

Sports fans are known for going to great lengths to show their pride, from donning fake cheese hats to painting their faces and bodies. Pittsburgh Steelers fans are no exception, but instead of hats and face paint, they carry Terrible Towels to signify their solidarity.

  1. Who Created Them?

    • According to an article written by John Branch for The New York Times, Pittsburgh broadcaster Myron Cope developed the Terrible Towel in 1975. The sportswriter-cum-football announcer was described by The Associated Press as having a screechy voice and a colorful vocabulary.

    What Was the Inspiration?

    • According to an article by Myron Cope himself on SteelersFever.com, the bigwigs for the Pittsburgh Steelers decided in 1975 that the team needed a gimmick that fans could either wear or wave. Cope said Larry Garrett, the team's vice president of sales, suggested towels. Cope ran with the idea, recommending that the towels be made of gold and be called "Terrible Towels."

    What Exactly Are Terrible Towels?

    • A Terrible Towel is made of gold terrycloth. The words "Myron Cope's Official The Terrible Towel--A Pittsburgh Original" are stamped in black. In addition to waving them as flags, fans have found that the towels are very useful in wiping down damp seats or covering heads during rainy games. A Terrible Towel costs approximately $7.

    Who Owns the Rights?

    • In 1996, Cope handed over the rights to the Terrible Towel to a cause he supported: the Allegheny Valley School. The campus caters to students with severe mental disabilities, and this is where Cope's mentally challenged son, Danny, currently resides. The New York Times reported in 2009 that since the rights were transferred in 1996, sales of the Terrible Towels have raised millions of dollars for the school, which provides services to about 900 people suffering from mental retardation.

    The Luck of the Towel

    • The year the Terrible Towel was introduced, the Steelers went on to win Super Bowl X. Before his death in 2008, Cope told a story about a bowler named Marshall Holman who was handed a Terrible Towel to wipe sweat off of his hands and ended up winning first place in the tournament, walking away with the grand prize of $15,000. Greg Garber of ESPN.com tells of the Baltimore Ravens losing three games to Pittsburgh in 2008 after a member of the Ravens team brazenly jumped on a Terrible Towel.