If you're not a sports fan and you're not from Pittsburgh, you probably don't know who this guy is. That's too bad.
Myron Cope was one of the best journalists the sports world has ever had. And that's probably not what he was best known for.
He was the color analyst for the Steelers for over thirty years, and his voice and his sayings were...how to describe them? Distinctive would be an understatement. Shrill and high-pitched, frequently ranting and raving, mispronouncing some words and intentionally "bungling" others, he was hours of pure entertainment for me on Sunday afternoons. Sometimes we would turn down the sound of the TV and tune into the radio broadcast - he was that good. And while I was loathe to miss any part of a Steelers game as a kid, I would always be secretly excited to listen to part of the game on a car radio.
But the biggest thing, for me, is his invention of The Terrible Towel:
I'm not exactly sure how he came with the idea, but it's been embraced by Steeler fans since the mid '70s. And all of the profits go to a school in Pittsburgh that teaches the mentally disabled. How great is that gesture?
Double yoi, Myron! You will be missed.
1 comment:
Yoi! Believe it or not, I criedthis afternoon when I heard about Myron. I did. And then I called my dad and broke the news to him. Sad stuff. My tribute post to follow tomorrow.
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