The Terrible Towel & The Green Weenie
The Terrible Towel comes out at every game, and is found
in every home of a diehard Pittsburgh Steelers fan.
The Terrible Towel has become the good luck "towel" of
the Pittsburgh black and gold football team.
Invented during the 1975 playoffs by colorful Pittsburgh
sportscaster Myron Cope, the Terrible Towel soon brought
good luck to the Steeler players and franchise.
Appearing on the 11 o'clock news, Cope implored Steeler
fans to bring their yellow dish towels to the stadium
as a way of giving encouragement to the team.
That Sunday, 30,000 fans showed up with yellow towels in
hand, twirling and waving the towels to a Steeler victory
over the Baltimore Colts 28 - 10.
In that game, wide receiver Frank Lewis wiped his hands
on a Terrible Towel, then made an unbelievable one-handed
catch. In the same game, linebacker Andy Russell returned
a fumble 93 yards for a touchdown which gave rise in the
morning papers to this poem:
He ran ninety-three
Like a bat out of hell,
And no one could see
How he rambled so well.
"It was easy," said Andy,
And he flashed a cooked smile,
"I was snapped on the fanny
By the Terrible Towel!"
There was no looking back now,
The Terrible Towel had been born.
The Steelers soon had yellow towels printed with the phrase
"Myron Cope's Terrible Towel" just in time for Super Bowl X,
where the Steelers faced the Dallas Cowboys.
With the help of the Terrible Towel, the Steelers became
the first ever NFL team to win back to back Super Bowls
defeating Dallas 21 - 17.
Since the introduction of The Terrible Towel, the Steelers
have won 279 regular season games, 20 playoff games and
have appeared in 5 Super Bowls.
"Is not an instrument of witchcraft…It is not a hex upon
the enemy. The Towel is a positive force that lifts
the Steelers to magnificent heights – and poses mysterious
difficulties for the Steelers’ opponents only if need be.
Many have told me that The Terrible Towel brought them
good fortune, but I can’t guarantee that sort of thing
because the Steelers, after all, are The Terrible Towel's
primary concern. Still, at the least, the symbol of
The Terrible Towel will serve as a memento of your having
been part of the Steelers’ Dynasty and if it causes good
things to happen to you, so much the better."
~ Myron Cope ~
Due to its popularity, the Terrible Towel has been printed
in various forms over the years. A new black Terrible Towel
was created, as well as Terrible golfTowels, Terrible
beachTowels and Terrible Towels featuring the Steelers
logo. Also, a special edition Terrible Towel was created
in 2004, following Myron Cope's retirement. There is even
a Terrible Towel enshrined in the Pro Football hall of Fame.
There is no doubt the Terrible Towel has helped the
Steelers be a winning football team and has helped
the Steeler fans to feel they are a big part of
each and every victory.
But before the advent of The Terrible Towel to
Pittsburgh sports, in 1966 Pittsburgh Pirates announcer,
Bob Prince came up the idea for the Green Weenie.
The Green Weenie was a rubber, then plastic rattle in the
shape of a frankfurter which when waved at opposing players
supposedly put a jinx on them, and when waved at Pirate
players gave them good luck.
That year, Roberto Clemente won the MVP award, Matty Alou
led the league in batting average, Bill Mazeroski led the
league in double plays, Willie Stargell had his best year
to date in batting, all in all the Pirates scored 759
runs and had a team batting average of .279.
In 1972 when the Pirates moved to Three Rivers Stadium,
Prince came up with Babushka Power, where the ladies
would wave their Babushkas which would have the same
effect as the Green Weenie, and which perhaps gave Cope
the idea for The Terrible Towel.
The Green Weenie was resurrected several times during
later years, but didn't seem to have the same power it
had in 1966.
Now, as you watch football games across the country, both
professional and college you will see many fans have
borrowed the idea and have their own version of
The Terrible Towel with fans waving towels with their
favorite team's colors on them.
But, no matter what color towels they have, there is and
will continue to remain only one great, Terrible Towel.
Dave Cole
Copyright ©
Find More Sports Related Information:
Back to Index of All Sports Articles
Index of all Baseball Articles
