The Terrible Towel

Watch any Pittsburgh Steelers game, and you are bound to see the bright gold "Terrible Towel" being waved around by the fans...or the team...or the coaches. What exactly is the "Terrible Towel" all about?

The towel has been a symbol to Pittsburgh fans since 1975, when radio broadcaster Myron Cope invented it. It has been often copied and mocked, but it stands as the most recognizable rallying symbol in the NFL today. They were originally distributed as a gimmick before a play off game, but the idea caught on so well that Pittsburgh area department stores were selling out of hand towels, as everyone seemed to want their own towel, authentic or not.

Since the original in 1975, the towel has been redesigned and distributed. There is now an entire line of official Terrible Towel merchandise from which Steelers fans can choose. Look to see tens of thousands of those towels being swung around during today's game in Tampa!