A moment of silence won't be necessary because his message was loud and clear.
Myron Cope, the colorful sportswriter and radio personality, died last Wednesday at the age of 79. For 35 years, Cope was the voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
That raspy voice that forged legendary catch phrases has been immitated but never quite duplicated. He distinguished himself by being real. He was fanatic and critical. He called it as he saw it. He was passionate about football and the Steelers. He captured each and every moment with his bombastic delivery.
He was partly responsible for coming up with "Immaculate Reception" in describing Franco Harris' unforgettable catch and run that capped the Steelers' improbable playoff victory over the Raiders in 1972. During the Steelers' decade of dominance in the 1970s, Cope came up with the idea of waving Terrible Towels, which has become the flag of Steeler fans all over the world. He created pet names for hated division rivals. He called the Cincinnati Bengals the "Bungles." He stamped the Cleveland Browns the "Brownies." Cope was also proficient in monikers that later become name brands. He once described Jerome Bettis' running style like being run over by a big bright yellow bus. Bettis cashed in on Cope's call and a nickname was born..."The Bus."
Sports fans associate certain teams with one voice: The Dodgers have Vin Scully. The Celtics had Johnny Most. The Lakers had Chick Hearn. The Cubs had Harry Caray.
For the Pittsburgh Steelers, it's the one and the only Myron Cope. Yoi!
Keywords: Myron Cope, Pittsburgh Steelers
