Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Myron Cope is Dead n'at

Having lived most of my life in the D.C. area, I never got the local feed of Steelers games, so I was rarely treated to Myron Cope's yinzerspeak except on rare occasions that NFL Films gave the replay of his calls. I do own a number of his Terrible Towels, which I understand are fairly ridiculous to fans of teams that creatively steal things from Texas A&M.

This story though I can appreciate most of all.

Washington came to Pittsburgh in 2000 to play the last game ever at Three Rivers Stadium. Cope kept calling the Redskins the "Red Faces." According to The Washington Post, early in the third quarter, a Washington publicist knocked on the radio booth door during a commercial break and asked Cope to stop. He went on the air and said: "If (Snyder) thinks he can give me orders, he can stick his head in a bucket of paint."

UPDATE: TheStarterWife points to this audio collection of Myronisms.

26 comments:

Steve said...

even as a Skins fan I find that story hilarious!

Fuck Snyder!

Captain Caveman said...

The Red Faces! LOL! That's even more creative than "Terrible Towel"!

Oh, and rest in peace and all that.

Spatula said...

Ask the Seahawks and their lead whiner, Holmgren, how intimidating a sea of yellow towels can be. Cope was great person whose flare will be sadly missed.

/tear

futuremrsrickankiel said...

The only way that story could be any better is if Cope had said, "He can stick his head in a bucket of red paint."

Vee said...

I grew up in Western PA, but so far north we never got Steeler radio broadcasts either. Sadly, I never even knew of Myron Cope until I got to college in the early 90s. Myron ruled, plain and simple.

Tonight I'm sticking my head in a bucket of Iron City.

R.I.P.

Upstate Underdog said...

The Steelers are asking that terrible towels be flown at half-mast until after Cope's funeral.

Anonymous said...

I dont know if its yellow towels Holmgren fears. I am pretty sure its Yellow Flags from bullshit calls

SonOfSpam said...

Mercynurse!!!

(That was Cope, right?)

Grimey said...

Snyder can probably fit his entire body inside a bucket of paint

sides said...

yoi

Steve said...

Hines offers a moment of sirrence.

Constant Gardener said...

I never stopped secretly hoping that he'd return to the booth. :-(

Dave said...

I wish I wasn't in South Carolina right now. I wish I could put back a couple Ahrns in his honor n'at. Oh well, I'll order a double yoi and see what the hell I get...

Tech N9ne's Tribute to Falco said...

Ahem, I believe Tom Coughlin was with the Jaguars in 2000.

JAMMQ said...

If we all just take a time machine back to the 1950's.

What a magical era . . .

UncleJohn said...

I believe he called Snyder "that boy billionaire" in that quoted piece.

Anonymous said...

I've been waiting for this post all morning! Well after I stopped tearing up for one of the most legendary men on the most legendary franchises in all sports. Yinz guys wave yer tahls.

Otto Man said...

I'm sure that right now, somewhere in the afterlife, Myron Cope and William F. Buckley are trading bon mots.

Assuming, of course, they could ever understand each other.

Marmatard said...

If we all just take a time machine back to the 1950's.

What a magical era . . .


ah yes to live in an era of racism just once

Rudy Call said...

I realize I've gone to the side of pathological hatred of the Steelers when Cope's death pleases me because it upsets Steelers fans. I'm sick.

Animal Mother said...

Hines Ward no smirre today.

Big Ben will NOT drive his motorcycle into on coming traffic this offseason in honor of Cope.

Robert Ullman said...

When I was growing up near Youngstown, Ohio, the TV game was usually the Browns if they and the Steelers we're playing at the same time, so I'd listen to Myron and Hillgrove on the crackly Steelers broadcast on (I believe it was) WKBN 570. I usually had to sit in the car to do it. Later, as I moved around the east coast, I listened to non-televised games on the internet...through it all, Myron's colorful, spazmodic utterances were always a treat to the ears

Rest well, Myron...we'll miss ya.

Unknown said...

To be fair Ape, Texas A&M fans have been waving towels at their games forever, and it was actually started by a player. No worries, its universal enough now that you can have it. Seattle better get their filthy hands off "12th man" though.

Chris Mueller said...

Yoi, Double Yoi, Ahrns, and all the rest.

It's just a sad day.

RIP Myron...hmmm-haah

jackin'4beats said...

Today no day for smirre. Today day for refrecshun and teal.

BeckEye said...

Love that bucket of paint story.

Too bad I can't go to the towel-waving dealy in the 'Burgh today.

RIP Myron.