remembering myron cope: he spoke for steelers nation in a...

Remembering Myron Cope: He spoke for Steelers Nation in alanguage all his own 1929 - 2008 Thursday, February 28, 2008 By Gene Collier, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

PG archives

Myron Cope at the radio microphone in 1995.

Myron Cope was the much-decorated master of the written word, the ever-celebrated sand-blaster of the spoken word, and a pre-eminent Pittsburgh symbol not only of our selves but also of our hopes and our innate joyfulness.

In declining health since even before his 2005 retirement after a record 35 raucous years in the Steelers broadcast booth, Mr. Cope died yesterday of respiratory failure at Covenant at South Hills nursing home in Mt. Lebanon. He was 79.

One of the last of the great sports characters, a genuine oasis in a sea of ever homogenizing media-ocrity, Mr. Cope's life and career were nothing less than book-worthy, even if he had to write it himself. Twice.

"Double Yoi" it was called both times, the second an updated version of the original 2002 volume, the title immortalizing one of Mr. Cope's signature exclamations, which, along with "Okle-dokle," "Dumbkopf!", and "How do?", became go-to standards of a singular TV and radio language that often seemed entangled in an impossible dichotomy: it was uniquely Cope and yet it was intrinsically Pittsburgh.

"Donair, huh?" an acquaintance once asked of Mr. Cope. "I'll have to check that out; I'm not familiar with a Dallas restaurant named Donair."

of 5Remembering Myron Cope: He spoke for Steelers Nation in a language all his own

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Mr. Cope looked confused, perhaps because he himself was the source of the confusion.

"Oh Dallas, yeah," he'd just finishing telling the acquaintance. "We went to the great restaurant dahn 'ere!"

National writers and broadcasters all but outdid themselves trying to describe not only his voice and dialect but Mr. Cope's wit, wisdom, and everyman genius, and not even their best attempts delivered the reliable magic of whatever it was Mr. Cope was delivering at the time.

"I've lost the most creative person I've ever known, a loyal and generous friend, and joy to be with," said Joe Gordon, the retired Steelers executive. "His accomplishments were just incredible. The characteristic that I most admired was his intensity to get things done, his durability to hang in there with his book, the DVD, the piece that he did for the City Paper; he really had to labor for those. He was such a perfectionist. I'd say to him, 'Myron, all you're doing is changing one sentence and it's taken four days.' "

He was best known as the squawking talisman of Steelers football, and had the good fortune of arriving on the scene just as the ballclub was escaping some four decades of losing. Mr. Cope hit the glory road sprinting in 1970 and never lost momentum for the next 30 years.

"He was a good and dear friend and such a great supporter of the Steelers," said Hall of Fame coach Chuck Noll. "We have lots and lots of wonderful memories."

Locally, his celebrity dwarfed many of the players, even those of Super Bowl pedigree, and was surpassed by only a very few.

"He was a true celebrity," said Roy McHugh, the former columnist and sports editor of the Pittsburgh Press. "In the '70s, he and I went to closed circuit telecasts of big fights at the Civic Arena. One night as we were leaving we fell in step with [former world light-heavyweight champion] Billy Conn. We couldn't get three or four paces without people wanting Cope's autograph. Conn they ignored."

Regardless of the ever-more-corporate imaged NFL he'd walked into, Mr. Cope remained a wag and raconteur of a sporting era from the other side of that transition. Though he was riding the new Pittsburgh wave of Dan and Art Rooney Jr.'s strictly business acumen and seasoned football calculations, he still had both feet in the smoke-filled rooms and occasional "toddy's" of Art Rooney Sr.'s world, which thrived on seat-of-the-pants adventurism.

"I'll tell you, losing Myron is a sad thing, because he was really involved in our team," Steelers chairman Dan Rooney said yesterday. "Not only did he do the broadcasts and travel with us and everything, he was so enthusiastic about everything he did and it was so infectious that he got that enthusiasm to the team.

"When we had Frenchy Fuqua, Myron would get the players involved with these dress-offs to see who could out-do Frenchy. Myron would be the evaluator. He really made a big thing of it. They all got such a kick out of it and that kind of thing was important to having a successful team. Frenchy was like that and Myron just grabbed him up right away to do things and it was so great, because you needed someone who could bring humor to things."

Once at halftime in Cleveland, Mr. Cope found his intermission routine interrupted by an occupied restroom on old Municipal Stadium's roof, which is where the radio booths were situated. His long-standing para-military ritual of urinate, get a hot dog, and get back to the action now jeopardized, he improvised. Without being too graphic, let's just say that anyone walking by Municipal Stadium near that portion of the roof in the ensuing minutes had to



wonder from where that sudden shower had come.

Born Myron Kopelman in Pittsburgh on Jan. 23, 1929, Mr. Cope lived all but seven months of his life here, the short period in 1951 when he took his first job after graduating from Pitt at the Erie Times, where an editor changed his byline to Cope. His next job was at the Post-Gazette, where his immense writing abilities soon dwarfed his salary, however, and Mr. Cope quickly got the idea that he could do better himself as a freelancer in the burgeoning sports magazine industry.

"Kid, you'll starve," an editor told him. "You'll be back in six months."

Mr. Cope's magazine writing took its inevitable place among the nation's very best. In 1963, he won the E.P. Dutton Prize for "Best Magazine Sportswriting in the Nation" for his portrayal of Muhammad Ali, then Cassius Clay.

"Cope's columns in the Post-Gazette were in contrast to what had ever been in the paper; they were dazzling," said Mr. McHugh, himself a writer of immense skills. "In the '60s, there was a certain type of magazine style that no one was ever better at than Myron. He could talk to someone and extract all the humor possible from that person."

In 1987, on the occasion of the Hearst Corporation's 100th anniversary, Mr. Cope was named as a noted literary achiever, among them Mark Twain, Jack London, Frederick Remington, Walter Winchell, and Sidney Sheldon.

His style, simultaneously elegant, robust, and humored, landed him on the original full-time staff of Sports Illustrated, which, with the Saturday Evening Post, became the primary conduits of his work. At its 50th anniversary, Sports Illustrated cited Mr. Cope's profile of Howard Cosell as one of its 50 all-time classic articles. Only Mr. Cope and George Plimpton held the title of special contributor at that magazine when Mr. Cope left due to the demands of his burgeoning radio career, and in no small part due to health insurance concerns as they related to his son, Danny.

Mr. Cope's legendary charitable work, which ultimately led to his being awarded the American Institute for Public Service's Jefferson Award in January 1999, began with his son's enrollment at the Allegheny Valley School, an institution for the profoundly mentally and physically disabled. He served for many years on the board of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Autism Society of America and the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, the charity auto race he co-founded, along with the Myron Cope/Foge Fazio Golf Tournament for Autistic Children.

The Terrible Towel, long since a worldwide symbol of Steelers passion and often the Steelers artifact with which Mr. Cope is most identified, is now a trademark that benefits the Allegheny Valley School.

"He was always concerned that his legacy would be the Terrible Towel rather than his writing," said Gordon, "but his legacy is the joy and pleasure he brought to thousands and thousands of people for 35 years. My brother was dying of cancer in 1977, in really bad shape; that was when Myron had his talk show for only an hour each night. The only thing that would bring a smile to my brother's face or brighten his days was that hour with Myron, and that was still relatively early in his broadcast career."

Though his literary skills were muscular and his broadcast aptitudes somewhat initially debatable at best, Pittsburgh grew to know Mr. Cope far more through the airwaves than from his pristine prose. His WTAE talk show aired for more than 20 years, dominating its



time slot. When the Steelers added his voice to their game broadcasts, Mr. Cope thought the only issue was whether he'd have the latitude to be an objective observer, but the only real question was whether there was a frequency that could deliver his signature irascible rasp, gentle and shrill, squeaky and yelpy, often in high emotion fueled by sometimes illogical bursts of excitability.

"He's a horse; he can fly!"

Pegasus?

Mr. Cope wound up broadcasting five Super Bowls, and was the only broadcaster appointed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Board of Selectors, which he served for 10 years.

"He did a great job when we had all those players eligible for the Hall," Mr. Rooney said. "I know other guys among the selectors would get mad at him that he would come on so strong for Joe Greene and Terry Bradshaw, but they belonged and he let them know it, with so many of our other guys, too. They're in there in part as a result of Myron."

He became the first pro football announcer elected to the National Radio Hall of Fame, which he considered his greatest broadcast honor, as its honorees include Bob Hope, Edward R. Murrow, Orson Welles, and Vin Scully. At the enshrinement dinner in November 2005, he was presented by Steelers Hall of Famer Franco Harris.

It was his broadcasting that opened the many facets of his persona to what grew to be an adoring public. His one-of-a-kind creations, songs and skits and admittedly goofy promotional gimmicks played as though Mr. Cope were Rodney Dangerfield in the late comedy great's Manhattan club. Mr. Cope's annual Christmas Carol, written around the year's general Steelers story line to the tune of Deck the Halls, included unforgettable passages such as "Deck the Broncos; they're just Yonkos," and "Pete Rostoski show 'em who's bosski," all followed with the beloved and routinely inexplicable, "Fug-a-gah-gah-gah, Guh-ga-ga-gah!"

"Another thing about him was his modesty," Mr. Gordon said. "It was unbelievable for a guy as popular and successful as he was, the way he related to people. He always had time for people, always was patient."

For all of this sometimes spastic public theater, Mr. Cope kept his journalist's eye and social critic's perspective on his experience and ours. His beloved wife Mildred, who died in 1994, once asked him after a Steelers playoff loss in Oakland if it was all just too depressing sometimes.

"No," he said. "It's just the way it goes. By the way, what did the vet say about the dog?"

"Gonna need surgery," she reported. "Probably cost $700."

"Now that's depressing," he said.

Mr. Cope's final months depressed many of his friends. He'd overcome some misdiagnosed back trouble a few years ago and was able to extend his Steelers career, but his health began failing in stages not long after he retired. Until his final weeks, most of which were spent in intensive care, it was confidently said of Myron Cope that he enjoyed life immensely and had little patience for those who didn't.

In its collective ear today, Pittsburgh can virtually hear his signature sign-off.



"Bye now!"

Mr. Cope is survived by his daughter Elizabeth, his son Danny, and three sisters, Violet Grodsky and Shirley Meyers of Pittsburgh and Marie Joseph of Buffalo. A second daughter, Martha Ann, is deceased.

Funeral arrangements are private.

First published on February 28, 2008 at 12:00 am



Restricted free agents in spotlightThursday, February 28, 2008 By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Free agency begins tomorrow in the NFL, and, in a different twist, the Steelers' most interesting cases involve several restricted free agents.

The deadline is today for teams to tender offers to their RFAs -- players whose contracts have expired but have only three years experience and not the four required to become an unrestricted free agent.

The Steelers yesterday were debating what tenders to issue to their most important RFAs. They include guard Chris Kemoeatu, wide receiver Nate Washington and offensive tackle Trai Essex. Their other two RFAs are linebacker Andre Frazier and long-snapper Greg Warren.

Unrestricted free agents -- guard Alan Faneca, for example -- become free tomorrow to sign with any team without the Steelers having the right to match the offer or receive compensation in return if they do not.

Restricted free agents are different. Depending on how much the Steelers offer each of their RFAs, they not only maintain their rights to match other offers but they could receive compensation in the form of a draft pick if they did not.

The lowest tender is $927,000 or a 10 percent increase in the player's 2007 salary, whichever is higher. If the RFA would sign elsewhere after receiving that offer and the Steelers did not match it, they would receive a draft pick in the same round the player was originally drafted.

The scale goes up from there. A tender of $1,417,000 would bring them a second-round pick if the player signed elsewhere and the Steelers did not match; a $2,017,000 tender would bring a first-round pick, and a tender of $2,562,000 would bring draft picks in the first and third rounds.

Essex was drafted in the third round, Kemoeatu in the sixth and Washington was not drafted. Thus, Washington would bring them nothing if they tendered him the lower offer and he signed elsewhere.

Essex, because he would bring a third anyway, probably would receive the lower tender from the Steelers. Kemoeatu likely would receive a $1,417,000 tender because he is the heir apparent to Faneca at left guard and because they can't afford to lose another offensive lineman.

Washington, their No. 3 wide receiver, is the most intriguing decision. Do they give him $1,417,000, which would be more than double what starter Santonio Holmes will earn this

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year at his $600,000 salary? Or do they give him the lower tender and risk losing him for nothing, provided they do not match?

It's possible no tenders will be issued to Warren or Frazier.

The Steelers last week put the transition tag on offensive tackle Max Starks. If he does not sign that $6,895,000, one-year offer, he can solicit offers from other teams in free agency starting at midnight tonight. If he signs elsewhere, the Steelers have seven days to match the deal and keep him; if they do not, they receive no reparation.

Their players who become unrestricted free agents at midnight tonight are linebackers Clark Haggans and Marquis Cooper, fullback Dan Kreider, defensive end Nick Eason, running back Verron Haynes and quarterback Brian St. Pierre.

Sources say St. Pierre, the Steelers' No. 3 quarterback behind Ben Roethlisberger and Charlie Batch, will sign elsewhere to have a chance to compete for at least a No. 2 job.

Ed Bouchette can be reached at [email protected].


Page 2 of 2Restricted free agents in spotlight


Colleagues toast a colorful characterThursday, February 28, 2008 By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Keith B. Srakocic / Associated Press

Myron Cope works the Steelers game against the New York Jets at Heinz Field on Dec. 12, 2004.

Hold off on flying those Terrible Towels at half-staff. Better to toast Myron Cope with a toddy and a story, two of his favorite pastimes. And, if you're so inclined, you can light one up in his honor, because Mr. Cope was anything but politically correct and he enjoyed a smoke as well.

Mr. Cope enjoyed life in many ways and infused others with his delight at finding pleasure in work and everyday living, his former colleagues said after learning of his death yesterday at age 79.

"It's a sad day for Steelers fans," said Bill Hillgrove, who worked with Mr. Cope at WTAE radio and TV and joined him on the Steelers broadcast crew for 11 years. "But he'd be the first one to say celebrate it, don't fly the Terrible Towel at half-staff.

"He was so good at what he did and he was so engaging, using colorful language and his ability to tell the story. In those bad games where the Steelers trailed or were ahead big, he always had a story he could tell. He called it his 'laugher' and he told it between plays and could make an entertaining broadcast out of a non-competitive game."

Mr. Cope could make watching paint dry fascinating and that was one reason the Steelers

Page 1 of 3Colleagues toast a colorful character


hired him as their color analyst in 1970. Ed Kiely, then in their front office, suggested they hire Mr. Cope when the Steelers radio rights switched from KDKA to WTAE that year.

"My god!" Mr. Kiely remembers someone in the discussions blurting out. "Who's going to listen to Myron Cope?"

"He's got the knowledge of the game and that's the reason we're hiring him,'' Mr. Kiely recalled as his response. "And he probably brought as much revenue to that station as the weather man, Joe DiNardo.''

He brought humor to the broadcast as well in an age when few color men lived up to the word. Dan Rooney did not give him credit for helping the team win four Super Bowls in the 1970s, but he didn't hurt the cause, the Steelers chairman said yesterday.

"Myron was great at keeping it humorous. We had a great team and a great coach, but we needed someone to loosen them up and Myron did that.''

And it was true, Mr. Rooney said, that he never once told Mr. Cope what to say or not to on their broadcasts. If they had, "it's not like he would have listened,'' Steelers President Art Rooney said.

"I thought Myron brought Steelers football closer to the fans than any one person,'' Art Rooney said. "He just made the fans feel part of it.''

One time, Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder tried to influence him, sending a henchman into Mr. Cope's booth at Heinz Field to order him to stop calling them the Washington "Redfaces,'' a term he used because Washington had failed miserably that year to live up to its Super Bowl hype. Mr. Cope chased the guy out of his booth and continued to refer to the "Redfaces.''

That booth, by the way, always was stocked with several huge Pittsburgh telephone books -- the diminutive Mr. Cope stacked them up on his seat so he could sit high enough to call the game.

"He was easy to work with from a play-by-play man's standpoint,'' said Mr. Hillgrove, "because he'd wait until I finished talking. He didn't tramp on you but certainly was willing to take it when you finished and do his thing and he did it as well as anybody."

But Mr. Cope knew when it was time to work, more than his fans could imagine. He read all the papers and studied for the games, and it was not all Steelers. After he started his nightly sports talk show at WTAE radio, he kept up on all sports.

"People who don't know him and weren't around him would have been really surprised to know how serious he was about his job,'' said John Steigerwald, who worked with Mr. Cope at WTAE-TV in the 1970s and now has a talk show on KDKA radio.

Eartha Jackson, his producer for 20 years at WTAE radio until Mr. Cope's retirement in 1995, found out quickly how serious he was about his job.

"He was very demanding, very particular, and everything had to be just so,'' Ms. Jackson said yesterday. "It took me a couple years to adjust to that kind of nonsense."

Mr. Cope broke in as a sports writer and quickly became known as one of the best in the country at it.



"Some of the stories he wrote for us were so meticulous,'' said former Sports Illustrated managing editor Mark Mulvoy. "They were written the way he talked. He was so insightful."

Fred Young, now the senior VP of news for Hearst-Argyle Television in New York, was news director at WTAE-TV in the 1970s when he gave Mr. Cope his first job in television.

Mr. Young watched some old video of Mr. Cope yesterday, noting he pronounced the Terrible Towel the "tahl.''

"He wrote the Pittsburgh pronunciation book before there was one."

It was another reason fans loved him, whether he was on television, radio or in a local pub, where he never turned down a request from a fan.

"I'll miss him,'' said Mr. Kiely, speaking for them all.

Ed Bouchette can be reached at [email protected].




Cope's own epitaph? 'Creator of Towel Dead'Thursday, February 28, 2008 By Robert Dvorchak, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

PG archives

Myron Cope holding up a Terrible Towel in a 1979 photo.

When asked how he would like to be remembered on the day he retired from the Steelers broadcasting booth, Myron Cope summoned his impish grin and offered an epitaph.

"When I kick the bucket, there'll be a little story that'll say, "Creator of Towel Dead,' " he snickered.

No, he didn't invent terrycloth. But he did come up with the name for the portable, personal pennant of The Nation -- The Terrible Towel. Prior to a 1975 playoff game, he encouraged fans to wave towels brought from home to give the Steelers an extra bit of oomph. In time, he trademarked the name of what would become an officially licensed product and the instantly recognizable talisman of any true Steelers fan.

Twirled in triumph and in tears, often imitated but never quite matched, it has been present at baptisms, whirled at wedding receptions and tenderly placed inside coffins, such as in the case of the late Mayor Bob O'Connor.

Mike Webster wore one in a Super Bowl. Lynn Swann twirled one on the sidelines. Franco Harris waved one in the Super Bowl XL introductions, and Bill Cowher clutched another when he was presented the Lombardi Trophy in the post-game celebration. Not only has it been formally recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, it has been carried inside the cockpits of warplanes and tucked away by troops serving in hostile lands as a link to home.

But its most endearing legacy is its contributions to charity.

In 1996, Cope donated the trademark of The Terrible Towel to the Allegheny Valley School,

Page 1 of 4Cope's own epitaph? 'Creator of Towel Dead'


a private, non-profit agency that cares for children and adults with intellectual developmental disabilities. The agency operates more than 120 facilities and programs for more than 900 children and adults in nine counties across Pennsylvania. Cope's son has been a resident of the school since 1982.

During the past 11 years, royalties from the Towel and its spinoffs -- including pillows, gloves, earrings and much more -- have brought in $2.2 million for the school. The money has helped pay for equipment, program expansions and renovations to buildings so that those under care can live with purpose and dignity.

Not a bad legacy for a gimmick, you betcha.

Long before the concept of the towel was kicked around at a brain-storming session, the Steelers had already been in the playoffs three straight times and had won their first Super Bowl. But the towel has made such an indelible mark that no Steelers broadcast is complete without images of the blend of color and motion hatched in Cope's fertile imagination.

In documenting his version of how it all came to be, Cope wrote that he was summoned in November 1975 to the boss's office at WTAE, which was the flagship radio station of the Steelers and which employed Cope in various positions on radio and TV.

With home playoff games on the horizon, the executives wanted a promotional gimmick. Cope protested that he wasn't a gimmick guy. But when it was pointed out that his contract was up in three months and that advertisers were needed to sponsor Cope's various shows, he saw the light.

Larry Garrett, vice president of sales, suggested the towel because it was lightweight, portable and a common possession. No money would have to be fronted, and because Pittsburgh would never be a place for pompoms, the tough and durable fabric was seen as ideal. It could also serve as a muffler against the cold and provide cover in the rain.

"I can go on radio and television proclaiming, 'The Terrible Towel is poised to strike!' " said Cope, instantly hitting upon the name.

Champagne was ordered, and Cope introduced his creation during the 11 o'clock news on the Sunday before the Dec. 27 playoff game with the Colts. He admitted "making a damned fool of myself by hurling towels at the anchorman and the weatherman."

Steelers co-captain Andy Russell was dubious, however.

"We're not a gimmick team. We've never been a gimmick team," he told Cope.

But the towels, once introduced, were like a genie pouring out of the bottle. Roughly three of five spectators in attendance carried either a gold one or a black one. It is said that wide receiver Frank Lewis wiped his hands in a Terrible Towel before making a one-handed catch, and the air was filled with towels when an injured Terry Bradshaw emerged from the locker room after the second half had begun.

Even Russell became a convert, which gave rise to a legend. During that victory over the Colts, Russell scooped up a fumble and returned it 93 yards for a touchdown, which is still a playoff record. (The late Ray Mansfield said the lumbering run required so much time that NBC cut away to a commercial and returned to the air before Russell reached the end zone.)

A woman named Lisa Benz was inspired to send Cope her poetic interpretation:



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 crooked smile.

"I was snapped on the fanny

By The Terrible Towel!"

The Steelers beat the Raiders at home the following week, then defeated the Cowboys for their second Super Bowl title.

Although the line is often blurred, Cope proclaimed that the use of the towel is reserved exclusively for post-season games. Many fans have separate towels for the regular season and for draping over TV sets for away games. And a flurry of towels provided the send-off at Cope's official farewell at a Monday night game in 2005.

The towel, it is said, possesses incredible power, such as the time bowler Marshall Holman won a $15,000 check after being given a Terrible Towel by a Steelers fan. On the other hand, those who would desecrate it are tempting fate. Cincinnati's T.J. Houshmandzadeh wiped his shoes with it after scoring a touchdown in Heinz Field, and there is no need to mention the annual fate that befalls the Bengals.

Cope addressed this issue in a certificate of authenticity:

"The Terrible Towel 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 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 Steeler Dynasty of the 1970s. And if it causes good things to happen to you, so much the better."

Over the years, other organizations have attempted to borrow on the towel's powers. The Cleveland Indians once had Hate the Yankees Hankies. The 1987 Twins came out with Homer Hankies. Playoff towels have been distributed at Penguins games, and the Vancouver Canucks once promoted Towel Power. West Virginia University had its own version in Mountain Magic Towels.

But there is only one Terrible Towel, fitting in that its creator was a one of a kind personality. As long as it waves, his memory lives. Requiescat In Pace.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Allegheny Valley School at 1996 Ewings Mill Road, Coraopolis, Pa., 15108, or The Autism Society of Pittsburgh at



4371 North Pike, Monroeville, Pa., 15146. Robert Dvorchak can be reached at [email protected]




Myron Cope 1929-2008: Time for one last, heartfelt yoi anddouble yoi Thursday, February 28, 2008 By Gene Collier, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

By amiable pre-arrangement, he would pick me up behind the Bob Evans in Cranberry and we'd drive to Cleveland, and, as simple as that sounds, nothing ever quite prepared you for the arrival of Myron Cope.

This one came in a splashing October rain, the night before Steelers-Brahnies, as Cope steered his enormous Crown Victoria into the back lot. It must have been gray, the Crown Vic, because I remember in the gloom thinking that it looked like a tank stolen by an 10-year-old chain smoker.

All day yesterday and today, with terrible towels at half-staff, anecdotes and memories of the great writer and broadcaster covered Steelers Country more thoroughly than the fresh dead-of-winter snowfall.

Sam Zacharias called to remember Andy Russell's 30th birthday party, at which the linebacker's friends and teammates presented him with a large box containing ... yes, Cope, who popped out, stared gleefully at Russell, and squawked, "Kiss me you fool!"

Entrances and arrivals were unforgettable, but this final departure stings like hell.

The withering roster of people who really know how to live, how to enjoy life's every minute, is down one today.

"Absolutely," said Jerome Bettis. "He really enjoyed calling the games; it wasn't work for him. He always told me he was one of the most privileged people. You know, people say athletes get paid for doing what they love to do, but Myron was the same. He had so much fun. We'd sit and talk, and he'd tell me about the teams in the '70s and all those stories. He was a historian. And I'm privileged because it was Myron who started calling me 'The Bus.' "

Cope found the joyfulness and humor in everything and everyone, created his own characters (even if he had to nickname them himself) and directed his own interpretative production of more or less continuous entertainment. In that sense, he was really of another era, when raconteurs and characters abounded on the American landscape.

"It really is a loss," Steelers chairman Dan Rooney was saying yesterday. "We just don't have characters like that today.

"I remember going places with my father, and he'd always be with a big group of people. Newspaper guys and athletes. We'd be in Toots Shore's [in Manhattan] and Broadway show people would come in. You'd hear all the talk. It was a really great time.

Page 1 of 3Myron Cope 1929-2008: Time for one last, heartfelt yoi and double yoi


"People just seem too serious anymore. We would accomplish a lot more if we had people like Myron to find the humor in things. Even in the presidential election."

While Myron took great joy in finding life's absurdities, of illustrating them when he could with his famous radio and TV antics, he was at his core a gifted writer and an inveterate truth-teller. A journalist.

"I'm probably no different than most people, who, when they first heard Myron wondered, 'what in the world is this guy doin' on the radio?' " said Steelers Hall of Famer Joe Greene. "But it didn't take long for you to know he was special. Myron was one of those guys who gave you the truth. He could get on your case, but you knew he had a good foundation for doing that.

"A lot of time, in today's sports world, that kind of honesty is probably missing, or people are just trying to hype themselves. He wasn't trying to hype himself; he was just stating his position.

"I remember a bus ride once, from the stadium in Miami to the airport, and Mel Blount was a rookie and hadn't had a very fun day against Paul Warfield. Some of the writers were asking questions of Chuck Noll about Mel, and Chuck was saying, 'Don't worry, Mel will be all right.' And Myron, even though he was reporting, was taking Chuck's side, and I don't even know if that ever got on the air. But that was just one occasion where he again had the insight that we all grew to love and respect."

I don't remember love and respect ricocheting around the interior of the Crown Vic on the way to Cleveland that night some years ago. I never took for granted being in the presence of one of the great American writers of the 20th century, but love and respect were losing that night to fear and muffled screams.

Cope drove hard on the Turnpike, puffing away, gabbing away, peering through the steering wheel that seemed to arc over his head, big thunderheads pounding water off our windshield as we negotiated between 18-wheelers.

"My God," I thought. "He's enjoying this, too."

At the end of it came the typical payoff.

Don't know if you ever witnessed the arrival of Myron Cope at the team hotel the night before a road game, but for some sense of it, look up video of Lindberg landing in Paris.

Yoi we'll miss him.

And double yoi.

IN TODAY'S 'A' SECTION

Myron Cope was one of the last great sports characters.

Cope's Steelers, TV and radio co-workers will miss him.

The inventor of The Terrible Towel benefited many.

ONLINE

Page 2 of 3Myron Cope 1929-2008: Time for one last, heartfelt yoi and double yoi


What people are saying ... about Myron Cope's passingThursday, February 28, 2008

Lake Fong / Post-Gazette

Steelers president Art Rooney II remembers Myron Cope yesterday.

The entire Steelers organization is deeply saddened to learn of the death of Myron Cope. Myron touched millions of people throughout his life, first as a tremendous sportswriter and then as a Hall of Fame broadcaster.

Myron was also a very close friend. His contributions and dedication to Steelers football were incredible. His creation of The Terrible Towel(TM) has developed into a worldwide symbol that is synonymous with Steelers football. He also helped immortalize the most famous play in NFL history when he popularized the term "Immaculate Reception".

Myron was a very passionate person who truly cared about others and dedicated much of his personal time to help numerous charities. Our prayers and deepest sympathies go out to the entire Cope family. Myron will remain in our thoughts and will forever be a member of the Steelers family. -- Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney

The passing of Myron Cope is a tremendous loss for the entire Steelers organization and for

Page 1 of 2What people are saying ... about Myron Cope's passing


Steelers fans around the world. Whether it was his work as a broadcaster or his creation of The Terrible Towel, Myron played an important part in the Steelers game day experience.

Myron touched the hearts of Steelers fans for 35 years and became one of the true legends in broadcasting history. His memorable voice and unique broadcasting style became synonymous with Steelers football. They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery and no Pittsburgh broadcaster was impersonated more than Myron.

We have lost a great friend in Myron Cope, but history will remember him as one of the great sportscasters of any era. Our prayers go out to the entire Cope family. Though he can never be replaced, his impact will continue to live strong at every Steelers game. -- Steelers President Art Rooney II

"Certainly, it's sad day in Pittsburgh. Myron Cope is a Pittsburgh legend, an icon, in so many ways, both obviously in his role with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but then also in what he did for the rest of the community in terms of giving things back. I had the opportunity to have him in here when I was on council a few years ago and gave him the key to the city when he retired once and for all. It was pretty obviously a great experience for me.

And as a big football city, we all grew up watching the Steelers, and Myron Cope is really the heartbeat of the Pittsburgh Steelers in many ways. With the creation of the Terrible Towel, which will live on forever, and that's probably the greatest tribute to him and all that he's given. So he'll be missed, and I know there's already a variety of things being done in his honor. We're considering some as well, to make sure that we pay tribute to somebody who has given so much to this great city." -- Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl

Myron Cope embodied the spirit of our city and team, and he'll never be forgotten. We'll think of him whenever his Terrible Towel is waved, and we'll miss his unmistakable, joyful voice whenever the Steelers score. He was a true original. -- CIA Director Gen. Michael Hayden, a Pittsburgh native and Steelers fan whose grade school football coach was Dan Rooney

Like so many Steeler fans, I grew up listening to Myron Cope and his unforgettable voice and style. Myron symbolizes everything that is great about Southwestern Pennsylvania, and my thoughts and prayers go out his to family. Today, the entire Steeler Nation mourns the loss of great man and a great Pittsburgher." -- Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato


Page 2 of 2What people are saying ... about Myron Cope's passing


One more remembrance: The last Cope-a-nutThursday, February 28, 2008 By Brian O'Neill, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Maureen Marsteller says her baby's first words were a spot-on impression of Myron Cope.

She and her husband, Dan, always listened to Cope's radio show at dinner. Their first-born son, Doug, did, too. At 8 months old, he didn't have much choice.

Anyway, the sign-off each night was always the same: "This is Myron Cope ... on sports."

There was always that long, pregnant pause before the last two words. And, one night, little Doug decided to fill in the blank. Maybe his first real words came out more like "on 'ports," but those were the first words he managed beyond a babble.

Marsteller shared that story as the last caller on Cope's last nightly radio show on WTAE radio in 1995. The show had run for 22 years, but she was a first-time caller, and for sharing that precious tale she was awarded the last "Cope-a-nut."

"Talk about thrilling moments. It does sound bizarre, but that will be a lifetime memory, a memory for our whole family, that we shared."

A few years after her call to Cope, when her son was still a teenager, they met the man and he remembered the call about the baby's first words.

Marsteller, principal of Oakland Catholic High School the past six years, was in a doctor's office in Oakland yesterday when the television in the waiting room announced Cope's death.

She cried.

Then she began calling her family.


Page 1 of 1One more remembrance: The last Cope-a-nut


Legendary broadcaster Myron Cope dies at 79Wednesday, February 27, 2008 By Gene Collier, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Myron Cope, colorful sports broadcaster and reporter whose Terrible Towel remains the banner of the Steelers nation, has died.

In declining health since even before his 2005 retirement after a record 35 years of Steelers broadcasts, Mr. Cope died this morning of respiratory failure at the Covenant at South Hills nursing home in Mt. Lebanon.

He was 79.

One of the last of the great sports characters, Mr. Cope's life and career were nothing less than book-worthy, even if he had to write it himself. Twice.

"Double Yoi" it was called both times, the second an updated version of the original 2002 volume, the title immortalizing one of Mr. Cope's signature exclamations, which, along with "Okle-dokle," "Dumbkopf!", and "How do?", became so familiar to his radio and TV audiences.

Reaction to Mr. Cope's death poured in quickly both from inside and outside the sports world. That included a statement released by Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney:

"The entire Steelers organization is deeply saddened to learn of the death of Myron Cope. Myron touched millions of people throughout his life, first as a tremendous sportswriter and then as a Hall of Fame broadcaster.

"Myron was also a very close friend. His contributions and dedication to Steelers football were incredible. His creation of The Terrible Towel has developed into a worldwide symbol that is synonymous with Steelers football. He also helped immortalize the most famous play in NFL history when he popularized the term 'Immaculate Reception.'

Steelers President Art Rooney II added:

"Myron touched the hearts of Steelers fans for 35 years and became one of the true legends in broadcasting history. His memorable voice and unique broadcasting style became synonymous with Steelers football. They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery and no Pittsburgh broadcaster was impersonated more than Myron." The Steelers officials also discussed Mr. Cope at a press conference later in the day.

More on the death of

Myron Cope

• Pitt plans Cope tribute at tonight's game • Obituary: Cope's career spanned newspapers, magazines, radio and TV • Video: A tribute to Myron Cope • Readers Forum: Share your memories of Myron Cope • Readers Forum: Sign a guestbook at Legacy.com • Photos: Share your Terrible Towel pictures

Page 1 of 2Legendary broadcaster Myron Cope dies at 79


Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato said:

"Like so many Steeler fans, I grew up listening to Myron Cope and his unforgettable voice and style. Myron symbolizes everything that is great about Southwestern Pennsylvania, and my thoughts and prayers go out his to family. Today, the entire Steeler Nation mourns the loss of a great man and a great Pittsburgher."

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said, "Certainly, it's a sad day in Pittsburgh. Myron Cope is a Pittsburgh legend, an icon, in so many ways, both obviously in his role with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but then also in what he did for the rest of the community in terms of giving things back.

"I had the opportunity to have him in here when I was on council a few years ago and gave him the key to the city when he retired once and for all. It was pretty obviously a great experience for me. I remember him in here talking and he just went on and on. You could clearly see at that time his health was declining, and he just enjoyed life until the last moment, and he'll sorely be missed. . . . and I know there's already a variety of things being done in his honor.

"We're considering some as well, to make sure that we pay tribute to somebody who has given so much to this great city.

"We're maybe looking at a Terrible Towel flag flying potentially in front of the City-County Building. But we have to get one made or figure out what we can do."

More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.


Page 2 of 2Legendary broadcaster Myron Cope dies at 79


Nation waves 'bye now' to Myron Cope By The Tribune-Review Thursday, February 28, 2008

His high-pitched screech was the most unlikely to serve as the voice of Steeler Nation.

Yet for more than three decades, Pittsburgh's football faithful muted their televisions and turned up the volume on the radio to hear the beloved icon known simply as Myron.

Hall of Fame Steelers broadcaster Myron Cope died Wednesday morning at the Covenant of South Hills nursing home in Mt. Lebanon.

Cope had been treated for respiratory problems and heart failure in recent months. He was 79.

Services will be private.

The diminutive creator of the "Terrible Towel," Cope entertained and informed fans with his manic style of color commentary on the Steelers Radio Network from 1970 until he retired in June 2005.

"Myron touched millions of people throughout his life," Steelers chairman Dan Rooney said. "Myron was also a very close friend. His contributions and dedication to Steelers football were incredible."

Cope is survived by two grown children, Danny and Elizabeth. His wife, Mildred, died Sept. 20, 1994, after a long illness. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Martha Ann.

Pittsburgh City Council held a moment of silence before its meeting yesterday. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said he is considering having a Terrible Towel flag made and flying it in front of the City-County Building, Downtown.

"Myron Cope is really the heartbeat of the Pittsburgh Steelers in many ways," Ravenstahl said.

Former Steelers linebacker Andy Russell visited Cope at UPMC Presbyterian a few weeks ago.

"I know he fought the good fight," Russell said. "He was a tough guy. I think at some point he got too tired."

Page 1 of 4'Bye now' to a 'burgh original - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

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Writer at heart

An acclaimed newspaper and magazine writer who hosted his own nightly sports talk show on WTAE Radio for 22 years, Cope said he wanted to be remembered as a writer.

He blended a knowledge of the game with an endearing sense of self-deprecating humor, once quipping that his nasal voice "falls upon the public's ears like china crashing from shelves in an earthquake."

Through the Steelers' first four Super Bowl championships, the listening public celebrated Cope's quirky on-air expressions -- "Yoi!" "Double-Yoi!" and "Hmm-hah!" are entrenched in the local lexicon.

"Myron is Pittsburgh," former Steelers coach Bill Cowher once said. "I remember when I first got the job here in 1992 having to go down to his studio and do his show that night and thinking, 'I remember listening to this guy when I was in my kitchen in Crafton.'

"My dad would be out there at night listening to his talk show, and I would be thinking, 'Why would you listen to that?' Then, I found myself listening to that."

Cope left the Steelers broadcast booth in 2005 after 35 years of describing games in his unique, nasally style.

"Myron brought Steelers football closer to the fans than any other person," Steelers President Art Rooney II said. "The way he was able to describe his personal kind of relationship with the players brought humor to the situation and brought the fans closer to the players and made them feel like they had a relationship with the players through him."

A terribly ingenious idea

Cope invented the best-known symbol of Steelers pride, the Terrible Towel. The idea came before a playoff game in December 1975, when his boss at WTAE wanted a gimmick that would get the crowd at Three Rivers Stadium more involved.

"He asked a few players on the team what they thought of the idea," Russell said. "I remember telling him, 'Myron, that's ridiculous. We're not a gimmick team. We don't need people waving towels at us to win games.' I rejected his idea. Now, I feel like such an idiot when I see thousands of people waving their towels."

Fans still wildly wave the black-and-gold cloths at Heinz Field and in bars and living rooms across the country. They even waved them last night at the Petersen Events Center during the Pitt-Cincinnati college basketball game. Pitt was Cope's alma mater.

Cope gave the trademark for the towels in 1996 to Allegheny Valley School, an



institution for the mentally and physically challenged. Cope's autistic son, Danny, is a resident at the school, which has received almost $2.2 million from sales of the towel.

"Everyone knew the kind of support he gave us financially and spiritually," said Regis Champ, CEO of Allegheny Valley School, headquartered in Robinson. "That's a void we're never going to fill."

The Pittsburgh kid

Cope was born Myron Sydney Kopelman on Jan. 23, 1929, in Pittsburgh. He graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School -- briefly boxing at the age of 16 -- and Pitt before starting a career in print journalism.

He started out in newspapers, working first at the Erie Times. In the summer of 1951, Cope was hired by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, where an editor suggested that his last name sounded too Jewish and that he shorten it.

As Cope recounted in his autobiography, "Double Yoi!", the editor began shuffling through the phone book and stopped at "Cope."

In 1960, Cope left the Post-Gazette to try his luck at freelance writing. He always would remember what his editor at the newspaper, Al Abrams, told him before he left: "Kid, you'll starve. You'll be back in six months."

Instead, Cope became a successful writer for Sports Illustrated and the Saturday Evening Post. During his time at SI, he wrote widely acclaimed pieces on Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali) and sportscaster Howard Cosell. Cope was one of only two writers under contract for SI, the other being George Plimpton.

Cope's first story in the Saturday Evening Post was on former Pitt basketball star Don Hennon.

"The guy had tremendous talent," said Beano Cook, a former Pitt sports information director and ESPN personality. "It's too bad that the younger people never saw some of his writing. He was a heck of a writer, a very good writer. There's a lot of people who will never know what a great writer he was."

In 1968, Cope changed courses again and took a part-time job at WTAE Radio. He parlayed that into his job with the Steelers broadcast team in 1970 and into his career as a radio talk-show host.

Never taking a play off

Cope battled health problems for the last several years of his career, including severe arthritis, a chronically bad back, pneumonia and throat problems.

He missed the team's first three exhibition games of the 2004 season while recovering from throat surgery and pneumonia. Then, he had to leave a game



that season because of the after-effects of a concussion he suffered at home the night before, the result of a fall.

Prior to that, Cope had missed only five quarters of Steelers football: One quarter of a game early in his career to attend his brother-in-law's funeral and a game in 1994 after his wife died.

Cope spent his years in the broadcast booth working alongside the late Jack Fleming and, later, Bill Hillgrove.

"He brought so much to the table," Hillgrove said. "He brought an ace -- and a good one -- with a lot of energy and a lot of substance. He rarely missed a point and when he did, he'd admit it."

Hillgrove said Cope would bring a stack of index cards into the booth and use only half of them during the broadcast.

"He'd say, 'Billy, if the game is a stinker, I still have to be prepared,' " Hillgrove said. "Nobody told a story better than he did."

'On sports'

When he was a rookie with the Steelers in 1980, lineman Tunch Ilkin -- now a Steelers radio analyst -- turned on the TV and saw Cope performing one of his routines. Cope was dressed in a white lab coat, had a light around his head and was holding a stethoscope, his form of a crystal ball that was known as a "Cope-a-scope."

"I thought to myself, 'Who is this guy?'" Ilkin said. "I wanted to see what he was going to say next."

Cope cut back his workload in 1995 when he gave up his radio show. The final caller was a first-time caller who had been waiting 13 years to say what Cope meant to her family.

One night, she said, her family was sitting at the dinner table and Cope was signing off. He began his familiar closing with, "This is Myron Cope" and the woman's 8-month-old son chimed in "on sports." They were the child's first back-to-back words.

"That was perfect," Cope said after the show. "The kid's first words -- 'On sports' -- I never could have planned such a perfect last call."

Bye now.

Images and text copyright © 2008 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co.

Reproduction or reuse prohibited without written consent from PghTrib.com



Cope's calls resonated By Kevin Gorman TRIBUNE-REVIEW Thursday, February 28, 2008

Upon retiring after 35 years on Steelers radio broadcasts, Myron Cope cracked that his death would prompt the headline, "Creator of Towel Dead!"

In a career that spanned the mediums of newspapers and magazines to radio and television, Cope became the colorful and distinctive voice of this sports-obsessed town. One who identified with its heroes and everyday men because he was the unique embodiment of both.

Cope, 79, died Wednesday morning of respiratory failure.

"I've been all over the world and the country, and Myron Cope is Pittsburgh. That's all there is to it," said Brian Joyce of Jefferson Hills. "When you were listening to the radio and people would come in from out of town to visit, they'd listen and say, 'That guy's crazy as heck!' And you'd say, 'That's Myron Cope,' and you'd have to explain it to them."

What Pittsburghers remember most was Cope's voice, whether in the rhythmic written or the staccato spoken form, and its distinguishable delivery that captured the hearts and imaginations of both his subjects and audience.

"The first time you hear the voice," sportscaster contemporary Beano Cook said, "it catches your ear."

When word spread of Cope's death yesterday, Steelers fans mourned in the venerable vernacular of the colorful commentator (and title of his autobiography): "Double Yoi!"

"You could almost hear everyone gasp when it was announced," said Lisa Landry, of Greensburg. "We were in a restaurant having breakfast and everyone was like, 'Oh my God, Myron died?' We couldn't believe it. It was sad. He's one of the biggest icons of the area."

As creator of the Terrible Towel, a gold-cloth gimmick that became the waving emblem of Steelers Nation on the way to five Super Bowl victories, Cope rose to cult-figure status from an admiring audience that learned to love his nails-on-chalkboard voice and jubilant jargon.

"His was the most unique voice in the history of sportscasting. Now that's taking in a lot of ground, but you know I'm right if you've heard Myron," Sports Illustrated's Peter King wrote upon Cope's retirement in 2005. "Guys like Vin

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Scully, Johnny Most and Ernie Harwell are hugely famous for being identified with one specific team. But no voice was more important to the history of a sports franchise than Cope was to Pittsburgh. My in-laws lived there, and I can't tell you how many people in that town turned down the sound on the TV to listen to Myron."

Steelers radio broadcast partners Bill Hillgrove and Tunch Ilkin likened traveling with Cope to touring with a rock star, as fans eagerly anticipated identifying in person the diminutive man behind the descriptive voice.

"He enjoys a status very few broadcasters get to," said Hillgrove, who spent 11 seasons as Cope's straight man on play-by-play. "You'd be walking into a hotel -- you know how Steelers fans are in those cities -- and a star player would go by and there was a murmur. Cope goes by and it's tumult."

Added Ilkin, the former Steelers offensive lineman: "Steelers fans always ask, 'What's Myron like?' I've been in this town 27 years, and that was the No. 1 question I get asked. It was working with a legend."

Hometowne Sports assistant manager Lori Beth Kahle, of Elliott, laughed in recalling a story her father shared about Cope calling out to his wife during a Thursday night broadcast: "Don't forget to put the trash out."

"It cracks me up," Kahle said, "because that was just Myron Cope."

Cope's quick wit was as contagious as his clever catchphrases, the most famous of which was his popularizing Franco Harris' shoestring catch for the game-winning touchdown in the 1972 AFC Divisional playoffs against the Oakland Raiders as the "Immaculate Reception."

"Without that name, that play would not be one half as famous as it is," Cook claimed. "Otherwise, it would just be another play."

Not to say that the Steelers without Cope would have been just another team, but his influence on their dynasty days of the 1970s gave both a national identity.

When Steelers fan Tom Fallon, of Allentown, learned of Cope's death while driving to work, he returned home to retrieve a Terrible Towel in honor of his broadcast hero.

"To me, he's the kind of broadcaster that each team needs," said Fallon, sports director of ESPN Radio Lehigh Valley. "You've got to have somebody like that. It's great to have guys who are very professional and can call a great game, but there's something about having a guy on the broadcast team that makes you feel like you're listening to one of your buddies and reacts the way the fans do."

While Cope's legacy goes beyond inventing the Terrible Towel, it is an association that is undeniable and inescapable. One that will allow Myron Cope's memory to live on even now, after his voice has been silenced.



"It's a pretty sad day in Pittsburgh," Joyce said. "The first thing I thought was, 'He's an icon.' I know he's been sick and all, but today was the day and it's sad for Steelers fans. You gotta wave the towel for him."

Kevin Gorman can be reached at [email protected] or 412-320-7812.





Cope left mark on autism treatment By Mike Wereschagin TRIBUNE-REVIEW Thursday, February 28, 2008

Behind the exclamatory radio persona, more deeply seated even than the graceful sportswriter, lived the quiet philanthropist who, in the name of building a better life for his son, forever changed autism treatment in Pittsburgh.

Myron Cope and his late wife, Mildred, helped found the Autism Society of Pittsburgh and organized dozens of charity events to benefit the Allegheny Valley School, where their son, Daniel, lives. Cope, 79, died Wednesday morning at a Mt. Lebanon nursing home.

One of Cope's best-known charitable acts occurred in 1996, when he donated to the school the copyright to his Terrible Towel. In more than 11 years, towel sales have generated about $2.2 million for the school, which serves developmentally disabled people, said CEO Regis Champ.

"He really knew what he was doing. He wanted to leave a legacy for his son and his son's friends," Champ said.

Unknown to nearly everyone is that whenever an organization or company paid Cope to give a speech, he would ask them to make the check payable to Allegheny Valley School, or he'd sign it over after returning to Pittsburgh, Champ said. That amounted to millions of dollars, he said.

"This was his income. ... He never needed any notoriety, never wanted any attention brought to all this," Champ said. It was about his son. "Danny is the center of Myron's universe. He was completely dedicated to Danny, to his care, to his progress."

That dedication led him to help found the autism society along with Dan Torisky and others.

"Myron got us our first grant. It was money to buy stationery. That's what started the Autism Society of Pittsburgh," said Torisky, the autism society's CEO.

Cope helped start the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, which has raised $2.3 million for the society and Allegheny Valley School, headquartered in Robinson. He convinced Alpha Phi Omega fraternity chapters at the University of Pittsburgh and West Virginia University to start the annual Run to Pitt football relay in 1970, during which fraternity members solicit donations for the autism society, Torisky said.

Page 1 of 2Cope left mark on autism treatment - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


Spectrum Charter School in Monroeville, the first in the country to offer classes and job training to autistic students, received approval from the Gateway school board after a plea from Cope. The Summer Program for the Education of Autistic Kids began when Cope and his wife joined others to build a program that would teach autistic children through the summer, making the next school year easier.

The charter school and summer program, which have served about 1,700 children, are being copied by groups across the country, Torisky said.

Through all this, Cope remained a consistent and humble volunteer, quietly helping out at events.

"He was an incredible, incredible presence. Always," Torisky said. "We just plain feel lonely with him gone."

Mike Wereschagin can be reached at [email protected] or 412-320-7900.



Page 2 of 2Cope left mark on autism treatment - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


Cope's style resonated with or without a microphone By Mike Prisuta TRIBUNE-REVIEW Thursday, February 28, 2008

You knew Myron, but you didn't know him.

Actually, the proper way to say it would be something along the lines of, "You knew of Myron, but you weren't personally familiar with him."

Cope -- that's how we in media circles often referred to him -- probably would have corrected me on that.

Then, he'd have added a throaty, "Shows how much you know, Pre-shoot-o."

Cope liked to mangle names that way.

He also liked to punctuate such exchanges, most exchanges, actually, with a hearty, "Heh, heh, heh."

That was to let you know you shouldn't take it personally.

And, most likely, because Cope enjoyed getting in the last word even more than he did the first.

You always knew when Cope was checking into another Steelers training camp at St. Vincent College -- that annual occasion upon which Bonaventure Hall was temporarily transformed into what we referred to as The Bonaventure Hilton -- because you could hear the glass liquor bottles clanking off one another in the brown paper bags he was dutifully toting to his room.

"Who wants a TODDY?" Cope would bellow at the conclusion of another steamy afternoon practice when most of us were just hunching over our computers to recount the events of the day.

Cope liked a good toddy.

Cope liked his cigarettes, too.

It didn't matter if he was in the dining hall, out on the practice field or even secure in his seat on the Steelers' charter flight to Cincinnati, Denver or wherever.

The more strenuously he was encouraged to put the thing out, the more

Page 1 of 3Prisuta: You knew Myron, but you didn't - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


determined he became to fire up another one.

But what Cope really liked was telling stories.

If you were fortunate, you got to know Myron before he became the unofficial mascot of Steeler Nation, or at least did your homework after the fact. You were aware of his incredible gift for observing, reporting and chronicling everything and anything from Cassius Clay to Kennedy. That's what earned Myron his much-deserved national acclaim long before a Terrible Towel had ever been waved.

But even if you didn't catch up with him until he had re-invented himself as the creator of clever nicknames such as "Hydroplane Deloplaine" and the like, you were nonetheless thoroughly entertained.

Few have ever balanced the personas of Rock Star and Regular Guy the way Myron did.

Fewer, still, have been equally as comfortable conversing with Sinatra and with Stash, from Munhall.

Cope had an ego. And he had a stubborn streak that ran as long as Fats Holmes' backside ran wide.

But he also had a heart that was bigger than his mouth, and an appreciation for life and the people who live it that had no sideline boundary.

He loved it when people would recognize him in a bar or restaurant.

How could he not?

It gave him the opportunity to tell yet another story about "Chaz Noll" or "The Chief" or whatever happened to be floating about in his "cranium."

If any among you ever left one of those chance encounters disappointed, it was probably because you just weren't paying close enough attention.

Cope's life was a talk show.

And he never stopped hosting.

A good song, a good meal, a great conversation -- it didn't even have to be about the Steelers.

Those were among the things Cope embraced with as much gusto as he could muster.

He was proud of who he was, what he stood for and what he accomplished.



But he never took himself seriously enough that it prevented him from shuffling about The Bonaventure Hilton in only his boxer shorts, an event that had to be witnessed to be truly appreciated.

You knew Myron, but you didn't know him.

You'd have liked him, no matter how badly he mispronounced your name.

Mike Prisuta can be reached at [email protected] or 412-320-7923.





Broadcaster's roots are in New Kensington By Francine Garrone VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH Thursday, February 28, 2008

NEW KENSINGTON -- The sports broadcasting legend whose high-pitched, screechy voice could be heard in homes across the region during Steelers games had his roots in the Alle-Kiski Valley.

Myron Cope's grandparents, Haiman and Anna Kopelman, established the Kopelman name in New Kensington, where many relatives live today.

"Our fathers were brothers, and Myron and I were part of the American dream," said James Kopelman, Cope's first cousin, an attorney who also is New Kensington's solicitor. "Myron's father (Ellis) came to New Kensington when he was 5 1/2 years old as an immigrant from Lithuania. My father (N.A.) was 3 1/2 years old."

Born Myron Sydney Kopelman, he changed his last name upon becoming a journalist.

"I am not sure if it was Al Abrams that persuaded him to change the name or not," said Kopelman, referring to the former Pittsburgh Post-Gazette sports editor. "But many, many years later it became too complex, and he legally changed it to Cope."

Kopelman said Cope was unable to cash a check made out to "Myron Kopelman" because he was so well known as Myron Cope.

The Steelers Nation knew Cope for his trademark expressions such as "Yoi" and "Double Yoi" and larger-than-life radio personality. But Kopelman remembers him as a man who cared deeply about his family.

"If I was ever sick or even had a problem, he was always right there," Kopelman said. "That was his human side. He might have come off as sort of a shot-and-beer guy, but as far as the family went he was always there."

Kopelman said no one would have ever guessed Cope was an English honors graduate by the way he embraced Pittsburghese on the radio during Steelers games.

"A lot of time when he was on radio, perhaps he didn't speak the King's English," Kopelman said. "He was extremely knowledgeable -- an honors graduate from Pitt with an English degree. He was a master at writing the King's English."

Page 1 of 2Broadcaster's roots are in New Kensington - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


Kopelman said in the last chapter of Cope's autobiography, "Double Yoi," Cope calls Kopelman his favorite cousin.

"To Myron, family always came first," Kopelman said. "And his family was very proud of him."

Kopelman said he will honor his cousin by being a pallbearer at his funeral.

Francine Garrone can be reached at [email protected] or 724-226-4701.



Page 2 of 2Broadcaster's roots are in New Kensington - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


Timeline: The life of Myron Cope By The Tribune-Review Thursday, February 28, 2008

Myron Cope, 1929-2008: Key events in the life of the Pittsburgh sports legend

1929 - Myron Sydney Kopelman is born in Pittsburgh on Jan. 23

1947 - Graduates from Taylor Allderdice High School

1951 - Name is shortened to Cope by his newspaper editor

1960 - Leaves newspaper writing to pen freelance magazine articles

1963 - Wins the E.P. Dutton Prize for best magazine sports writing in the nation, for feature on Cassius Clay

1968 - Takes a part-time job at WTAE Radio doing morning commentary

1970 - Joins Steelers broadcast team

1972 - Thanks to a fan's suggestion, coins the term "Immaculate Reception" after Steelers' improbable playoff win over the Oakland Raiders

1973 - Begins hosting nightly talk show on WTAE Radio, "Myron Cope on sports"

1975 - At the behest of a WTAE executive, invents the Terrible Towel before a playoff game at Three Rivers Stadium

1995 - Ends radio talk show after 22 years

1996 - Gives the trademark to the Terrible Towel to Allegheny Valley School, an institution for the mentally and physically challenged

2004 - Misses three exhibition games while recovering from throat surgery and pneumonia

2005 - Retires from broadcast booth as Steelers announcer after 35 years

2008 - Dies of respiratory failure on Feb. 27

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Page 1 of 1Timeline: The life of Myron Cope - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


Share your thoughts and memories of Myron Cope By The Tribune-Review Thursday, February 28, 2008

Share your thoughts and memories of legendary Steelers broadcaster Myron Cope. Send your messages to via e-mail.

As I read about Myrons death today it seemed like a part of my past died also. He was loved by so many and he surely made the Steelers games worth listening to on radio. Yes, like the article said, "turn down the TV and turn the radio up" because Myron was on. May God bless you Myron and I know there is a spot for you in Heaven. You will be missed.

-- Charlene Walthour, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

Myron brought the Steelers Nation together and it will continue on along with us waving our Terrible Towels never forgetting the man who started it all! In honor of Myron I have worn my Steelers apparel today and proudly display a Terrible Towel in my office.

-- John Brigode, Orlando, Fla.

Mr. Cope's impact on the lives of Steeler fans is too profound for words. The man was a legend. His many memorable phrases and his unique style will live in the hearts of Steeler fans forever.

Rest in peace, Mr. Cope

-- Mark Douglass, Wallingford, Conn.

I grew up with Myron Cope on the radio until I moved to North Carolina. Many prayers and blessings to a man who made listening to Steelers football amazing. He is the terrible towel and was the greatest voice of Steelers football. He will be missed by many and we are proudly flying our terrible towel in his honor. Goodbye Myron and double yoi to you!

-- Tammy originally from Pittsburgh, now in Raleigh, N.C.

Page 1 of 17Share your thoughts and memories of Myron Cope - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


I remember it was my first ever Steelers Training Camp, a few years ago in the blistering Latrobe sun. I was standing with a few other fans, just off to the side of one of the practice fields. I remember seeing this odd, little figure sitting on a little stool, wearing shorts, a tee-shirt, and this silly-looking sun-hat that seemed it could eat him up ... engulfed by the enormous mass of humanity nearby that were the Pittsburgh Steelers' Offensive Lineman, going through their drills under the watchful eye of Coach Russ Grimm. I had never met, nor seen Myron Cope in person, so when I asked a nearby fan who the little man out there on the field was, I was shocked, yet honored to be so close to the person who I had listened to on the radio and HBO's "Inside the NFL" highlight clips for so many years.

But the thing I remember most from that encounter, and the thing that told me all I needed to know about the man, without knowing the man, was what happened next. As Mr. Cope was sitting on his stool, monitoring the hot afternoon practice and taking notes, the Offensive Lineman moved to where he was seated, for that was the location of their next drill. One-by-one, a couple of the huge beasts, dripping with sweat and just coming off of another tough drill, gently approached the man sitting on the stool, who dwarfed in comparison to these giants, and very kindly assisted Mr. Cope in relocating to a safer position to set up his stool and resume his duties, as they waited patiently for him to do so, then went about their drills once again as though nothing had happened. This routine was repeated a few more times as the Offensive Lineman went about their drills, with Mr. Cope carrying his little stool and setting up in a new position each time, as though he was one of them, going through their drills as well.

The level of respect that those men showed to Mr. Cope that day left an impression on me that I will always remember. I never had the honor of knowing the man, but seeing first-hand the level of respect and honor that was given to him on that day was all I would ever need to know. I have never since witnessed nor met such a giant among men.

Mr. Cope, you have touched and been a part of so many people's lives, and you will be truly missed.

-- Sgt. Jamie L. Dillon, FOB Q-West, Iraq

I “met” Cope in Alaska. Sort of. After being a Stiller fan since 1952, I left Munhall for the second time after finishing at Pitt in 1970. For the next fifteen years in California, my only Stiller fixes came from television and occasional ventures into enemy territory at Candlestick and the Oakland Coliseum. A guy could with a gold towel could get into serious trouble there very quickly in those days.

It wasn’t till I’d been in Alaska for a few years that I found a Stillers radio broadcast on the Internet, and from that day on, Sundays were spent with Bill, Tunch and Cope. Like all ‘Burghers, Cope was a dear nut to me. There was



nothing at all strange about him. But my neighbors and pals always left shaking their heads.

Cope, Bob Prince, Rosey Rosewell. I’ve lived a good life. What a bunch a Cope-a-Nuts.

“Open the window, Aunt Minnie, here he comes.” You Betcha.

Thanks, Cope. More smiles and laughs than I could count.

-- Bill Lelake, Alaska

Myron,

Goodbye, you gave us joy and a sense of “Nation”. I don’t think you ever realized how much we transplanted folks from the “burgh identified with you.’ A part of us died today.

-- Denny, Los Angeles

I always enjoyed Myron's Friday night football predictions on WTAE in the early 1980's. I believe it was called the Copra scope. RIP MYRON.

-- Anonymous

I & my family have been diehard Steelers fans for years, & were born & raised in the greater Pittsburgh area. Myron Cope was always apart of our Steelers Sundays in our home. We'd always mute the sound of the tv & listen to his radio broadcast play-by-play, while watching Steeler games. We Steelers fans & Pittsburghers alike will forever miss him, as Steelers Sundays sure won't be the same without Myron. Here's to Myron & spirit...wave the terrible towel in his honor, as it's become synonomous worldwide as a symbol of Pittsburgh & the Steelers! & I agree with a previous fan, that the Steelers should dawn their helmets or jersey sleeves with a miniature Terrible Towel patch that reads: Myron Cope 1929-2008

--Matt Becker, Washington, Pa.

I remember hearing Myron for the first time as a young girl. I was in another room and my parents had the game on in the t.v. room. My first thought was, "What is that noise?!" I went into the t.v. Room to find that the lips of the sports casters didn't match the words I was hearing. I waited til the commercial to ask



my Dad what was wrong with the t.v. He explained that I was listening to Myron on the radio. As the game went on I fell in love with Myron and Steelers football. He was so much fun to listen to and I have missed hearing him the last couple of seasons. It hasn't been the same. Thanks, Myron, for the many years of fun, joy, Yoi! and Double Yoi!! I can just see all of heaven waving the terrible towel :) Rest in peace.

-- Lee, Greensburg, Pa.

Myron Cope was a legend that will be cherished and loved forever. I remember going to a Steelers game--I think it was against the Ravens. My family and I had stayed after the game because we wanted to see the Great Hall. Anyways, we happened to catch the end of the Cope's Cabana and then got Mr. Cope's autograph. To be able to talk to such a great personality and get his autograph is something that I'll never forget.

-- Lou Gagliardi, Greensburg, Pa.

He is a legend, its sad to think that our kids will never fully understand the talent of myron cope.

-- joe (Myrtle Beach, S.C.)

A Sad day in Steelers nation! We've lost a legend today and I lost a few tears. God bless you Myron may you rest in peace. Each time the Steelers score I'll look up in the heavens and see you proudly waving that towel!

-- Brenda Gist, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

Pittsburgh has been blessed throughout it's sports history with legendary athletes like Honus Wagner, Roberto Clemente, Barry Bonds, Josh Gibson, Mean Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, Jerome Bettis, Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, and many, many more tremendous ballplayers that are identified with the Pittsburgh sports landscape.

Pittsburgh also has had the honor of having some of the best sportscastors on earth, including Bob Prince, Bill Hillgrove, Mike Lange...and Myron Cope.

Myron Cope was as Pittsburgh as the three rivers that surrounded it. He was the one who turned a fanbase into a Nation, creating the Terrible Towel, a symbol of the Pittsburgh Steelers that is recognized worldwide. Some may have been turned off by his crazy antics and screechy voice, but those were just miserable people who couldn't understand how some guy could have so much



fun and enjoy life so much.

He will be sorely missed, but his memory will never cease. He will be there every Steeler gameday as the Terrible Towel is waved round and round, cheering the Steelers to victory...and Myron...to immortality.

Thank you Myron.

-- Mike Drakulich

I have lived many states away from my hometown of Pittsburgh, PA since the mid 1970's...over the years I could sometimes pick up KDKA Radio or hear Myron Cope's voice in the background on a Nationally Televised Steeler Football Game. With that unique Pittsburgh Twang in his Voice...I was always transported back home...Almost like Dorothy after she clicked her heels three times....Thanks for keeping me grounded in my Pittsburgh roots while being thousands of miles away...

-- God Bless From South Carolina Steeler Country

There was no better Jewish Christmas Carol writer than the Coped One. I can still remember, "Earl Campbell, he may ramble. Fa la la la la laaaa la la la laaaa! But, oh that Donnie Shell, he can hit like....THE DICKENS!!!....." I had the honor of working with Myron back in July of 1998, shooting a Subway commercial for his Myron Cope keilbasa sub. For someone of his status in the media, he was as genuine and amiable of an individual as you'd ever hope to find, even with us "extras". Pittsburgh, the Steeler Nation, & the sports world will never be able to replace him...let alone forget his contributions. Yoi! my friend. Thanks for the Towel and the memories.

-- Tim Mondell, Winchester, Va. (formerly of Ellwood City, Pa.)

The Steelers should adorn their helmets or jersey sleeves with a miniature Terrible Towel patch that reads:

Myron 1929-2008

-- Anonymous

Myron and the Terrible Towel, The Gunner and the Green Weeenie, Pittsburgh will never be the same but neither will Heaven. You will greatly missed.



-- Pam Hamrock, Massillon, Ohio

I remember when i came home from the Navy in 1990 and was able to actually see the Steelers on TV.(grew up in upstate NY always a Steeler fan). A friend told me I had to listen to WDVE during the game because of Myron. I was hooked!!! He changed forever how I enjoyed the games. The radio up and the anti-Steeler announcers on TV silenced!! When he retired it wasn't the same anymore. I was fortunate enough to be at Heinz Field when he was honored for his service and I'm proud to say there were tears in my eyes then as there are now. Good bye Myron, you will be missed!!!

-- Ernie Reece, Fayette City, Pa.

Dear Myron,

Heaven is surly a little livelier today, but the hearts of the entire "STEELERS NATION" are breaking. One of our giants is now, forever gone from our lives. My "TERRIBLE TOWEL" will be so heavy this year but will always wave for you and our beloved "STILLERS."

God Bless you,

Rest well,

And above all "YOI AND DOUBLE YOI"

-- Larry Dillinger, native of Titusville, Pa., currently Phoenix, Ariz.

All I have to say is......."Thank you for all the memories Mr. Cope. Your voice and smile will live on forever." As a child living in Penn Hills, I remember every night tuning into WTAE and listening to Myron's show and gaining my knowledge of sports. Now Myron, you and Bob Prince can sit up there and drink some Iron City and exchange stories. Again, thank you Myron and you will be missed.

-- Tearfully in Glendale, Ariz., formally of Penn Hills

Jay Hazard

Myron has left the building.

Yunz can turn out the lights now.



-- Dave Kerr, Carlisle

Some time ago, at my husband's insistence, I called Myron's talk show with an idea for Rod Woodson being used in the goal line offense. He liked my idea, called me 'Little Lady' and awarded me the cherished 'Copanut' award. What joy Myron Cope as given the 'City of Champions'

-- Jill Schrott, Hilton Head Island, S.C.

Now my childhood is gone! First Bob "The Gunner" Prince is gone and now Myron Cope is gone. I have nothing left of my memories from my youth.

curt, ashland, ohio

Say hello to my Dad for me Myron, he has his towel with him up 'ere too!

-- Brian Smith

RIP Cope

-- Anonymous

There are tears in my eye as I write this. It’s a very sad day for Pittsburgh sports fans and Steelers fans around the world. I remember listening to him every night on his radio talk show and all the pre and post game shows. I even turned the TV down and used the radio for the games play by play. I even got to talk to him as a call in once in the 70’s. God bless you Myron may you rest in peace. Heaven now has a new sports caster.

-- Fred Di Gregory of Sharpsburg, Pa.

Myron Cope is a Pittsburgh icon. A Steelers game was never complete without hearing his squealing voice at the top of his lungs fumbling and tripping over the words as they came out. But you know, we always understood what he was saying. He is one of us. A true Steelers fan. I moved to Texas almost 10 years ago and I had to get a satellite dish so I could watch my beloved Steelers each Sunday but it wasn't the same so I went out a bought 100 ft of speaker cables for my computer and strung them from my computer so I could place my



speakers beside the TV screen enabling us to hear Myron's voice over the streaming internet. God bless your family.

-- Denny Schweinsburg of Beaumont, Texas

He will be missed. I think I own about 10 Terrible Towels…….I’ve lived in Maryland for over 20 years now (originally from Avonmore, Pa.) and wave my towel proudly.

-- Laurie of Glen Burnie, Md.

What a sad day in the history of the Steelers! He is and always will be the voice of the Steelers! May you rest in peace!

God Bless the family and friends you leave behind!

Even though I live in Glendale, Ariz. ... I am forever a loyal Steelers fan!

-- Sharon Dean Persinger, formally of Greensburg, Pa.

This is a very sad day for the people of Pittsburgh and to the people who use to live in the Burgh like myself and of course the Steeler Fans. As a Child growing up around Pittsburgh, I first heard of Myron, watching the first time when the Steelers were in the Super Bowl How Myron would get all fired up during the games before and after, boy did he was the life of Steeler Football. Too you Myron you will be missed greatly,You are true Pittsburgh.Just like the Rooneys. Salute.

-- Dan Bartoletti, Jupiter, Fla.

Pittsburgh now has it's own angel and his name is Myron.

-- Joe B., Smithton Pa.

I was saddened to hear of Myron's passing. I was born & raised in Southwestern PA & I can remember my family listening to his radio show & listening as he announced the games. I currently live in Florida, but PA will always be my home. I believe one of his greatest accomplishments was the "Terrible Towel". The towel helped to raise money for charity but also awareness of the needs and lives of the disabled. My brother, who is an adult



who suffers from many disabilities benefited from the charities, but he always loved to hear Myron announce a Steeler game.

God bless Myron's family.

-- Christy, Florida

It is truly a sad day for Steeler Nation with the passing of Myron Cope. His voice will definitely be missed, it was wanting to hear Myron that got me to listen to his broadcasts on NFL Field Pass all the way from California.

God Bless you, Myron

-- Fred Zamarripa Jr., Santa Monica, Calif.

Myron Cope was a broadcaster on WTAE that I listened to constantly to get the latest and greatest on the Stillers. I trusted Myron to give me the straight skinny on our favorite team. I will never forget his Christmas Carols like "Deck them Broncos, they're just Yoncos" Yoncos?? Who knows?

-- Bob Moorey, Aylett, Va.

I'll always remember Myron on the radio, as I traveled back from PA to Virginia on Sunday's. What a great announcer. He's swinging that Terrible Towel at St. Peters Gate right now. RIP and condolences to his family. We've lost a great one!

-- Bill Varney, Fredericksburg, Va.

Include your name and hometown.

It truly is a sad day. Myron not only was the voice of the mighty steelers but an icon in southwest Pennsylvania. My family always gathered for Steeler games. There was nothing better than getting fired up to a pregame with Myron. He was loved by all and will surely be missed.

-- Joe, Charlotte, N.C.

Mr. Steeler..... really says it all.... .....rest in peace



-- Howard Boelky, Greensburg, Pa.

"Fa ga ga ga gaaaa!" Will always be one of my favorite phrases. His Christmas carols were always recorded to watch over and over again.

God Bless Myron Cope!!!

-- Jim O'Neil, Gambrills, Md., by way of Greensburg

I'm sorry to hear of the passing Myron. He was one of the reasons I got NFL Field Pass, to listen to his broadcasts of the Steelers games. If by chance the game happened to be on TV down here in Kentucky, I would turn the TV down and listen on my computer and wave my TERRIBLE TOWEL.

-- Bob Komisar, Owensboro, Ky.

I remember growing up in the 70's and 80's listing to Myron cope on the radio and loved it. I still own my orginal terrible towel and get it out for every Steeler games. I moved to Texas almost ten years ago and i still follow the Steelers. I have a ten year old son who is also a big Steeler fan and also ownes a terrible towel and is very proud to own it.

You will be missed Myron. God bless you for making Steeler games so much fun to listen to.

-- Pam Burleson, Texas

Pittsburgh has lost a true icon. I can remember in the early 70's listening to Myron while watching the game. If I missed a game on TV I always had the radio. In the 80's I got Season Tickets and was delighted to cheer my Steelers in person. Even though I would go to the games I would take a headset with me to listen to the Double & Triple YOIS. I can remember all those Terrible Towels waving and then you could see Myron above them all waving his own Towel.

Myron, You will be truly missed. As my father would say Pittsburgh's loss is Heavens Gain. Say Hello to the Chief for me.

-- Dwight Bard, Warfordsburg, Pa.

I truly have a heavy heart this morning with the passing on my hero Myron



Cope. I hang my Terrible Towel in my office so I can see it while I work and I know that even though I moved from Pittsburgh, that my blood is still Black and Gold! Rest in Piece Myron there are no Browns in heaven!

-- Anthony, Cecil, Pa.

On February 27, 2008, two prominent people passed on: William F. Buckley, Jr. and Myron Cope. The American flag is not at half-mast for Mr. Buckley; the Terrible Towel is at half-mast for "Mahrn". Cope was much more than a broadcaster; just read one of his books or pieces, especially the one he wrote about Roberto Clemente.

Stiller Nation Worldwide mourns. Rest in peace, Mahrn. Yoi.

-- M. B. Craig, Stuart, Va.

Myron Cope was always unique and really enjoyed his job. I would always turn the volume down on the TV just to hear his commentary.

-- Fred Street, Scottdale, Pa.

Feels like "the winds has been knocked out of the sails" upon learning of Mr. Cope's passing. A shock through the system really. There must be something about the city of Pittsburgh having some of the most unique sports broadcasters (Myron Cope, Bob Prince and Mike Lange).

I won't miss Mr. Cope too much though, because I'll always get to see him on the History of the Steelers DVD, and I have three Terrible Towels at home on my "Steelers Shrine" to remind me of him.

-- Curtis, State College, Pa.

A sad day for the Cope family and Steelers fans worldwide.

I still have the clips on my computer of Myron argueing with Tunch Ilkin about a player dancing down the sidelines like "Najinski" (a ballet dancer).

Tunch asked him why he didn't say "Barischnikov", and Myron yelled back "DON'T QUIBBLE WITH ME ILKIN!"

RIP - Myron. You will be missed.



-- "Pittsburgh" Mike Doyle, Charleston, W.Va. Member of The Steel City Mafia

“Myron Cope on Sports” I listen to his radio show on WTAE back in the Seventies and became a “Cope in Nut” as the “New Castle Hurricane”. My best experience was actually getting to meet him in a press elevator at 3 Rivers Stadium, a “double yoi” for me. Nobody comes close to” Myron Cope on Sports”.

-- Robert Latsko, Laughlin, Nev.

Because of Myron Cope, I was a better Pittsburgh Steeler fan. I am not from Pittsburgh, have never been to Pittsburgh, but hearing the passion and verve in his voice on gameday made me wish I was born there. I bootlegged sound out of the computer, purchased NFL Online Radio time, and subscribed to Sirius specifically to hear his voice. I have heard announcers nationwide, worldwide, announce for their hometown team, and they all share a special quality, a personal touch that you just can't get from the National announcers. Cope, however, couldn't be touched. He was truly the best at what he did. I could tell after the games how much the players loved and respected him, and the way his emotions ebbed and flowed throughout a win or a loss were evident as well. A true fan, a true hometown announcer, a true Pittsburgh Steeler. Thank you for everything, and my heart goes out to your family (immediate and worldwide).

GodSpeed, Mr. Cope.

-- Rick Canton, Herndon, Va.

I grew up in Greensburg, and have been teaching at Ohio State since 1984. It's hard to get the Steeler games on the radio here, but listening to Myron and Bill made it worth the trouble. My sister sent me a "new improved" terrible towel in time for the last superbowl win, and it is a great tribute to Myron. He is someone we will never forget.

-- Richard Yerkes, Columbus, Ohio

This is truly a sad day for all Steeler fans, if not for all of Pittsburgh.

Myron was a true “Pittsburgh Guy”; not a phony bone in his body and a heart of gold.

To have invented the Terrible Towel; one of the ‘Burgh’s world-famous



symbols, his charity work, his famous plunge into the Mon and his annual “Deck the Halls” parodies; we were treated to delights that we’ll never see-or hear-again. Rest in Peace, Myron. You were truly loved by all.

-- Jim Kmec, Mission of Viejo, Calif.

Growing up in 70's and 80's, I can still see Myron on TV doing his commentaries during the Sports Broadcasts. Since sports was and is such a huge part of peoples' lives in Western Pennsylvania, and ESPN was not yet in vogue, Myron's comments and analyses were very important and essential. Myron Cope made his TV broadcasts interesting, funny, and entertaining.

Considering Western PA did not have enough jobs for much of the young workforce, many of us had to go to other parts of the country. However, Western Pennsylvania never leaves your heart and soul, and we all certainly go back to visit families, to see a Bucco, Pens, or a Steelers game. There have been many road trips back to Maryland, on a Sunday afternoon, during a Steelers game or after a Steelers game that Cope has kept me and my family entertained.

Both my children were born in Maryland and immediately wrapped in Myron Cope's Terrible Towel. My Maryland children have known and love the Terrible Towel, and there kids' kids will too. Myron Cope's Towel, and the memories of his contributions, will continue to fly for many more generations of Steelers Fans in our great Steelers Nation. For that Myron, we thank you.

-- Brian Lucas, Monrovia, Md.

Myron brought me a great deal of pleasure over the years. I always enjoyed turning down the TV volume and listening to the radio broadcast, and listening in my car if I was on the road. Listening to the Steeler broadcast brought me a lot of comfort if I was in my car on a dark and snowy Sunday. Myron was the best, and can never be replaced.

-- Walt Saiko, Parkersburg, W.Va.

When I think of Myron, I recall three things:

1. When sports talk radio was more about sports and less about being loud, obnoxious and ripping off wrestling catch phrases. Back then, it involved thoughtful discussion, not just callers and hosts trying to use sophomoric phrases to entice their listeners.

2. "Deck them Broncos' They're just yonkos". I remember listening to one of the



Steelers playoff games on the radio in the mid 70s and Myron screaming out that line that sticks in my head to this very day.

3. Poor Myron hitting his head because he excitedly jumped up in the air during a play in a Steelers game. I believe that a fan sent Myron a Steelers hard hat to wear to the following week's game.

Eternal rest unto you Myron and thanks for your many memories!

-- Tim Zenchak

A true classic of sports talk radio, we all were blessed to have him as our Steelers ambassador to the world.

Yoi and Double-Yoi.......... Myron, you will be so greatly missed........ Sail on Myron, sail on...........

-- Andy and Janet Dulina Jacksonville, Fla., Black & Gold Club

Growing up I chose to be a Lakers fan and I was lucky enough to get to hear Chick Hearn call the Lakers 3rd title with Kobe and Shaq before he passed away while I lived in San Diego. I was BORN a Steelers fan and will always regret that I never got to hear Myron call a Steelers Superbowl victory. He was like a crazy uncle that everybody loved. He is Pittsburgh and will always be my Uncle! When I get home from work I’ll be throwin’ on my Steelers DVD’s tossin back a few brew’s and thinking ‘bout Myron with one of my trusty terrible towels over my shoulder.

-- Manish Patel of Austin, formerly of Bethel Park, Pa.

My husband and I would like to offer our deepest sympathy, to the family of Mr. Cope. Just to share our story with you on how much we enjoyed his voice, while we watched the Pittsburgh Steeler's on television, we would mute the television and listen to Mr. Cope's broadcast. I'm not even sure how to spell his favorite word during the brodcast and I'm sure you being his family know what I am talking about. Again, our deepest sympathy goes out to you all.

-- Vince and Nancy Modarelli

P.S. We live in Ohio, but LOVE the PITTSBURGH STEELERS!!



Myron's after game call-in shows were my favorites. The banter back and forth was priceless, usually ending in Myron yelling at the caller. I recall, after many sporting events, riding home listening to him or tuning him in from home if the event were on TV. He's the only "talk personality" I have ever been able to tolerate for long. What a voice and gift he had. We were very fortunate to have him. I find it hard to imagine anyone who grew up in Pittsburgh would ever forget him.

-- Ron Meanor

I was a freshman at Pitt in 1989 and one of my roommates from NJ commented during the game (he is a big Steelers fan but did not grow up with Myron) that it was so nice for the Steelers to allow a handicapped person to call the game! He found out what Myron meant and means to the Steelers nation and to the City of Pittsburgh. I still have the original Terrible Towel from year 1. I will treasure it and bring it out this year just for Cope.

Rest in peace.

With kind regards/Mit freundlichen Grüssen,

-- Rajiv

Myron Cope we will truly miss you and that unmistakable voice of yours. You were truly what the Pittsburgh Steelers meant to everyone who was & is a Steeler Fan. I have personally known you all my life and your passing really can not be put into words. This Fan Club will sadly miss you and your legacy will live on forever. Take care my ole friend and I will see you again some day.

-- Rob Buchanan, President Harrisburg Steeler Fan Club

I can't put in words what Myron meant to me. There probably aren't many of us who can. I still remember what I felt like when I heard the horrible news that Myron couldn't do Steeler games anymore because of his health. What were we going to do? This is like that but much much worse. I have been crying off and on all day here at work hoping no one is going to walk in on me.

I remember even though we would bounce from friends to friends each week for the Steeler party there was a core group of us who would not go to the people's house who had satellite dish. It didn't sync to the radio and who in their right mind could watch a Steeler game without Myron. It's never been the same.

Thanks for everything Myron. You are Pittsburgh and you are the Steelers. You



will never be forgotten.

-- Marc A. Cartwright

I was shocked to hear about the Death of Myron Cope. As a fellow Allderdice High School alumnus, i send my condolences to the Cope family and the Steeler Nation. He was a good guy and i will never forget the Double YOI he used to say.

-- Joe Kleppick, East McKeesport, Pa.

I was like everyone else who cringed the first few times I heard Myron Cope on the air. It only took a few more times to start imitating his “hmm-hah” and “yoi”. All of my family and friends idolized the Steeler players throughout my life beginning in 1957. Myron made us love the team and the game incredibly more. I’ve missed him since he retired and feel a very deep hole in my heart with his passing.

We’ll all miss you Myron. Double-Yoi!

-- Harvey Gross of native of Indiana, Pa., and New Castle, Pa.

I love you Myron and I already miss you! Just from your radio broasdacts, I learned so much from you about style and goodness. If I could make the world a fraction as interesting as you did then it would be a great achievement. And I know you'll be waving your Towel up in heaven along with us!

-- The WildCat of Greensburg, Pa.

I was a fan since high school in the 70's. In college we regularly turned off the TV sound and listened to Myron - I loved his wealth of knowledge of trivia about the players and the game. A true fan from whom I learned to love the game more and become a fan to this day....win or lose....Super Bowl appearance or not.

-- Sarah

Yoi !!!

One of the Greatest Sportscasters in History. Nationally famous, and truly a



Great Guy and Family man. Look up Morty Bernstein for me and chew the fat !!!. You can cut me off into space anytime you want, Myron. Hummmm - Hahhhh!!!!.

-- Jim D., Mt. Lebanon, Pa.

Myron was a Pittsburgh Legend, Icon, and God. He was in my eyes. So many things he's done over the years, broadcasting and journalism alike, but what I remember most (and always will) is that zany commercial he did for Kennywood back in the 80's. They had just built the Raging Rapids, and what better way to advertise it, than using Myron in the commercial! Everyone remembers the bright yellow fisherman slicker, water everywhere. I just made you wanna ride! A comical commercial, and one I wished they still showed to this day. R.I.P. Myron. We'll miss you.

-- Robert Hull, Moon Township, Pa.






Popular Cope expressions, or Cope-isms By The Tribune-Review Thursday, February 28, 2008

Of his many unforgettable sayings, Myron Cope once said, "I never planned to use them, they just happened."

Here's a sampling of expressions Cope used on his radio show or during Steelers broadcasts:




Expression Translation/Explanation"Yoi" Wow"Double Yoi" Even better than Yoi!"You betcha!" I agree"Zounds!" Amazing"Okel-dokel" Okay"Gadzooks" Holy cow"Garganzola" Hogwash"How do?" How do you do?"Cincy Bungles" Cincinnati Bengals

"Cleve Brownies" Cleveland Browns

"Yonkos" Denver Broncos"Emperor Chaz" Chuck Noll

"Hmm-hah!" A stall tactic while Cope gathered his thoughts

"Cope-a-stethic" Everything is fine

"Cope-ra-scope" Cope's version of a crystal ball

"Cope-a-nut" A prize awarded to a talk show caller for an astute observation

"Bye now" Cope's signature line when hanging up with a caller

Source: Tribune-Review research; The Associated Press

Page 1 of 1Popular Cope expressions, or Cope-isms - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


What they are saying about Myron Cope By The Tribune-Review Thursday, February 28, 2008

Celebrities and VIPs share their thoughts on the life and passing of Pittsburgh broadcasting legend Myron Cope.

"Myron Cope embodied the spirit of our city and team, and he'll never be forgotten. We'll think of him whenever his Terrible Towel is waved, and we'll miss his unmistakable, joyful voice whenever the Steelers score. He was a true original." -- CIA director Mike Hayden, a Pittsburgh native

"We just lost somebody that meant a lot to us on a number of different levels, but certainly as a friend." -- Steelers president Art Rooney II

"He was absolutely a big part of the team. All of the players loved him. He had the capability to make factual comments about the game itself and then he could also blend in a sense of humor. He was a very unique guy and he will be sorely missed." -- Former Steelers linebacker Andy Russell

"I had the opportunity to have him in here when I was on council a few years ago and gave him a key to the city when he retired once and for all. It was obviously a great experience for me. I remember him being in there talking, and he just went on and on. You could clearly see, at that time, his health was declining, and he just enjoyed life to the last moment." -- Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl

"He was such a pro. He would rarely trample on me. You'd think somebody who had an act like Myron's would do that. He'd always make sure I finished my point, and I always appreciated that." -- Steelers play-by-play announcer Bill Hillgrove

"One game, he told a story for five plays. It was unbelievable, a great story. You stopped watching the game and listened to what he's saying." -- Steelers broadcaster partner Tunch Ilkin

"The Terrible Towel was his personal income. When he came here in 1996 and donated (the towel's trademark rights), I was floored. I said, 'Myron, are you sure?' and he said that's what he wanted." -- Allegheny Valley School president and CEO Regis Champ

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"Myron symbolizes everything that is great about Southwestern Pennsylvania, and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family. Today, the entire Steeler Nation mourns the loss of great man and a great Pittsburgher." -- Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato




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Steelers not likely to dive into free-agent pool By Scott Brown TRIBUNE-REVIEW Thursday, February 28, 2008

He throws around money like it is confetti.

And given that frugal is among the few things he hasn't been called, Daniel Snyder would appear to be as poised as any NFL owner to spend liberally during the free-agent signing period, which starts Friday at 12:01 a.m.

Or is he?

"I don't think Dan's plane is going to be fired up ready to go," Washington vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato said in regard to the Redskins courting free agents. "I just think it's going to be a relatively quiet start of free agency for us."

Unless director of football operations Kevin Colbert and coach Mike Tomlin put out a major smokescreen at the recent NFL Scouting Combine, the Steelers will also be among the many teams that dip their toe into what is a shallow free-agent pool but not jump right into it.

The raising of the salary cap from $109 million to $116 million this year allowed many teams to invest in their own veterans before they hit the open market, making the free-agent crop anything but bumper.

The Colts, for example, agreed to contract extensions with safety Bob Sanders, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, tight end Dallas Clark and guard Ryan Lilja.

"I think we had a heck of a free-agency period," Colts president Bill Polian said. "Let's see, we got Dallas Clark, we got Ryan Lilja ... Bob Sanders. That's a pretty good free-agency crop by any measure."

Teams that weren't able to reach long-term contract agreements with key free-agents-to-be used the franchise tag on them. The 11 teams that used the franchise designation essentially bought themselves more time to negotiate with the players they tagged.

Those players can still field offers on the open market, but their team has the right to match any offer made to them. Also, the cost for signing a franchise player is so prohibitive (a team must surrender a pair of first-round draft picks) that using the tag almost guarantees teams that they will have that player for at least one more season.

Page 1 of 3Steelers not likely to dive into free-agent pool - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


"If you're looking to secure more talent in free agency, which we're not a big part of anyway, it's probably not good," Colbert said of the free-agent class. "Free agency's changed so much over the years because teams are doing a better job of keeping and signing their own talent to long-term deals, so that takes so many players off the market."

That has the effect of driving up the price for those players that do hit the open market simply because of supply and demand.

That won't stop teams from throwing big money at the handful of marquee players that are in this year's class, though history has shown that winning during the free-agent signing period does not always translate into winning during the regular season.

Take the San Francisco 49ers last year.

No team was more active in free agency than the 49ers, who signed cornerback Nate Clements and safety Michael Lewis, among others. Yet after going 7-9 in 2006, San Francisco stumbled to 5-11 last season.

"I don't think that's how you build your team," Tennessee Titans general manager Mike Reinfeldt said of free agency, "but I think there are some (free agents) that can help you."

The Steelers have had success signing free agents -- center Jeff Hartings and linebacker James Farrior are among the most notable examples -- but they didn't get much return on the investment they made in Sean Mahan last May.

The Steelers lured Mahan to Pittsburgh with a four-year deal worth as much as $17.5 million -- that was the only significant free-agent signing they made last year -- and he was a disappointment after taking over for the retired Hartings at center.

Few, if any, NFL executives will argue that the best method for securing top

Top free agentsPlayer Pos. 2007 teamLance Briggs LB Bears

Asante Samuel CB Patriots

Randy Moss WR Patriots

Alan Faneca G Steelers

Flozell Adams OT Cowboys

Bernard Berrian WR Bears

Jake Scott G Colts

Michael Turner RB Chargers

Justin Smith DE Bengals

Drayton Florence CB Chargers



talent is drafting quality players, developing them and signing them before they test the open market.

"If you draft the guys in the third and fourth round and get them locked in for three- or four-year deals, the amount of money you spend on them is much less than in free agency," 49ers general manager Scot McCloughan said. "In free agency, you always overspend."

Scott Brown can be reached at [email protected] or 412-481-5432.





Column: Cope was a friend to all who met him By Mike Bires, Times Sports Staff

PITTSBURGH — Throughout the Steelers Nation, Terrible Towels are flying at half mast. Everywhere we turn, those who knew Myron Cope are paying tribute to the raspy-voiced sportscaster who, in some way, touched the lives of so many associated in some capacity with the Steelers.

On one hand, it’s a sad time. A local legend has died. On the other hand, Cope has left us so many fond memories. Bill Hillgrove, Cope’s long-time sidekick on Steelers radio broadcasts put it best by saying, “I don’t think Myron would want us hanging our heads. He’d want us to celebrate his life.” By now, countless Cope stories are being rehashed by those who knew Cope or listened to him in the 35 years he broadcast Steelers games. Even a guy like me, who’s only been The Times’ official Steelers beat writer since 1999, has memories of the man, too. Like most teenagers growing up in western Pennsylvania, I was an avid Steelers and Pitt fan who always got a kick out of Cope’s antics. For those too young to remember, Cope also got plenty of mileage out of Johnny Majors’ first stint at Pitt that ended with a national championship in 1976. But by then, Cope had already given the Steelers the Terrible Towel and was just as popular as most of the players. I had gotten the chance to deal with Cope on several occasions before I started covering the Steelers in ’99. But once I became a regular on the beat, I was fortunate to develop a good friendship with a guy who seemed to have countless friends. After getting to know Cope, one of the things I admired most about him was his uncanny knack to find time to help all those who needed something from him. Certainly, Cope was a wealth of information every time I ask him for insight. That typically happened when something significant was happening, like when the Three Rivers Stadium era ended or when Cope retired after the 2004 season or when the Steelers made it to Super Bowl XL. It was thrill to be able to sit down with Cope for 30 minutes or so and listen to him give his version of so many stories and issues. He knew his football. He had an uncanny memory. He had a great sense of humor. He was a great story teller. I remember once after I wrote a piece that included a bunch of Cope quotes, a female Steelers fan called me and said she could envision Cope speaking as she read the story. The first time I actually met Cope was in January of 1980 in Newport Beach, Calif. It was at a party a few days before the Steelers beat the Los Angeles Rams for their fourth Super Bowl victory. At this function, I brought along my two cousins and a few other friends living in southern California at the time. At one point in the evening, we got to talking with Cope, and immediately he befriended us. Before long, we bought him a cocktail or two. Not long after that, my cousins and friends were picking up Cope and passing him around like he was body surfing at a rock n’ roll concert. As Cope was being tossed about, he kept yelling, “I love you guys! I love you guys!”

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No, Myron. We loved you. Everyone loved Myron. Mike Bires can be reached online at [email protected].

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The mouth that roared falls silent Perhaps there will be an "Immaculate Reception" in the afterlife for the man who helped add that phrase to the football vernacular.

With the death of former Steelers broadcaster Myron Cope Wednesday at 79 comes the passing of another chapter in the team's folklore.

To many, it's even more than that.

"It's the closing of a well-written book," said former Steelers offensive lineman and current member of the broadcast team Craig Wolfley.

Cope didn't just talk about Steelers football. Cope was Steelers football. He transcended the game.

When he was given the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005, Cope turned his acceptance speech - which was supposed to be two minutes - into a 13-minute affair as he told stories as only he could.

Later that week, he apologized for his verbose ways.

"People may think I'm senile, but I ain't," said Cope. "I thought I was a celebrity."

You were Myron. You were.

In fact, Cope became a bigger celebrity than the players he covered, coining phrases and nicknames for players and coaches that they carry to this day.

And the players and coaches never minded sharing the spotlight with the little man with an outrageous voice that often times sounded like an alleycat caught in a street sweeper.

"Myron was as big a part of the city, as part of the team as anybody," said former Steelers offensive lineman Gerry "Moon" Mullins, a starter during the Super Bowl run of the '70s.

"He was so unique. He'll be a part of Steelers' folklore for eternity."

Unique would be one way to describe Cope's radio style. Controlled mayhem would be another.

But it was always entertaining.

Cope's frenetic style put the color in color commentating and helped capture the feelings of a city and region that looked on in amazement as the Steelers went from lovable losers to the team of the decade in the '70s.

"The greatest thing about Myron was that he expressed himself so much on the airwaves," said Wolfley. "You got everything. He was so gregarious. To see as wild and woolly as he was on the air, it always amazed me to see how meticulously he prepared before games. It was almost professorial-like. And once he got on the air, it just flowed."

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So did the odd phrases and descriptions.

His distinct style was so beloved that many got into the habit of turning down the volume on their televisions, watching the Steelers play while listening to the radio broadcast. They preferred Cope and his play-by-play partners - Jack Fleming and, later when Fleming retired, Bill Hillgrove.

For those people, Cope didn't just describe what was going on, he was the sound of Steelers football.

"What I loved was out of towners reactions to him when they heard him for the first time," said former Steelers defensive end John Banaszak. "It was pretty stunning. You said, 'Wow.' It was this squeaky voice. And then you'd relate it to this squeaky little guy and it fit."

Cope retired before the 2005 season, his trademark voice stolen by cancerous growths on his vocal chords that required surgery to remove.

But his mark on the team never faded.

Those Terrible Towels that so intimidated opposing teams in Pittsburgh, and marked the presence of Steelers fans at road games will forever remain a testament to Cope.

Invented by Cope in 1976, The Terrible Towel has remained a fixture at Steelers games for more than three decades.

Cope, however, in one of his greatest gestures, made sure the proceeds from sales of the towels went to a good cause.

All the money raised from sales of The Terrible Towel goes to the Allegheny Valley School, a facility for the mentally challenged in Coraopolis, where his autistic son Daniel has been a resident for the last two decades.

That will be a gift that continues long after the last person to hear his voice has joined him in death.

Myron Sydney Kopelman, who we know as Myron Cope, will be missed.

F. Dale Lolley can be reached at [email protected]

Copyright Observer Publishing Co.

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By Jim Corbett, USA TODAY

Now that the San Diego Chargers are turning running back Michael Turner loose in free agency, he figures to become one of the hottest commodities to hit the market come Feb. 29, when teams can commence shopping for new players.

In a leap year, some franchise will take a high-priced leap of faith that LaDainian Tomlinson's backup is the missing piece capable of putting the team over the top.

Nicknamed "The Burner" at Northern Illinois, Turner is a 5-10, 237-pound combination of power and speed who has averaged 5.5 yards on 228 carries during his four seasons of spot duty.

He is expected to draw considerable interest from several teams hungry for a feature back. The Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions and Houston Texans figure to be among those bidding for Turner's services.

Turner helped the Chargers reach the AFC Championship Game with a 71-yard rushing effort in a 28-24 divisional-round playoff win at the Indianapolis Colts when Tomlinson was lost early to a sprained knee.

The Chargers protected Turner last offseason by placing a hefty tender that required first- and third-round compensation from a team seeking to sign him, but San Diego can't put those shackles on him this time.

"Michael Turner will entertain offers, and I believe he'll receive a heck of a contract from a team that needs a terrific running back," Chargers general manager A.J. Smith says.

"We placed the highest tender on Michael last year to protect him because all I cared about was '07. … We went back and forth. But no one reached the value we wanted. Right after the draft, we took him off the market and said, 'Don't call.' Our decision was made for '07."

There are several residual ties lying around the league that could bind Turner, a Chicago native, to a prospective bidder.

Dallas Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips is well-versed with what Turner can do, having spent three years in San Diego as defensive coordinator and going against him in practice.

With Dallas running back Julius Jones expected to hit the open market after he was replaced by Marion Barber as the starter in the playoffs, the Cowboys could have interest in Turner if they hope to reprise their largely successful two-back system.

Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski was well acquainted with Turner as San Diego tight ends coach from 2005 to 2006. Though the Browns have re-signed Jamal Lewis, Turner could be a younger alternative Cleveland could turn to in the long run.

Free agency is as much about system fit and reducing the risk of a learning curve as it is right player and/or right price, factors that could help Turner. What might hurt him, Jones and others is the influx of fresh tailback talent into the league.

"Running back is the strongest position in the draft with the juniors who have come out," says CBS analyst Charley Casserly, the former Washington Redskins and Texans general manager. "(But) if you have a conviction on Turner, you go get Turner. I think a team with multiple needs that is trying to get better will go after Turner. Chicago and Houston would be two teams."

Yet there are always cautionary tales for those shopping on the free agent market.

"The guy who comes to mind was LaMont Jordan, who was a backup, not a starter, when he hit free agency," Casserly says of Curtis Martin's former New York Jets backup.

Jordan signed a five-year, $27.5 million deal with the Oakland Raiders after the 2004 season.

"He's had some good times there in Oakland — and some not so good," Casserly says.

Jordan rushed for 1,025 yards and led NFL running backs with 70 receptions in 2005. But he tore a knee ligament in the 2006 season and hasn't been the same player since.

"If there's a team that has a coach who has been with Turner during the past four years, usually that's somebody who stands up in a room for the guy," Casserly says.

Phillips? Chudzinski? Stay tuned.

Spend freely or draft? NFL free agent season is dicey

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But Turner is hardly the only upper-tier talent available. This free agent crop also boasts New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss and cornerback Asante Samuel, Pittsburgh Steelers guard Alan Faneca, Bears big-play wide receiver Bernard Berrian and wide-ranging linebacker Lance Briggs, Bengals defensive end Justin Smith, Seattle Seahawks receiver D.J. Hackett and Cowboys tackle Flozell Adams, among others.

Ten free agents — Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen, Bengals guard Stacy Andrews, Arizona Cardinals linebacker Karlos Dansby, Carolina Panthers tackle Jordan Gross, Cowboys safety Ken Hamlin, Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, Philadelphia Eagles tight end L.J. Smith, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs, Seahawks cornerback Marcus Trufant and Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Corey Williams— received the franchise tag from their clubs, making it almost prohibitive to pry them away because their current teams would receive two first-round draft picks as compensation if they chose not to match an outside offer. Oakland placed the exclusive franchise tag on cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, meaning other teams can't even negotiate with him.

Pittsburgh Steelers tackle Max Starks was the only player to receive the transition tag. The Steelers can match any offer made to Starks but would receive no compensation if they allow him to jump to another club.

The quandary teams must wrestle with when going to the market is paying for past performance vs. future production.

Is the arrow pointing up? Or down? And how long can they realistically expect a solid return on their investment?

For every Patrick Kerney— he led the NFC with 14½ sacks after jumping from Atlanta to Seattle for $19 million in guaranteed cash last year —there is a Joey Porter; the former Steelers linebacker received $12 million in guarantees but didn't begin to make the desired difference with 5½ sacks and 65 tackles with the 1-15 Miami Dolphins. Running back Ahman Green provided 260 yards and two touchdowns after the Texans signed the former Packers workhorse to a four-year, $23 million pact.

Think of free agency as plastic surgery in a league marked by parity since players began jumping from team to team. Some makeovers work wonders. A Seahawks defense that added Kerney and veteran safeties Deon Grant and Brian Russell last season took flight.

But more often than not, multimillion-dollar mistakes are made when instant gratification is sought. After failing to land Kerney, the Denver Broncos added 14 players last offseason, many on defense. But Denver limped to a 7-9 record and missed the playoffs in consecutive years, the first time that's happened under coach Mike Shanahan.

Teams can see their salary caps scarred for years when trying to quickly compensate for poor drafting and personnel mistakes.

"Free agency is always a very risky proposition," Ravens director of college scouting Eric DeCosta says. "Some teams love it. Some teams don't. It's really beauty in the eye of the beholder. We've had some success with guys like Michael McCrary and Sam Adams. We've also had some misses."

DeCosta makes a case for college rookies.

"The thing about the draft, we've prepared for it for nine months," he says. "Free agency comes up on you quickly. I'm always skeptical about why a player is available. What does that other team know that we don't know?

"We prefer the draft. We have a process we believe in."

Faneca makes an interesting case study.

The six-time all-pro already considers himself gone after 10 seasons with the Steelers. "I go with the fact it is not going to happen," he said at the Pro Bowl when asked if Pittsburgh might try to keep him at the 11th hour.

Faneca, 31, figures to be in high demand. He remains an elite left guard just two years removed from helping the Steelers win Super Bowl XL against the Seahawks, partially thanks to his block that crushed linebacker LeRoy Hill and sprung Willie Parker for his game-turning, 75-yard touchdown run.

The Bears, Lions, St. Louis Rams and Cardinals could look to Faneca the way the Browns shored up their offensive line last offseason by signing former Bengals guard Eric Steinbach, and the way the Minnesota Vikings did two years ago in prying Steve Hutchinson from the Seahawks.

Though the Cardinals boast two of Faneca's former coaches, ex-Steelers offensive coordinator and current Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt and former Steelers offensive line coach Russ Grimm, they have salary-cap issues. They are trying to reduce the $14.9 million cap hit this season of Pro Bowl receiver Larry Fitzgerald and hope to re-sign linebacker Calvin Pace after franchising Dansby.

"The positive is that the guy is still a good player," Casserly says of Faneca. "The negative is he's over 30. A team that signs him has to feel they are a championship-caliber contender. This guy won't finish his (next) contract. You're going to eat some money on this one. But the guy can still help somebody."



Free agency is more about addressing immediate need. The draft is about building long-term financial and roster sustainability.

"You can't build long term through free agency," says former Steelers coach Bill Cowher, now a CBS analyst.

Want proof? Study the composition of the final four teams from the 2007 playoffs. The common denominator is shrewd drafting complemented by calculated, system-fitting free agent additions.

Jerry Reese, GM of the Super Bowl champion New York Giants, signed one notable free agent (linebacker Kawika Mitchell) last offseason, Reese's first season making personnel decisions after succeeding mentor Ernie Accorsi.

The AFC runner-up Chargers made one free agent plunge, re-signing left guard Kris Dielman for six years at $39 million. At the time, Smith rightly predicted Dielman was, "a Pro Bowler waiting to happen."

"I'm not a market guy," Smith says. "But if there's a bunch of players there who can help us, then I may be a player. But generally speaking, I don't believe in going out and signing three, four, five free agent guys a year.

"Everybody has a plan. Sometimes it doesn't work out for people. It's just studying organizations over time. I believe in drafting and signing our own players. That way you keep that window open longer."

The Packers also eschewed free agency, building from within and making a shrewd preseason trade for running back Ryan Grant.

The approach has worked as well for Colts president Bill Polian and coach Tony Dungy, whose team has won 12 games or more for five consecutive seasons and started 22 homegrown players in their playoff loss to the Chargers. The Colts made sure safety Bob Sanders, tight end Dallas Clark and guard Ryan Lilja never tested the market, signing all to long-term deals before another team could.

"I think we had a hell of a free agency period," Polian says. "Let's see, we got Dallas Clark. We got Ryan Lilja…Bob Sanders. That's a pretty good free agency crop by any measure.

"The penalty for missing in free agency because of the cost of the players is greater than in any other personnel acquisition situation."

Resse's draft-centric blueprint yielded an astonishing eight rookies who contributed to the Giants' Super Bowl-winning run.

"The draft determines who goes to the Super Bowl," ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. says. "Look at the Giants. Where would they be without the NFL draft? They wouldn't have beaten the Patriots without the benefit of their draft."

Reese says it meant a lot that Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli went out of his way to congratulate Reese minutes after the Giants'17-14 win in Super Bowl XLII.

Reese, who recently rewarded defensive lineman Justin Tuck with a five-year, $30 million deal, says it is more important than ever to retain core players because owners could opt out of the collective bargaining agreement in November, possibly resulting in the first-ever uncapped season in 2010.

"You want to keep the right guy," Reese said at the Super Bowl. "We're making a big effort to keep the right guys. It is a sense of urgency because there is some unrest to what the CBA's going to be and what the money is going to be. So it's something for us to think about."

Of the final four teams, the Patriots were the ones who invested heaviest in free agency.

They took an uncharacteristic plunge into the free agent pool in 2007, spending $29.5 million in guaranteed money on versatile linebacker Adalius Thomas, receiver Donte' Stallworth, special-teams ace Kelley Washington, tight end Kyle Brady and running back Sammy Morris. Then they traded draft picks to acquire wide receivers Moss and Wes Welker.

It was low risk for high reward, considering New England's record-setting, 18-1 run that fell one win shy of unprecedented 19-0 perfection.

"New England received a lot of attention because of how they approached the free agent market last offseason," Smith says. "For the first time, they stepped outside of the box when they went and traded for Wes Welker and Randy Moss. People were wondering, 'What is this all about?' "

New England coach Bill Belichick explained that in trading second- and seventh-round picks to Miami for Welker and a fourth-round pick to Oakland in exchange for Moss, the Patriots used the escrow of extra picks stockpiled during previous years to invest in proven receivers for MVP quarterback Tom Brady.

"Our second-round pick was Wes Welker and our fourth-round pick was Randy Moss, so even though they weren't draft choices, they've been significant players on our team," Belichick said.



The decisions — keep Moss or Pro Bowl cornerback Samuel or both — figure to be the Patriots' most critical choices of the offseason. Contractually, they could not place the franchise tag on Samuel for a second consecutive year, and they opted not to tag Moss, either, though that doesn't mean a new deal isn't in the works.

"Their challenge is does Randy Moss want to be the highest-paid receiver in football?" Casserly asks. "Does he want to get Marvin Harrison, T.O. money?"

Owens is slated to be the highest-paid receiver for this season at $9.7 million, while Harrison is scheduled to earn $8.4 million. The Patriots wouldn't be the same record-setting offensive machine without Moss.

"That'll be an interesting one because Randy Moss is crucial to what New England does offensively," Casserly says. "You have to have Moss to have Wes Welker have his success.

"Without the one guy you must double-team on the outside in Moss, the offense doesn't look the same."

The defense, which counts linebackers Junior Seau and Tedy Bruschi and cornerback Randall Gay as free agents, figures to look different.

Samuel had six interceptions but dropped a costly one in the Super Bowl. He said his "No. 1 team is the Patriots, hands down. Hopefully, we can work it out."

But Samuel is also seeking to raise the bar for cornerbacks after Nate Clements received $80 million for eight years, including $22 million guaranteed, last offseason from the San Fran-cisco 49ers.

"Cornerback is a hot commodity," Samuel says. "There's going to be a high demand."

The Jets, with Belichick's former defensive chief Eric Mangini at the helm, figure to be interested in Samuel, as do the New Orleans Saints.

"There's always a chance I could be back with the Patriots, but free agency is what I've worked hard for, the financial security," Samuel says.

As intriguing as some of the free agents themselves are, there are also several compelling teams to watch.

For instance, the Cowboys, who had an unprecedented 13 Pro Bowlers. They appear loaded for a Super Bowl run.

But this is a critical offseason. The Cowboys could lose Jones and Adams to free agency, and wide receiver Terry Glenn might have to retire. Dallas has two first-round draft picks, which could help quickly offset any departures.

"With Flozell, you're at that age where he's had some injury problems," Casserly says of Adams, the Pro Bowl tackle. "You don't know how much longer you go with this guy. … I'll be surprised if somebody thumps a big contract on him. I think Dallas wants to retain him, but they would like a shorter deal. … They have a young tackle there, Doug Free, they drafted who they like."

The Cowboys also need an upgrade at cornerback opposite Terrence Newman. They could go after Samuel or soon-to-be-former Charger Drayton Florence.

Meanwhile, will the Patriots keep that aging defensive band together for one more run? What about a receiving corps that risks losing Moss, Stallworth, Troy Brown and Jabar Gaffney?

The Falcons have a freshly anointed brain trust in new general manager Tom Dimitroff and head coach Mike Smith. Dimitroff spent the last seven years as the college scouting director for the Patriots. He surely will borrow from his New England roots revamping the Falcons.

"Tom is very intelligent," Mike Smith says. "He's a great talent evaluator. He's a great people person. His dad was a football coach before he got into personnel. Thomas and I, philosophically, we have a lot of the same thoughts."

What Smith wants to build is a Falcons team along the imposing physical front lines of the Jacksonville Jaguars, for whom he served as defensive coordinator for the last five years.

"We're going to be a very physical football team," Smith says. "We want to be able to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, very similar to what we did in Jacksonville. If you're able to run the football and stop the run, you're going to be successful."

That could make the Falcons players for Faneca. Or perhaps Briggs, who received the franchise tag last season from the Bears. The Redskins were linked to Briggs at last year's owners meetings, but the Browns, Bengals, Falcons and Dolphins could be among his suitors this time.

Berrian is a big-play receiver who caught 71 passes in 2007 and has the vertical speed to stretch the field. He can potentially solve



Philadelphia's need for another playmaker. The Ravens could certainly use Berrian's help, too.

Hackett, Arizona's Bryant Johnson and Oakland's Jerry Porter will also be in the crosshairs of receiver-starved teams, though Moss would probably be the crown jewel of the offseason if he unexpectedly opts for a one-way ticket out of New England.

As NFL Network draft guru Mike Mayock says, "Especially at the wide receiver position, I'd rather go out and get a free agent wide receiver. Most of the 1,000-yard receivers in the NFL don't hit their stride until Year 3. If I need wideout today, I'd much rather get one in free agency."

And therein lies the ultimate offseason question: to spend or not to spend?

"The thing about free agency, it's a tool you have to use," says San Francisco GM Scot McCloughan, who broke the bank for Clements last year but watched the 49ers go in reverse in the NFC West.

"We don't want to be considered a free agency team. We want to be able to build through the draft. That's where you get the bang for the buck. … In free agency, you always overspend."



PITTSBURGH (AP) — Myron Cope, the screechy-voiced announcer whose colorful catch phrases and twirling Terrible Towel became symbols of the Pittsburgh Steelers during an unrivaled 35 seasons in the broadcast booth, has died. He was 79.

Cope died Wednesday morning at a nursing home in Mount Lebanon, a Pittsburgh suburb, Joe Gordon, a former Steelers executive and a longtime friend of Cope's, told The Associated Press. Cope had been treated for respiratory problems and heart failure in recent months, Gordon said.

Cope's tenure from 1970-2004 as the color analyst on the Steelers' radio network is the longest in NFL history for a broadcaster with a single team and led to his induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2005.

REMEMBERING COPE: Quotes from those who knew him

"His memorable voice and unique broadcasting style became synonymous with Steelers football," Steelers president Art Rooney II said Wednesday. "They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery and no Pittsburgh broadcaster was impersonated more than Myron."

Beyond Pittsburgh's three rivers, Cope is best known for the yellow cloth twirled by fans as a good luck charm at Steelers games since the mid-1970s. The towel is arguably the best-known fan symbol of any major pro sports team, has raised millions of dollars for charity and is displayed at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"His creation of The Terrible Towel has developed into a worldwide symbol that is synonymous with Steelers football," Steelers chairman Dan Rooney said Wednesday.

"You were part of the team," Dan Rooney told Cope in 2005. "The Terrible Towel many times got us over the goal line."

Even after retiring, Cope — a sports talk show host for 23 years — continued to appear in numerous radio, TV and print ads, emblematic of a local popularity that sometimes surpassed that of the stars he covered.

An announcer by accident, Cope spent the first half as his professional career as one of the nation's most widely read freelance sports writers, writing for Sports Illustrated and the Saturday Evening Post on subjects that included Muhammad Ali, Howard Cosell and Roberto Clemente. He was hired by the Steelers at age 40, several years after he began doing TV sports commentary on the whim of a station manager, mostly to help increase attention and attendance as the Steelers moved into Three Rivers Stadium.

"I think he always thought of himself as a writer first and sort of an entertainer second and wound up having a lot of fun with the entertainment side of it," Art Rooney said at a news conference Wednesday.

Neither the Steelers nor Cope had any idea how much impact he would make on a five-time Super Bowl champion franchise that, within two years of his hiring, would begin a string of home sellouts that continues to this day.

"Myron brought Steelers football closer to the fans than any other one person," Art Rooney said. "He just made the fans feel a part of it."

Cope became so popular that the Steelers didn't try to replace his unique perspective and top-of-the-lungs vocal histrionics when he retired, instead downsizing from a three-man announcing team to a two-man booth.

"He doesn't play, he doesn't put on a pair of pads, but he's revered probably as much or more in Pittsburgh than Franco (Harris), all the guys," running back Jerome Bettis said. "Everybody probably remembers Myron more than the greatest players, and that's an incredible compliment."

Cope and a rookie quarterback named Terry Bradshaw made their Steelers debuts on Sept. 20, 1970.

Just as Pirates fans once did with longtime broadcaster Bob Prince, Steelers fans began tuning in to hear what wacky stunt or colorful phrase Cope would come up with next. With a voice beyond imitation — a falsetto shrill that could pierce even the din of a touchdown celebration — Cope was a man of many words, some not in any dictionary.

To Cope, an exceptional play rated a "Yoi!" A coach's doublespeak was "garganzola." The despised rival to the north was always the Cleve Brownies, never the Cleveland Browns.

He gave four-time Super Bowl champion coach Chuck Noll the only nickname that ever stuck, the Emperor Chaz. For years, he laughed off the downriver and often downtrodden Cincinnati Bengals as the Bungles, though never with a malice or nastiness that would create longstanding anger.

"I guess sometimes in the football business we all take ourselves too seriously and Myron never let anybody do that, so he had that knack for sort of reminding us of what business we were in," Art Rooney said.

Steelers' former radio announcer Myron Cope dies at 79

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Many visiting players who, perhaps upset by what Cope had uttered during a broadcast, could only laugh when confronted by a 5-foot-4 man they often dwarfed by more than a foot.

During the years, it seemed every Steelers player or employee could tell an offbeat or humorous story about Cope.

He once jammed tight end Dave Smith, fully dressed in uniform and pads, into a cab for a hectic ride to the airport after Smith missed the team bus for an interview. He talked a then-retired Frank Sinatra into attending a 1972 practice in San Diego to make him an honorary general in Franco Harris' Italian Army fan club. He took a wintertime river swim in 1977 to celebrate an unexpected win, and was sick for days.

Cope's biggest regret was not being on the air during perhaps the most famous play in NFL history — Franco Harris' famed Immaculate Reception against Oakland in 1972, during the first postseason win in Steelers history.

Cope was on the field to grab guests for his postgame show when Harris, on what seemingly was the last play of the Steelers' season, grabbed the soaring rebound of a tipped Terry Bradshaw pass after it deflected off either the Raiders' Jack Tatum or the Steelers' Frenchy Fuqua and scored a game-winning 60-yard touchdown. As a result, play-by-play man Jack Fleming's voice is the only one heard on what has been countless replays over the years.

"He ran straight to me in the corner, and I'm yelling, 'C'mon Franco, c'mon on!,"' said Cope, who, acting on a fan's advice, tagged the play "The Immaculate Reception" during a TV commentary that night.

Remarkably, Cope worked with only two play-by-play announcers, Fleming and Bill Hillgrove, and two head coaches, Noll and Bill Cowher, during his 35 seasons.

Cope began having health problems shortly before his retirement, and they continued after he left the booth. They included several bouts of pneumonia and bronchitis — he smoked throughout his career — a concussion and a leg problem that took months to properly diagnose. He also said he had a cancerous growth removed from his throat.

"Wherever I go, people sincerely ask me how my health is and almost always, they say 'Myron, you've given me so much joy over the years,"' said Cope, who also found the time to write five sports books, none specifically about the Steelers. "People also tell me it's the end of an era, that there will never be an announcer who lasts this long again with a team."

Among those longtime listeners was a Pittsburgh high school star turned NFL player turned Steelers coach — Bill Cowher.

"My dad would listen to his talk show and I would think, 'Why would you listen to that?"' Cowher said. "Then I found myself listening to that. I (did) my show with him, and he makes ME feel young."

Funeral arrangements were not immediately available. Art Rooney said the team might plan some sort of tribute in the future but prefers to let Cope's family grieve privately for now.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Wednesday, February 27, 2008

In free agency, it's better to be a keeper than a shopper

By John Clayton ESPN.com Think back to the late 1980s when free agency started. A system called Plan B was created so that teams wouldn't lose their key players but would instead sacrifice aging starters or a couple of upcoming backups.

It's almost 20 years later. Plan B is long gone and true free agency now exists, with the latest shopping spree to start Friday.

The biggest twist this time -- actually, it has been in effect the past few years -- is the scarcity of options should a team lose a top free agent. That will create a fast market, and it's also going to cause panic.

Consider this: Nearly 80 of this year's unrestricted free agents started eight games or more. That's 2½ starters per team, meaning some pretty big holes may need to be filled.

On the flip side, approximately 170 of the 320 or so free agents expected to hit the market will have played less than 20 percent of their team's plays. That means teams may be reaching -- and paying significant bucks -- to unproven players.

Let the panic begin.

Thus, the key for teams this offseason won't be which free agents they sign, but which ones they keep. It's not surprising that the Bengals (guard Stacy Andrews), Steelers (tackle Max Starks) and Packers (defensive tackle Corey Williams) franchised or transitioned players who in some circles might be considered backups. In fact, a dozen teams preferred to keep the players they knew with those tags instead of taking chances on free agents they don't know.

ESPN.com: NFL [Print without images]

The Patriots could lose wide receivers Donte' Stallworth and Randy Moss to free agency.

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In the grand scheme of things, the success or failures of 32 teams may be determined by the decisions they make during the next week. With so few top free agents available, teams better have, well, a Plan B (or even a Plan C) if they are forced to replace a key player. But it won't be easy -- the dropoff at several positions is incredibly steep.

On a plane heading to a game last fall, I went through depth charts of every team and came up with the rough number of 132 new starters teams acquired through free agency, street signings, trades and the draft. That's roughly four new starters a team. Any team trying to find four new starters in this market is in trouble.

The smart teams, as noted, will focus on keeping their own guys. A year ago, the Packers signed only backup cornerback Frank Walker in free agency and won 13 games. The Colts signed three minimum-salary free agents (none made the team) and also won 13 games. The Chargers didn't sign a single free agent and won 11.

Perhaps the most fascinating team in free agency will be the New England Patriots. They "won" the offseason last year by signing wide receivers Donte' Stallworth and Kelley Washington and linebacker Adalius Thomas, and trading for Randy Moss and Wes Welker. Moss, Stallworth and Washington are now free agents, with the Patriots scrambling to re-sign one or two of them. Meanwhile, cornerback Asante Samuel is expected to get $10 million a year from another team in free agency.

The Bears will also provide some intrigue, and not just because they're bringing back Rex Grossman. It was surprising that Chicago didn't put the franchise tag on wide receiver Bernard Berrian, because the Bears may not find a receiver as good as him -- unless they can get Moss, of course. The next options with deep speed are Drew Carter of the Panthers, D.J. Hackett of the Seahawks, Devery Henderson of the Saints and Stallworth, and each one will come in at $4 million to $5 million a year. The Texans' Andre Davis is also going to make $5 million a year, and no one is 100 percent certain he's a starter.

Now add the fact that the Bears cut Muhsin Muhammad, and it may be impossible to maintain -- much less upgrade -- that position by trying to find two starting receivers.

This market will be fast and dangerous. By the end of the weekend, most of the top free agents will be with new teams.

Of course, as history has shown, the top signings usually do pay off. Linebackers Lance Briggs and Calvin Pace, guard Alan Faneca, defensive end Justin Smith, running back Michael Turner, safety Madieu Williams and Moss, Berrian and Samuel will improve the teams that sign them.

Still, you can expect a flurry of re-signings to deplete the list of available players. The $116 million salary cap has afforded teams the luxury of re-signing their own. Going outside the organization is getting scarier and scarier.

Plan A in 2008 free agency, you see, is not having to use a Plan B approach. The focus is simple.

Keep your own.

John Clayton, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame writers' wing, is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

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We lost a true original this morning February 27, 2008 11:26 AM

Steelers fans are mourning the death of veteran broadcaster Myron Cope this morning. Cope, who had been in declining health since his retirement from the radio booth in 2005, was the voice of the franchise for 35 years.

In that time, he also became the voice of a city. Cope was actually an accomplished writer before he pretty much stumbled into broadcasting at age 40. His catchphrases such as "Double Yoi" and "Dumbkopf" are familiar to any Steelers fan. Those fans always referred to him as "Myron," as if he was a close friend. And that's not far off.

He was the inventor of the Terrible Towel, which has become one of the most enduring symbols in sports. Cope had such a colorful life that he decided to write two books about himself.

As more and more voices crowded the radio, Cope's always stood out. He matched his humor and wisdom with an obvious enthusiasm for the home team. When you think of all the great traditions associated with Steelers football, Cope's name is near the top. He didn't have anything close to a radio voice - high and screechy - but it sounded perfect to Steelers fans.

"I've lost the most creative person I've ever known, a loyal and generous friend, and joy to be with," Joe Gordon, the retired Steelers executive told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. "His accomplishments were just incredible. The characteristic that I most admired was his intensity to get things done, his durability to hang in there with his book, the DVD, the piece that he did for the City Paper; he really had to labor for those.

"He was such a perfectionist. I'd say to him, 'Myron, all you're doing is changing one sentence and it's taken four days.' "

Former Pittsburgh Press columnist and sports editor Roy McHugh tells a great story about Cope that appears in today's Pittsburgh Gazette.

"He was a true celebrity," said McHugh. "In the '70s, he and I went to closed circuit telecasts of big fights at the Civic Arena. One night as we were leaving we fell in step with [former world light-heavyweight champion] Billy Conn. We couldn't get three or four paces without people wanting Cope's autograph. Conn they ignored."

According to the Gazette's obituary, Cope was actually born Myron Kopelman. He lived all but seven months of his life in Pittsburgh. In those seven months he took a job at the Erie Times, where his byline was changed to Cope. He eventually took a job at the Post-Gazette, but he made a name for himself as a free-lance writer for some of the top sports magazines in the country.

I never spent any time with Cope, but I know that he enriched thousands of lives through both his charitable work and voice

His signature sign-off was "Bye now!" And when he passed away this morning, I'm sure that's what he wanted to say to his adoring fans.

Update: Here are statements from Dan Rooney and Art Rooney II.

Myron Cope

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Congress addresses steroids again

House subcommittee holds hearing with major sports

Posted: Wednesday February 27, 2008 11:22AM; Updated: Wednesday February 27, 2008 6:41PM

WASHINGTON (AP) -- David Stern was not about to back down.

Summoned again to Capitol Hill to discuss whether Congress should get into the business of legislating drug testing in the major professional sports leagues, the NBA commissioner took exception to lawmakers' remarks and stood up for his colleagues from the NFL, NHL and major league baseball.

"This is an area where federal legislation is not necessary," Stern told the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection.

As big as Wednesday's hearing was -- it produced the rare sight of the four commissioners and their respective sports' union heads sitting at the same table -- it was upstaged by news from another panel.

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform asked the Justice Department to investigate whether Roger Clemens lied under oath when he denied using steroids and human growth hormone at a Feb. 5 sworn deposition and at a Feb. 13 hearing.

There were no players at Wednesday's hearing. Instead, the commissioners sat side-by-side with their sport's union chiefs: Bud Selig was inches away from Donald Fehr; Stern was next to Billy Hunter. Then there was the NFL's Roger Goodell and Gene Upshaw, and the NHL's Gary Bettman and Paul Kelly.

All tried to persuade skeptical lawmakers that their respective leagues had taken steps to thwart steroids use and were anxiously awaiting a dependable way to detect human growth hormone, preferably through a urine test and not a blood test.

"In spite of the fact that they want to pronounce that they have it under control, I still think that it's not fully under control," said the subcommittee's chairman, Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill. "And we have to do more."

Baseball had the most to prove, having implemented a stringent steroids policy only in the last few years. The NFL began addressing the problem some two decades ago, while the NBA and NHL say the nature of their sports is such that steroids use is virtually nonexistent.

All four leagues have toughened their drugs policies since 2005, when many of the same witnesses -- including Stern -- testified before the same subcommittee. Several bills were introduced in the House and Senate after that session, but none came close to becoming law.

"Let's get it right this time. ... Let's go ahead and get something into law that is acceptable," Texas Republican Joe Barton said. "It's no fun having this hearing every two to three years."

That's when Stern interrupted, breaching protocol to point out the progress that has been made.

"The sports leagues HAVE gotten it right in the intervening three years," Stern said.

Rep. Marsha Blackburn was not fazed.

"Mr. Stern, I would suggest that we have not gotten it right enough," the Tennessee Republican said. "If we had gotten it right -- if you all had gotten it right -- we would not be here again today."

Blackburn said the leagues should be doing more to stem substance abuse at the grass roots level, and her comment to the witnesses that "you all have been very well coached" piqued Stern further.

"Enormous progress has been made," responded Stern, who then referred to the "voluminous, uncoached record" of material made available to the subcommittee.

"Things seem to be going in the right direction," Stern said in an interview during a break in the hearing. "If you read the

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statements of the leagues and listened to the testimony, that seems to be the case."

The commissioners and union heads generally agreed collective bargaining was the best way to address the drugs problem, rather than a one-size-fits-all law from Congress that would apply to all sports.

Rush differed on both counts. He said the subcommittee will continue to pursue some sort of legislation, but he was not specific.

"At the Olympics, they deal with a multitude of sports," Rush said. "And they seem to come up with a pretty good way of looking at the differences but also the similarities."

Rush opened the hearing with a message to "the elitists, the cynics and cultural critics" who say Congress should be spending its time on weightier matters rather than holding "a populist spectacle."

"I believe that we can move forward in a measured, deliberative and bipartisan manner with legislation that seriously tackles drugs in sports," Rush said.

Others politely disagreed.

"Sometimes I think we get our priorities out of order," Blackburn said.

Fehr suggested one way Congress could help sports leagues: require a chemical marker be placed in commercially sold HGH so that the substance would be detectable in a urine test.

Meanwhile, Selig said he has met with Fehr and a group of players to discuss implementing the recommendations of former Sen. George Mitchell's report on drug use in baseball. Selig said he hopes the "ongoing, detailed" talks produce a more independent, transparent and flexible drug testing program.

Rush said Mitchell was unable to attend Wednesday's hearing because he is receiving radiation treatment for cancer. The chairman also said he was "exceptionally and extremely disappointed" that World Wrestling Entertainment chairman Vince McMahon was the only witness to decline the subcommittee's invitation to testify.

"Today's hearing is not a trivial matter. ... Steroid abuse in professional wrestling is probably worse than in any professional sport or amateur sport," Rush said.

McMahon released a statement calling the comments about his absence "inaccurate and unfair." He said he notified the subcommittee a month ago he could not attend because his lawyer was representing another client at a trial in Pennsylvania.

A second witness panel included the CEOs of the U.S. Olympic Committee, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, along with NCAA president Myles Brand.

Horse racing was of particular concern to Ed Whitfield, R-Ky., who blamed steroids in part for the frequent breakdowns of horses on the track.

"Is it time to call the federal cavalry and send it chasing into your stables with guns blazing to clean up the sport of horse racing?" Whitfield said.

National Thoroughbred Racing Association CEO Alexander Waldrop said a "model rule" for steroids testing has been adopted in many horse racing states and that it is hoped that all states will adopt it by the end of 2008.

"If they don't step up," Waldrop said, "then it is incumbent upon the federal government to step up."

Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Article published Feb 28, 2008 Quirks, sayings made Cope Pittsburgh original Today's a day for Steelers fans to fly their Terrible Towels at half-mast. When news reached of Myron Cope's passing, it wasn't received as one would when you hear when a celebrity had died. Certainly, anyone from Pittsburgh would say Cope was a celebrity. But for me, Wednesday's news was received more like that of a good friend's passing. He was in failing health, but it still struck you like a hit from Jack Splat - Cope's nickname for Steelers great Jack Lambert. Growing up around Pittsburgh, you couldn't help but think of Cope as a friend. You invited him into your home every day on the radio and on television. And on football Sundays, that was a special event. When it was kickoff time, everyone got off their couches and turned down the volume on the television and turned up the radio. Years later, the advent of the remote control made it much easier. Outsiders didn't get Cope, with his unique brand of broadcasting. But those around Pittsburgh did. You had to be from the area to appreciate him, kind of like a Primanti Brothers sandwich or an Iron City - personally, I.C. Light is better. "H-has," "Yoi's" and "Okel dokels" all have been repeated by many fans the past 24 hours, as well as their favorite memories. His laugh-out-loud moments are too numerous to list, but the holiday song, "Deck those Broncos, they're just Yonkos," sticks out, along with the intro song to Cope's Cabana, the postgame show he hosted after Steelers home games. You tuned in because you never knew what to expect. Of course, Cope might well be best remembered for creating the Terrible Towel, the yellow piece of cloth waved faithfully by Steelers fans at home and on road games. Outsiders might compare Cope to Howard Cosell, the always-opinionated sportscaster. They would wrongly lump the two in a love-'em or hate-'em category, mainly because of their unique voices. Those who listened to Cope would disagree. Cope was selfless and didn't seek the spotlight. In the mid-1990s, he even donated proceeds from Terrible Towel sales to Allegheny Valley School. As an aside, I found it ironic that William F. Buckley, the founder of National Review and a man whose writings required you to look up nearly every other word, died within hours of Cope, a

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man who created words that never would be found in a dictionary. I was out of state for Cope's last radio broadcast. My father-in-law recorded it and sent it to me. I got a little misty-eyed listening to it more than a decade ago. I'm a little misty-eyed again. I'll have to raise a cold I.C. in salute of a Pittsburgh legend. RICK GREEN can be reached at 870-1891 or by e-mail at [email protected].

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COLUMN: Cope, Fleming unforgettable ‘Odd Couple’ By Bob Hertzel For the Times West Virginian

MORGANTOWN— And then there were none. First Jack Fleming. “Hold onto your hats, here come the Steelers out of the huddle. It’s down to one play, fourth down and 10 yards to go ... Terry Bradshaw at the controls. Twenty-two seconds remaining. And this crowd is standing ... Bradshaw is back and looking again ... Bradshaw running out of the pocket, looking for somebody to throw to ... Fires it downfield. And there’s a collision ... And ... (unintelligible). It’s caught out of the air! ... The ballis picked up by Franco Harris. Harris is going for a touchdown for Pittsburgh ... Harris is going. ... Five seconds left on the clock. Franco Harris pulled in the football. I don’t even know where it came from. Fuqua was in a collision. There are people in the end zone. Where did it come from?” Then Myron Cope. “Yoi!” America’s true “Odd Couple” are both gone now. Maybe that’s why it seemed Wednesday’s snow fell so silently across the hills of West Virginia. It was only fitting for there never again will be a pair like Fleming and Cope. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• It was the night West Virginia played Pittsburgh in men’s basketball at the Petersen Events Center earlier this month that I received my last report on Cope. As anyone who followed him on the Pittsburgh Steeler broadcasts from 1970 on, teamed first with Fleming, then with Bill Hillgrove, knows, Cope’s health had been failing him for some time. You expect that at 79. A friend from Pittsburgh said he’d driven by University of Pittsburgh Medical Center just that day and had seen Cope standing outside. “He was just standing there. Had one of those portable oxygen tanks with him,” the friend reported. Oh, yeah. He reported one other thing. “He was smoking a cigarette.” Ill, taking oxygen, and he was puffing on a cigarette. That was Myron Cope. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Cope’s debut as color commentator on Steelers’ broadcasters came on Sept. 20, 1970, the same day one Terry Bradshaw debuted at quarterback. Some thought the Steelers were insane to go with the rookie quarterback. More thought it was insane to pair Cope, an elegant writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and then Sports Illustrated and Saturday Evening Post but a scratchy voiced, stuttering broadcast amateur, with the velvety smooth Fleming. Fleming had doubled as the Voice of the West Virginia Mountaineers in his hometown of Morgantown and on Steeler broadcasts, and mixing the two seemed as distasteful as mixing vinegar and sugar. While it took a while for the two to find a way to work out their on-air relationship, Fleming trying to work his way through his play-by-play as Cope continually talked over him or through him. Take the day Frenchy Fuqua was off on a long touchdown run. As Fleming was delighting listens with a marvelous description of the action, Cope was screaming, “Frenchman, what are ya doin’ lookin’ back?!” “He’d snap at me a lot back then, and we always had this by play between us,” Cope recalled just a day before Fleming’s memorial service. “But it was always great fun, and we were very close friends. But it wasn’t limited to the booth. Sometimes on charters I’d be trying to sleep and here he was eating these four-course meals and keeping me awake. I’d tell him to keep quiet, and he’d point out the window at the wing and say.

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‘Why don’t you take your nap out there.’” A large man, Fleming dwarfed the diminutive Cope, who may have reached 5-feet, 4-inches in elevator shoes. Blessed with a rich, descriptive voice, Fleming could make a football or basketball game come to life. Cope, on the other hand, was all schtick, with catch phrases like “Yoi” or “Garganzola or “Okle-dokle.” The Cleveland Browns became the “Cleve Brownies,” the hated Cincinnati Bengals could only be the “Bungles” in Cope-speak and Coach Chuck Noll was “Emperor Chaz.” ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• As different as they were taken individually, they created a team that would find its own niche in NFL history. Cope’s contribution was The Terrible Towel, a novelty that united Steeler Nation during the team’s run to four Super Bowl championships. It was a marketer’s delight, an item that was sold to Steeler fans not only through the Pittsburgh-West Virginia market, but through the nation, turning them into towel-waving maniacs who had probably the greatest home field advantage in football because of it. Of course, it wasn’t universally loved. “He (Fleming) hated it,” said Cope, who would have one at his elbow at each game and wave it at the proper moment. “Of course, I think he was only kidding about hating it.” Not on the day the Steelers and Houston Oilers found themselves going face-to-face in the AFC Championship game in Pittsburgh, a game played in bitter cold. Cope once wrote about what transpired on that day. “As the Steelers and the Oilers lined up for the opening kickoff, a yellow towel suddenly descended from the deck above the WTAE broadcasting booth, and as if by magic, jerked to a halt in midair 15 feet in front of the booth. “My binoculars revealed that painstaking Steelers fans had strung fishing line from the top deck clear down to the end zone to our left, their plan having been to release the towel at kickoff and let it slide by means of a pulley to the end zone. But the fishing line, so fine it had been invisible to the naked eye, had become coated with ice in the freezing rain that whipped the stadium, and that arrested the towel before our very eyes. “‘What is that damned towel doing out there?’ cried my broadcast partner, Jack Fleming, a large deep-voiced man and a football purist who from the outset had been hostile to my Terrible Towel. Fleming now found that the one before him removed half the gridiron from his vision as he was about to begin his play-by-play. “‘Somebody get that towel out of here,’ he bellowed. “Minutes later, the roof above Fleming sprang a leak, and in an instant he was soaked. ‘Give me one of those damned things,’ he yelled, reaching into an assortment of Terrible Towels at my elbow. While he mopped his spotter boards, I wondered. ‘Is the towel punishing an unbeliever?’ I sat less than 3 feet from Fleming’s left, yet no water fell on me. Meanwhile, our producer produced an umbrella, Fleming, livid, clutched it in a white-knuckled fist throughout the first quarter, craning to follow ballcarriers and receivers as they disappeared behind the yellow towel suspended before us, and roaring during every timeout for workmen to cut down the infernal rag.” ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Fleming’s greatest claim to fame, of course, came with the aforementioned call of the play that came to be known as “The Immaculate Reception,” perhaps the most famous play and call in history. And, as fate would have it, Cope did not once step on Fleming’s call, for he had exited the radio booth to go to the field to round up guests for his post-game locker room show. “He ran straight to me in the corner, and I’m yelling, ‘C’mon Franco, c’mon on!”’ said Cope, who, acting on a fan’s advice, tagged the play “The Immaculate Reception” during a TV commentary that night. Is it any wonder that with a “Yoi!” being heard anywhere that Fleming ended his call of “The Immaculate Reception” by simply saying, “Holy Moley?!” “It was,” Cope would say at Fleming’s funeral, “a perfect call.” If the call was Fleming’s, the name was Cope’s, for at the suggestion of a fan, he called the play “The Immaculate Reception” on his television show that night, and it was picked up immediately across America. E-mail Bob Hertzel at [email protected].

Copyright © 1999-2006 cnhi, inc.

Page 2 of 2COLUMN: Cope, Fleming unforgettable ‘Odd Couple’

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02/28/2008

Cope’s death another loss of a legend

My Terrible Towel is dropping off its rightful place on top of my television, as close as I can get to half mast. Last year, we lost New York Yankees announcer Phil Rizzuto. On Wednesday, we lost Myron Cope, who called games on the Pittsburgh Steelers radio network for more than three decades. That’s two legendary color commentators and even more hallowed personalities who have meant so much to so many sports fans around here who have left us in seven months. We are finding more and more reasons to watch sports nowadays. But, we’re losing our reasons to listen. When you’re a kid who loves sports, sometimes there are funny reasons why you start rooting for a particular team. Growing up, my family didn’t have cable, which meant struggling with the rabbit ears to find a decent picture on the television. Back then, we found it much easier to eliminate the wavy lines on the local NBC station than CBS. NBC carried the AFC games then, and this was a Steelers market. So by default, I had a team to watch. This was back in the late 1980s, when Dwight Stone and Bubby Brister and Louis Lipps weren’t exactly convincing fans to dream of Super Bowl runs. For me to become a Steelers fan, Cope had to make up the difference. I tuned him in on the radio once when I was away from home for some reason, and from that point on, Steelers games were as much a Sunday afternoon sitcom as they were a lesson in brutality. Turning down the volume on the television and turning up the radio became a Sunday afternoon tradition. Only on the rarest of occasions — and perhaps only accidentally — would Cope refer to one of the Steelers’ biggest rivals by their actual names. In the ’70s and ’80s, the Dallas Cowboys were the Dallas Cryboys. In the ’90s, they were Jimmy Johnson’s Jailhouse 11. The Baltimore Ravens were, not so affectionately, referred to as Modell’s Meatballs or the Baltimore Birdbrains. One time, when the Steelers were playing at Washington, Cope referred to the opponents as “the Wash Redfaces.” Apparently, Redskins owner Dan Snyder grew tired of it and sent a henchman to the radio booth to ask Cope to stop. Cope called Snyder “a boy millionaire” and said he should “stick his head in a can of paint.” The Cleveland Browns were always the Cleve Brownies. The Cincinnati Bengals were always the Bungles. I remember once, when some impossibly stupid play went against hapless Cincinnati, Cope bellowed out gleefully, “... And the Bungles have lived up to their name once again!” Cope was a homer, and for some reason, nobody seemed to mind it too much. Not the Cryboys or the Meatballs. Not the Brownies or the Bungles. That was his genius. One of the funniest lines I’ve ever read in a book came from Cope’s aptly titled autobiography “Double Yoi!”: “I do hope that an old friend, Dick Le-Beau, now head coach of the Cinci Bungles, does not succeed in turning around that miserable outfit.” Crazy that he’d even joke — not that he was joking, mind you — about rooting against a friend so he wouldn’t have to stop referring to the Bengals as “the Bungles.” But when you think about it, Cope’s best friends always wore black and gold. For his place and his time, Cope was just right. Putting a towel-waving, falsetto-voiced, bumbling fan into the broadcast booth wouldn’t have worked anywhere else in the country — except Pittsburgh. He had a

Page 1 of 2The Times-Tribune - Sports - 02/28/2008 - Cope’s death another loss of a legend

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passion that matched a fandom’s passion. He told it as it was, and that included where his loyalty lied. He had a way with the language to which the Steel City related. Cope once said quick-as-a-blink running back Amos Zereoue moved like an exotic dancer. A bit crude, perhaps. But it was exactly how elusive Zereoue was for defenders. Maybe the best description I’ve ever heard a football announcer give of a play came from Cope. I think it was Kordell Stewart — thinking back to the play and the long line of Steelers quarterbacks, it almost had to be Kordell Stewart — who was being rushed off the edge. Somehow, he managed to escape through the clutches of two defensive ends and rush away for a big gain. Cope likened the getaway to mayonnaise dripping out through the end of a sandwich. When I think of the great announcers I’ve had the honor of listening to, I realize that Marv Albert is more popular. Mike Emrick is more dramatic. Vin Scully is more lyrical. But Myron Cope was more Pittsburgh. Bet he’d take that as the greatest compliment of them all. Contact the writer: [email protected]

©The Times-Tribune 2008

Page 2 of 2The Times-Tribune - Sports - 02/28/2008 - Cope’s death another loss of a legend

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To Steelers nation, 'he was Pittsburgh' Thursday, February 28, 2008 BY JIM LEWIS Of The Patriot-News

One autumn Sunday, Adam Sturges tuned his car radio to a Pittsburgh Steelers football game while driving his father from Harrisburg to western Pennsylvania for a hunting trip, and the nasal, squawking voice of announcer Myron Cope shot through the speakers.

"Who the hell is this?" Sturges' father demanded.

"Hold on, Dad," said Sturges, who had worked in Pittsburgh, married a Pittsburgh woman, rooted for the Steelers -- and didn't want the channel changed. "It's Myron Cope."

Sturges' father had never heard of him. But he listened to the game, to Cope's high-pitched commentary, his quirky sayings. A fumble or referee's bad call often drew a squeaky "Yoi!" or "Double yoi!" from Cope, and a first down or completed pass would elicit a raspy "Yewww betcha!"

An acquired taste, if you prefer the steady, silk-smooth voice of the typical sports announcer. Sturges' father became a fan during that long drive. When the game ended, he declared, "I like him."

Football fans in central Pennsylvania who root for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens or Washington Redskins might not understand how the squeaky Cope could become such a phenomenon while announcing Steelers games for 35 seasons.

But when Cope died yesterday at 79 in a Pittsburgh-area nursing home, he was mourned in the midstate by Steelers fans who gathered each Sunday in bars to watch the team's games on wide-screen TVs, many of them transplanted Pittsburghers who left western Pennsylvania's struggling economy for state jobs in Harrisburg.

"He was Pittsburgh," said Sturges, the general manager of McGrath's Pub, an Irish-themed bar in Harrisburg that's a popular hangout for Steelers fans. "No matter what part of Pittsburgh you're in -- North Side, South Side, the suburbs, Beaver County -- people there are very eccentric. He summed that up well."

Cope began as a sports writer for an Erie newspaper and eventually wrote for Sports Illustrated. In 1963, he won the E.P. Dutton Prize for Best Magazine Sportswriting in the Nation for a story he wrote about Muhammad Ali.

He joined the Steelers broadcast team in 1970 and became so popular that Pittsburghers often would turn down the sound on national broadcasts of their team's games and crank up Cope and the other Steelers announcers on local radio.

Health problems forced him to retire in 2004.

"He was a true icon," said Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll, who is from McKees Rocks, a Pittsburgh suburb. "He had his own style and it was the best, believe me."

Football fans outside western Pennsylvania might know Cope best for the gimmick he created to stir up support in Pittsburgh for the Steelers: the Terrible Towel.

He introduced it in 1975 before a playoff game against the Baltimore Colts, and Steelers fans have waved the gold-and-black towels since at games and in front of their TVs on game day.

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Cope sold the towel rights to the Steelers, and royalties from the sale of the towels go to Allegheny Valley School, which educates mentally and physically challenged children. Cope's son was enrolled in the school.

To Steelers fans, Cope and his Terrible Towel are symbols of Pittsburgh. On YouTube, where a short interview of Cope can be found, one admirer posted this message yesterday: "RIP brother and keep waving that towel all the way to heaven."

JIM LEWIS: 255-8479 or [email protected]

©2008 The Patriot-News

© 2008 PennLive.com All Rights Reserved.

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