Myron, Lefty and Me
Some things you never want to forget.....
There are often times when people ask me "How do you know so much about sports?
You're a girl, after all?"
I explain that my older brother and sister married and were out of the house by the time I was 10.
That made me somewhat of an only child.
And, my dad, a golden glove boxer, was an absolute sports nut! He took me to every sporting event imaginable. I learned the ins and outs of football, baseball, basketball and hockey.
"Lefty" as he was known, took great pride in teaching me and I loved it because I could spend so much quality time with my Dad. One of the rituals we experienced together was sitting down every weekday evening next to the radio and listening to the "Myron Cope Show" on WTAE in Pittsburgh. Many of you may know Myron as the squeeky-voiced announcer of those hated Steelers.
But, he was much more than that.
He was an award-winning writer for Sports Illustrated and the Saturday Evening Post. He never wanted to be a broadcaster, but was pulled into the business by a clever radio exec and the Steeler Brass.
He became a Pittsburgh Icon.
He invented the Terrible Towel in 1975.
What you may not know is that he donated all of the proceeds from the towel to a school for autistic children where his son attended. That is still the case today. The school gets millions.
I loved Myron, as all Steeler fans do, but I love what he did every night on the radio -- he brought me and my dad together to chat (and sometimes argue) about sports and life.
My dad passed away 8 years ago this March 9th. He and Myron are now "chatting" face to face. Myron passed away Wednesday at the age of 79.
Some things you just never want to forget!
There are often times when people ask me "How do you know so much about sports?
You're a girl, after all?"
I explain that my older brother and sister married and were out of the house by the time I was 10.
That made me somewhat of an only child.
And, my dad, a golden glove boxer, was an absolute sports nut! He took me to every sporting event imaginable. I learned the ins and outs of football, baseball, basketball and hockey.
"Lefty" as he was known, took great pride in teaching me and I loved it because I could spend so much quality time with my Dad. One of the rituals we experienced together was sitting down every weekday evening next to the radio and listening to the "Myron Cope Show" on WTAE in Pittsburgh. Many of you may know Myron as the squeeky-voiced announcer of those hated Steelers.
But, he was much more than that.
He was an award-winning writer for Sports Illustrated and the Saturday Evening Post. He never wanted to be a broadcaster, but was pulled into the business by a clever radio exec and the Steeler Brass.
He became a Pittsburgh Icon.
He invented the Terrible Towel in 1975.
What you may not know is that he donated all of the proceeds from the towel to a school for autistic children where his son attended. That is still the case today. The school gets millions.
I loved Myron, as all Steeler fans do, but I love what he did every night on the radio -- he brought me and my dad together to chat (and sometimes argue) about sports and life.
My dad passed away 8 years ago this March 9th. He and Myron are now "chatting" face to face. Myron passed away Wednesday at the age of 79.
Some things you just never want to forget!
