Double Yoi: The Legacy of Myron Cope

As I sit here this morning in my over worn Pittsburgh Steelers shirt, I can’t help but think, “Yoi: we’ve lost a legacy.” Myron Cope, the man with the screechy voice who served as color announcer for the Steelers for 35 years, passed away this past week. Call me biased, which I’m not, but Cope was an institution, not only in his native Pittsburgh, but also across the entire nation. After all, the Steeler following doesn’t stop as soon as you leave the greater Pittsburgh area; therefore, Cope’s fans don’t either.
Cope was, perhaps, best known for his over-the-top persona during Steeler games and his sports show on WTAE radio. He coined the very phrases that Pittsburghers emphatically yell at their TV screens during games to this very day.  Every Pittsburgher knows them.  “Yoi”, a commonly used word for a good play. “Double yoi”, Cope’s saying for an outstanding play and also the name of his autobiography. “Okle-dokle”, simply, “okay” in the grand book of Copeisms. “The Bus”, the nickname for former, Super Bowl winning running back, Jerome Bettis was also Cope’s doing. I could go on for hours; as a lifelong Steelers fan, I’ve heard them all time and again. Cope exuded life on the radio. It was almost entirely by accident that he became as popular of an announcer as he did. Cope periodically appeared on TV and radio for WTAE, but the station was looking to hire him full time. Cope was reluctant about his voice being broadcast over the airwaves, but his boss quickly reassured him that obnoxious voices were in and that he should consider the proposal. Cope took the position and changed the face of sports broadcasting forever. Never had anyone ever heard a voice like his. Cope made the likes of Howard Cosell and Harry Carey sound like polished newsmen. You could not and will not ever hear someone quite like Myron Cope in this day and age. By broadcast standards, his voice defied the refined way broadcasters are trained to speak. It didn’t seem to matter: Pittsburghers loved him, squawks and all. His voice became synonymous with everything Pittsburgh.
The thing about Myron Cope that most people don’t realize is that he was a true writer. He was, first and foremost, a journalist. His journalistic career began at the Erie Times, where he only stayed 7 short months before retuning to Pittsburgh to work for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Cope soon realized, though, that his future was as a free-lance writer in the sports magazine industry. An acclaimed career at Sports Illustrated earned Cope numerous awards for his writings. Cope, as in his radio broadcasts, reverted to humor in his articles. According to many of this colleagues, his writing was unparalleled to anyone’s they had ever read. His columns exuded energy and humor, but never strayed from the facts.
Despite his excellent writing abilities and signature voice on the radio, Cope will forever be known as the creator of the symbol that separates Pittsburgh Steeler fans from the rest, The Terrible Towel. Shortly before a playoff game in 1975, Cope suggested Steeler fans bring towels to the game and wave them to give the Steelers a bit of an edge. And, well, the rest is history. Cope’s invention went on to become a trademarked, officially licensed product of the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise. Fans, players, coaches, and countless others, whether in Pittsburgh or abroad, carry or display the towel with great pride. Cope’s success from The Terrible Towel went to a cause greater than any Super Bowl win. Proceeds from The Towel went to Allegheny Valley School, a private school for children and adults living with learning and developmental disabilities. Cope’s own son has been a resident of the school for a number of years. Because of Cope’s generosity, $2.2 million has been given to Allegheny Valley School as a result of profits from The Terrible Towel.
Myron Cope will forever be remembered as a colorful broadcaster, who surprised even his toughest critics. He tackled the world of broadcasting, while enjoying every broadcast he did. Cope had a genuine love for the Steelers, the fans, and, undoubtedly, all of Pittsburgh. As I finish here, I can envision myself at my home with the volume turned down on the TV and the radio turned up, listening to Myron Cope, wearing the same worn Steelers shirt and twirling my Terrible Towel as the final seconds tick down to a Steelers’ victory. I can hear him say, “Double yoi, what an exciting game for them Pittsburgh Steelers!” and ending the broadcast with his signature sendoff: “Bye now!” His abilities have made him a permanent fixture in Pittsburgh sports lore and radio broadcast history. Now that deserves a definite double yoi!