Myron Cope: A Terrible Loss

I’m definitely not the first Pittsburgh Blogger to write in memoriam of Myron Cope since his passing… and hopefully, I won’t be the last.

I never met Myron Cope but I feel like I knew him.

Growing up in Pittsburgh in the 1980s, He always seemed to be around… mostly, I think because I couldn’t escape his voice. Much has been, and remains to be said about that voice. As a child, I found it difficult to listen to when it was on the radio but exactly the opposite when it was on TV. Yes, I mean when The Voice was on TV.

I knew nothing of Myron Cope “The Man” when I was seven years old, nor did I feel the need to pay attention to the thoughts coming out of his mouth, but MAN, it was fun to watch him speak. There was something very emphatic and out of control about the way he played his vocal instrument when he was improvising, and yet when given the opportunity to prepare, he could deliver a story with the grace and prose of – well, a hall of fame broadcaster or an award winning journalist. In either case his technique, class and wisdom were apparent and unquestionable. People said the same thing about John Coltrane on the Saxophone.

You can’t talk about Myron Cope without mentioning his voice but to dwell on it would be unfair. Cope made a living out of playing “the fool” and his voice was central to the gag. It was his hook, and once he had ‘em hooked, he’d reel ‘em in with some of the most honest and well reasoned commentary a local sports fan could ever ask for from the local media. It’s a shame to think that there are people out there who don’t know of Cope’s brilliance and compassion because they can’t see past his self-deprecation.

Sure, there were his accomplishments as a writer but there was also the way he could get close to his subjects. We hear that the relationships he had with those privileged enough to know him were essentially effortless, not least of all due to Cope’s ability to make people feel at ease from word one.

There was also his sense of charity which was made all the more sincere by his close, personal connection to the causes he supported. The Terrible Towel, although it started out as a gimmick, turned into a multi-million dollar trademark that he gave to a school for severely mentally retarded people in the Pittsburgh area. Given the fact that the Terrible Towel and the Steelers organization appear to be forever linked, I’d say the charity is in good shape - Another stroke of genius.

Myron Cope probably never wanted to be thought of as more than a man, but it seems we sell his 5’4” frame short by not doing so. He brought people together and embodied a way of life that we – not just Steelers fans, but everyone – would be right to emulate.

As I said, I never met Myron Cope – but I wish I had.

So...
Pitt lost to Notre Dame, the Penguins had an amazing victory over the Canadians, and the Pirates began full spring workouts to signal the commencement of 7 months of excrUtiating pain... all of that happened today.

Additionally, the New York Times published what could be the least newsworthy "report" in American journalistic history and the United States Embassy in Serbia was nearly burned to the ground because... well, apparently because it creates more of a spectacle than burning Germany's (or France's, or Britain's, or Spain's, or Italy's, or... well, fuck it... America does have the highest profile amongst the myriad nations in support of Kosovar independence... it's our lot. We must suffer through it). There is yet even more... Let's not forget that our President, who I supported emphatically for 5 years and then reluctanctly for the last two, has finally gained some positive international recognition (although the NY Times made almost no mention of it) for the fact that he has done more to combat the spread of AIDS in Africa than any other leader in the history of the free world...

Despite all this, the only thing that really caught my attention today was this...

It's Beyond Football

Len Pasquarelli is one of my favorite writers on ESPN.com. He's been around, he's from Olde Penn's Woods, and he seems to know a TON about football... almost as much as his colleauge, John Clayton (also from PA). Tell me something, why is it that the most knowledgable football writers come from Pennsylvania and not Ohio, Texas, Florida or California?... Could it be because Pennsylvania is simply a better football state? This is really another issue though, because I'm a little pissed at Pasquarelli right now.

The National Football League is in a unique position, because (along with the other major sports leagues in the country) they have an Anti-Trust exemption. At least in their case, it only involves outdoor, professional football. They get it all. They answer to noone else. If I wanted to start a pro-football league, the NFL could muscle me out and the US Government couldn't say anything except "shame on you."

Apparently (at least according to Pasquarelli) if someone in the NFL cheats, we shouldn't concern ourselves with it, or in simpler terms - the BILLIONS OF DOLLARS YOU, AS FANS, HAVE SPENT ON THIS LEAGUE are of no consequence when it comes to one of our own.

I'm sorry, Len, but if the Patriots cheated and just so happened to be the best team of an era, well, they should be held to the fire for it. You can't do something which is explicitely against league rules, have it swept under the rug, and then expect to be exonorated along with those who did the sweeping. It's ruinous behaviour and should be exposed in a democracy.

Arlen Spector isn't my favorite senator either but at least he isn't scared of an anti-trust exemption. Pasquarelli writes that he thinks that Congress uses the "anti-trust exemption" as a buzzword in order to ruin the NFL when it is convenient... Could it be that maybe they're just trying to keep the NFL honest? As a (relative) Libertarian, I can't think of a better use for government.

Oh, and bring on Roger Clemens!