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.