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115-446: Proceeds from sales of the Towel have raised over US$ 8 million for Allegheny Valley School , which cares for people with mental disabilities and physical disabilities . The Terrible Towel is credited with being the first " rally towel " and its success has given rise to similar products promoting other teams. Numerous versions have been produced; almost all are black and gold in color with

230-698: A fumble 93‒yards for a touchdown . The play inspired local fan Lisa Benz to write about the Towel, which she later sent to Cope. In part, her poem read: 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 Towel has been redesigned multiple times, as well as spawning its own line of paraphernalia. The line, known as "Terrible Stuff", includes T-shirts, license plates, pillows, earrings, and beach towels; all include The Terrible Towel logo. When originally released,

345-562: A season that saw Pittsburgh's defense shut out five opponents and allow only 28 points in a 9-game span. The loss to Pittsburgh coupled with an early playoff exit in 1976 largely influenced the Cowboys to draft Tony Dorsett in the 1977 Draft to help infuse life into Dallas' offense. Dorsett helped lead Dallas to a Super Bowl XII victory over the Denver Broncos , who defeated the Steelers in

460-502: A 12-yard pass to wide receiver John Stallworth , who then appeared to fumble the ball while getting tackled by safety Cliff Harris , but the officials ruled him down before the ball came loose. Two plays later, however, on 4th-and-1, Bradshaw's pass to running back Franco Harris was broken up by Cliff Harris, turning the ball over on downs. After an exchange of punts, Dallas drove to the Pittsburgh 20-yard line from their own 48, aided by

575-438: A 14-yard reception by running back Charley Young . However, in three plays, they lost 25 yards. On first down, Newhouse was tackled for a 3-yard loss by linebacker Andy Russell . Then Greenwood sacked Staubach for a 12-yard loss. And on third down, Staubach was sacked again, this time for a 10-yard loss, by defensive end Dwight White . The sacks pushed Dallas out of field goal range, forcing them to punt. The Steelers' offense got

690-512: A Baby: A Tribute to America's Bicentennial". Up with People dancers portrayed various American historical figures along with a rendition of Steve Goodman 's " City of New Orleans ". Singer Tom Sullivan sang the national anthem. Scenes for the 1977 suspense film Black Sunday , about a fictional terrorist attack on the Super Bowl via the Goodyear Blimp , were filmed during the game. This

805-529: A Mathis interception and runback for a touchdown. Shortly after the start of the third quarter, Jaguars mascot Jaxson de Ville stood alongside some cheerleaders, and produced a Terrible Towel, which he used to rub his armpits and buttocks. Shortly after that, the Steelers ran away with the game and the Jaguars lost 26–21. On December 21, 2008, LenDale White and Keith Bulluck of the Tennessee Titans stepped on

920-562: A Super Bowl record 161 yards and one touchdown, became the first wide receiver to be named Super Bowl MVP . The NFL awarded Super Bowl X to Miami on April 3, 1973, at the owners' meetings held in Scottsdale, Arizona . This was the fourth time that the Super Bowl was to be played at the Miami Orange Bowl . For the second time, the owners selected two consecutive Super Bowl host cities at the same meeting. Only three cities submitted bids for

1035-501: A Terrible Towel after scoring a goal at Heinz Field during the US Women's National Team victory tour following the 2015 World Cup. In 2005, Cope retired after 35 years as the Steelers radio announcer—the longest tenure of any broadcaster with a single team in NFL history. Cope was honored by the Steelers with the release of a limited special edition Towel, featuring his name and catch phrases. Cope

1150-469: A Terrible Towel after scoring a touchdown to give the Bengals a 17–3 lead against the Steelers. Hill had six carries for −1 yards after, while also leaving the field several times with an apparent injury to his knee. The Bengals also blew their lead and lost 24–20 while being shut out in the second half, and were eliminated from playoff contention that day. After attempting to rip the Terrible Towel, Hill finished

1265-475: A Terrible Towel after the Titans's 31–14 victory. Pittsburgh's Larry Foote responded, "They deserved to do that, they whooped us, they deserve to celebrate and, hopefully, we'll see them again." While Hines Ward said, "[T. J. Houshmandzadeh] did kind of the same thing and you see where they went." Former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher , by this point working for CBS as an analyst on The NFL Today , mentioned on

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1380-534: A Terrible Towel. Following this the Lions suffered three straight sacks to put them in a long fourth and twenty-eight situation. The Lions did not convert and the Steelers won the game 28–20. Several Blue and White "Terrific Towels" were made for the Indianapolis Colts in the 2009 season playoffs, one of which received some airtime during their AFC championship victory. The Colts subsequently lost Super Bowl XLIV to

1495-517: A better opportunity to catch the ball and write himself into Cowboy folklore. Then on third down with three seconds left, Staubach once again tried to complete a Hail Mary pass to Howard in the end zone, but the ball was tipped by Wagner into the arms of safety Glen Edwards for an interception, sealing Pittsburgh's second consecutive Super Bowl victory. Bradshaw finished the game with 9 out of 19 pass completions for 209 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions. He also added another 16 yards rushing

1610-423: A black towel. Throughout the years there have also been many special edition Towels. After the Steelers won Super Bowl XL in 2005 , a Towel with the words "Super Bowl XL Champions", the date, final score, and Super Bowl XL logo was released. The victory also spawned the production of a Towel featuring the logos of the six Super Bowls that the franchise has won. During the Steelers' 75th anniversary season in 2007 ,

1725-402: A fumble recovery in the end zone. Then Steelers running back Mike Collier returned the free kick 25 yards to the Cowboys' 45-yard line. Dallas halted the ensuing drive at the 20-yard line, but this time Gerela successfully kicked a 36-yard field goal to give Pittsburgh their first lead of the game, 12–10. Then on the first play of the Cowboys' next drive, Steelers safety Mike Wagner intercepted

1840-437: A gimmick guy." The three men, along with other radio station advertising personnel, began brainstorming ideas. One idea, a black mask including coach Chuck Noll 's motto "Whatever it takes", was deemed too expensive. Cope said the gimmick should be something "lightweight and portable and already owned by just about every fan." Garrett suggested using towels . Cope agreed, suggesting the words "The Terrible Towel" be printed on

1955-422: A helmet-to-helmet hit on Bradshaw. Swann then caught the ball at the 5-yard line and ran into the end zone for a 64-yard touchdown reception. Bradshaw never did see Swann's catch or the touchdown since Cole's hit to Bradshaw's helmet knocked him out of the game with a head injury. It was only after he was assisted to the locker room that he was told what happened. After play resumed, Gerela's extra point attempt hit

2070-480: A hospital. If he did play, many assumed he would just be used as a decoy to draw coverage away from the other receivers. Throughout the week leading up to the Super Bowl, Swann was unable to participate in several team practices or was limited to only a minor workout in them. However, a few days before the game, he received a verbal challenge from Dallas safety Cliff Harris , who stated, "I'm not going to hurt anyone intentionally. But getting hit again while he's running

2185-636: A league best 12–2 record and defeated the Baltimore Colts and the Oakland Raiders in the playoffs. The Cowboys, with their offense and "flex" defense, became the first NFC wild-card team to advance to the Super Bowl after posting a 10–4 regular season record and postseason victories over the Minnesota Vikings and the Los Angeles Rams . Trailing 10–7 in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl X, in

2300-498: A pass from Staubach and returned it 19 yards to the Dallas 7-yard line before getting tackled by Neely. Wagner's interception came off the same play Dallas used to score their opening touchdown. Instead of surveying the middle of the field, Wagner watched Pearson and recognized the pattern. Staubach later said: "It was our bread and butter play all season long. It was the first time it didn't work." The Cowboys' defense again managed to prevent

2415-434: A pass route must be in the back of Swann's mind. I know it would be in the back of my mind." Swann responded "I'm still not 100 percent. I value my health, but I've had no dizzy spells. I read what Harris said. He was trying to intimidate me. He said I'd be afraid out there. He needn't worry. He doesn't know Lynn Swann. He can't scare me or the team. I said to myself, 'The hell with it, I'm gonna play.' Sure, I thought about

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2530-438: A quilt made from Terrible Towels that were sewn together by a fan. She chose the quilt because it represents the many different people who touched their lives. "I did not see the Terrible Towel as witchcraft to hex the enemy. It would be a positive force, driving the Steelers to superhuman performance, but if it experienced a yen for mischief and created fatal mistakes by opponents, I would tolerate that." —Myron Cope Since

2645-474: A rally by the Cowboys late in the fourth quarter. Officials did not call a single penalty on the Steelers during the game, while the Cowboys were called for only 2 penalties for 20 yards. On the opening kickoff, the Cowboys ran a reverse play where linebacker Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson took a handoff from running back/kick returner Preston Pearson and returned the ball a Super Bowl-record 48 yards before Steelers kicker Roy Gerela forced him out of bounds at

2760-405: A red towel with him during the basketball games he coached. Diddle would wave and throw the towel during games, and the concept was adopted by fans of the college. It became an official part of the school logo in 1971. Fans of the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins cheered the team by waving the "Horrible Hanky"—white handkerchiefs . However, the handkerchiefs were deemed "too dainty" for football, and

2875-492: A sizable donation from the proceeds, was later disappointed to learn the towels waved by the fans were "knockoffs" made by local artists, and therefore no proceeds would go to the school. In 2008, the NFL approved a white towel entitled the Trophy Towel, which will be sold to fans and given to the winning team of Super Bowl XLIII . Members of the Steelers criticized the idea, broadcaster Bill Hillgrove —who worked with Cope—called

2990-434: A snap on a punt, and nearly had two punts blocked. (Gerela's problems may have begun on the opening kickoff when he was forced to make a touchdown saving tackle on Henderson.) Staubach started out the drive with an 11-yard scramble to midfield, and then followed it up with a 12-yard completion to Preston Pearson at the Steelers' 38-yard line. Pearson inexplicably ran towards the middle rather than running out of bounds to stop

3105-480: A special edition Towel with the logo of the Steelers' benchmark season was added to the line-up of Towels. The original 1975–1997 Terrible Towel is sold as a throwback on the Steelers official website. A giant Terrible Towel measuring 54' x 90' was introduced at the 2014 home opener at Heinz Field and was "waved" by the 144 fans holding it. Upon the sudden popularity of the Terrible Towel, Pittsburgh-area department stores sold out all gold and black hand towels. Because

3220-405: A stool at his locker, reading the farm reports. "How do you feel about the Terrible Towel?" I asked him. He looked up and said, "Huh?" I check him off as a yes...I reported back to Ted Atkins that the Steelers overwhelmingly approved of the Towel. The Towel made its debut on December 27, 1975, in a playoff game against the Baltimore Colts . Prior to the game, Cope, whose idea had been mocked by

3335-570: A team-leading 49 passes for 781 yards and 11 touchdowns. Stallworth only had 20 receptions, but he had an average of 21.2 yards per catch, recording a total of 423 reception yards. The Steelers' "Steel Curtain" defense dominated the league, ranking third in fewest yards allowed (4,019) and sending 8 of their 11 starters to the Pro Bowl : defensive linemen Joe Greene (future Pro Football Hall of Fame player) and L. C. Greenwood ; future Hall of Fame linebackers Jack Ham and Jack Lambert ; Andy Russell ,

3450-500: A third down false start penalty on offensive tackle Ralph Neely , and scoring on kicker Toni Fritsch 's 36-yard field goal to take a 10–7 lead early in the second quarter. The 51 rushing yards the Cowboys amassed on the drive tripled what the Minnesota Vikings gained against Pittsburgh for all of Super Bowl IX . The Steelers subsequently advanced to the Cowboys' 36-yard line on their next possession, during which Bradshaw completed

3565-453: A time. Upon its invention, Cope commented on the multi-functional ability of The Terrible Towel, "I'll tell 'em they can use the towel to wipe their seats clean. They can use it as a muffler against the cold. They can drape it over their heads if it rains." However, the towel is often used by fans who do not attend games. Fans often drape the towel over their radios or television sets; some even dress their pets or babies with it. It has become

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3680-410: A touchdown, but Gerela kicked an 18-yard field goal to increase the Steelers' lead to 15–10. The Steelers forced a punt and regained possession of the ball on their own 30-yard line with 4:25 left in the game, giving them a chance to either increase their lead or run out the clock to win the game. But after two plays, the Steelers found themselves facing 3rd-and-4 on their own 36-yard line. Assuming that

3795-576: A tradition for Steelers fans to take Terrible Towels on vacation, taking pictures next to well-known tourist destinations. Fans have taken the Towel to locations such as the Great Wall of China , the South Pole , Vatican City , and to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro . Hampton native Kevin Cherilla took his Terrible Towel during his climb to the peak of Mount Everest . Military personnel have taken pictures with

3910-864: Is a private non-profit organization based in the Pittsburgh region that provides services to individuals with disabilities . The school operates more than 125 programs across Pennsylvania, with locations in Allegheny , Beaver , Bucks , Butler , Dauphin , Lebanon , Mercer , Montgomery , and Philadelphia Counties. Of the 125 programs statewide, 67 are based in Western Pennsylvania , 17 in Central Pennsylvania and 44 in Eastern Pennsylvania. The headquarters are in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania . It

4025-463: Is displayed prominently and waved by Rapper Wiz Khalifa in the music video for his song Black and Yellow , which debuted during the 2010 NFL season. The Terrible Towel made an episode in season 12 of Dancing with the Stars on March 21, 2011. After Hines Ward danced, Hall of Fame Pittsburgh Steelers running back Franco Harris is seen twirling the towel. Pittsburgh native Meghan Klingenberg waved

4140-534: The Associated Press concerning Cope's death was entitled "Former Steelers broadcaster, Terrible Towel creator Cope dies". Upon Cope's death, over 350 fans gathered in downtown Pittsburgh in snowy weather for a tribute. The ceremony concluded with one minute of silent Towel waving. Days later, Saturday Night Live cast member Seth Meyers waved a Terrible Towel on Saturday Night Live in tribute to Cope. When Cope died in 2008, his daughter draped his coffin with

4255-670: The Dallas Cowboys Radio Network . Jack Fleming and Myron Cope called the game for the Pittsburgh Steelers Radio Network . CBS's Super Bowl lead-out program was coverage of the final round of the Phoenix Open , joined in progress. The overall theme of the Super Bowl entertainment was to celebrate the United States Bicentennial . Each Cowboys and Steelers player wore a special patch with

4370-526: The Green Bay Packers won Super Bowls I and II .) It was also the first Super Bowl in which both participating teams had previously won a Super Bowl, as the Steelers were the defending champions and the Cowboys had won Super Bowl VI . The game was played at the Miami Orange Bowl in Miami , Florida , on January 18, 1976, one of the first major national events of the United States Bicentennial year. Both

4485-505: The Minnesota Vikings , 17–14, with a 50-yard touchdown pass from Staubach to Drew Pearson with less than a minute to play in what was called the " Hail Mary pass ". They went on to crush the Los Angeles Rams , 37–7, in the NFC Championship Game . As a result, the Cowboys became the first wild card team to advance to the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, even though Pittsburgh's offense lost a total of 12 turnovers in their two playoff games,

4600-636: The New Orleans Saints . After a 13–10 Ravens win in Pittsburgh on November 18, 2012, Ray Rice walked off the field waving a Terrible Towel over his head and singing Steelers rally song "Renegade" with teammates. Rice publicly stated after the game that no disrespect was intended. Two weeks later on December 2, the Ravens lost to the Steelers 23-20 despite being at home and facing Pittsburgh's third-string quarterback, Charlie Batch. Losing four of their last five games notwithstanding, Baltimore would go on to win

4715-532: The 2016 season with 15 carries for 30 yards while missing week 17 with an injury. On October 29, 2023, the Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Steelers 20−10 at Acrisure Stadium . During the game, several Jacksonville players took fans’ Terrible Towels, mockingly waved them around, and dropped them. Later that same year, the Jaguars missed the playoffs. During his coaching career from 1922 to 1964, E. A. Diddle of Western Kentucky University began carrying

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4830-526: The AFC North and follow that with a playoff run to become Super Bowl XLVII Champions, giving them the distinction of being the first and only team in NFL history to have shown disrespect toward the Terrible Towel and win the Super Bowl. However, prior to the 2014 season, Ray Rice was suspended due to a domestic violence incident in the offseason and was subsequently released and has not been signed by another team since. Furthermore, up until their Super Bowl victory

4945-606: The Bicentennial logo on their jerseys. This was the first Super Bowl where somebody other than the game's referee tossed the coin, in this case, John Warner who was the United States Secretary of the Navy from 1972 to 1974. Prior to 1976, the coin toss was held a half-hour before kick-off. The performance event group Up with People performed during both the pregame festivities and the halftime show titled "200 Years and Just

5060-543: The Cowboys finished in second place in the NFC East with a 10–4 record, they qualified for the playoffs as the NFC 's wild-card team (during that time, only one wild card team from each conference entered the playoffs). The Dallas Cowboys became the first NFC wild card team to reach the Super Bowl. The Steelers became the first official #1 seed to reach the Super Bowl. Playoff seeds were instituted in 1975 . The Steelers finished

5175-401: The Cowboys would be expecting a short pass or a run, Bradshaw decided to try a long pass and told Swann in the huddle to run a deep post pattern. As Bradshaw dropped back to pass, Cliff Harris and linebacker D. D. Lewis both blitzed in an attempt to sack him, but Bradshaw managed to dodge Lewis and throw the ball just before being leveled by Harris and defensive tackle Larry Cole , who landed

5290-441: The Cowboys' defense stopped them on fourth down at the Dallas 39. In the process of doing so, Dallas used up all of their timeouts and got one more chance to mount a game-winning drive with 1:22 remaining. Some questioned why Noll would elect to go for it on fourth down but as later explained by NFL Films , his entire kicking game had been suspect all game long with Gerela missing an extra point and two field goals while Walden fumbled

5405-418: The Cowboys' deficit to 21–17 with 1:48 remaining (Howard's touchdown reception was the only catch of his NFL career; he was not mentioned by name by John Facenda in the highlight package produced by NFL Films ). After Mullins recovered Dallas' onside kick attempt, the Steelers, now led by backup quarterback Terry Hanratty , then tried to run out the clock on the next drive with four straight running plays, but

5520-412: The Dallas 25-yard line. However, once again the Steelers failed to score as the Dallas defense kept Pittsburgh out of the end zone and Gerela missed his second field goal attempt, a 33-yarder, wide left. After the miss, Cliff Harris mockingly patted Gerela on his helmet and thanked him for "helping Dallas out". Gerela grabbed Harris and began engaging him verbally, but Steelers linebacker Jack Lambert , who

5635-445: The Ravens had made the playoffs in each of the first five seasons under John Harbaugh and Joe Flacco but have had only one playoff appearance (and only one winning season) over the next four years, albeit their one playoff victory during that span was against the Steelers. On an October 5, 2014 game between the Steelers and the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field , in which the Steelers won 17–9, Jaguars mascot Jaxson de Ville

5750-550: The Steelers came back to defeat them 31–17 in the playoffs, on their way to a victory in Super Bowl XL . The Bengals did not reach the playoffs again until the 2009–10 season, after Houshmandzadeh had left the team. Before the September 29, 2008, Steelers game at Heinz Field , Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason stomped on a Terrible Towel. The Ravens then went on to lose all three of their 2008 season games against

5865-457: The Steelers had a fine passing attack led by quarterback Terry Bradshaw . Bradshaw threw for 2,055 yards, 18 touchdowns, and nine interceptions while rushing for 210 yards and three touchdowns. One reason why Bradshaw's numbers were much improved from the previous season was the emergence of wide receivers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth . Both saw limited playing time in the previous season, but became significant contributors in 1975. Swann caught

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5980-658: The Steelers only gave up a combined total of 20 points in their victories over the Baltimore Colts in the AFC Divisional playoff game 28–10, and the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Championship Game 16–10. Coming into Super Bowl X, most sports writers and fans expected that Swann would not play. He had suffered a severe concussion in the AFC Championship Game against the Raiders that forced him to spend two days in

6095-410: The Steelers' 44-yard line. Gerela suffered badly bruised ribs that appeared to affect his kicking performance all afternoon. On the first play of the game, Steelers defensive end L. C. Greenwood strip-sacked Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach . Although Dallas center John Fitzgerald recovered the fumble, they eventually were forced to punt. The sack was a foreshadow of things to come for Staubach, who

6210-482: The Steelers, including the 2008 AFC Championship Game. On October 8, 2008, the Steelers played the Jacksonville Jaguars at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium . At that point of their season, the Jaguars were 2–2–0, and feeling very hopeful for the season following a defeat at home of their division rival Indianapolis Colts. The game was very close going into the second half, and the Steelers were still stinging from

6325-656: The Towel while stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of the War on Terrorism . Fans waved Terrible Towels at the gold medal match for Women's beach volleyball at the 2008 Olympic Games . Prior to the 2008 AFC Championship Game astronaut Colonel Mike Fincke, a Pittsburgh Native, waved the Terrible Towel from the International Space Station. The Terrible Towel is seen in the Scrubs season five episode "My Bright Idea", hanging on

6440-496: The Towel yelling, "We don't care about your towel. We're going to beat you this time." This act "provok[ed] other Steelers and Browns to mingle. Not affectionately." The Steelers won the game 29–9. During a December 4, 2005, game at Heinz Field, T. J. Houshmandzadeh of the Cincinnati Bengals wiped his feet on a Towel after he scored a touchdown. Although the Bengals managed a 7-point victory in that regular season game,

6555-650: The Towel, and a number of Titans players autographed a Terrible Towel and mailed it to Allegheny Valley School – the Pittsburgh charity that now owns the trademark. The Titans won their next 5 games. On January 27, 2009, at a public sendoff in Phoenix for the Arizona Cardinals before they faced the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII , Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon produced a towel and called the Cardinals mascot, Big Red to

6670-471: The assistance of Myron Cope , the Steelers radio broadcaster, in inventing a "gimmick" which would attract sponsors to his daily commentaries and talk show. Initially, Cope did not want to participate, saying "I am not a gimmick guy, never have been a gimmick guy." However, after Garrett's suggestion that a successful gimmick would be good leverage for a raise in Cope's upcoming contract renewal, Cope replied, "I'm

6785-409: The ball back on their own 6-yard line with 3:47 left in the half. On the drive, Bradshaw completed a 53-yard pass to Swann to advance the ball to the Cowboys' 37-yard line; Swann's catch has become one of the most memorable acrobatic catches in Super Bowl history. On the very next play, Bradshaw just missed a connection with Swann at the Dallas 6 (although CBS's Pat Summerall thought the incomplete pass

6900-406: The ball. Staubach completed 15 out of 24 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns with three interceptions. He also rushed for 22 yards on five carries but was sacked seven times. It was the first Super Bowl where every touchdown was scored on a pass play. Since then, only three other Super Bowls, XV , LVI , and LVIII have had all their touchdowns scored on passes. Steelers fullback Franco Harris

7015-428: The clock. On the next play, Staubach could not handle a low snap, but managed to recover the ball and throw it downfield for an incompletion. On second down with 12 seconds left, he threw a pass intended for Howard in the end zone, but the ball bounced off Howard's helmet and a Hail Mary replay was not to be. Had Howard positioned himself inches back from his position in the end zone as the ball came down, he would have had

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7130-422: The cork board of Carla and Turk's apartment as she comes out of the bathroom after performing what she believes to be another unsuccessful pregnancy test. During her campaign for the 2008 Presidential Election , Hillary Clinton received a Terrible Towel during a visit to Pittsburgh. During the 2009 G-20 Pittsburgh summit , visiting dignitaries received Terrible Towels in gift bags from the city. The Terrible Towel

7245-646: The first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs while the Penguins went on to win the Stanley Cup . On September 12, 2016, before the Steelers' 2016 season opener against the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football , Redskins punter Tress Way posted a video on Twitter of a spirit video his mother sent him, which culminated in her burning a Terrible Towel. The Steelers won the game 38–16. On December 18, 2016, Bengals running back Jeremy Hill tried ripping

7360-580: The first round of the playoffs that year. Pittsburgh and Dallas would battle in another thriller in Super Bowl XIII (also played in Miami). The result was the same, as the Steelers prevailed 35–31. But Super Bowl X was the game that began the rivalry between the two storied franchises. The Cowboys gained a measure of revenge by defeating the Steelers 27–17 in Super Bowl XXX following the 1995 season . This

7475-452: The front. It was agreed that the towels would be gold or yellow, with the writing in black—the colors of the Steelers. Franklin C. Snyder, who was head of WTAE's radio and television stations, held the final approval of the idea. He approved the idea on the stipulation that black towels would also be allowed, in order to avoid accusations of racism from the FCC ; Cope and Garrett agreed. In

7590-439: The game to the Bicentennial. The Cowboys, considered a Cinderella team entering the Super Bowl, advanced to their third Super Bowl in team history with their rather high-tech offense and "flex" defense. Quarterback Roger Staubach had a solid season, passing for 2,666 yards and 17 touchdowns (but he also threw 16 interceptions), while also rushing for 310 yards. Staubach's favorite target was wide receiver Drew Pearson who led

7705-514: The game, Hank Stram took over for Brookshier, who had left the booth to head down to the locker room area to conduct the postgame interviews with the winning team. Two days after the Super Bowl, Stram was hired as coach of the New Orleans Saints , interrupting his broadcasting career for two seasons. Pregame, halftime, and postgame coverage were provided by The NFL Today crew of Brent Musburger , Irv Cross and Phyllis George . During this game, CBS began using Jack Trombey 's "Horizontal Hold" as

7820-498: The hand towels were often sold as a set, with matching bath towels, stores were left with un-even sets. In the fall of 1978, Bernard Pollock, divisional marketing manager of Gimbel's Department Store came up with the idea of putting a Terrible Towel logo on hand towels and sold the idea to Cope. The first Terrible Towels were sold on December 20, 1978, at $ 6 apiece. Gimbel's could not stock them fast enough. Gimbel's has since gone out of business. The original version of The Terrible Towel

7935-555: The idea "a cheap imitation". Steelers player Aaron Smith stated, "It started here, so why would anyone else want to have a towel? Why not kazoos ?" During the 2010 Memorial Cup the host committee made up 8,000 yellow towels to represent the host team, the Brandon Wheat Kings , who played the Moncton Wildcats . Many fans brought the towels back for games after that. Allegheny Valley School Allegheny Valley School

8050-404: The inception of the Terrible Towel, numerous opposing teams, mascots, and players have shown disrespect or have defaced the Terrible Towel. Before a 1994 playoff game against the Steelers' long-time rival Cleveland Browns , Steelers defensive tackle Brentson Buckner accidentally dropped a Towel that he was waving during the player introductions. Browns running back Earnest Byner stepped on

8165-400: The indelible images from the game. After being benched to start the 1974 campaign and being booed for most of his first four seasons in Pittsburgh, Bradshaw became the first quarterback to throw two game-winning touchdown passes in Super Bowl competition. The Steelers' bid for three-consecutive championships ended in a 24–7 loss to the Oakland Raiders in the 1976 AFC Championship game after

8280-404: The inside as if it were a running play, but then ran a pass route into the end zone, and Bradshaw threw the ball to him for a 7-yard touchdown, tying the game, 7–7. This marked the first Super Bowl where both teams scored in the first quarter. Dallas responded on their next drive, advancing the ball 51 yards, all rushing, (30 of them on five carries from fullback Robert Newhouse ) before incurring

8395-465: The kick, Pittsburgh running back Reggie Harrison broke through the line and blocked the punt. The ball went through the back of the end zone for a safety, cutting the Dallas lead to 10–9. It was the second safety recorded in Super Bowl history, the first occurring in Super Bowl IX the year before, which was also scored by the Steelers when White downed Minnesota Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton on

8510-509: The left upright, but the Steelers now had a 21–10 lead with 3:02 left in the game. Despite the two-score margin with that amount of time remaining, the game was not quite over in favor of the Steelers yet. Staubach then led the Cowboys with 80 yards in 5 plays on their ensuing drive, which featured key receptions by both Pearsons: a 31-yarder at the Pittsburgh 43 by Drew and a 9-yarder at the 34 by Preston. The drive ended with Staubach's 34-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Percy Howard , cutting

8625-416: The local Pittsburgh Post-Gazette , watched the gathering fans through his binoculars from the broadcast booth. He saw fewer than a dozen towels while players were going through pre-game warm-ups. Cope recalls, "Nearing kickoff, the Steelers gathered in their tunnel for introductions, whereupon the crowd exploded—and suddenly, by my estimation, 30,000 Terrible Towels twirled from the fists of fans around

8740-436: The most talented player in the backfield was halfback Preston Pearson (no relation to receiver Drew Pearson), who signed on the team as a free agent after being cut by the Steelers in the preseason. Preston rushed for 509 yards, caught 27 passes for 351 yards, and added another 391 yards returning kickoffs. Preston had been especially effective in the playoffs, where he caught 12 passes for 200 yards and three touchdowns, and

8855-413: The next season, the official coin toss was moved to three minutes before kickoff in the center of the field, leaving coaches to scramble to put the proper specialty unit on the field. From 1947 to 1975, a "mock toss" was held three minutes prior to kickoff at midfield to inform fans and media of the result. The Steelers won their second straight Super Bowl, largely through the plays by Swann and by stopping

8970-557: The playoffs. The Philadelphia Phillies have distributed white towels to fans during home games. During a 2006 playoff game against the Steelers, the Indianapolis Colts handed out blue towels to rally fans, however, Pittsburgh went on to win the game. In a 2000 preseason game , played in Mexico City , many fans that filled the 100,000 seat Aztec Stadium waved towels. Cope, glad that the Allegheny Valley School would receive

9085-512: The possibility of being reinjured. But it's like being thrown by a horse. You have to get up and ride again immediately or you may be scared the rest of your life." Super Bowl X was the final NFL officiating assignment for veteran referee Norm Schachter , who also served as the referee for Super Bowl I and Super Bowl V . Schachter, one of six men to serve as referee for at least three Super Bowls, worked as an officiating supervisor and instant replay official following his on-field retirement. This

9200-416: The pre-game and halftime show celebrated the Bicentennial, while players on both teams wore special patches on their jerseys with the Bicentennial logo. Super Bowl X featured a contrast of playing styles between the Steelers and the Cowboys, which were the two most popular teams in the league. The Steelers, dominating teams with their " Steel Curtain " defense and running game, finished the regular season with

9315-533: The program that such antics can come back to haunt teams. Tennessee was the top seed in the playoffs, however following the incident the Titans proceeded to lose eight consecutive games, including an '08 divisional playoff game and their '09 Week 1 game against the Steelers, 13–10. After the Titans' 8th consecutive loss—a 59–0 blowout to the New England Patriots , the Titans worst loss ever—Titans coach Jeff Fisher expressed regret for his team's behavior towards

9430-531: The regular season with a league-best 12–2 record, dominating opponents with their "Steel Curtain" defense and powerful running game. The team finished the season ranked 5th in most points scored (373) and 2nd in fewest points allowed (162). Fullback Franco Harris ranked second in the league with 1,246 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, while also catching 28 passes for 214 yards and another touchdown. Halfback Rocky Bleier had 528 rushing yards, and fullback John "Frenchy" Fuqua added 285 yards and 18 receptions. Still,

9545-451: The rights to The Terrible Towel to the Allegheny Valley School in Coraopolis . The school provides care for more than 900 people with intellectual and physical disabilities, including Cope's autistic son, Danny. Proceeds from the Terrible Towel have helped raise more than $ 6 million for the school. During the 2005 season , when the Steelers won their fifth Super Bowl , more than 1 million Towels were sold; some fans bought 200 Towels at

9660-582: The school. In 2000, the Western Center , a state-run facility for disabled persons, closed and some residents were moved to the Allegheny Valley School. In 2008, Allegheny Valley School was acquired by NHS Human Services. As of 2013, it was serving more than 900 children, adults and senior citizens; residents have a variety of physical disabilities, medical complications, behavioral management needs. Super Bowl X Super Bowl X

9775-635: The second Super Bowl where the winning team was behind at halftime ( Super Bowl V between the Colts and the Cowboys was the other; the Colts trailed at the half 13-6 and would go on to win 16–13), the Steelers rallied to score 14 unanswered points, including a 64-yard touchdown reception by Pittsburgh wide receiver Lynn Swann . The Cowboys cut the score, 21–17, late in the game with wide receiver Percy Howard 's 34-yard touchdown reception, but Pittsburgh safety Glen Edwards halted Dallas' rally with an end zone interception as time expired. Swann, who caught four passes for

9890-409: The sideline to make the reception. Two running plays further advanced the ball to the 7-yard line. Then on 3rd-and-1, the Steelers ran a trick play to score. Pittsburgh brought in three tight ends, which usually signals a running play (Steelers guard Gerry Mullins was also an eligible receiver on the play as he moved to the tight end position). After the snap, tight end Randy Grossman faked a block to

10005-418: The stadium!" The Steelers went on to defeat the Colts 28–10. In the following weeks, the team defeated the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys , to capture the franchise's second consecutive Super Bowl victory . Even while the Steelers struggled through the 1980s, the Towel remained a large part of the franchise. During the Towel's debut game Andy Russell , who had opposed the idea of the Towel, returned

10120-573: The stage, where he used the towel to wipe his armpits. Gordon then blew his nose on the towel. The Cardinals then proceeded to lose the Super Bowl to the Steelers, 27–23. On October 11, 2009, the Pittsburgh Steelers played the Detroit Lions at Ford Field . Nearing the end of the fourth quarter the Steelers were up by 8 points and the Lions were marching down the field. At this time the Lions mascot Roary The Lion, stepped on, bit and ripped apart

10235-463: The team with 46 receptions for 822 yards and 8 touchdowns. Wide receiver Golden Richards and tight end Jean Fugett were also reliable targets in the Cowboys' passing game, combining for 59 receptions and 939 receiving yards. But despite their solid passing game, Dallas was a run-based team. Fullback Robert Newhouse was their leading rusher with 930 yards, and also caught 34 passes for 274 yards. Halfback Doug Dennison contributed 388 yards. Perhaps

10350-644: The team's third starting linebacker; future Hall of Fame defensive back Mel Blount ; and safeties Glen Edwards and Mike Wagner . Greene made the Pro Bowl despite missing six games with injuries. Linebackers Ham and Lambert and cornerback Blount, who led the league with 11 interceptions and was named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year, had the best seasons of their careers. Wagner had 4 interceptions and 3 fumble recoveries, while Edwards had 3 interceptions, while also returning 25 punts for 267 yards. Dallas went on to defeat

10465-458: The theme music. That would be used the following season for the NFL Today pregame show between 1976 and 1980 in its original form, with a remake for 1981 followed by updates for 1984 and 1989 (which would also be used from 1998 to 2002) before its retirement. On radio, Ed Ingles and Jim Kelly called the game nationally for CBS Radio . Verne Lundquist and Al Wisk announced the game for

10580-533: The third period. After this, the Penguins then tied the game in regulation, and won it in overtime. According to Elias Sports Bureau, this was the first time in Pittsburgh Penguins franchise history that they have overcome a 2–0 deficit to win with six minutes left in the game. Kris Letang scored the OT winner, and Sidney Crosby tied the game with the goaltender pulled late in regulation. The Panthers went on to lose in

10695-474: The towel was available in gold and black, was a simple design and had the words "the terrible towel" printed on the front. The current version of the Towel, introduced in 1998, adds the words "Myron Cope's Official" on the top and "A Pittsburgh Original" at the bottom. Towels with a plethora of variations are also in production; such variations include Towels featuring the Steelers logo, embroidered lettering, and towels with reversed colors featuring yellow writing on

10810-597: The tradition faded. "Hate the Yankees Hankies", in reference to the franchise's rivalry with the New York Yankees , were handkerchiefs distributed to Cleveland Indians fans in September 1977 in a promotion. The Terrible Towel is traditionally known as the first " rally towel "; its popularity has spawned similar traditions for other teams. Fans of the Minnesota Twins cheer the team with the " Homer Hanky " during

10925-489: The two games. Representatives from New Orleans , Miami, and Los Angeles each made presentations; all three cities had already hosted the Super Bowl. New Orleans was awarded Super Bowl IX , while Miami was given X. As part of their pitch, the representatives from Miami specifically requested the 1976 game over the 1975 game. Miami had initially been selected as one of the United States Bicentennial celebration cities, so Joe Robbie and Don Shula lobbied in favor of tying

11040-425: The weeks leading up to the game, Cope advertised the idea of the towel to fans on the radio and evening television news , using the phrase "The Terrible Towel is poised to strike!" However, Atkins grew nervous that fans would think the towel was a jinx if the Steelers lost the game. Cope agreed to poll players on their view of the towel. Linebacker Jack Ham told Cope, "I think your idea stinks"; Ernie "Fats" Holmes

11155-526: The words " Myron Cope 's Official The Terrible Towel" printed on the front. In October 2009 a pink Terrible Towel was introduced to promote Breast Cancer Awareness. In 1975 , the Steelers won the AFC Central title and qualified for the playoffs . WTAE was the team's flagship radio station . Two weeks prior to the Steelers' first playoff game, WTAE's Vice President and General Manager, Ted J. Atkins, and President of Sales, Larry Garrett, said that they needed

11270-441: Was also against the idea. Also against the idea of the Towel was Andy Russell, who mirrored Cope's original thoughts, "We're not a gimmick team. We've never been a gimmick team." Cope simply replied, "Russell, you're sick." Growing nervous about the negative feedback, Cope, who had already advertised the towel on the news multiple times, polled the rest of the players with a " banana-republic vote ". I found Terry Bradshaw seated on

11385-685: Was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1975 season . The Steelers defeated the Cowboys by the score of 21–17 to win their second consecutive Super Bowl. They were the third team to win back-to-back Super Bowls. (The Miami Dolphins won Super Bowls VII and VIII , and

11500-457: Was born brain-damaged and can neither speak nor otherwise function normally, has lived at Allegheny Valley School since 1982. For my late wife Mildred and me, Allegheny Valley School was a Godsend. My son is happy and is cared for with expertise, understanding and love." In 1996, Cope gave the rights to the Terrible Towel to the Allegheny Valley School, the proceeds from which continue to fund

11615-589: Was established in 1960 to care for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities; when the Pittsburgh Home for Babies, an orphanage, closed, the Allegheny Valley School accepted the 10 children with intellectual disabilities who had been there. In 1983, Pittsburgh sportscaster Myron Cope founded the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix to raise funds for the Allegheny Valley School and The Autism Society of Pittsburgh. Cope said "My son, who

11730-648: Was extremely eager to increase his numbers in the Super Bowl against the team that let him go. Up front, the offensive line was led by All-Pro right tackle Rayfield Wright . The Cowboys' "Flex" defense was anchored by linemen Harvey Martin and Ed "Too Tall" Jones . Linebacker Lee Roy Jordan led the team with six interceptions, while linebacker D.D. Lewis was an effective weapon pass rushing. The starting players in Dallas' defensive secondary, future Hall of Fame cornerback Mel Renfro , cornerback Mark Washington, and safeties Charlie Waters and future Hall of Famer Cliff Harris , combined for 12 interceptions. Even though

11845-494: Was intended for Stallworth). Pittsburgh drove to the 19-yard line after the two-minute warning, but the drive stalled there and ended with no points after Gerela missed a game-tying 36-yard field goal attempt wide left with 22 seconds remaining in the period. After Pittsburgh punted to start the second half, they got a great scoring opportunity when cornerback J. T. Thomas intercepted a pass from Staubach intended for Cowboys wide receiver Golden Richards and returned it 35 yards to

11960-604: Was made an honorary co-captain for the Steelers for a Monday night game against the Baltimore Ravens . Cope led the fans in a towel wave at half time; the Towel that Cope used is now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame . In response to how he would like to be remembered, Cope responded, "When I kick the bucket, there'll be a little story that'll say, 'Creator of Towel Dead'". On February 27, 2008, Cope died of respiratory failure in Pittsburgh. The following day, an article from

12075-467: Was manufactured by Fieldcrest and distributed by St. Mary's Inc. of New York and was available in two colors: Gold and Black. The current manufacturer of the Towel is Little Earth Productions, Inc. of Pittsburgh, who took over from McArthur Towel & Sports Co. of Baraboo, Wisconsin , in 2013. The current cost of a towel is approximately $ 10 (in January 2021 at the Steelers' online store). In 1996, Cope gave

12190-458: Was retired immediately following that game. The NFL shield would return to the 50 yard line (in addition to placing that games logo at the 25 yard line) the next year where it has remained ever since. CBS televised the game in the United States with play-by-play announcer Pat Summerall (calling his first Super Bowl in that role) and color commentator Tom Brookshier . Toward the end of

12305-413: Was sacked seven times during the game. The Steelers managed to get one first down and advanced to their own 40-yard line, but then they too were forced to punt. Steelers punter Bobby Walden fumbled the snap and managed to recover it, but Dallas took over on the Steelers' 29-yard line. On the very next play, Staubach threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Drew Pearson , taking a 7–0 lead. The score

12420-538: Was seen holding a Terrible Towel on one hand and a handwritten sign that reads "Towels Carry Ebola " on the other hand, mentioning the deadly outbreak that started in West Africa . The next day, the Jaguars issued an apology for the incident. On February 7, 2016, the Florida Panthers' mascot, Stanley C Panther, blew his nose into a Terrible Towel, with the Pittsburgh Penguins down 0–2 with around six minutes left in

12535-466: Was standing nearby, grabbed Harris and threw him to the ground in defense of Gerela. Lambert could have been ejected from the game for defending his teammate, but the officials decided to allow him to remain. The third quarter was completely scoreless and the Cowboys maintained their 10–7 lead going into the final period. Early in the fourth quarter, Dallas punter Mitch Hoopes was forced to punt from inside his own 5-yard line. As Hoopes stepped up to make

12650-507: Was the final football game to be played on artificial turf (specifically, Poly-Turf ) at the Orange Bowl. The surface in 1976 reverted to natural grass, and remained so until the stadium's closure in 2007. Poly-Turf was first installed at the Orange Bowl in 1970 and replaced in 1972, but players complained often of the slickness of the surfaces, and fields became discolored due to the intense sunshine common to south Florida. This would also be

12765-460: Was the first Super Bowl to have the game's respective edition denoted on the field. It was located at the 35-yard line but only the roman numeral. Beginning the next year , the entire name of that years Super Bowl would be on the 35 yard line. The NFL would do this up until Super Bowl XXXI where they placed the team's helmets at the 30-yard line and the Super Bowl logo at the 50 yard line, this practice would continue until Super Bowl XXXVII where it

12880-406: Was the first Super Bowl where penalties and other information were announced by the referee over a wireless microphone, an innovation of Cowboys general manager Tex Schramm which went into effect at the start of the 1975 season. Super Bowl X was also the first Super Bowl where the starting placekickers were both soccer-style kickers: Roy Gerela for Pittsburgh and Toni Fritsch for Dallas. This

12995-458: Was the first touchdown allowed in the first quarter by the Steelers' defense in 1975. Instead of trying to immediately tie the game on a long passing play, the Steelers ran the ball on the first four plays of their ensuing possession, and then quarterback Terry Bradshaw completed a 32-yard pass to wide receiver Lynn Swann to reach the Cowboys' 16-yard line. Swann soared over the outstretched reach of cornerback Mark Washington before tightroping

13110-453: Was the last Super Bowl to kick off as early as 2:00 p.m. (EST), thereby allowing a finish time before the commencement of many of the nation's evening church services. This was the first Super Bowl where the play clock was visible to teams and spectators. Visible play clocks were mandated by NFL rules beginning with the 1976 season . This was the last Super Bowl where the coin toss was conducted 30 minutes prior to kickoff. Beginning with

13225-483: Was the leading rusher of the game with 82 rushing yards, and also caught a pass for 26 yards. Newhouse was the Cowboys top rusher with 56 yards and caught two passes for 12 yards. Greenwood recorded a Super Bowl record four sacks, but it has gone unrecognized since the NFL didn't officially record sacks until 1982. The game was remembered for being the most exciting of the first 10 Super Bowl games. Swann's heroics and Lambert's 14 tackles and throw-down of Cliff Harris are

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