Steelers Now
Baltimore mayor Brandon Scott made a massive mistake prior to Sunday night’s Steelers-Ravens game. In a video posted on Friday, Scott made the brash decision to act like he was wiping his backside with the Terrible Towel.
That certainly wasn’t a wise move.
Scott made a bet with former Steelers free safety Ryan Clark on the first Steelers-Ravens game, which Pittsburgh won, so he had to make a video while wearing Steelers gear. Scott wearing the black and gold didn’t last long, however.
“So my debt is paid,” Scott said before taking off a Steelers necklace. “But forget all that, it’s rivalry week, I’m not doing that. Ryan, we’re going double or nothing because it’s for the playoffs on Sunday. Y’all going home. Give me this towel, man. The only thing you do with this towel is wipe your butt with it. Man, get this out of here. We’re going home. Ravens all day. Give the ball to King Henry. Take us to the playoffs.”
Scott’s blatant disrespect of the Terrible Towel backfired on his Ravens, as kicker Tyler Loop missed a 44-yard field goal in the waning seconds that would’ve won the game for Baltimore.
Loop had not missed on a field goal attempt inside 50 yards all season until his 44-yard field goal went wide right on the last play of the game.
The Terrible Towel was created by Steelers radio commentator Myron Cope. The station tasked him with a “gimmick” prior to the divisional playoff game against the Baltimore Colts.
Cope decided and urged Steelers fans to bring their yellow, gold, or black hand towels from home to wave during the game, coining it the “Terrible Towel.” The iconic Pittsburgh towel’s birth had arrived. However, before the game, it didn’t look like it was going to catch on.
Cope had created an icon out of a gimmick. Soon, the towels were produced with “The Terrible Towel” printed on them. When asked about the towels’ success on the evening news, Cope delivered a memorable phrase,
“The Terrible Towel is poised to strike!” He said. “Boy, did it strike.”
Mayor Scott was another victim of the infamous “curse” the Terrible Towel has brought to opponents. Whether it’s opposing players, fans, or even politicians, the Terrible Towel has a history of curses in response to disrespect.
The Cincinnati Bengals are very familiar with it. Two Bengals players notably vandalized a fan’s towel: T.J. Housmanzadeh and Jeremy Hill. Houshmanzadeh wiped the towel on his cleats after a victory in Pittsburgh in 2005, while Hill tried to tear one during a game in 2016. The towel responded accordingly.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Baltimore Mayor Gets Added to Terrible Towel Curse List
