Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers revealed on Thursday that the 50th anniversary Terrible Towel will drop on July 1 at 10 a.m EST. Only 5,000 towels were created, so it is a limited edition product.
Team president Art Rooney II said earlier this offseason that fans should be prepared to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of the Terrible Towel.
“We’ll have a little celebration during the season for the 50th year of the Terrible Towel,” Rooney said.
The Limited Edition 50th Anniversary Terrible Towel ✨
Only 5000 Created
Dropping July 1st, 10am EST pic.twitter.com/w2CQJe4G4M
— Steelers Pro Shop (@SteelersShop) June 26, 2025
The Terrible Towel was created by legendary sports broadcaster Myron Cope on Dec. 27, 1975. He was attempting to excite the fan base ahead of a playoff game when he came up with the idea, imploring fans to bring their yellow dish towels to the game and wave them with pride.
The Terrible Towel has also gained a lot of lure over the past 50 years with many believing there is a curse put on teams that disrespect it.
Most recently in 2024, a video surfaced of a Bills fan celebrating by using a Terrible Towel as a tissue in the waning moments of Buffalo’s 31-17 Wild Card round win over the Steelers. One week later, the Bills were eliminated with a home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
There have been many other instances similar to that, too, only growing the legend of Cope and the Terrible Towel.
“I did not see the Terrible Towel as witchcraft to hex the enemy,” Cope wrote in his autobiography. “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.”
So just as the Terrible Towel has treated the Steelers well over the years, the team will now give it its due respect this season.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Reveal New Terrible Towel for 2025
