| Myron Cope |
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A Pittsburgh native, he graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School and the University Of Pittsburgh . He was originally a journalist before becoming a broadcaster. His first job was in Erie, Pennsylvania with the '' Daily Times ''. Cope then became a freelance journalist, most notably for Sports Illustrated . Cope’s profile of Howard Cosell was selected by Sports Illustrated during its 50th Anniversary as one of the 50 best pieces ever published in the magazine. In the late 1960s , Cope was being heard on the radio in Pittsburgh. His unique nasal voice, with a distinctive Pittsburgh area accent, was noticed by the Steelers' brass. He was made a member of the Steelers' radio team in 1970 . As the Steelers won the Super Bowl four times, Cope gained a measure of fame. Like other sports announcers in Pittsburgh, particularly the late Pirates announcer Bob Prince , Cope has a repertoire of unique Catchphrase s employed in his broadcasts such as "Hum-Hah!" and "Okel Dokel" (his version of "okey dokey"). Cope often uses Yiddish expressions, especially "Feh!" and "Yoi!" (sometimes multiplied as "Double Yoi" or "Triple Yoi"). In keeping with his comic personality, a series of television commentaries on WTAE TV saw Cope calling himself ''"Doctor Cope"'' and wearing a white Lab Coat while pretending to examine the opposing team's strengths and weaknesses through a Microscope he called ''"the Cope-roscope".'' Cope has also created Nickname s for key players. It was Cope who popularized ''"The Bus"'' as a nickname for Steelers Running Back Jerome Bettis (the nickname was originally given to Bettis in college), and he gave Kordell Stewart the nickname ''"Slash"''. Cope's style was an important influence on Pittsburgh Penguins announcer Mike Lange and ESPN commentator Chris Berman . Cope used a wide range of nicknames for other teams including "Bungles" ( Cincinnati Bengals ), "Cleve Sandlotters" and "Cleve Brownies" ( Cleveland Browns ), "Chi Bears" ( Chicago Bears ), "Mini Vikes" ( Minnesota Vikings ) and "Redfaces" ( Washington Redskins ). Myron Cope also invented " The Terrible Towel ". Needing a way to excite the fans during a 1975 playoff football game against the Baltimore Colts, Cope urged fans to take yellow dish towels to the game and wave them throughout. Cope's Autobiography ''Double Yoi'' was published in 2002 . Cope announced his retirement from broadcasting on June 21, 2005, citing his recent health concerns. His retirement was major news in the entire Pittsburgh area. On June 28, 2005, it was announced Cope would receive the Pete Rozelle Award for long time exceptional contributions to pro football in television and radio. On October 31, 2005, Cope was honored for his lifetime accomplishments at halftime of the contest between the Steelers and the Ravens. In addition, the Steelers produced a special "Terrible Towel" with his familiar expressions printed and were twirled by fans before the game. He is a member of Rolling Hills Country Club, south of Pittsburgh. EXTERNAL LINKS
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