They’re called “Terrible Towels” because Steelers broadcaster Myron Cope branded them with that dramatic name in 1975 as a fun “gimmick” and battle cry, not because the towels themselves were bad.

Origin of the name

  • In 1975, Pittsburgh radio man Myron Cope was asked to come up with a cheap, simple way to fire up Steelers fans before a playoff game.
  • He chose a plain yellow towel fans already had at home and hyped it on air as “The Terrible Towel,” using lines like “The Terrible Towel is poised to strike!” to make it sound intimidating to opponents.

Why “terrible”?

  • “Terrible” was meant in the sense of “fearsome” or “intimidating,” like a terrible storm or a terrible foe, to suggest the towel would bring bad things for the other team.
  • The name stuck because the Steelers won that playoff game and went on a dominant run, so the towel and its “terrible” mystique became part of team lore and superstition.

How it became iconic

  • After the first playoff success, tens of thousands of fans brought and waved towels at games, and the Terrible Towel turned into a signature symbol of Steelers fandom.
  • Official branded versions followed, and today the Terrible Towel is one of the most recognizable rally towels in sports, seen at Steelers games and even in TV shows and pop culture.

TL;DR: They’re called “Terrible Towels” because Myron Cope deliberately picked an over-the-top, menacing name in 1975 to psych up Steelers fans and scare opponents, and winning made the name legendary.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.