Cope, Myron 1929-2008 (Myron Sydney Kopelman)

OBITUARY NOTICE—

See index for CA sketch: Born January 23, 1929, in Pittsburgh, PA; died of a respiratory illness, February 27, 2008, in Mount Lebanon, PA. Broadcaster, sports announcer, journalist, and author. Cope spent more than thirty years as the colorful and much-loved radio announcer for the Pittsburgh Steelers football club—the one with the unmistakable voice and the unique vocabulary. His tenure with a single team established a National Football League record, and his energy in the broadcast booth made him a legend whom fans may remember even when some of the star players are gone and forgotten. Cope made up words that delighted his audience, especially when he dubbed rival teams the Cleve Brownies, for instance, or the Cincinnati Bungles. He also invented gimmicks that became lasting symbols of team loyalty like the black and yellow "Terrible Towels" that continue to twirl in stadiums where the Steelers play. Cope did not retire until 2004, when he was seventy-five years old. A year later he was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame. Cope began his career as a journalist and author. He was a reporter for Pennsylvania newspapers in the 1950s, then freelanced for magazines like the Saturday Evening Post and Sports Illustrated. Cope became a sports commentator for WTAE-Radio in Pittsburgh around 1968, when the Steelers wanted to boost attendance at their new stadium. Even after he became a sports treasure to Pittsburgh football fans, he remained proud of his earlier achievements as a journalist and writer. Cope's books include the essay collection Broken Cigars (1968), The Game That Was: The Early Days of Pro Football (1970), Myron Cope's Super Steeler Year (1975), and Myron Cope: Double Yoi! A Revealing Memoir by the Broadcaster/Writer (2006).

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

BOOKS

Cope, Myron, Myron Cope: Double Yoi! A Revealing Memoir by the Broadcaster/Writer, Sports Publishing (Champaign, IL), 2006.

PERIODICALS

Los Angeles Times, February 28, 2008, p. B6.

New York Times, February 29, 2008, p. A21.