February 27, 2008

Steeler announcing great dies at 79 : He was Pittsburgh's Harry Carry. You loved or hated him. Very rarely did he make sense but more times then not, you found youself turning down the TV and turning up the radio to hear Cope announce the game. He was a legend in Pittsburgh and he will not soon be forgotten. If you never heard him, you missed a great one. Pop open an Iron City at Cope's Cabana and drink to one of the greats.

read story | posted by Debo270 to Football at 1:14 PM CDT (19 comments total)

If you never got to hear him announce a game, you missed a truely entertaining personality. The city of Pittsburgh lost a legend today.

Rest in Peace

Yoi and double Yoi

Comment icon posted by Debo270 at 1:15 PM CDT on February 27

"What a debacle!"

As a Steeler fan living in Browns country the radio was sometimes the only way I could "watch" a Steelers game. Myron Cope was a trip to listen to. He was part of the Steelers history, so much so that when he retired, they chose not to replace him and downsized instead.

Comment icon posted by steelergirl at 1:36 PM CDT on February 27

steelergirl. we may be the only ones to comments on this one. That means we were the lucky ones.

Comment icon posted by Debo270 at 1:44 PM CDT on February 27

My wife grew up in Pittsburgh and love this guy. I have to say, after hearing that voice through her ears, I grew to like him a bit myself. I'll take a guy like Cope over so many of the robots we now find in the booth. He didn't come from a cookie cutter and I think the sports announcing landscape will continue to go downhill without unique personalities and voices like Cope's.

RIP, Mr. Cope.

Comment icon posted by Texan_lost_in_NY at 2:25 PM CDT on February 27

The sad thing is I can't imagine someone with a voice like that ever getting hired in the future. We're losing all those idiosyncratic, regional sounds to the Connecticut School of Broadcasting zombies.

Comment icon posted by yerfatma at 2:52 PM CDT on February 27

As a steeler fan i cant help but feel the francise will live on but it will surely lose part of its identity with his loss he truely was a great announcer and he made steeler football a trip 2 listen 2

Comment icon posted by Scorpia184 at 3:02 PM CDT on February 27

Welcome to sportsfilter Scorpia184. We require at least the most basic of punctuation so we can easily read your comments. Thanks.

Comment icon posted by justgary at 3:07 PM CDT on February 27

All I had ever heard of Mr. Cope's work was the occasional voice-over during an NFL Films presentation of a Steelers' game. My impression of him was that he was completely nuts, but had a gift for turning a phrase. The article explains it all; he was a sportswriter before he became a broadcaster. I wish I had had the opportunity to hear more of his work. You Steelers fans have lost a good one.

Comment icon posted by Howard_T at 3:19 PM CDT on February 27

One year heading into the playoffs (against Denver) he debuted his singing career with "Deck the Broncos, They're Just Yonkos": I believe he forgot the lyrics to the second line which became "A gah gah gah gah, gah gah gah gah!"

Priceless and loved by all who love the Black and Gold.

"This is Myron Cope...on sports."

Comment icon posted by gak27 at 5:52 PM CDT on February 27

The sad thing is I can't imagine someone with a voice like that ever getting hired in the future. We're losing all those idiosyncratic, regional sounds to the Connecticut School of Broadcasting zombies.

Truer words....

For those not so much in the know, there have been quite a few tributes uploaded to YouTube today. Click here and watch.

Comment icon posted by Ufez Jones at 6:27 PM CDT on February 27

The Terrible Towels will be flying at half-staff.

Comment icon posted by Zelmo Beatty at 9:18 PM CDT on February 27

The sad thing is I can't imagine someone with a voice like that ever getting hired in the future. We're losing all those idiosyncratic, regional sounds to the Connecticut School of Broadcasting zombies.

posted by yerfatma at 2:52 PM CST on February 27

You hit the nail on the head, ma! And it isn't just voice, it is whether they are marketable, and on TV looks play a somewhat important part. It is all homogenized, bland, god forbid you should say something original pablum nowdays. I miss Howard Cosell. (I know, he was TV, not radio, but you know what I mean.)

Comment icon posted by steelergirl at 10:00 PM CDT on February 27

We'll miss ya Myron. What a shame, he defined Steelers broadcasts for so long. I will never forget "this is Myron Cope on sports."

Comment icon posted by Steel_Town at 8:41 AM CDT on February 28

More links here.

Comment icon posted by justgary at 11:10 AM CDT on February 28

Thanks for the links Gary. and sorry for the double post. Not sure how I missed it.

Comment icon posted by terrapin at 12:05 PM CDT on February 28

great links to his website with lots of funny sound clips

Comment icon posted by Debo270 at 1:14 PM CDT on February 28

Thanks, Debo, for the link to the sound clips. I'm at work, so I could catch only a few, but it was enough to arouse the attention of the Fun Police, as I couldn't stop laughing at some of the Macaw clips. Now I am really bummed that I could not listen to him on a regular basis.

Comment icon posted by Howard_T at 1:46 PM CDT on February 28

Yes, Debo, I was hoping someone could link to some sound clips. Thank you.

Howard, you did miss a great announcer. I have never heard anyone call a game the way he would. And you got to hear some commercials with him in them too on the breaks. A double dose of Myron! Yoi!

Comment icon posted by steelergirl at 9:47 PM CDT on February 28

I used to listen to Cope quite some time ago when my sister went to college in western Pennsylvania. We'd be driving home from visits on Sunday afternoons and would have the Steelers coming in loud and clear. The guy was a classic, and announcers like him will be missed, especiallyl with the movement to generic, plastic voices and personalities on broadcasts these days.

Comment icon posted by dyams at 7:35 AM CDT on February 29

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