The Pittsburgh Steelers' symbol of fandom, the famous rally towel known as the "Terrible Towel," has become a symbol of not just the team, but the city itself.
The Terrible Towel has seen the top of Mount Everest, and it's been to space, and visited the International Space Station.
And it all started as a gimmick in the 1975 playoffs with the help of legendary broadcaster Myron Cope.
There have been numerous and varying versions of the rally towel, but the Steelers seem ready to upgrade and have announced a new Terrible Towel for 2025.
The team will reveal the 50th anniversary edition of the Terrible Towel next week, as it announced on its X account on Thursday.
The towel idea was mocked by local media at the time, particularly the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and before that playoff game in 1975 against the Baltimore Colts, Cope noted that there were less than a dozen original Terrible Towels on display at the stadium.
However, he noted that changed as the Steelers players were in the tunnel prior to introductions, as he wrote in his book, Double Yoi!
Cope recalled, "Nearing kickoff, the Steelers gathered in their tunnel for introductions, whereupon the crowd exploded—and suddenly, by my estimation, 30,000 Terrible Towels twirled from the fists of fans around the stadium!"
The Steelers beat the Colts that day 28-10, cementing the Terrible Towel in Steelers lore. Had Pittsburgh lost the game that day, the first game ever that included the Terrible Towel, who knows?
We may have never heard from it again.