‘Curse of the Terrible Towel’? The Tennessee Titans experienced it during the 2008 season

What better time to revisit the “Curse of the Terrible Towel” than Tennessee Titans week?

The yellow rally towel has been revered by Pittsburgh Steelers fans worldwide since it was created by the late broadcaster Myron Cope in 1975. That year, Pittsburgh went on to win the first of four Super Bowls in six seasons.

The “Curse of the Terrible Towel” not only condemns the team that disrespects it, but also gives some kind of energy to the Steelers. And the curse did just that in 2008.

At the conclusion of a Week 16 win over the Steelers, Titans linebacker Keith Bullock and defensive end Jevon Kearse stomped, spit on and kicked the Terrible Towel. Running back LenDale White would also celebrate the win by stomping on the Towel in front of cameras.

“They came into the Titans arena waving those ugly yellow flags, and I stomped on one,” White said. “If they wave it again, I’m going to stomp on another one. I’m the Terrible Towel Stomper forever. If people don’t like it on this team or anywhere else, whatever.”

Post-stomping, the Titans lost their regular-season finale against the Indianapolis Colts and then were defeated in the divisional playoffs by the Baltimore Ravens.

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh didn’t lose a game the rest of the season, winning Super Bowl XLIII.

In that Super Bowl, Pittsburgh defeated the Arizona Cardinals (more below on how Phoenix mayor’s dishonor of the Towel might have cursed his Cardinals).

But that wasn’t it for the Titans. The team would go winless until November 2009, including a Week 1 overtime loss to Pittsburgh.

In a ceremony honoring former Steelers player and coach Tony Dungy, Titans head coach Jeff Fisher said to an amused Dungy, “I need to know the mystery of this Terrible Towel. Last December, a couple of my knuckleheads stomped on it and we haven’t won a game since … Will you tell the Rooneys that I have one enshrined in my office. I have one hanging in my house. I’ll do anything I need to do with that Towel.”

At the behest of former Titans tackle Brad Hopkins, White and Bulluck autographed a Terrible Towel and mailed it to Pittsburgh’s Alleghany Valley School. AVS, a nonprofit that provides homes and services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, owns the rights to the towel is (more on AVS below).

The players’ gesture seemed to have reversed the “Curse of the Terrible Towel” as the Titans went on to win their next five games to close the 2009 season at 8-8.

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History of the curse

Fisher obviously was not aware of the “Curse of the Terrible Towel,” though it had been well-observed — in many cases, opponents’ disrespect of the towel led to imminent doom.

Cincinnati Bengals

The latest victim was the Cincinnati Bengals. In 2016, running back Jeremy Hill found pay dirt to put the Bengals up 17-3 over the Steelers. He chose to celebrate by twice trying to rip the cloth in half before throwing it to the ground.

The Bengals promptly gave up a 14-point lead.

After rushing for 44 yards in the first half, Hill was bottled up with minus-1 yard on six attempts in the second, and the Steelers won, 24-20.

Later, Hill later posted a tweet he later deleted: “(Expletive) y’all towel.”

Hill claimed he was hacked.

Hill wasn’t the first Bengals player to dishonor the Towel. After defeating the Steelers in Week 13 of the 2005 season, wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh wiped his cleats with it.

With that Week 13 win, the 9-3 Bengals were among the favorites in the AFC. With the “Curse of the Terrible Towel” set in motion, Cincinnati lost three of the next five games, including a wild-card playoff loss to … the Steelers. That same game, quarterback Carson Palmer suffered a serious knee injury.

After Housh’s Towel taunting, it would be four years before the Bengals again reached the playoffs after seasons of 8-8, 7-9 and 4-11-1.

The Steelers, however, never lost another game during the 2005 season after the Week 13 setback to the Bengals, and finished as Super Bowl champs.

Washington Football Team

Weeks before Hill attempted to rip the towel, in the 2016 season opener in Pittsburgh, Washington punter Tress Way’s mother burned a Terrible Towel. Washington lost, 38-16.

Cleveland Browns

In a 1994 playoff game, Browns running back Earnest Byner stepped on the Towel and proclaimed, “We don’t care about your Towel. We’re going to beat you this time.”

Cleveland lost, 29-9.

San Diego Chargers

In 1994, after the San Diego Chargers defeated the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game, several players grabbed Terrible Towels and mock-waved and stomped on them.

The Chargers then lost the Super Bowl, 49-26, to the San Francisco 49ers.

Arizona Cardinals

One of the most recent incidents harmful to a Steelers opponent was in 2008.

At a send-off rally for the Cardinals, their mascot Big Red wiped his furry armpits with the Terrible Towel. Then things got downright serious. Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon blew his nose into the Towel and threw it to the ground.

Former Steelers offensive coordinator and then-Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt warned Gordon not to disrespect the Towel. Whisenhunt knew all too well the power of the “Curse of the Terrible Towel.” But Gordon did it anyway, and Pittsburgh defeated Arizona in the Super Bowl.

Terrible Towel for a good cause

In 1996, Myron Cope gave the rights of the Towel to Merakey Allegheny Valley School, which benefits from Terrible Towel proceeds. Cope held the nonprofit close to his heart — his son, who is autistic, has lived most of his life at AVS. Proceeds from Terrible Towel sales have netted the organization over $3 million.

Follow Steelers Wire’s Allison Koehler on Twitter @SteelersWireAK.

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