There's another "Terrible Towel" in Heaven

"The squawking talisman of Steelers football," Myron Cope, the beloved sportscaster has died at the age of 79. Fans and players from across the nation are calling it "the end of an era."

The larger-than-life sportcaster who coined the phrase the "Immaculate Reception" and "Double Yoi!" may be best known for the creation of the Steelers' "Terrible Towel."

Condolences have been pouring in from around the sports world as people remember the man who loved Pittsburgh, the Steelers and football. Gene Collier from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette echoed the thoughts of many in the Steeler Nation:

"Myron Cope, the much-decorated master of the written word, the ever-celebrated sand-blaster of the spoken word, and a pre-eminent Pittsburgh symbol of not only our selves but of our hopes and our innate joyfulness, died today."

Click here for the complete obituary.

Bus' New Autobiography Reportedly Full of Surprises

In today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Ed Bouchette writes that the forthcoming Jerome Bettis autobiography "Bus: My Life in and Out of a Helmet" (Doubleday) is full of big surprises. Among other things, Bettis claims that the Steelers wanted to release him in the summer of 2000, and that he faked injuring his knee during practice to keep that from happening. Reading Bouchette's piece, it sounds like Bettis' book is of the tell-all variety, at least in terms of players and coaches who are currently out of the NFL. But some of the juicy bits sound a little un-Steelerlike. Click here to check out Bouchette's piece and judge for yourself.

Steelers Sign Timmons

On Sunday the Steelers signed first-round draft pick Lawrence Timmons to a five-year contract. As a result, the team has all its 2007 draft choices under contract in time for training camp. According to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette the contract "is worth slightly less than $12 million in base salary and could be worth as much as $15 million with the incentives."