"I Gave Him $100:" Bengals Went Too Far With Brutal Disrespect Toward Steelers And It Backfired Big Time

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a long and storied history, both on and off the field, built around one of the most iconic traditions in sports. It all starts with the beloved Terrible Towel, created by legendary Steelers radio broadcaster Myron Cope. The story goes that ahead of a 1975 playoff game, Cope’s superiors challenged him to come up with a marketing idea to boost excitement heading into the postseason. Thinking quickly and keeping it affordable for fans, Cope came up with a simple idea: encourage fans in Pittsburgh to bring yellow dish towels to the game and wave them in support. 

That idea became the Terrible Towel, a symbol now deeply embedded in Steelers culture. What started as a low-budget fan gimmick quickly turned into something much bigger. At first, the idea did not seem like it would take off, but everything changed when roughly 30,000 fans began waving towels in unison during the game. The energy caught fire, and Pittsburgh went on to win Super Bowl X, 28 to 10, cementing the towel’s legacy for generations.

To this day, Steeler Nation treats the Terrible Towel as sacred. Many fans even believe that disrespecting it brings bad luck or 'karma,' a superstition that continues to fuel its mystique. That reputation was tested in 2005 during a Week 13 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Bengals former wide receiver TJ Houshmandzadeh stirred controversy when he wiped his cleats on the Terrible Towel in a moment that instantly went viral and ignited backlash from Steelers fans. Houshmandzadeh later spoke about the incident years afterward on the Speakeasy podcast, revisiting one of the more talked-about moments in the rivalry’s history.

"I don't regret that at all," Houshmandzadeh said during his time speaking on the Speakeasy podcast. "It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing. I didn't plan it. I paid $100 for that towel... I'm going to the team bus, me and Chad [Johnson], and it was a bunch of Steelers fans when we got on to the elevator. They were just talking trash to us... I was like, 'Let me get your towel.' He was like, 'I'll sell it to you.' I was like, 'I'll give you $20.' He said no. I gave him $100. He gave me the towel."

The Steelers got the last laugh as Pittsburgh defeated the Bengals in the playoffs that season before going on a remarkable run that culminated with a victory in Super Bowl XL.

Steelers' Terrible Towel Possibly Cursed The Bengals Some Would Say

The game is also remembered for a devastating injury to Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, who tore his ACL on Cincinnati's first passing play, a 66-yard completion to wide receiver Chris Henry. To this day, many Steelers fans point to that sequence when discussing the so-called "Terrible Towel curse," a superstition that has become part of the lore surrounding the franchise's iconic symbol.

While the debate over whether the Terrible Towel curse is real may never be settled, one thing cannot be disputed. Cope changed the Steelers franchise forever when he came up with the idea. What began as a simple marketing promotion evolved into one of the most recognizable traditions in all of sports, with the Terrible Towel remaining a symbol of Steelers pride decades later.

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