Myron Cope signs his book for fans

It’s been a quasi-religious tradition for Pittsburghers since the ’70s. Each and every Sunday… It’s been a quasi-religious tradition for Pittsburghers since the ’70s. Each and every Sunday during football season, fans around the area are cracking open a cold one and settling into their overstuffed armchairs. Donned in black and gold, they switch on the tube and get ready.

It’s time to turn down the volume.

Those who were born and raised in the Steel City know that “turning the volume down” is a phrase easily found in the dictionary of Pittsburghese. This colloquialism refers to the tradition among Steelers fanatics of muting the television in order to listen to the familiar voice of Pittsburgh icon Myron Cope announce the game play-by-play.

On Wednesday, 350 devoted members of the Church of Black and Gold patently waited in line to meet the man, the mouth and the legend himself.

At the University Book Center, Cope happily scrawled his John Hancock on hundreds of copies of his recently published book titled with the signature phrase, “Double Yoi!” Snaking around the bookshelves, bookstore officials had to cut off a seemingly never-ending line nearly an hour before Cope was scheduled to leave to keep on schedule.

Freshman Mike Totos, the last person allowed to wait in line, said, “It’ll be worth the wait. Being born in Pittsburgh, I listened to Myron all while growing up.”

Russell Kierzkowski, a bookstore manager, commented, “The crowd, to me, is surprising when you look at the number of young people here. I didn’t realize there was such a large student awareness of Myron as a sportscaster. There was even a kid banging on the window, yelling, ‘Myron! Myron!’ He’s popular, but he’s not a rock star.”

Cope’s book mostly centers on his life and times, and recalls the events that colored American history as well as his experiences with figures such as Muhammad Ali and Frank Sinatra. According to Kierzkowski, Cope has a background in journalism and served as a writer for Sports Illustrated. Pittsburghlive.com reviews “Double Yoi!” as being “fascinating stuff … presented with humor, clarity, and remarkably well-crafted phrasing.”

Most people standing in line seemed to be buying Cope’s book as a present for the upcoming Christmas season. In true Steelers’ holiday spirit, Cope is known for squawking this clever spin on the traditional Christmas carol: “Deck those Broncos, they’re just yonkos, fa-la-la-la-la la-la la la.”

One Christmas shopper, Barb Kushner, wore her Steelers sweatshirt as she waited in line for an autographed copy for her husband.

“He turns the volume down every Sunday; he’ll love it,” she said.

Kushner explained Cope’s appeal as being found in his uniqueness. “There is only one Myron, and when you listen to him call the game he has all of these little mannerisms, rather, Myron-isms, that you really grow to love.”

Credited with many contributions to Steelers’ culture, Cope invented the terrible towel and coined the “Steel Curtain” – a term referring to the famous Steelers defense of the ’70s.