To dilute the Pittsburgh Steelers yellow Terrible Towels Sunday at Northwest Stadium, the Washington Commanders are handing out 50,000 burgundy ones.
The Washington Commanders have been spectacular this season. Their fans are hoping this Sunday at Northwest Stadium they aren't suddenly "terrible."
When the 7-2 and NFC East-leading Commanders host the Pittsburgh Steelers there are plans in place to prevent opposing fans from taking over the game. The Steelers are known for traveling large groups to road games, and in 2008 and 2016 they brought so many Washington's stadium that the home team had to go a silent snap count to contend with crowd noise.
“I’m like, ‘Are those yellow towels for us or for them?’” former Washington receiver Santana Moss said after the 2008 game won by the Steelers. “I really scratched my head about it because I’ve never seen it done … to have someone come into our home and almost have more fans than we did.”
Steelers fans, of course, are always armed with yellow Terrible Towels and they have taken over Pittsburgh's last two visits to Landover. In 2016 Washington handed out burgundy "Fight For Old DC" to fans, but to no avail. Pittsburgh fans were dominant so was its team in the blowout win.
Times, though, have changed. With new ownership and exciting rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, fans are flocking to Commanders home games. The same idea is aimed at a new result.
The Commanders will again gives fans burgundy towels on Sunday, hoping to blend with the Terrible Towels to cover Northwest Stadium into a sea of burgundy-and-gold.
Former running back Brian Mitchell and several fans urged team management to try the ploy, and minority owner Mark Ein listened.
Said Ein to a fan's email, "I love this idea, and we just made it happen.”
Verizon will sponsor Washington's 50,000 towels.
