The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most historical organizations in all of American sports. It's well known for its incredible dynasty throughout the 1970s, as well as only having three head coaches since 1969. It is one of the most consistent franchises, with a ton of memorable traditions. One of the main trademarks of the Steelers is the Terrible Towel, as thousands of these are seen swirling around at every game whether it is at home or on the road.
The Terrible Towel is arguably the best prop used by any fan base, and it is often disrespected by angry fans of opposing teams. There is a long string of evidence supporting that there is a possible curse behind the Terrible Towel as well, as any other team that has disgraced it has fallen into hard times shortly afterwards. One of the most notable instances of this came during the 2008 season when the Steelers were playing the Tennessee Titans on the road. Several Titans players who played disgraced the towel, and they beat the Steelers in that game by a score of 31-14.
Two running backs that were on that team were Chris Johnson and LenDale White, and they joined Mike Florio and Chris Simms on Radio Row in New Orleans at Super Bowl LIX. Florio brought up the Terrible Towel curse, and White was quick to put it to bed.
"Yeah, that was us," White said. "I don't even think that [curse] was real. I mean we lost to them the next year, but we beat the crap out of them that day. We whooped them. I don't know if we can say the curse because of his ankle. They threw the flag out there, we was beating the crap out of them, so it's like get that out of here man."
The Titans had a very good season in 2008, and they had a 13-2 record after beating the Steelers in Week 16. Johnson had suffered an ankle injury, but the Titans went on to lose in Week 17. They had earned a first-round bye in the playoffs, and were upset in the Divisional Round by the Baltimore Ravens.
The losing didn't stop there for Tennessee. They opened the 2009 season in Pittsburgh and lost that game, and they then lost their next five games as well. They began the 2009 season with a 0-6 record and finished the year 8-8 while missing the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Titans were able to take down the Steelers during the 2008 season, but the Steelers went on to win Super Bowl XLIII at the end of the year.
White can say whatever he wants. The Titans may have came out on top that day, but Tennessee went on to lose their next eight games. This is all the proof in the world that there is some evidence backing the Terrible Towel curse.
Steelers' Terrible Towel Curse Struck Again In 2023
Another team that disgraced the Terrible Towel was the Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2023 season. They were playing in Pittsburgh in Week 8, and they beat the Steelers. A player for Jacksonville took the Terrible Towel out of the hands of a fan in the crowd, and continued to stomp on it. The Jaguars were 6-2 after the win, but they finished the year with a 9-8 record and missed out on the playoffs. They lost to the Titans in Week 18, which ironically clinched a playoff spot for the Steelers.
The curse may have continued into the 2024 season for Jacksonville, as they went 4-13 after having high hopes entering the year. They wound up firing their head coach and general manager, and the team hasn't been the same since that day in Pittsburgh.
