I came across this video of Myron Cope, while searching for some other things.
For anyone who lived or grew up in Pittsburgh in the last 30+ years, Myron Cope is a legend. He’s a product of the media that I think will never be repeated-a genuine fan, who broadcast about his home team. Teams that he loved.
One thing about living in Pittsburgh-you have to like sports, or a lot of your conversations will be boring ones. Steelers, Pirates, Penguins. ( Does anyone even remember the Condors?)
Pitt, Penn State, and lets not forget the smaller schools.
Myron Cope is the Pittsburgh fan on steroids. He did not have a “broadcasters voice”-he sounded like your loud mouth friend who lived in Carnegie. Close your eyes and you can picture listening to him, while driving a car down 79, with a girl in a sweater-maybe about 10 punds heavier than she should have been, holding your hand and talking about “Where y’ins all going tonight?”
Watch the video you will see what I mean. They don’t make sportscasters like him anymore-nowadays it is the beautifully packaged ESPN model-and the nation is poorer for it.
Guess you had to be in the “Burgh” for a while to really appreciate it. Southerners think they are fans-but they would never appreciate a sportscaster like him.
I vividly remember his voice on the radio.
I remember hearing Myron Cope during days as a grad student in Pgh. He was a great source of cultural acclimatization to the ‘burgh. I hadn’t realized he had passed – the end of an era.
Seems like every major city has one or more “old school” types like
Cope–although they’re a fast disappearing breed in favor of the newer corporate smoothies. New Orleans was fortunate to have two. “Hap” Glaudi in the 50s, 60s, 70s and “Buddy” Dilberto in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Native, non-suburban, New Orleanians, they oozed blue-collar authenticity, and maintained a gleefully provincial boosters outlook. And were, like Cope obviously was, the last of a dying breed that were knowledgeable (and covered) all sports at all levels from HS to Pro. Like the people in Pittsburgh, New Orleanians of all stripes loved the guys and mourned their passing. As of now we have no real replacements that everybody feels the same about–and seemingly none on the horizon, as these men were a product of the sort of cultural times fast disappearing and likely never again to be reproduced.