When Myron Cope created the Terrible Towel for Steelers fans back in 1975, little did he know that it’d become one of the most recognizable symbols in modern-day sports. You can find fans with their Towels almost anywhere, from families posing with them on the Great Wall of China to soldiers twirling them on game day in the Middle East. There’s even been a Terrible Towel in space. Cope, who sadly passed away from respiratory failure in 2008, still has a way of reminding Steelers fans that he’ll always be around to watch over the team…and curse anyone who dares abuse his legacy.

This season adds even more fuel to the fire that there is, and perhaps always will be, a Terrible Curse on the teams who disrespect the Towel. All the naysayers will say it’s just a coincidence and the Towel’s a crappy piece of cloth that Steelers fans take way too seriously. But before you grab your friend’s towel and wipe your pits with it, just remember what’s happened to these teams:

In September 2008, receiver Derrick Mason of the Balitmore Ravens jumped on a Towel before the game. The Ravens then lost all 3 games they played against the Steelers, most particularly the AFC Championship, and the Steelers went on to win the Super Bowl.

Myron apparently is more forgiving toward dumb mayors than he is toward players who desecrate the Towel. The mayor of Phoenix blew his nose into a Towel and then threw it on the ground at a rally before the Super Bowl. We all know who won.

The Cincinnati Bengals are having a really great year. But remember: TJ Houshmandzadeh shined his shoes with a Terrible Towel back in 2005. Guess what? Once the Bengals got rid of Who’s-Yo-Momma, they beat the Steelers twice and are #1 in the AFC North, after going 4-11-1 last season. Houshmandzadeh is now playing with the Seahawks, who boast a stellar 3-6 record.

The Detroit Lions have a history of being terrible. When they faced the Steelers earlier this year and the Steelers were staring down yet another fourth-quarter meltdown, the Lions mascot thought it’d be a great time to “eat” a Terrible Towel. A few seconds later, the Steelers defense’s terrible misfortune from the past few games suddenly disappeared, QB Daunte Culpepper was sacked three times in a row, and the Steelers went on to win the game. I’m sure the Lions will continue to be awful…but not sure we can pin that one on Myron.

The Tennessee Titans got off to a horrible start this season. Last December, Keith Bulluck and LenDale White thought it’d be a good idea to stomp on the Towel after winning a regular season game against the Steelers. After this brilliant move, the Titans never won a game…until Bulluck and White sent a signed Terrible Towel to the Allegheny Valley School in Coraopolis, PA, writing, “Please release the curse!” Guess what? They’ve won their past 3 games in a row.

Many other fans will think the Terrible Curse is completely asinine and irrelevant. But it really comes down to Steelers fans honoring a guy who was such a wonderful representative of the Steelers. Each Towel commemorates Myron Cope, who spent 35(!) years as an announcer for the Steelers, the longest any broadcaster has been affiliated with a single team. In 1996, he gave the rights to his beloved Towel to the very same Allegheny Valley School that Bulluck and White sent their autographed one to, which provides care for people with mental and physical disabilities…raising millions for the school. Why mess with this guy’s legacy?

Steelers fans may hold onto this notion that Myron still lives through the curse with unnecessary passion and fervor, but the way this season has played out may make you stop and think for the slightest of seconds. If you want to see the genius and talent and all-around awesomeness that is and was Myron, check out this article he wrote on the Towel, courtesy of the vaults of Sports Illustrated. You’ll see why he and the Towel are so important to Steelers fans. And why you simply shouldn’t mess with it.