Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence upset a good portion of the Steelers fanbase earlier this week for calling the Terrible Towel “little yellow towels.” It was taken out of context, however, and he actually praised the Steelers fanbase and the atmosphere at Acrisure Stadium.
That wasn’t the case with Jaguars strong safety Andrew Wingard, though. He absolutely disrespected the Terrible Towel after picking off Mitch Trubisky in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 20-10 loss. Wingard, along with a few other Jaguars players, ripped Terrible Towels from fans in the stands and waived them. Wingard was the one who led the charge.
The Jaguars capitalized off the turnover with a 37-yard field goal by Brandon McManus to make it a two-possession game and seal the win.
The Terrible Towel has been an iconic symbol of the Steelers and the city of Pittsburgh since the 1975. It all started with a simple idea from Myron Cope, a sports broadcaster for the Steelers. He wanted to create something that would bring the fans together and give them a sense of unity.
Wingard isn’t the first player to slight the Terrible Towel, and he won’t be the last. It’s happened several times over the years. It usually doesn’t end up well for those who do, however. Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh and former Tennessee Titans running back LenDale White are the most noteworthy cases of feeling the wrath of the Terrible Towel curse.
The only way that the Steelers will see the Jaguars again this season will be in the playoffs. The Jaguars are running way with the AFC South at 6-2, while he Steelers’ chances of making the postseason are murky at best right now. Regardless, the Jaguars and Wingard could potentially still face the consequences of disrespecting the Terrible Towel. Perhaps a devastating playoff loss is on the horizon, even if it might not be at the hands of the Steelers.
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