Cleveland Browns defensive back Mike Ford seriously disrespected the Pittsburgh Steelers and their most famous tradition after a walk-off win on Sunday. He rubbed a Terrible Towel on his butt.
The ‘Terrible Towel,’ for those who don’t know, is as simple as it sounds.
It is a black and yellow towel that Pittsburgh fans have waved in the stands since 1975. Myron Cope, a former sports broadcaster for the Steelers, wanted to create a sense of unity amongst the fanbase and ultimately landed on the Terrible Towel.
The tradition stuck. They are now a huge part of game day in the Steel City.
Trevor Lawrence accidentally disrespected the towels earlier in the season and it did not go over well. That was especially true when Jacksonville players snatched multiple towels from fans after beating Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.
Steelers fans were furious.
Sunday’s game was played in Cleveland. That did not stop Ford from grabbing a towel from the stands and throwing it on the ground. That was not all!
When a fan sitting near the sideline asked for it back, the cornerback gave him a Gatorade towel instead. Ford then proceeded to wipe his rump with the yellow Steelers towel as he ran back into the locker room.
Somehow, perhaps because the game was played on the road, Pittsburgh fans did not immediately catch on to the disrespect. However, as video went viral overnight, Ford became public enemy No. 1.
To make matters worse, the Steelers and Browns will not play each other again this NFL season unless they meet during the playoffs. Angry fans will not have the chance to get back at Ford.
They will not stand for disrespect of the Terrible Towel. Ford really could not have done anything worse in the eyes of Pittsburgh. He better watch his back!