A Philadelphia Eagles fan may have accidentally activated a cruse against his team while trying to trash talk the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The ‘Terrible Towel Curse’ has become ingrained in NFL folklore after claiming many alleged victims over the years.
The myth suggests that anyone – be it player, fan or coach – who disrespects the Terrible Towel, the yellow dish towel that has become a talisman within the Pittsburgh Steelers’ franchise, will see their team’s results suddenly take a turn for the worst.
However, while most teams and players have learned their lesson, one Eagles fan seemingly didn’t receive the memo.
An Eagles fan was caught in the incriminating act of disrespecting the towel in a now-viral video on social media.
The spectator, who appeared to be sat in the very top row of Lincoln Financial Field, was seen whipping the towel over the top of the stadium and into the cold night air when the Eagles faced the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
🚨🚨THE TERRIBLE TOWEL CURSE🚨🚨
AN #EAGLES FAN THREW THE #STEELERS TERRIBLE TOWEL OUT OF THE STADIUM…
The curse has done some pretty severe damage to the Jaguars and Ravens in the last couple of years.
😬😬😬
pic.twitter.com/wClamTNM3Y— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) December 17, 2024
The bizarre act didn’t appear to have any immediate repercussions for Philadelphia, who went on to seal a 27-13 win over the Pittsburgh in the gritty rivalry clash.
However, many social media users were quick to warn the fan of the devastating consequences of those who wronged the tradition before him.
Back in 2008, the Tennessee Titans stomped on the Terrible Towel in celebration of their win over the Steelers.
They went 0-2 to finish out their season after disrespecting the towel and got bounced in the first round of the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
The next season, their bad luck continued as the Titans lost their first six games, including a Week 1 matchup to the Steelers, and failed to make the playoffs.
In 2016, the Bengals were up 17-3 over the Steelers when running back Jeremy Hill decided to disrespect the Terrible Towel.
He tried to rip the Terrible Towel in half after scoring a touchdown, only for Cincinnati to go on to blow its 14-point lead and lost, 24-20.
Most recently, back in Week 8 of the 2023 season, the Jacksonville Jaguars stole a few towels and waved them around in celebration of Andrew Wingard’s interception of Mitch Trubisky’s throw.
The Jaguars went on to lose nine of their next 12 games across the remainder of the 2023 season and beginning of this season.
Luckily for the city of Philadelphia, the Eagles have already clinched a playoff berth this season but with three games left to play, the NFC No. 1 seed is still up for grabs.
Philadelphia is currently tied with the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings atop the NFC all at 12-2 and the Eagles had best hope that the curse doesn’t strike them down in the remaining weeks of the regular season – or worse, the playoffs.
