Gamblers Shocked By Death Of Kaye Cowher, Wife Of Ex-NFL Coach

A funny thing happens to NFL fans and gamblers alike. The teams that they grow up rooting for or gambling on almost become like a second family. The emotional bond between team and fan is deep, and when tragedy strikes, it hit hard.

That is the case on Saturday when millions of fans learned that former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher has lost his wife, Kaye, to skin cancer on Friday. Services for Kaye Cowher will be held on Monday in the Cowhers' home state of North Carolina.

The Cowher family has been deeply entrenched in the American sports culture. Kaye and her sister played basketball at North Carolina State and led the team to their first-ever ACC women's basketball championship in 1978. Meagan and Lauren Cowher, Bill and Kaye's daughters, both played at Princeton, and younger daughter Lindsay plays at Wofford.

Bill was a legendary figure in the state of Pennsylvania where he led the Steelers for over a decade. Cowher was known as a tough blue collar worker, the type that Pittsburgh fans endear themselves to. Cowher won a title with the Steelers in Detroit, and has been working the past several years as an NFL analyst for CBS.

During Cowher's run as Steelers head coach, gamblers took a liking to his Pittsburgh teams. The teams were known for their defense, and often had betting totals well below the league average because of that defense. It was not uncommon for bettors to wager on the under in a Steelers game, even when it was as low as thirty-two or thirty-three.

In 2007, Cowher retired, citing a desire to spend more time with his family. At the time, Cowher's daughters were playing basketball and the former coach wanted to see them play more often. Kaye is considered to be a driving force behind Cowher's decision to retire.

July 24, 2010
Posted By Vincent Tapoglia III
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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