Editor’s year-end picks: ‘Towels’ promo, debut of Numbers Never* Lie

Editor’s note: As 2012 approaches, Front Row will revisit a few of our most popular posts from our first nine months of existence — just in case you missed them the first time.

Never question the strength of Steelers Nation.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ devoted fan base fueled the popularity of at least two Front Row posts.

In the fall, we reported on the thinking behind the “Terrible Towels” leg of the “It’s Not Crazy, It’s Sports” ESPN ad campaign.

The ad centers on the Steelers’ fan tradition of taking their Terrible Towels everywhere. ESPN launched a website that solicited fan submissions of their pictures and videos.

The resulting video and the stories behind it were among our most popular posts.

Our story about the Sept. 12 debut of ESPN2’s Numbers Never* Lie program also ranked among our most read.

The weekday show (3:30 p.m. ET), co-hosted by Michael Smith and Charissa Thompson, makes sports analytics fodder for great debate.