Tim Benz stories, Page 158
First Call: A deeper look at Steelers coach Mike Tomlin’s odds for coach of the year
Wednesday’s “First Call” looks at why there was no push for Mike Tomlin in the NFL Coach of the Year gambling odds. We fix a “Super Snub.” And a little free advice for Peyton Manning. Money on Mike? You may have seen that NFL Coach of the Year odds are...
Tim Benz: If Minkah Fitzpatrick starts moving around, which Steelers move with him?
Minkah Fitzpatrick has made his opinion known. The Steelers safety would like to move around on defense more often. At the Pro Bowl this year, Fitzpatrick said he may like to do something besides just play the deep middle or one half of the field. It’s Fitzpatrick’s belief that his...
First Call: ESPN’s ‘Lance’ documentary isn’t ‘The Last Dance.’ And that’s OK.
For Monday’s “First Call,” we review Episode 1 of the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary about Lance Armstrong. “Lance” depicts the complicated story of the cancer-beating, EPO-using, self-absorbed cycling champion-turned-cautionary tale. And if you are coming to the 9 p.m. Sunday time slot to find the sequel Michael Jordan’s “The...
Tim Benz: Sorry, Penguins fans. A 2020 NHL relaunch was never going to be perfect.
Let’s get this out of the way right now, Penguins fans. From everything we are hearing about the return-to-play format for the NHL, it does put the screws to your favorite team. It may result in the Pens being eliminated during a play-in round. This despite finishing the pre-pandemic regular...
Mark Madden on ‘superficial’ Steelers, ‘cowardly’ Pitt, ‘creep’ Vince McMahon
This week’s “Madden Monday” podcast comes at you a day later than normal because of the Memorial Day weekend. But that just gives us more content to unearth. We start with Mark’s column over the weekend. It examines the Steelers’ locker room culture. Mark believes it has become too superficial....
Debate rages over Gov. Wolf’s comments about return of sports in Pa.
I feel like Dante in the movie “Clerks.” “I’m not even supposed to be here today!” Yeah, this was supposed to be an off day. Extend the holiday weekend a bit. But I got a call from one of our editors last night, asking if I’d be willing to do...
Tim Benz: Gov. Wolf’s comments about sports fans were arrogant and inaccurate
While exploring the prospect of major sports events returning to Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf put his foot in his mouth. Even while wearing a facemask. Yup, for this guy, that’s possible. Apparently, Wolf isn’t satisfied telling Pittsburgh’s quarterback whether he can get his haircut. He’s also telling Pittsburgh fans whether...
What makes a good linemate for Sidney Crosby? And what makes him so great?
Thursday’s “Breakfast With Benz” podcast features Sonny Sachdeva. He’s the Sportsnet.ca writer who put together the piece about Sidney Crosby’s linemates over the years. He chronicled the likes of Patric Hornqvist, Colby Armstrong, Chris Kunitz and many others — dating all the way back to juniors. It’s a really interesting...
First Call: Sleepers may prove to be biggest contributors from 2020 Steelers draft
NFL first-round picks are usually supposed to contribute in at least some significant capacity as rookies. Just look at the Steelers’ track record over the past decade. Maurkice Pouncey started all 16 games as a rookie center in 2010. T.J. Watt started 15 at outside linebacker in 2017. David DeCastro...
Tim Benz: Gov. Wolf’s comments about sports fans were arrogant and inaccurate
While exploring the prospect of major sports events returning to Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf put his foot in his mouth. Even while wearing a facemask. Yup, for this guy, that’s possible. Apparently, Wolf isn’t satisfied telling Pittsburgh’s quarterback whether he can get his haircut. He’s also telling Pittsburgh fans whether...
‘U mad, bro?’: Fans hot over Harrison’s envelope, Pirates payroll, Crosby comparisons
This week’s “U mad, bro?” hits on the Pittsburgh Steelers, Penguins and Pirates alike. So all the Pittsburgh pro sports fan bases can be satisfied with those who are unsatisfied! We look for balance here at “Breakfast With Benz,” and we aim to please. Or agitate. Whatever comes first. It...
First Call: How to bet on Big Ben. Why some national guys won’t. Bad options for his backup.Video
In Wednesday’s “First Call,” we look at how you should — or shouldn’t — bet on some individual Pittsburgh Steelers. One national take on the Steelers I like. One I don’t. And the ugly reality of the NFL quarterback situation. Who wants to bet big on Big Ben? FoxBet.com has...
Curtis Martin on Pitt Hall of Fame, advice for James Conner, beating Steelers in playoffs
Curtis Martin’s relationship with football has always been complicated. Especially since it seems like the sport chased him more than he pursued it. Martin’s mother, Rochella, essentially dragged her son onto the field to keep him occupied and out of trouble. So, for his senior year at Taylor Allderdice High...
First Call: Odell Beckham Jr. jabs Myles Garrett over helmet swing; Watt brothers’ ‘Ultimate Tag’ to debut
How do you connect the dots between ESPN’s “Last Dance” documentary about Michael Jordan and the Pittsburgh Steelers? Follow along. One of the scenes from Monday’s finale of the documentary depicted some exaggerated backside slapping between Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone during the 1998 NBA Finals. Cleveland Browns defensive lineman...
Some goals. Some goons. A brawl. A building. The top 20 Penguins grudges of all time.
Last week, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan published a list of unresolved grievances for every NHL team. She got an assist from ESPN producer and Pittsburgh-area product Denny Wolfe for some perspective. And it’s a pretty good list of the unresolved anger issues Penguins fans hold in the pit of their gut....
Tim Benz: A link between the Rooney Rule and the NFL Draft is bad. What it says about the league is worse.
The NFL’s plan to expand the Rooney Rule is bad. The commentary the league is making about itself for even considering such a proposal is even worse. The NFL has only four minority head coaches (Mike Tomlin, Steelers; Brian Flores, Miami Dolphins; Anthony Lynn, Los Angeles Chargers; and Ron Rivera,...
Jackie Sherrill: ‘A lot of mistakes I’ve made in my life. Leaving Pitt was one of them.’
It has been 39 years since Jackie Sherrill’s last game as coach of the Pitt Panthers. After three straight 11-1 seasons, four bowl victories and a career record of 50-9-1, he now sounds like someone who wishes he had never left. “There’s a lot of mistakes I’ve made in my...
First Call: Sidney Crosby is the Michael Jordan of hockey, former Penguins star says
Let’s hope we are a long way off from “The Last Skate” when it comes to Penguins star Sidney Crosby. But in the wake of the successful ESPN “The Last Dance” documentary about Michael Jordan, Sportsnet.ca asked Penguins assistant coach Mark Recchi for a hockey comparison to Michael Jordan. And...
Mark Madden on JuJu Smith-Schuster: ‘He wasn’t unmotivated, he was unfocused’
Some sports are starting to play without fans. Golf. NASCAR. Soccer. How can the four major North American sports — and the NCAA — learn from what they are seeing so far? That’s how Mark Madden and I start off this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast. Mark has been watching the...
Tim Benz: The ‘Dumb, Dumber, Dumberest’ of James Harrison’s envelope story
Back in a different lifetime — a fuzzy, faded memory known as 2014 — I used to host “The X Morning Show” on 105.9 The X. My cohost/producer, Bob McLaughlin, and I used to produce a weekly bit called “Dumb, Dumber, Dumberest.” It was essentially a collection of the dumbest...
What fantasy sports players expect out of Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, 82-game MLB season
Part of the reason many folks have been missing sports so much is the loss of fantasy sports, too. So if Major League Baseball comes back soon — if the players and owners ever get their acts together — that means fantasy baseball can come back, as well. Now what?...
Jackie Sherrill: ‘A lot of mistakes I’ve made in my life. Leaving Pitt was one of them.’
It’s been 39 years since Jackie Sherrill’s last game as head coach of the Pitt Panthers. After three straight 11-1 seasons, four bowl victories and a career record of 50-9-1, he now sounds like someone who wishes he had never left. “There’s a lot of mistakes I’ve made in my...
First Call: James Harrison has much more to say about Steelers beyond ‘the envelope’
In Friday’s “First Call” we look at everything James Harrison said in that interview with Willie Colon besides the inferred payment for his hit on Mohamed Massaquoi. Also, that story isn’t sitting well with Saints coach Sean Payton. Fake crowd noise on NFL broadcasts? And another “Lemieux” has No. 66....
Ken Macha on Pitt Hall of Fame, almost managing Pirates, Dave Parker legends
For nearly 70 years, baseball has been tied to Ken Macha. At age 69, the former Major Leaguer is still coaching with Westmoreland County Community College. His path on the diamond saw him roam as far as Venezuela, Montreal and Japan. But it so often threaded its way back through...
First Call: Ranking all 10 of Steelers first round picks of 2010s
NFL.com posted this ranking of the No. 1 overall picks in the draft from 2010-19. That’s what you do when you are in the midst of a coronavirus shutdown and you have no content to speak of. Hey, I’m not hatin’. I’m praising! Good job, Ali Bhanpuri. The check is...
