Tim Benz stories, Page 159
First Call: 2 Pirates get thrown out at home plate on same playVideo
Tuesday’s “First Call” gives you a glimpse at how the 2020 Pirates season is going to go. It’s only March. It’s still spring training. But the club’s highlight of the year may have already occurred. Let’s set the scene. The Pirates are in the process of losing an otherwise innocuous...
Trying to figure out how to make Penguins ‘connections’ work again
Brian Metzer is the Penguins Radio Network host. He does that job so you don’t have to. I know Metz loves the work. But with the way the Penguins are going right now, would you want that gig? I mean, it’s not doing play-by-play for the Pirates. But it ain’t...
Steelers ‘Believe it or Not’: Team’s belief in James Conner bouncing back in 2020
The building of the 2020 Pittsburgh Steelers is about to begin. NFL free agency starts March 18. The NFL Draft begins April 23. So we have been taking a look at some of the things the Steelers have told us about what they plan to do this offseason. And if...
First Call: Le’Veon Bell visits Pittsburgh, Mike Sullivan on Penguins problems, Barry Bonds is sad
Monday’s “First Call” looks at Mike Sullivan’s characterization of his struggling Penguins. Also, Le’Veon Bell’s return to Pittsburgh, Robert Morris hockey stays alive, and a positive spin for Duquesne hoops. Aw. And Barry Bonds is sad. Bad connection? Uh oh. The last time we heard about something being “disconnected” in...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden: Stumbling Penguins, Steelers questions, Pirates disinterest
So much for the Penguins getting back on track. That was the hope after the Pens won back-to-back games against the Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres last week. Those victories stopped the bleeding of a six-game losing streak. However, any hope that the team had found its footing for a...
Steelers ‘Believe it or Not’: Shutting the door on an Antonio Brown reunion
Editor’s note: The building of the 2020 Pittsburgh Steelers is about to begin. NFL free agency starts March 18. The NFL Draft begins April 23. So we have been taking a look at some of the things the Steelers have told us about what they plan to do this offseason...
First Call: Mika Zibanejad’s 5-goal game highlights wild night in Metropolitan Division
Friday’s “First Call” is dedicated entirely to a wild night in the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference. And there was a lot of impact on the Penguins. Some of it helped. Some of it didn’t. First and foremost, the Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres for the first time this...
Duquesne aims to avoid Atlantic 10 tiebreaking rule with win in regular-season finale
The Duquesne Dukes finish their regular season Friday night at PPG Paints Arena. Richmond is in town. There is a lot on the line. The Spiders take the court in second place of the Atlantic 10. The Dukes are in a three-way tie for fourth with St. Bonaventure and Saint...
Steelers ‘Believe it or Not’: Does the team really want to keep Bud Dupree?
It’s the third installment of our “Steelers Believe It or Not” series in preparation for NFL free agency starting March 18 and the NFL Draft opening April 23. We’re taking a look at some of the things the Steelers have told us about what they plan to do this offseason...
Why the Sabres are such a problem for the Penguins
Perhaps the most glaring issue during the recently snapped six-game losing streak for the Pittsburgh Penguins was their failure to beat inferior competition. When they went out west to face the Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks, the Pens lost all three games to those clubs. They...
U mad, bro? Readers blast Big Ben, Bud, Benz. Jeff Capel and the NFL, too.
It may be March. But it’s a football-heavy “U mad, bro?” this week. Readers throw elbows at Ben Roethlisberger and his… well… throwing elbow. I take one in the chops, too, for questioning how well Roethlisberger’s recovery will go. Bud Dupree, Jeff Capel and the entire NFL machine get roasted...
Steelers ‘Believe it or Not’: Team is ‘comfortable’ with its backup quarterbacks
Editor’s note: Pittsburgh Steelers fans are getting ready for the start of NFL free agency on March 18. The NFL Draft begins April 23. So we are investigating a few things the Steelers have told us about what they plan to do this offseason. And if we believe those things...
Robert Morris hockey coach Derek Schooley gets ready for playoff push
The Robert Morris men’s hockey team (11-18-5) is looking to make the Atlantic Hockey championship weekend for the seventh straight year. If they do it, it won’t come easy. The playoffs start this weekend. And the Colonials were unable to secure a bye in the first round. So they’ll have...
First Call: T.J. Watt’s new commercial, NHL player takes skate to face, Duquesne owns overtime
The NFL’s Watt brothers start off Wednesday’s “First Call.” Why wouldn’t they? They are everywhere else. Also, we check out what happened in the rest of the Eastern Conference while the Penguins finally got back on the winning track. An NHL player gets a skate to the face. Duquesne owns...
Steelers ‘Believe it or Not’: Ben Roethlisberger will be back as good as ever
The building of the 2020 Pittsburgh Steelers is about to begin. NFL free agency starts March 18. The NFL Draft begins April 23. So let’s take a look at some of the things the Steelers have told us about what they plan to do this offseason and if we believe...
First Call: Tight end for Steelers?; Tom Brady wants Antonio Brown; Bud Dupree update; Tom Wilson bobblehead
Tuesday’s “First Call” features a potential tight end target for the Steelers. Also, updates on Bud Dupree’s franchise tag and Tom Brady’s free agency. It looks like Antonio Brown is still on Brady’s radar. A one-time Penguins prospect is coming to PPG Paints Arena in a different uniform. And the...
Steelers’ offseason plan? There may have been clues at the NFL Combine.
The NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis has come and gone. Our Joe Rutter — TribLive Steelers beat writer — was on hand covering all sorts of Steelers angles. He joined me on 105.9 the X Monday afternoon and we touched on most of them. First and foremost, these are uncharted...
Tim Benz: Ways to fix the Penguins and end their 6-game slide
Penguins fans certainly have spent a lot of time in recent days trying to figure out what’s wrong with their favorite hockey team. I know I have. I imagine those fans came to the same conclusion I did. Everything is wrong. Nothing is right. And that’s not an overreaction. Look...
First Call: Watt brothers exchange jabs on Twitter; Alex Ovechkin keeps scoring for Capitals
Today’s “First Call” features a little brotherly love. Pfft! No. Not from Philadelphia. Why would we ever subject you to that? Naw. This is from Pittsburgh. And… Houston. J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans tweeted this video of himself working out. Watt is trying to return to top form after...
Tim Benz, Brian Metzer: No Penguin is without blame during recent tumble
No “Madden Monday” podcast this week. It’s a “Metzer Monday” instead with Brian Metzer of the Penguins Radio Network. What a good time to get him on the podcast, anyway. Because the two of us spare no horses when it comes to criticism of the Penguins. They now have a...
Tim Benz: Fans should have seat at NFL’s collective bargaining table
When it comes to NFL coverage, I‘m usually one of the last guys to write a weepy column that sobs, “But what about the fans!?” Actually, make that the last guy. The absolute last person to do so. You’re a football fan. Not a child in an orphanage, an abandoned...
First Call: Henry Ruggs III runs stunning 40-yard dash; Tom Brady’s future; Penguins vs. struggling Ducks
Friday’s “First Call” features a blazing 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, the latest on Tom Brady’s future, a look at the Penguins’ next opponent and the college hoops calendar for the weekend. Oh, Henry! Henry Ruggs III nearly set the record for a 40-yard dash time at the NFL...
Ex-Penguin Mike Rupp says new acquisitions must make strong early impressions
It’s been all Penguins hockey all week long on the “Breakfast with Benz” podcast. Why wouldn’t it be? Given the Penguins’ recent trade activity and their four-game losing streak, there has been a lot to discuss. I recently interviewed former Penguin Mike Rupp on 105.9 the X. He’s now an...
Tim Benz: How the Steelers should address the dirty little secret about their defense
The word “luck” wasn’t often used in connection to the 2019 Pittsburgh Steelers. Especially relating to injuries. • The team lost the top two quarterbacks on the depth chart. • The starting running back sat out six games and parts of four others. • The starting tight end missed two...
What are Penguins getting in Evan Rodrigues and Conor Sheary?
What are the Penguins getting in Evan Rodrigues and round two of Conor Sheary? Well, based on their first game since coming over from Buffalo, not much. Neither player had a point as the Penguins lost to Los Angeles Kings 2-1. Rodrigues didn’t have a shot on goal, a blocked...
