Tim Benz stories, Page 182
First Call: Steelers a playoff sleeper in 2019?
In “First Call” for Tuesday, optimism for a bounce-back Steelers season. The TV ratings are good for the Women’s World Cup. And creative use of a player’s day with the Stanley Cup. Don’t sleep on the Steelers Some in the media and the fanbase seem to think the Steelers will...
U mad, bro? Readers blast Tim Benz over USWNT opinions
People are so mad at me over my recent columns about the United States Women’s National Team, I thought we should have a special edition today of “U mad, bro?” And because the vast majority of the responses I got were negative ones from women or on behalf of women,...
Tim Benz: Who are the 2019 Pittsburgh Pirates?
At the Major League Baseball All-Star break, the 2019 standings do a nice job telling the story of the National League Central. I’m not sure that they do as good of a job telling the story of the 2019 Pittsburgh Pirates. Come to think of it, I don’t know how...
Alison Riske’s WPIAL coach talks Wimbledon upset, quarterfinals vs. Serena Williams
Peters Township tennis product Alison Riske upset the top seed and world No. 1 at Wimbledon. Her reward? A quarterfinal match against legendary champion Serena Williams. It’s at 8 a.m. Tuesday. And it’ll be played on Centre Court. No pressure. Riske, the No. 55-ranked player in the world, stunned French...
First Call: Jameson Taillon starts road to recovery; Ivan Nova helps Pirates
In “First Call” Monday, Jameson Taillon starts his road to recovery. Ivan Nova helps the Pirates. Charlie Morton continues to shine. And the home run contest may have gotten a little easier for Josh Bell. Baby steps Pirates starter Jameson Taillon ended up playing catch at PNC Park before the...
Tim Benz: USWNT won the World Cup and lost a dumb argument
The United States Women’s National Team won the World Cup. And it lost one stupid argument. The first thing is more important. The second thing is their own fault. Prior to her team’s 2-0 victory over the Netherlands to win the World Cup, American star Megan Rapinoe complained that her...
Tim Benz: It’s not worthwhile for Pirates to find position for Francisco Cervelli
After at least six concussions, Francisco Cervelli says he’s done with catching. The Pirates general manager isn’t ruling that scenario out either. “As we go through with Cervy, we need to be cognizant that there may be a position change at hand,” Neal Huntington said. “We’re continuing to work through...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden talk USWNT, Mike Sullivan, Pirates, Twitter suspension
Mark Madden may be suspended from Twitter (#FreeMarkMadden), but he isn’t suspended from the “Breakfast With Benz” podcast page. We talk at great length about the United States Women’s National Team. They won the World Cup. Have the politics and self-generated sidebar stories surrounding this team outweighed their accomplishments? It...
Fantasy sports podcast: NHL keepers hurt by new teams; MLB run barrage
It’s our weekly fantasy sports podcast with Jeff Erickson of Rotowire. This week we get into major player changes affecting hockey and basketball fantasy leagues. We’ve seen a ton of player movement in the NHL. Jeff and I each give you one player that has changed teams who could kill...
First Call: Antonio Brown’s gaudy new jewelry; JuJu goes to London
In Wednesday’s “First Call,” the latest major jewelry purchase by Antonio Brown is hilarious. JuJu Smith-Schuster goes to London. Myles Garrett shows us why he is a beast. I see what you did there Antonio Brown has some new jewelry. It’s a dedication to Muhammad Ali. And himself, of course....
U mad, bro? Readers rip Neal Huntington, react to Phil Kessel trade
It’s been a week since I’ve checked my inbox for “U mad, bro.” And a lot has built up while I was on vacation. Penguins fans chime in on the Phil Kessel trade to Arizona. Pirates fans don’t seem to like the idea of dealing Felipe Vazquez. And Neal Huntington...
Tim Benz: Alex Morgan sipping tea is fine; pandering double standards aren’t
The U.S. women’s national soccer team has gotten its fair share of attention for celebrating too much and showing up its opponents during the Women’s World Cup. Even their own social media account was getting cocky after the 2-1 semifinal win against England on Tuesday afternoon. PARTY LIKE IT’S 1776...
First Call: Pro Football Hall of Fame expanding next class; T.J. McConnell could stay with 76ers
In “First Call” Tuesday, T.J. McConnell may be staying with the Philadelphia 76ers. The NFL could expand its next Hall of Fame class. And we keep an eye on Long Island. Staying put in Philly? T.J. McConnell may stay in Philadelphia after all. At the end of the NBA season,...
Tim Benz: All-time Steelers roster misses some marks
The guys over at SteelersWire.com put together their all-time Steelers 53-man roster. Most of the choices are beyond dispute. Although making Scott Campbell the backup to Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback was a bit odd. Kidding. But there were a few strange omissions and choices almost nutty as that one that...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden ponder Penguins’ future post-Phil Kessel
I’m back from Europe. Mark Madden is back from Vegas. It’s a day late. But our “Madden Monday” podcast for the week is up. And there is plenty to talk about concerning the Penguins. We get Mark’s response to the Phil Kessel trade from the standpoint of how the Penguins...
Tim Benz: Like it or not, Penguins GM Jim Rutherford sticking to his plan
Let’s not put Jim Rutherford on an aircraft carrier with the “Mission Accomplished” sign behind his head just yet. But it appears the Penguins general manager has taken many of the steps he wanted to take this offseason. During his season-ending press conference in April, Rutherford said he wanted to...
First Call: Phil Kessel thanks Pittsburgh; how Mike Tomlin’s son got to Maryland
In “First Call” Monday, Phil Kessel says goodbye to Pittsburgh. The MLB London series was insane. And the winding story of Dino Tomlin’s recruitment to Maryland. Kessel’s goodbye There have been a lot of reports about acrimony on the way out the door between Phil Kessel and the Penguins. But,...
Tim Benz, Jonathan Bombulie examine Phil Kessel trade, new-look Penguins power play
Not only am I adjusting my body clock back to the Eastern time zone, I’m adjusting the podcast schedule, as well. With my American Airlines debacle of a flight home from vacation, and with Mark Madden traveling back from Las Vegas, we’ll do our usual Madden Monday podcast on Tuesday....
Tim Benz: History of Pirates trading closers has been spotty
If the Pirates are genuinely considering a trade of Felipe Vazquez, one thing is clear. The team better get its next closer in exchange for him. Otherwise, recent history shows us that the return for good closers the Pirates have previously had has been poor. To the credit of Neal...
Tim Benz: With Phil Kessel gone, others with Penguins have to answer bell
Penguins fans finally have an answer to a pressing question: “Will the Pens eventually trade Phil Kessel?” On Saturday night, that answer became “yes.” The club hammered out a deal to send its 82-point winger, prospect Dane Birks and a draft pick to the Arizona Coyotes for forward Alex Galchenyuk...
In wake of injuries, Steelers’ Jerald Hawkins keeps positive outlook
One of the easiest guys to root for in the Steelers dressing room is offensive tackle Jerald Hawkins. Unfortunately, fans of the team have barely had a chance to do that during actual games. The affable fourth-year offensive lineman has spent most of his first three years in Pittsburgh either...
Tim Benz: Will Raiders on ‘Hard Knocks’ live up to the hype?
Most football fans have been rooting for it. I’ve made it a mission to advance the cause. And now it’s official. HBO’s all-access training camp show, “Hard Knocks,” will be covering the Oakland Raiders. This isn’t just the “Hard Knocks” season we wanted. This is the “Hard Knocks” season we...
Tim Benz: Steelers explain plan to deploy WRs without Antonio Brown
The comment from Ben Roethlisberger resonated. Clearly, JuJu Smith-Schuster was banged up during the season finale. That’s part of the reason why the Steelers’ passing offense was so lackluster en route to an ugly 16-13 victory over a last-place Bengals team. An even bigger reason, though, was the absence of...
First Call: Trace McSorley’s new gig; Max Scherzer’s shiner; NHL rule changes
For Thursday’s “First Call,” Trace McSorley expands his horizons. Can the NHL do what the NFL can’t? A youth umpire brings about parental chaos. Max Scherzer’s black eye is a golden moment. What’s next? Penn State product Trace McSorley may be returning punts for the Ravens. McSorley has always wanted...
Sam Clancy basks in becoming a Pitt Hall of Famer
Last week, Pitt announced its Athletics Hall of Fame class for 2019. The list was quite esteemed. It included the likes of All-Americans in football and basketball such as Don Hennon, Mark May, Jimbo Covert, Joe Schmidt and football head coach Johnny Majors. Also highlighting the marquee is Sam Clancy,...
