Tim Benz stories, Page 183
U mad, bro?: Readers pop off about Penguins trades, Pirates’ Ray Searage, NFL replay
In this week’s “U mad, bro?” readers pop off about Pirates pitching, defend Jim Rutherford, and attack instant replay. Greg wasn’t a fan of my thoughts on Jim Rutherford’s mixed messages about any more potential trades. A GM isnt being honest with the media and fans..this is a stunning event....in...
Tim Benz: Don’t feel bad for Pirates GM Neal Huntington. He doesn’t.
It wasn’t a conversation we meant to have. It just kind of wound up happening. On a recent edition of the KDKA Sports Showdown, I was on the panel with Rich Walsh (KDKA-TV), Chris Mueller (93.7 The Fan), and Will Graves (Associated Press). And an overarching discussion about the Pirates...
First Call: Penguins rivals making moves; ‘He Hate Me’ is safe
In Wednesday’s “First Call,” there’s news about two rivals of the Penguins. “He Hate Me” has been found. And Trevor Williams isn’t the only guy making a comeback Wednesday at PNC Park. What are they up to? The Flyers are making moves. Philadelphia acquired San Jose Sharks defenseman Justin Braun...
Fantasy sports podcast: Penguins lead hockey interest, MLB offense soars, NBA chaos
We’ve moved up our Rotowire fantasy sports podcast for the week. Good timing. There’s a lot to get to in the fantasy sports world with Jeff Erickson. That record-setting Padres-Rockies series over the weekend was reason enough. Then there is the injury to Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard and the improvement...
Tim Benz: For Steelers, what will ‘The Hybrid’ Sutton Smith be?
Sixth-round draft pick Sutton Smith is as engaging and energetic an interview as the Steelers have drafted in years. Can we give “The Chief Award” to a rookie? What if he doesn’t make the team out of camp? Does that matter? During minicamp, the Northern Illinois product — and St....
Tim Benz: Eliminate drafts? Please. Stop feeling bad for athletes
In the NFL this offseason, we heard a lot of wailing on behalf of Le’Veon Bell because he was a victim of that mean ol’ franchise tag. And some even praised Antonio Brown for forcing his way out of a valid contract in Pittsburgh. Because, you know, those nasty owners...
First Call: Josh Bell maintains All-Star lead; what could Penguins trade 1st-round pick for?
In “First Call” Tuesday, the Pirates need to get fat against the Tigers. Josh Bell still leads in All-Star voting at first base, but not by much. Draft picks are good currency in the NHL. And Lavar Ball continues to act like a moron. Terrible Tigers Boy, the Tigers are...
Blackhawks reporter: Penguins winger Dominik Kahun worthy of positive reviews
I’ve given a wholehearted endorsement of the Penguins-Blackhawks trade. It feels like most fans and media types in Pittsburgh have, as well. Are we perhaps overrating Dominik Kahun as the return for Olli Maatta, though? Well, if you are expecting Mark Recchi circa 1991, maybe. But if you are buying...
Tim Benz: Steelers’ Devin Bush insists he’s big enough for NFL
We can all be critical. And we often are. But it’s not like Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert is blind. Nor are head coach Mike Tomlin and defensive coordinator Keith Butler. Certainly, Dick LeBeau wasn’t either. They saw this coming. The Steelers realized where offense was going in the NFL,...
Tim Benz: Sifting through Jim Rutherford’s mixed messages about Penguins
Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford is sure sending a lot of smoke signals. Either that or Rome is burning. Maybe both. For the first time since 2006, a Penguins season ended without the team securing at least one playoff victory. And after the season ended, Rutherford said changes needed to...
First Call: Carl Hagelin stays with Capitals; another Carmody commits to Notre Dame
For “First Call” Monday, the Stanley Cup celebration in St. Louis was quite a show. There were a few hockey signings of note for Penguins fans. And another WPIAL star is heading to South Bend. Home for Haggy Carl Hagelin is staying with Washington. The former Penguin played in Pittsburgh,...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden talk Olli Maatta trade, Steelers running backs, Pirates quandary
In this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden and I discuss whether Jim Rutherford did the right thing by trading Olli Maatta to Chicago. We also investigate the quality of the return in Dominik Kahun. Maatta took a lot of grief in Pittsburgh. We debate whether it was warranted. Another...
Tim Benz: Even Olli Maatta defenders should endorse this Penguins trade
My first reactions to Saturday’s trade of Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta to Chicago for forward Dominik Kahun were: • What am I missing? • Are the Penguins absorbing a lot of the salary? • Is this part one of a two-part deal? So far, the answers to those questions appear...
Tim Benz: Pirates bullpen shows encouraging signs vs. Marlins
I don’t want to get too crazy. Simply file this one under “credit when it’s due.” But let’s give a mild golf clap to the Pirates bullpen for helping to win the series in Miami over the weekend. Boy, it’s amazing how much facing the Marlins’ bats can help, right?...
Fantasy sports: Will Pirates pitchers finally get a break in Miami?
In this week’s fantasy sports podcast, we are once again joined by Jeff Erickson of Rotowire. We start off talking about how fantasy owners had to navigate through a tricky week, dealing with some risky pitchers making multiple starts. One of those guys was the Pirates’ Joe Musgrove, courtesy of...
First Call: Strange Stanley Cup odds; Seth Meyers talks Pirates
Friday’s “First Call” features NBC’s Seth Meyers talking Pirates. Emmanuel Sanders actually saying something nice about Antonio Brown. And inconsistent odds for the Penguins and other NHL teams winning the 2020 Stanley Cup. Sliding scale The Penguins are usually one of the top offseason favorites to win the Stanley Cup....
Tim Benz: The NFL is screwing up its own replay fix
Leave it to the NFL to block itself from doing the right thing when it comes to pass-interference replay. The league was about to do something that showed eminent good sense. Now, it’s going to screw it up. Bear with me through this winding road of missteps and stupidity as...
Tim Benz: A ‘change’ is coming for Pirates 1st-rounder Quinn Priester
A change is coming for Pirates 2019 first-round draft pick Quinn Priester. Already. And that’s a good thing. Because the high school pitcher needs one. No, he’s not changing positions. Or going to back to football. The “change” I’m talking about is the one Priester is adding to his pitching...
First Call: Sir Charles loves Sir Sidney, Mike Rupp eats his shoe
In Thursday’s “First Call,” Charles Barkley loves him some Sidney Crosby! Mike Rupp eats his shoe. And Jenna Fischer has the last laugh. Sir Charles on Sir Sidney For reasons still unknown, the NBC hockey crew decided it would spend the first intermission of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup...
U mad, bro? Fans defend Steelers, Steve Blass, attack Pirates pitching
In “U mad, bro?” this week, defenders of the Pittsburgh Steelers come out of the woodwork. People are still angry at those who lashed out at Steve Blass. And what would this weekly post be without a few agitated Pirates fans honked off at the pitching staff? Jamie didn’t like...
Tim Benz: Is Penguins GM Jim Rutherford kidding us? Or himself?
When it comes to Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford, one question needs to be asked. Who is he kidding? Us? Or himself? Right now, I’d say it’s the former. By the time the 2019-20 season starts, it may end up being the latter. Over the past three weeks, the...
U.S. Open Preview: Koepka looks for threepeat, Mickleson wants his first
Golf’s U.S. Open starts today. So that’s the topic of our Thursday “Breakfast With Benz” podcast. We turn to our expert on the links, Brian Taylor of “Real Golf Radio.” . He joins us to talk about all the major championships. Those events are often won by Brooks Koepka. He...
First Call: Pirates’ Melky Cabrera’s rising trade stock; Antonio Brown embraces ‘Hard Knocks’
For “First Call” Wednesday, is Melky Cabrera getting traded? How about Derek Dietrich? Antonio Brown seems pumped for “Hard Knocks.” High praise for a Pitt product in the NFL. And the Pirates first-round pick insists his arm is fine. Will Melky move? MLB.com posted a list of 10 players whose...
Pitt’s Qadree Ollison could be ‘dangerous’ with Falcons’ offense, NFL analyst says
It wasn’t the strongest NFL draft class for running backs. But Pitt’s Qadree Ollison may be one of the most impactful of the bunch. That’s according to NFL.com’s Gil Brandt. Here’s what he said about the Falcons’ fifth-round pick. “In a perfect world for the Falcons, Devonta Freeman and Ito...
Steelers’ Sutton Smith, ex-hockey player and Blues fan, breaks down Stanley Cup Final
It’s Blues vs. Bruins on Wednesday in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. So I turned to the best possible hockey expert in Pittsburgh for analysis for our podcast today. Look out, Bob Errey and Phil Bourque. Step aside, Colby Armstrong and Mike Rupp. This is Sutton Smith’s time...
