Tim Benz stories, Page 190

A lot is going on in this week’s “U mad, bro?” Penguins fans are mad at blown leads. Steelers fans are mad at Josh Harris. Rage continues about Antonio Brown. And at least one reader is angry about my pessimistic Steelers forecast. ••• “Manofmyster1” leaves no mystery to this tweet....

This was enough to make my stomach turn. As we pointed out yesterday, the Raiders were on the verge of signing Vontaze Burfict. Well, that signing is official now, according to the NFL Network. The outlet says Burfict will get a one-year deal worth $5 million. Keep in mind, a...

You may not have even submitted your bracket yet, and the 2019 NCAA Tournament is one night old. One potential 16th-seeded Cinderella — Prairie View A&M — is already going home. Another — either North Carolina Central or North Dakota State — will get eliminated Wednesday night. All that before...

Tuesday’s “First Call” features a look at one of the most important nights of the season in the NHL’s Eastern Conference. Antonio Brown has a Twitter message for those of us in the media. And Bruce Gradkowski chimes in on “Fumblegate.” Response piece Not every ex-Steeler is buying Josh Harris’...

Thanks to an off-day, this week’s “Madden Monday” comes on a Tuesday. We get into: • Josh Harris’ accusation that Ben Roethlisberger fumbled on purpose against the Bengals. Why is this information just coming out now? • Le’Veon Bell’s failed contract. The spin continues! LISTEN: Mark Madden, Tim Benz discuss...

This is too good to be true. Probably. Because I’m guessing it’ll never happen. Oh. But I wish it could. The Bengals have released Pittsburgh’s public enemy No. 1: Vontaze Burfict. You know. The venomous linebacker who did this to Antonio Brown — when Pittsburgh still loved Antonio Brown. pic.twitter.com/9OSiXDWAnz—...

Last year, the Steelers signed a 29-year-old free agent safety they thought could play like a linebacker. This year they signed a 29-year-old linebacker they think could play like a safety. This year’s move should be more of a sure bet seeing as how the candidate has been a full-timer...

We begin our “Friday Football Footnotes” with a preemptive statement: What you are about to read is a projection, not a prediction. What you are about to read is an initial reaction to the early days of free agency, not a declaration of who is going to win the AFC...

It’s time we get to what really matters when it comes to the departures of Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown. Your fantasy team. Obviously there will be major implications at the top of 2019 fantasy drafts with those two joining new clubs. Dynasty and keeper leagues will definitely feel the...

In “First Call” Thursday, Antonio Brown will annoy you from afar. Lamar Jackson may be channeling his inner A.B. A look at the Metropolitan Division rundown for the evening. Laying it on thick Drew Rosenhaus bought a farewell billb …. Oops, I mean, Antonio Brown bought a farewell billboard in...

It’s our weekly Sided.co Penguins podcast with Tribune-Review beat writer Jonathan Bombulie. We open up wondering if labor peace in the NHL could be a model for the NFL. Then we talk about how the Penguins have blended good play with entertaining hockey of late. LISTEN: Penguins making strong push...

Welcome to the most contentious “U mad, bro?” yet. It’s mainly me getting mad at the national media because the national media seem to be mad at the Steelers organization, the NFL, Mike Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger. That’s more politically correct, I guess, than being mad at Antonio Brown and...

The comment from Nick Bjugstad resonated after the Pittsburgh Penguins blanked the Columbus Blue Jackets, 3-0, on March 7. “It’s a little different style than what I was used to,” the former Florida Panther forward said. “These guys play … fast! It’s a fun way to play.” Even with Bjugstad’s...

Reviews are in on Le’Veon Bell’s new contract with the New York Jets. And they aren’t pretty for the former Steelers running back. The basics are that Bell agreed to a four-year deal with the Jets that is reportedly worth somewhere between $52 million and $61 million, with $35 million...

And I thought I had a lot of jobs! Marcus Mosher works for Bleacher Report, Pro Football Weekly and The Athletic (Dallas). But most importantly, for our purposes, he’s the managing editor of TheRaidersWire.com, of the USA Today NFL platforms. In Wednesday’s Sided.co podcast, Mosher joins me to talk about...

Le’Veon Bell agreed to a contract with the New York Jets that’ll reportedly pay him somewhere between $52 million and $61 million over four years. The last reported offer he had to stay in Pittsburgh was $70 million over five years. Le’Veon Bell’s four-year deal with the New York Jets...

In “First Call” Tuesday, the first look at Antonio Brown as a Raider. Kinda. What were Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin doing as the NFL free agent frenzy was taking place? A funny check on Le’Veon Bell and Adisa Bakari. The Penguins can’t gain ground in the Eastern Conference. Sneak...

As the pain of the Antonio Brown saga fades, we wait to see where Le’Veon Bell may wind up. Everyone wants to see if his odyssey to free agency pays off the way that he thought it would. Of course, Bell wants us to think that teams are falling all...

In “First Call” Tuesday, even the WWE is piling on Antonio Brown’s departure. A local kid impacts the NHL last night. And the Eastern Conference playoff picture is still chaotic. Who wants to walk with A.B.? Plum native and WWE star Elias played the bad-guy role perfectly in a recent...

Brian Metzer of the Penguins radio network joins me for our weekly Sided.co hockey podcast. We talk about Matt Murray’s steady play. Was he the star of the weekend? And can he hold up against the Capitals on Tuesday night? We get into the emergence of the Florida guys, particularly...

If you weren’t sick to death over the Antonio Brown trade to Oakland, Drew Rosenhaus’ weekend interview on the NFL Network probably put you over the top. It did for me. Antonio Brown's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, breaks down how the WR ended up in Oakland landing a new contract."It was...

You know the “Steelers circus” Kevin Colbert and Art Rooney II insist never existed? The one that is a total media creation and fabrication? Well, here’s another imaginary dancing bear to throw into the ring. Former Steelers running back Josh Harris — someone even die-hard Steelers fans may not remember...

If you don’t laugh, you are going to cry. I prefer to do that first thing. There is no way for Pittsburgh to put a happy face on how the Antonio Brown situation ended. They will get only third- and fifth-round draft choices from the Oakland Raiders. Brown will get...

This week’s edition of Madden Monday comes to you from the catacombs of PPG Paints Arena. Mark Madden of 105.9 the X joins me as we exhale after that Penguins win against the Bruins on Sunday night. Man, was that huge for the Penguins after the loss in Columbus Saturday....

If the Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell situations have illuminated one thing, it’s this: It’s time for the NFL to change its salary cap system. Because right now, in a collective bargaining agreement set up to give the players no power, the players are starting to realize they do have...