Tim Benz stories, Page 31

Mark Madden is on his way back from England. So, my Steelers Audio Network pregame show partner, Matt Williamson, is filling in for the “Madden Monday” podcast this week. A former NFL and college scout, Williamson hosts “The Drive” with Dale Lolley on Steelers Nation Radio. You’ve also heard him...

If Pittsburgh Steelers fans know anything about me, I am nothing but a beacon of optimism. My glass is always half-full. My black-and-gold glasses are always on. I always can find a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. As a result, even though the Steelers dropped a 24-17 decision...

As layered and complex as Barry Bonds’ legacy is in Pittsburgh — and throughout all of baseball — he summed up Saturday’s induction to the Pirates Hall of Fame in the most simple words possible. “It’s nice,” Bonds said with a smile. “It’s just very nice. The word … very...

Friday’s “First Call” advances a Lions wide receiver to watch when the Pittsburgh Steelers take on Detroit on Saturday afternoon. The Washington Commanders may be getting back in the Brandon Aiyuk sweepstakes. The Steelers’ offensive line coach is speaking about Broderick Jones’ problems. And we have a Deshaun Watson update...

On Thursday, a Pittsburgh team pulled off a trade-and-sign deal with a former first-round pick out west who was balking at a contract with his former club. But it wasn’t for Brandon Aiyuk. It wasn’t even the Steelers who made the trade. It was the Penguins who acquired Winnipeg Jets...

When the Pittsburgh Pirates announced their franchise Hall of Fame class for 2024 back in May, Jim Leyland and Manny Sanguillen were universally applauded at PNC Park. They’ll both hear a similar ovation Saturday when the induction ceremony takes place. That’s no surprise given that Leyland managed the Bucs to...

In Thursday’s “First Call,” San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan struggles to provide an update on Brandon Aiyuk as the Pittsburgh Steelers trade offer continues to sit on the table. Former Steeler Markus Golden addresses his retirement. It appears that “Hard Knocks” is a bit toned down as the...

After both of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ preseason losses so far in 2024, head coach Mike Tomlin has appropriately bemoaned his offense’s inability to convert on possession downs. Over the first eight quarters of the preseason, the Steelers’ offense has only converted six times on 26 third-and-fourth-down opportunities. That stat is...

On July 22, Pittsburgh was pumped up about Steelers training camp starting in two days, and the fact that the Pirates were a half-game out of a wild-card slot. Exactly one month later Pittsburghers are doubting the Steelers offense, longing for Kenny Pickett and ready to turn off Pirates games...

Many are wondering if Broderick Jones’ poor performance against the Buffalo Bills during Saturday’s 9-3 preseason loss is the result of an elbow injury he sustained in training camp. Or, at the very least, if it was a byproduct of the brace he is wearing on his arm to deal...

Wednesday’s “First Call” has some news about Pittsburgh Steelers ownership. We learn about the latest from San Francisco concerning Brandon Aiyuk. And we get a prediction on a first-time Steelers Pro Bowler. Plus, a former Steelers assistant coach responds to some stinging criticism. Getting close to the end? At this...

A lot of Pittsburgh Steelers fans are swaddling themselves in intellectual inconsistency right now. The Steelers’ offense has looked terrible during the first two preseason games. Therefore, the fan base is falling back on the old adage that NFL preseason results mean nothing. Meanwhile, a year ago, when Kenny Pickett...

Bill Cowher and Bill Belichick are both weighing in on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive woes in the preseason. We have a new angle to the Brandon Aiyuk contract negotiations. And the Pirates and Rangers are at a mutual breaking point in Texas. All that to come in Tuesday’s “First Call.”...

Monday’s “First Call” has the latest scuttlebutt coming out of San Francisco about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ level of interest in 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk. One ex-Steeler was a standout in a preseason game, another has been released, and a third is retiring at a young age. Plus, we preview the...

At least Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington acknowledged it at one point during his weekly 93.7 The Fan radio show. “I’m not answering your question,” Cherington admitted Sunday as he tried to segue between multiple points during an answer that lasted almost four minutes. The extended response came after...

It may only be August, but Mark Madden of 105.9 The X and TribLive has some alarms going off about the Pittsburgh Steelers. So far, the team has lost both of its preseason games and has scored just 15 points over eight quarters. “There’s every possibility this team could stink,”...

Friday’s “First Call” takes a look at former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett’s latest outing in New England. We check out a pair of Buffalo Bills with Pittsburgh roots coming back to Acrisure Stadium to face the Steelers. Another familiar name to Steelers fans has been removed from Buffalo’s roster...

While speaking with reporters at Acrisure Stadium on Thursday, Mitch Trubisky revealed that he has a consistent three-person group chat with fellow former Steelers quarterbacks Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph. “I talk to them every week,” Trubisky said after his Buffalo Bills concluded a joint practice with the Steelers. “They...

The Pittsburgh Pirates are cooked for the rest of the 2024 season. They’ve lost 10 in a row. They’ve sunk to eight games under .500 (56-64). They are in the basement of the National League Central. They are 7½ games out of the last Wild Card spot with six teams...

When the demise of the Pirates’ season meets the ascent of the Steelers’ season, a beautiful nexus of Pittsburgh sports fan animus, angst and agitation coalesces. It’s like seeing a Black and Gold double rainbow. Or the Northern Lights over the West End Bridge. Or a unicorn with a hypocycloid...

To the surprise of no one, Bart Scott is taking jabs at the Pittsburgh Steelers on television again. This time, he is going after one of the team’s quarterbacks. A former Steeler defensive lineman keeps finding work. The Steelers’ Week 1 opponent just got a Pro Bowl jolt on defense....

Here’s a warning for fans attending NFL games this year. The new kickoff format looks really weird in person. Not bad. Just … weird. Watching the new kickoffs on television or via video clips, the change wasn’t all that jarring to me. However, when you are in a stadium, and...

Given this month’s collapse of the Pittsburgh Pirates, many people were put off by what manager Derek Shelton had to say Tuesday during his most recent weekly radio show. Speaking about his team’s extended losing streak, Shelton tried to tamp down their recent troubles by pointing out how many one-run...