Tim Benz stories, Page 50
Recent spotlight on Bill Hillgrove, Chris Shovlin illustrates Pittsburgh’s basketball play-by-play legacies
Bill Hillgrove retired after 30 years as the voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. However, he will remain as the play-by-play man of the Pitt football and men’s basketball teams. He has been a part of both of those broadcasts for more than 50 years. The news of Hillgrove’s...
Tim Benz: Very different pre-trade deadline atmosphere hangs over PPG Paints Arena during Penguins’ win
We’ve experienced that kind of Penguins game at this point on the calendar many times before at PPG Paints Arena. And prior to that, at Mellon Arena. That type of game a few days before the trade deadline, where the outcome of one contest felt significantly less important than what...
First Call: Vancouver reportedly building plan to land Jake Guentzel; Steelers may try to keep Allen Robinson II
Wednesday’s “First Call” looks to provide some clues as to what may happen with Penguins forward Jake Guentzel before Friday’s trade deadline. We also advance some discussion about the Steelers potentially holding onto a wide receiver and perhaps missing out on a free-agent tight end. There were some NFL franchise...
Tim Benz: Throwing a red flag on the Steelers’ front office being ‘red flagged’
During Colin Cowherd’s Monday podcast on “The Volume” platform, former NFL scout John Middlekauff panned the Pittsburgh Steelers’ front office. “A lot of people in the NFL kind of have them red flagged operationally, I would say,” Middlekauff said. “Not necessarily (Mike) Tomlin, just the new GM (Omar Khan), just...
Report: Destinations emerge as potential landing spots if Penguins trade Jake Guentzel
It sure sounds like Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas is starting to think as many of us have already been feeling for a while. As we discussed Monday at “Breakfast With Benz,” the Penguins’ 1-3 road trip through the Pacific Northwest ended so badly in Calgary and Edmonton, that...
First Call: Dueling reports on Steelers’ QB plans; Antonio Brown mocks Kenny Pickett; another Jaromir Jagr return
Tuesday’s “First Call” features some split reporting on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback situation. Antonio Brown can’t help but take a social media swat at Kenny Pickett. Jaromir Jagr is already heading back to Pittsburgh again. A recent former Penguin posted a hat trick. It’s an important night on the local...
Tim Benz: Penguins’ poor western trip allows Kyle Dubas to operate guilt-free at trade deadline
If there is one member of the Pittsburgh Penguins who is happy about the team’s rotten 1-3 western road trip, it’s general manager Kyle Dubas. OK, maybe not happy, exactly. Anyone associated with the team had to be near embarrassment with the way the last game-and-a-half of that swing went...
First Call: Diontae Johnson appears to dismiss trade talk; Steelers checking out Pitt lineman
Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson seems less than thrilled about some recent trade rumors. At the NFL Scouting Combine, the Steelers spoke with a former Pitt Panther and a stud wide receiver. A former WPIAL star had a banner night in the NBA, and the Robert Morris men’s hockey team...
Madden Monday: Don’t rule out Penguins signing Jake Guentzel, trading Marcus Pettersson
As the NHL trade deadline looms on Friday, Mark Madden of 105.9 The X and TribLive has picked up a few interesting rumors about the Pittsburgh Penguins. He shared them during this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast. The first one is that, despite a wide sense of resignation that the Penguins...
Retiring Steelers voice Bill Hillgrove: ‘If it’s not for the fans, we don’t have a game’
After 30 years of doing radio play-by-play for Pittsburgh Steelers games, Bill Hillgrove announced Thursday that he would be retiring from that position. However, he will continue to do play-by-play for Pitt football and basketball. “You can’t completely stop,” Hillgrove said during Thursday’s “Breakfast With Benz” podcast. “I think people...
Tim Benz: Omar Khan already has 1 different approach than Kevin Colbert
In the 21 months since Omar Khan took over for Kevin Colbert as the Pittsburgh Steelers general manager, we have spent a lot of time trying to figure out ways the two men might be different. Khan may be a little more aggressive in free agency and moving up the...
First Call: Omar Khan talks about Steelers’ need at ILB, Diontae Johnson’s future
Friday’s “First Call” examines Omar Khan’s statements about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ inside linebacker situation and Diontae Johnson’s future. Plus we look at a busy weekend for local college hoops and the Robert Morris hockey playoff game. Inside out If you are looking for comfort when it comes to the Steelers’...
Tim Benz: Art Rooney II and Steelers must do better, but fans should take NFLPA grades with a huge grain of salt
The Pittsburgh Steelers, specifically team owner Art Rooney II, are taking a beating when it comes to the release of the 2024 NFL Players Association report cards. As posted by our Joe Rutter Wednesday, the Steelers ranked No. 28 overall out of 32 teams in a survey of 1,706 players....
U mad, bro?: Backhanded compliments, slaps to the face, fears of Pittsburgh teams slipping into the 1980s
Have you ever heard the phrase “backhanded compliments”? This week’s “U mad, bro?” hits me with a couple of those backhands right across the face. Mark Madden gets one too. So do the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterbacks and Penguins coach Mike Sullivan. At least I’m in good company. Let’s start with...
First Call: Steelers’ minority ownership movement; ILBs interview with team at combine; Mason Rudolph’s future
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ ownership structure is getting shuffled. The franchise is talking to lots of linebackers at the NFL Scouting Combine. There’s more conversation about Mason Rudolph’s future and that of former Pitt star Aaron Donald as well. All that in Thursday’s “First Call.” Money movin’ The long-discussed sale of...
Tim Benz: Victory in Vancouver may be Penguins’ win of the year. But is the season too far gone for Kyle Dubas?
The Penguins’ overtime victory over the Vancouver Canucks had a ton of memorable moments. • The Pens overcame a 2-0 deficit (and some shaky penalty calls) in the first period. • The usually repugnant power play scored on a five-on-three, only to yield a shorthanded goal to J.T. Miller during...
With Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph, Joe Flacco, Steelers and Browns may impact each other on the QB carousel
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns are inexorably linked as AFC North rivals. This offseason, there may be some linkage when it comes to their quarterback situations as well. After winning the 2023 NFL Comeback Player of the Year award with the Browns, quarterback Joe Flacco and the franchise have...
First Call: Ravens GM praises former player who joined Steelers; an Arthur Smith favorite hits free agency
Wednesday’s “First Call” checks in on a popular name among Steelers fans as free agency approaches. A player Arthur Smith had in Atlanta and Tennessee has been cut loose. The Ravens’ general manager may have a franchise tag target. He is also praising a former player who has been scooped...
Looking at each challenge within the Penguins’ crucial 4-game western road swing
For as enjoyable as Sunday’s win over the Philadelphia Flyers was, the Pittsburgh Penguins won’t be able to count on scoring seven goals every night moving forward. But, for the offensively challenged Pens, knowing they’ve got that club in their bag may certainly come in handy for the rest of...
Tim Benz: Reason to hope Penguins’ manic win over Philadelphia resonates before trade deadline
As manic as the Pittsburgh Penguins’ (60 points) 7-6 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers (67 points) was Sunday, it’s precisely the kind of win the Penguins needed to have. It was a win over a hated rival. It was two points gained on the Metropolitan Division’s third playoff team. And...
First Call: Compensation models for Jake Guentzel; Steelers lock up ex-Ravens OLB; Ryan Clark’s big bucks from ESPN
After a rare three-day weekend, “First Call” is back at “Breakfast With Benz” with plenty of Pittsburgh Steelers conversation. The franchise has signed a former Baltimore Ravens linebacker. We get an update on Ryan Clark’s status at ESPN. A couple of former Steelers have options on a potential draftee at...
Tim Benz: Adding context to Penguins’ latest win — since that’s what we’re supposed to do now
I’ll admit I felt a little silly asking the questions in the Pittsburgh Penguins locker room after their 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night. Was I baiting the hook a little bit? Eh, maybe. Defense counsel might have a hard time protecting me on this one. But...
Terry Bradshaw staunchly defends Kenny Pickett, changes tune on Arthur Smith
While appearing on “The Rich Eisen Show” on Thursday, former Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw offered up an impassioned defense of Kenny Pickett as the franchise’s starter at the position. “I love Pickett,” Bradshaw said. “I know him well. He’s fiercely competitive. He’s a tough-minded kid. Things don’t bother him. I...
First Call: A different take on the Justin Fields-to-Pittsburgh talk; guess who almost became Steelers QB in the ‘90s?
A different consideration is being advanced about the prospect of the Pittsburgh Steelers trading for Justin Fields. A blast from the past reveals that he was almost a Steelers quarterback in the early 1990s. The Penguins are preparing to renew acquaintances with their friends from Philadelphia. Some Robert Morris Colonials...
Tim Benz: Yes, Kyle Dubas has many options. No, none of them are any good
If you tried to follow the flowchart of messaging from Pittsburgh Penguins’ general manager Kyle Dubas, it got pretty confusing. • At one point during his media availability in advance of the March 8 trade deadline, Dubas made it sound like the Penguins may have to trade All-Star winger Jake...
