Tim Benz Columns category
U mad, bro?: Aaron Rodgers, the unearthed Steelers-Ravens officiating debate, 3-on-3 Olympic hockey all take shots from fansVideo
This week’s “U mad, bro?” goes from Milan to the North Side Notch. Hockey in the Summer Olympics to the reconstruction of PNC Park. Three-month-old football games to WWE wrestling. In other words, just a typical week. Here’s the latest edition. I took a jab at Team Canada coach Jon...
First Call: Konnor Griffin should ‘bat third’ for Pirates; Omar Khan on the idea of signing Tyreek HillVideo
Our Wednesday “First Call” has NESN’s reaction to Konnor Griffin’s two homers against the Boston Red Sox. Omar Khan dodges a question about Tyreek Hill. Dallas’ Brandon Aubrey may adjust the kicker market before Chris Boswell becomes a free agent. And it’s a busy night for Pittsburgh college basketball. Making...
Tim Benz: Don’t buy Omar Khan’s praise of Will Howard just yet. We’ve heard him sing this tune before
For a team that hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016, the Pittsburgh Steelers appear willing to entertain the prospect of a former sixth-round draft pick who has never thrown an NFL pass to be their quarterback this fall. The key word in that sentence is “appear.” During two media...
Months later, NFL admits it got another call wrong in crucial Steelers-Ravens gameVideo
More than two months after a Pittsburgh Steelers’ win in Baltimore, the NFL is saying that it got a controversial call wrong in that game. During the Steelers’ 27-22 victory Dec. 7, Aaron Rodgers caught his own pass that was batted back in his face. Baltimore linebacker Teddye Buchanan seemed...
First Call: Potential Steelers WR draft target limited at combine; Rickard Rakell on playing center while Sidney Crosby is hurtVideo
Tuesday’s “First Call” has some disappointing news from the NFL combine regarding a potential Pittsburgh Steelers draft target. The Cowboys are massaging the franchise tag situation with George Pickens. Plus, Penguins forward Rickard Rakell shares his Olympic opinions, and he discusses a potential move to center with Sidney Crosby injured....
Tim Benz: Sidney Crosby’s injury comes at tricky time for Penguins with trade deadline looming
Ben Kindel sat at his locker after Monday’s practice, next to Sidney Crosby’s empty stall. As the rookie forward responded to the question, he looked up at Crosby’s name plate — as if Crosby’s presence was there even if he wasn’t. “Sid’s quite a big part of our team. Our...
First Call: Ex-Steelers say its time to move on from Patrick Queen; Team Canada’s coach grousing about 3-on-3Video
Monday’s “First Call” has some sour grapes from Team Canada’s hockey coach regarding his team’s loss to the United States in the Olympic gold medal game Sunday. A pair of former Steelers think it’s time for Pittsburgh to say goodbye to a big-ticket starter on defense. The Tush Push may...
Madden Monday: Steelers want Aaron Rodgers so badly ‘they will wait as long as it takes’Video
A few weeks ago, it felt like Aaron Rodgers’ return to the Pittsburgh Steelers was simply a matter of time. This past week, though, multiple reports suggested otherwise. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said Rodgers’ decision could take months. CBS Sports’ Aditi Kinkhabwala said she was told that the chances for a...
Tim Benz: Team USA didn’t need a miracle this time. It just needed to seize the momentVideo
The Team USA Olympic ice hockey win over Canada wasn’t a miracle. This time, the American skaters didn’t need one. They just needed the last goal. Forty-six years ago, in Lake Placid, a miracle was necessary. When the roster was composed of American college kids playing against the Soviet Red...
Former Pirate Neil Walker shares the depth of his bond with Bill Mazeroski
Former Pittsburgh Pirate Neil Walker was about 8 or 9 years old. He remembers the words of advice from his father. “Make sure you ask him for an autograph. You tuck that away. You are going to want it when you are older,” Tom Walker told his son. Walker was...
Anatomy of a buzzer-beater: Why Duquesne’s game-winning shot to beat La Salle almost never happenedVideo
Tarence Guinyard’s coast-to-coast, buzzer-beating drive to beat La Salle on Wednesday made it onto ESPN SportsCenter’s “Top 10 Plays” for the night. Coming in at #️⃣5️⃣ on SportsCenter!! #GoDukes | @TarenceGuinyard pic.twitter.com/Ht5nMibufb— Duquesne Basketball (@DuqMBB) February 19, 2026 But the exhilarating highlight from the Duquesne guard almost never happened. During...
Sidney Crosby’s injury spotlights many Olympic hockey debates. Let’s get into all of them
Sidney Crosby’s injury has not yet cost him a game as the captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins. It may not even cost him a game as the captain of Team Canada. For now, his status is uncertain heading into Friday’s semifinal game against Finland after getting hurt in the quarterfinals...
First Call: Aaron Rodgers decision ‘could take months;’ draft analyst questions QB idea for Steelers at No. 21
Friday’s “First Call” tells Pittsburgh what it may not want to hear about Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. One draft analyst has some advice for the Steelers when it comes to the idea of picking Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. A Duquesne basketball player just set an individual mark that reflects team...
Beyond the Bylines: Joe Starkey, Tim Benz on Sidney Crosby’s injury, NHL in the Olympics, Steelers PodcastgateVideo
This week’s “Beyond the Bylines” streamed on Thursday instead of Friday because Joe Starkey already needs a vacation, and he’s only been back at TribLive for about a month. So he is going to Florida to play golf on Friday. We did not discuss Joe’s golf game. We did, however,...
U mad, bro?: Ex-Steelers players are mad at each other, and Steelers fans are mad at them
In case you lost track, James Harrison got mad at Mike Tomlin’s coaching late last season. Ben Roethlisberger seemed to agree that it was time for a change. Joey Porter fired back at Roethlisberger and Harrison. Maurkice Pouncey launched a volley back at Porter. Steven Nelson reignited the debate and...
Tim Benz: Ben Roethlisberger takes a familiar approach to handling Joey Porter’s comments
Ben Roethlisberger was the king of two things during his career as quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers. One was extending a play by warding off or eluding would-be tacklers in the offensive backfield prior to connecting on a huge passing play. The other was passive aggressiveness. No one could throw...
First Call: Mike Tomlin shows up at a college hoops game; Steelers linked to former WPIAL, Penn State safetyVideo
Wednesday’s “First Call” reveals efforts by many of Mike Tomlin’s former players to lend their support to him in the wake of his decision to step down as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. A former Penn State and WPIAL standout is linked to the Steelers in free agency....
A 5-point plan for Duquesne to win its 5th in a row
Duquesne (15-10) is playing its best basketball of the season. The Dukes have won four in a row and five of their last six. Coach Dru Joyce III’s club is now up to a three-way tie for fourth place in the Atlantic 10 with Saint Joseph’s and Dayton at 7-5....
Tim Benz: Having the draft in Pittsburgh won’t make the Steelers take a QB … but it might make it harder to pass upVideo
When it comes to the notion of the Steelers taking a quarterback in Round 1 of this year’s NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, TribLive’s Mark Madden had this to say during this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast. “Ain’t no pop like the quarterback pop,” Madden said. “Art (Rooney II) wants to get...
First Call: Pittsburgh mentioned as possible destination for Tyreek Hill; ex-Steelers OL also released by MiamiVideo
Tuesday’s “First Call” discusses the potential of Tyreek Hill joining the Pittsburgh Steelers. A former Steeler was also released with Hill from the Miami Dolphins. Young Steelers linemen are getting acknowledgement from their high-profile predecessors. And we tell you how much the Steelers racked up in league fines for 2025....
‘The Natural,’ ‘Days of Thunder’ among sports movie roles that helped make Robert Duvall a legendVideo
The entertainment world is mourning the loss of actor Robert Duvall. He died Sunday at the age of 95. He was best known for his roles in “The Godfather,” “The Godfather Part II,” “Network,” “Apocalypse Now,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “True Grit,” “The Apostle” and many others. But Duvall certainly...
First Call: Another former Steeler has a gripe with Ben Roethlisberger; Chargers snag 2 coaches with Pittsburgh ties
Monday’s “First Call” includes the latest former Pittsburgh Steeler to take a swat at Ben Roethlisberger. The Los Angeles Chargers are bringing two familiar names with Pittsburgh backgrounds onto their coaching staff. And Sidney Crosby wasn’t the only player with Pittsburgh Penguins ties on the scoresheet in the Olympic hockey...
Madden Monday: Art Rooney II may not be able to resist the temptation of drafting a QB in Pittsburgh
Ty Simpson’s name is frequently brought up when conversations about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ draft strategy take place. The Alabama quarterback might be available at or around pick No. 21 when the Steelers are on the clock. In this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden of TribLive and 105.9 the X...
Tim Benz: Recent squabbles between former Steelers highlight a deeper issue
Former Steelers safety Ryan Clark spoke for a lot of Steelers fans last week when he called for a halt to the negative banter between former teammates. Retired Steelers linebacker Joey Porter recently panned fellow Steelers Hall of Honor inductees James Harrison and Ben Roethlisberger for having critical things to...
‘Beyond the Bylines’ with Tim Benz and Joe Starkey — Feb. 13, 2026Video
Go “Beyond the Bylines” with Tim Benz and Joe Starkey as they cover the latest sports talk in Pittsburgh — digging deeper on the subjects — from Steelers to Penguins to Pirates, and beyond. Watch the Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, show:...
