Tim Benz Columns category, Page 13
U mad, bro?: Pirates fans fume over criticism of Paul Skenes’ pitch count, Steelers fans say, ‘Pay T.J. Watt!’
There are very few reasons to watch the Pittsburgh Pirates these days. One of them is Paul Skenes. So, when he is pitching great and gets pulled early, I get mad. As I wrote on Tuesday, in the wake of that occurrence happening in Seattle over the weekend, I was...
First Call: Rooney family member pans Steelers roster and rips idea of paying T.J. Watt big money; Reds honor Dave Parker
Thursday’s “First Call” has some harsh words about the Pittsburgh Steelers from someone within the Rooney family. Dave Parker is honored by one of his former teams. We’ve also got Pirates’ draft speculation and roster building from the Duquesne football team. Family matters If someone named Rooney is unloading their...
Tim Benz: Debate over Oneil Cruz’s Home Run Derby invitation is unnecessary
Oneil Cruz has been named to the roster for the Major League Baseball All-Star Home Run Derby on Monday night. That seems to have stirred a debate on sports talk radio and in social media circles as to whether Cruz “deserves” to be in the competition. Personally, I’m not sure...
Theories why the Steelers and T.J. Watt are so ‘far apart’ in contract talks
The Pittsburgh Steelers and disgruntled outside linebacker T.J. Watt still have a lot of ground to cover on contract renegotiations, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “They’re far apart right now, and there have been other teams that have mulled the idea that maybe they would approach the Pittsburgh Steelers about...
First Call: Dak Prescott heaping praise on George Pickens; WR or safety debated as Steelers’ weakest position
Wednesday’s “First Call” has early praise for former Steeler George Pickens thanks to his new quarterback. We look at soft spots on the Steelers’ depth chart. The odds of Pittsburgh getting an NBA team are dubious. And Duquesne’s top receiver is getting some national run. Pumped up for Pickens For...
No history lessons necessary for Penguins prospects as they shape the franchise’s future
For the expansive list of new Pittsburgh Penguins prospects at their recent development camp, there was a lot to be learned. They got to meet their coaches, the staff and each other. They were able to learn their way around the UPMC Lemieux practice complex in Cranberry and put on...
Tim Benz: Load management for Paul Skenes heightens ‘whipped-puppy syndrome’ for some Pirates fans
The only thing worse than the Pittsburgh Pirates’ restriction on Paul Skenes’ innings Sunday was the support of that action from a (far too large) segment of the team’s remaining fanbase. A segment that is apparently even more brainwashed than I suspected. It’s certainly not all Pirates fans. In fact,...
First Call: Royals’ mound opponent for Mitch Keller under similar trade watch; 2 young Steelers getting national notice
A pair of young Pittsburgh Steelers are getting interesting recognition. Mitch Keller’s mound opponent in Kansas City has something in common with him. An ex-Duquesne Duke is receiving a look from an NBA club, and the Doak Walker Award odds feature some local running backs. All that in Tuesday’s “First...
Tim Benz: The Pirates keep trying to tell us who they are. We should just listen
If you ever forget who the Pittsburgh Pirates really are, give them five minutes. They’ll remind you right away. Just three days after completing a sweep of St. Louis in which the Bucs shut out the Cards in all three contests (7-0, 1-0, 5-0), manager Don Kelly’s team countered that...
First Call: Skepticism over T.J. Watt yielding a 1st-round pick in a trade; Larry Fitzgerald’s son chooses college
We wrap up an extended holiday weekend with Monday’s “First Call.” It features a schism between T.J. Watt’s trade value and his contract demands. A former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver is trying to find a way back into the NFL. A renowned Pitt alum has a son who will be attending...
Madden Monday: Timing of Omar Khan’s extension an example of Art Rooney II’s ‘lazy’ approach to Steelers’ ownership
Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan is getting a three-year contract extension, even though the team has yet to win a playoff game under the first three years of his stewardship. Mark Madden of TribLive and 105.9 The X thinks that’s a bit curious. “I don’t understand why now,” Madden...
First Call: Jonnu Smith’s thoughts on trade to Steelers; Aaron Rodgers’ photo of workouts with pass catchers
“First Call” for Thursday gets us into the holiday weekend by giving you a look at Jonnu Smith’s perspective after being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Aaron Rodgers is working out with his new teammates during the offseason. The Pirates are hoping to stay hot against Seattle. And we examine...
Tim Benz: Why I’m ‘out’ on the ‘all in’ cliché for the 2025 SteelersVideo
Ever since the Steelers-Dolphins trade was consummated Monday morning, I’ve heard this refrain a million times: “The Steelers are all in for 2025!” "The Steelers are going ALL IN..This is AWESOME and this is just what we needed"@ToneDigz #PMSLive #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/VLSRCcqlEV— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 30, 2025 "The Steelers...
U mad, bro?: Pittsburgh fans launch opinions on Steelers’ trade, Sidney Crosby’s legacy, Oneil Cruz’s focus
When the Pittsburgh Steelers are involved in one of the NFL’s biggest player-for-player trades in 20 years, you know people are going to have opinions. When Sidney Crosby is rumored as a trade chip on draft night, you know Penguins fans are going to react. And you know that whenever...
Tim Benz: Kyle Dubas puts emphasis on individual development for Penguins’ 1st round ‘triplets’Video
The last time the Pittsburgh Penguins drafted three players in the first round, it was 1984. Two of those players were Doug Bodger and Roger Belanger. The third guy? I don’t remember. Did he ever amount to much? Oh … right. No. None of the three players Pens general manager...
First Call: Jalen Ramsey hints at Steelers jersey number; Cam Heyward ‘shook’ by trade; Rod Woodson on Ramsey at safety
Wednesday’s “First Call” reveals how Jalen Ramsey is leaking the jersey number he wants with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cameron Heyward is sorting out emotions after the departure of Minkah Fitzpatrick. Rod Woodson has thoughts about Ramsey perhaps moving to safety. And a former Penguins goalie — besides Alex Nedeljkovic — has...
Paul Skenes was overdue for a few good breaks against the Cardinals
Paul Skenes had to know this was coming, right? The notoriously piddly Pittsburgh Pirates’ bats have been the biggest reason why last year’s National League Rookie of the Year is only 4-7 this season. In four of Skenes’ five starts last month, the Pirates plated two runs or fewer. But...
Tim Benz: Kyle Dubas doesn’t question the strategy of Penguins’ draft pick stockpile
As Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas started to amass draft picks throughout last season in an effort to help rebuild the franchise, few felt all the selections he had for the 2025 entry process would be used as actual picks. After all, as of Friday morning, he had 11...
First Call: How Steelers’ trade may impact T.J. Watt’s contract; Bill Cowher and George Pickens weigh in on deal
Tuesday’s “First Call” examines the ripple effect of the Pittsburgh Steelers trading Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for Jonnu Smith and Jalen Ramsey. Specifically, we gauge the potential impact on T.J. Watt’s contract negotiations. We get trade reaction from George Pickens and Bill Cowher. Plus, a former...
Tim Benz: Details of Steelers-Dolphins trade are easier to figure out than the big picture
If you are trying to wrap your brain around the pros and cons of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ trade with the Miami Dolphins on Monday morning, I don’t blame you. I’ll let you know when I finish doing that myself. Here’s what I do know. I know that Jonnu Smith and...
First Call: Football camp walks back criticism of George Pickens; Tyler Boyd discusses prospect of joining SteelersVideo
There is an odd twist in the story about former Steeler George Pickens bailing on that youth football camp. Pitt product Tyler Boyd discusses the prospect of playing with the Steelers. The Mets are getting ripped for how they played this weekend in Pittsburgh. And there are some local connections...
‘Ohhhh, David Gene’: A picture of Dave Parker tells a thousand wordsVideo
Like a lot of young Pittsburgh Pirates fans who were introduced to baseball in the 1970s, I had a Dave Parker poster on my wall. A shot of him with his massive chest opened toward the camera after a swing — one hand on the bat about to drop it...
Madden Monday: Expect Sidney Crosby to retire a Penguin, but ‘this year will test him’
My anticipation heading into the NHL draft was that the Pittsburgh Penguins would use one of their two first-round draft picks while parlaying the other for a player who could bolster the 2025-26 roster. Instead, they ended up acquiring a third pick in the first round and using all three...
Tim Benz: Daniel Mantenuto becomes 1st RMU men’s hockey Olympian with Team Italy selection
Daniel Mantenuto’s senior year of college hockey at Robert Morris University didn’t conclude in a conventional way. It didn’t culminate with him holding a championship trophy above his head or in a solemn handshake line after a bitter playoff defeat. No, his NCAA career ended at a pregame meal in...
First Call: James Harrison’s revealing quotes about Mike Tomlin; a T.J. Watt contract update; potential NHL CBA detailsVideo
Friday’s “First Call” has an interesting assessment of Mike Tomlin’s coaching style from former Pittsburgh Steeler James Harrison. There’s a new slant on T.J. Watt’s contract situation. We have a preview of the upcoming Pirates-Mets series. And some details are leaking out about what could be in the next NHL...
