Tim Benz Columns category, Page 79
Tim Benz: Why gambling on the Pirates has become the most popular bet on MLB boards
Over much of the past 40 years, betting on the Pittsburgh Pirates has been a good way to lose a lot of money. But based on some early movement this season, the Pirates are a popular pick among baseball gamblers. According to Max Meyer of Caesars Sportsbook, no one is...
Tim Benz: Reviewing roughing the passer calls sounds great in theory, until you think about how the NFL would do it
Here’s an idea emerging from meetings at the NFL scouting combine that could make some Pittsburgh Steelers defensive players very happy. Particularly defensive captain Cameron Heyward. I just don’t want Heyward to get too excited too quickly. According to NFL.com’s Judy Battista, one team in the league has proposed to...
Madden Monday: Penguins still need to figure out how to put together their ‘puzzle pieces’
You had to love the irony surrounding the Pittsburgh Penguins giveaway for fans attending Sunday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. It was a puzzle. Yes, a 500-piece “Paint the Ice” puzzle kit. Based on head coach Mike Sullivan’s “our roster is our roster” comment from last week, the...
Jim Boeheim’s comments about Pitt didn’t go over well in Syracuse either
When Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim took a swat at Pitt and a few other ACC schools for “buying a team,” it didn’t go over well in Pittsburgh. It didn’t go over well elsewhere. Like, in Syracuse. Brent Axe is a radio host at ESPN Syracuse and a columnist for...
Tim Benz: Penguins’ loss to Oilers wasn’t a wake-up call, it was a knockout punchVideo
If it didn’t hit you after the Edmonton Oilers took a 6-1 lead on the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second period Thursday, it should have hit you when the “Fire Hextall” chants echoed throughout PPG Paints Arena shortly thereafter. #FireHextall Chants at PPG Paints Arena… one the worst games I’ve...
U mad, bro?: Frustration around Mike Tomlin’s ‘standard,’ slumping Penguins, Pitt being unranked, Gerrit Cole’s quip
One thing that is wonderful about Pittsburgh sports fans is that they do not discriminate when it comes to their angst. The Steelers, Pirates, Penguins, Pitt, college basketball … even the XFL! This week’s “U mad, bro?” illustrates how all-encompassing of a community we truly have in this great city....
Source: Mason Rudolph will explore other options, but won’t ‘close door’ on Steelers if team moves on from Mitch Trubisky
There has been a lot of chatter this offseason about the prospect of the Pittsburgh Steelers cutting or trading quarterback Mitch Trubisky. If that were to happen, would the Steelers entertain the prospect of keeping free-agent third-stringer Mason Rudolph? And would Rudolph even entertain that idea after he was bypassed...
After quirky box score against St. Louis, Duquesne looks for basic improvements against La Salle
Saturday’s 90-85 Atlantic 10 conference loss at St. Louis (18-9, 10-4 conf.) featured some numbers in the box score that are hard to ignore for the Duquesne Dukes. As much as they’d probably like to do so. • At one point, Duquesne (18-9, 8-6) led by 15 in the first...
Tim Benz: No, the NFL shouldn’t adopt the XFL’s goofy, artificial scoring rules
As we outlined in Monday’s “First Call” post, former Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowler Hines Ward lost his XFL coaching debut over the weekend 18-15 to the St. Louis BattleHawks. Ward’s San Antonio Brahmas blew a 12-3 lead, yielding 15 points in the final 90 seconds of the game. But the...
Tim Benz: Tristan Jarry fixed a lot of problems for the Penguins, until he created a few himself
For the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night, simply getting Tristan Jarry back in goal seemed to cure a lot of the ills that had been plaguing them of late. Until he caught the germs. On Monday night, the Penguins’ top netminder played his first game since Jan. 22 against the...
Tim Benz: For Pitt basketball — seize upcoming chances to win and play ‘blame game’ later
For fans of the Pitt Panthers basketball team, complaining about the poll voters has proven fruitless. Blaming flawed computer-ranking models — or at least flawed interpretations of them — is doing no good. Jeff Capel’s attempt to take a jab at the ACC Network for weak promotion on Monday was...
First Call: 1 Steeler free agent sounds inclined to stay; Penguins’ FSG ownership discusses future of other investments
At least one Pittsburgh Steelers free agent sure sounds like a guy who wants to stay in Black and Gold. The Florida Panthers and New York Islanders are making waves in the Eastern Conference wild-card race. Meanwhile, the Boston Bruins continue to dominate atop the NHL standings. And the Penguins...
Madden Monday: ‘If it was totally up to me, I would trade (Jason) Zucker and (Brian) Dumoulin. I would be a seller’
The Pittsburgh Penguins have lost the first two games in their critical three-pack of contests against Metropolitan Division rivals. They dropped a 5-4 decision to the New York Islanders on Friday. They fell 5-2 at home to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. Game 3 of that batch is Monday...
Tim Benz: Questions remain around Kenny Pickett — and many other quarterbacks
At this time a year ago, pretty much any Pittsburgh Steelers conversation was focused on the quarterback position. Would Aaron Rodgers really retire or leave Green Bay? What’s happening with Russell Wilson and Derek Carr? Do the Steelers have any faith in Mason Rudolph? How serious is the team about...
NFL may ban Eagles’ QB sneak, making some current, former Steelers very happy
Here’s a potential NFL rule change some Pittsburgh Steelers defensive players will actually embrace for a change. Pro Bowl defensive lineman Cameron Heyward recently ripped the idea of the NFL implementing a “hip-drop tackle” ban. But he may like the latest possible addendum to the rule book. Heyward is one...
Tim Benz: Atop ACC — yet unranked — perception of Pitt raises questions about NCAA hoops evaluations
It’s the week of Valentine’s Day in Pittsburgh. It’s been well above 60 degrees the last few days. And the Pitt men’s basketball team is tied for the ACC lead. What’s next? Snow on the Fourth of July and the Pirates leading the National League Central? Honestly, back in early...
Atlantic 10 commissioner, many coaches embrace NCAA Tournament expansion
It’s almost time for March Madness. So get your field-of-96 bracket ready to go! OK. Maybe not this year. But start warming up to the idea of an expanded NCAA Tournament field for the men and the women. Because it certainly feels like momentum is building within NCAA basketball circles...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fan still crusty; NFL referees absorb some shots; Pirates cynicism
Lingering bitterness from Pittsburgh Steelers fans. Agitation over NFL officiating. Cynicism about the Pirates. And disinterest in the Super Bowl. It sure seems like our readers weren’t hugged enough on Valentine’s Day. Or at all. Like, ever. I mean, going back to when they were kids. That’s why I put...
Commitment, tactical changes driving Duquesne’s defensive improvement
Duquesne basketball coach Keith Dambrot grabbed his phone after Wednesday’s practice and opened up a spreadsheet that illustrated his team’s defensive improvement in recent weeks. Not to brag. Just to confirm the numbers. And maybe to convince himself a little bit that the jump in defensive performance is as legit...
Tim Benz: Preparing for XFL coaching debut, Hines Ward embraces Steelers ‘standards’ from Mike Tomlin, Bill Cowher
Former Pittsburgh Steeler Hines Ward is doing that thing you do when you get older. That thing where you catch yourself saying something to your kids, and you realize you sound just like your mother or father. Except in Ward’s case, he’s not a parent educating a child. He’s a...
‘NFL on CBS’ rules analyst Gene Steratore on late penalty in Super Bowl: ‘It needs to be called’Video
Ever since the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35, there have been complaints from fans about the officiating. Specifically, a defensive holding call against Philadelphia’s James Bradberry on Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster with 1:54 left in the game, deep in the Eagles defensive...
Tim Benz: Jerome Bettis’ critique of Mike Tomlin’s offense should resonate
In his post-retirement life, former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis has done his fair share of media work at ESPN, NBC and locally at WPXI. At no point has anyone ever labeled Bettis a “hot-take artist.” At no point has The Bus garnered the reputation of a flamethrower, spewing...
First Call: JuJu Smith-Schuster describes recruitment to K.C.; predictions for Cam Sutton’s contract; big Super Bowl TV ratings
Tuesday’s “First Call” features some interesting offseason predictions for the Pittsburgh Steelers, including one about Cam Sutton’s future. JuJu Smith-Schuster describes how his recruitment to Kansas City began. The Super Bowl television ratings were gigantic. And the Pitt basketball team looks to stay hot against Boston College. Recruitment revealed Wide...
Tim Benz: Fancy stats prove a simple notion in Chiefs’ Super Bowl win — coach, QB shine en route to victory
Sometimes we oversimplify NFL coverage. We make everything about the coach and the quarterbacks. Sometimes, though, that is the case. And sometimes fancy stats can be used to highlight a simple premise. All that was proven true in Super Bowl LVII as the Kansas City Chiefs outscored the Philadelphia Eagles...
Madden Monday: After watching the Super Bowl, the Steelers are ‘nowhere close to being in a game like that’
Let’s try to view the results of Sunday’s Super Bowl victory for the Kansas City Chiefs over the Philadelphia Eagles through the lens of what it means for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden of 105.9 The X and TribLIVE offers a rather blunt assessment....
