Tim Benz Columns category, Page 95
Tim Benz: Some things the Penguins can do better in rematch with Avalanche
Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan didn’t think that his team’s 3-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche in Denver deserved too much disappointment. “It was just a really good hockey game. It was a well-played game on both sides,” Sullivan said after the defeat. “It was a real competitive hockey game.”...
Tim Benz: How North Carolina played itself into a unique position in sports
As the North Carolina Tar Heels ride into Monday night’s NCAA Tournament Championship game against Kansas, they are in one of the most unique sports positions in recent memory. A blue-blood, high-profile, historically elite college basketball team. Yet it’s somehow in the underdog, “playing with nothing to lose” role at...
Madden Monday: Mitch Trubisky could be biggest factor if Steelers contend for playoffs
During many of our “Madden Monday” podcasts throughout this NFL offseason, Mark Madden and I have both expressed our skepticism about the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022. But in this week’s edition, Madden advanced an optimistic scenario. And it has to do with new quarterback Mitch Trubisky. “Do you know the...
First Call: Ravens lose out on free-agent target; ex-Pitt star may grab St. Peter’s job; RMU coach tired of ‘Coach K’ coverage
In Friday’s “First Call,” the Baltimore Ravens miss out on a star free agent signing. A Pitt basketball legend may be getting his first head coaching gig. Robert Morris’ head coach is no fan of the hype surrounding Mike Krzyzewski’s last trip to the Final Four. And we recap another...
Mike Eruzione on his friendship with Mario Lemieux; legacy of the ‘Miracle on Ice;’ Pittsburgh’s special ties to 1980 team
Mike Eruzione’s friendship with Penguins legend Mario Lemieux started decades ago. Back to when he got to know the Hall of Famer through golf tournaments Lemieux set up with one of Eruzione’s Massachusetts hockey pals, former Penguins goalie Tom Barrasso. It’s no surprise the two men remained close over the...
Tim Benz: Mike Tomlin’s embrace of quarterback hype has many purposes
It’s not in the nature of Steelers coach Mike Tomlin to feed media hype. Generally, the more spin a story is getting, the more Tomlin tends to downplay it. Not when it comes to the team’s ongoing study of this year’s draft-eligible quarterbacks, though. During NFL owners meetings interviews, Tomlin...
Tim Benz: Penguins getting Wild at their hottest
Tuesday night’s loss against the New York Rangers began a seven-game stretch for the Penguins exclusively against opponents that are currently in playoff slots. The next such challenge comes against the Minnesota Wild Thursday. And they are the hottest team of the bunch. Under the eye of former Penguin Bill...
Tim Benz: Something to love, something to hate about NFL’s overtime rules change
I suppose Steelers coach Mike Tomlin won’t be happy with the NFL rule change altering overtime in the playoffs. Then again, based on his comments Monday, Tomlin wasn’t all that happy with the rule as it stood last year anyway. Tomlin wanted to go back to old-fashioned, pre-2010 “sudden death”...
Blowout of Red Wings was one thing for Penguins, responding against Rangers would be greater
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust had a succinct assessment of his team’s turnaround from a 5-1 loss in New York against the Rangers on Friday night to an 11-2 drubbing of the Detroit Red Wings at home Sunday. “Tonight was substantially more fun than the other night,” Rust assessed. Indeed....
Tim Benz: Robert Morris trio goes from losing their hockey home to a national championship
For former Robert Morris women’s hockey coach Paul Colontino, the emotions were easy to sort out. It was natural for him to back Ohio State in their 3-2 NCAA championship game win over Minnesota-Duluth on Mar. 20. “You couldn’t be cheering harder. You’re excited and elated for them to have...
JuJu Smith-Schuster: ‘I had to choose Chiefs Kingdom’
During an Instagram Live interview with the NFL Network’s Taylor Bisciotti on Thursday, ex-Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster tried to explain why he left Pittsburgh for the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taylor Bisciotti (@taylorbisciotti) “Going with the Steelers and...
Tim Benz: What the Tyreek Hill trade means for him, the Dolphins, Chiefs and even the Steelers
It’s often said in professional sports that a good trade helps both teams involved. But what if a deal is bad for all three parties involved? That was my initial reaction to the big NFL trade announced Wednesday, which resulted in Kansas City Chiefs star receiver Tyreek Hill being dealt...
Tim Benz: Rickard Rakell’s arrival is one of many variables as Mike Sullivan shuffles Penguins line combinations
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan didn’t bother being coy with his response about long-term plans for Rickard Rakell Monday night. Some were surprised to see the franchise’s prized trade acquisition on the third line with Jeff Carter and Kasperi Kapanen in his debut game against the Columbus Blue Jackets Monday night....
How Pitt, Penn State, WVU played a role in the Fox-ESPN trade for Joe Buck
We just spent the better part of two weeks debating Steelers free agent signings and Penguins trades. So why not kick around another big deal that went down recently: sports broadcaster Joe Buck getting traded from Fox to ESPN in exchange for one college football game. Oh, and, yes, Pitt,...
Penguins look to soak up points before another wave of playoff-worthy competition
Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan says newly acquired winger Rickard Rakell is expected to be available for Tuesday night’s home game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. That’s good because the Penguins need to get two points while they’re available. That goes for Wednesday night against the Buffalo Sabres, too. Because...
Tim Benz: Penguins’ trade for Rickard Rakell is more important than Ron Hextall is letting on
Having been in the Stanley Cup playoffs every season since 2007, trade deadline hoopla has become a predictable part of the Pittsburgh Penguins calendar. The fans and media identify a big-name trade target to improve the club for a playoff run. Usually, that happens around the holidays. Those rumors bubble...
A 6-pack of NCAA Tournament questions to crack open with Mike DeCourcy
Whenever March rolls around I love talking about college basketball with Mike DeCourcy. An alum of Elizabeth Forward, Point Park and The Pittsburgh Press, DeCourcy now covers the sport for Sporting News, Fox Sports and the Big Ten Network. Assuming a few six-packs will be consumed around our region during...
First Call: Mike Tomlin praises specific Steelers draft prospect; advice for JuJu; Jaromir Jagr’s video for Alex Ovechkin
In Thursday’s “First Call,” it’s clear that Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has eyes for at least one Georgia Bulldog in the draft. Josh Allen is giving an emphatic thumbs up to Mitch Trubisky. JuJu Smith-Schuster is getting some advice about how to angle his free agency. Jaromir Jagr congratulates...
Tim Benz: If NFL teams have concerns over public relations fallout from acquiring Deshaun Watson, they aren’t showing any
The Steelers surfaced as a rumored trade destination for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson last week. A frequent and immediate response from many who cover the team or root for it was that the franchise couldn’t make such a deal “because it would be a public relations nightmare.” The Steelers...
Former Steelers, Bears QB says Mitch Trubisky was ‘being vilified as the problem maker’ in Chicago
Former Steeler Jim Miller knows about quarterbacking in both Pittsburgh and Chicago. He knows what a cluttered QB room is like, having been in that situation with Neil O’Donnell, Kordell Stewart and Mike Tomczak. And he knows the game of new Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky pretty well, too. Miller is...
Tim Benz: Remember recent history when it comes to the Steelers signing Mitch Trubisky
Here’s a little historical reference before dissecting the Steelers’ decision to sign quarterback Mitch Trubisky. On March 4, 2021, the Steelers reworked Ben Roethlisberger’s contract for one final season in the fall. On March 18, Trubisky signed a contract to be the Buffalo Bills backup quarterback after getting no offers...
Tim Benz: Penguins-Hurricanes regular season battles did little to reveal clues for a potential playoff showdown
Often after Penguins games, head coach Mike Sullivan seems to draw a pretty thick line between the process and the result. The Penguins may win a game but not necessarily play well en route to victory. Under those circumstances, Sullivan has a hard time hiding his agitation. After other games,...
Tim Benz: Should we buy Brian Burke’s hard sell about the idea of a quiet trade deadline for the Penguins?
Penguins president of hockey operations Brian Burke is doing a really hard sell on not buying at the trade deadline. So much, in fact, that every time he addresses the topic, I now find myself more convinced that the Pens are going 180 degrees the other way toward being the...
Tim Benz: Tying Deshaun Watson to Steelers feels like QB’s camp trying to speak a hope into existence
Former NFL quarterback Shaun King explained his tweet from Wednesday that suggested if Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson receives a favorable outcome in his legal battle Friday, he’d likely be heading to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hearing if things go well friday Deshaun Watson to the steelers is happening soon after......
First Call: 6 teams high on Steelers’ receiver; Giants like Mitch Trubisky; Brian Burke challenges Kasperi Kapanen
Thursday’s “First Call” sees heavy interest in a quarterback the Pittsburgh Steelers might want to sign and a wide receiver they may want to keep. Brian Burke refuses to mince words about a struggling Penguins forward. The Washington Capitals lose, but still gain ground on the Penguins. And a blossoming...
