Breakfast With Benz category, Page 162
First Call: Antonio Brown working out with Redskins QB; more Minkah Fitzpatrick honors
Thursday’s “First Call” tells us which quarterback is flirting with Antonio Brown now. Anthony Chickillo talks about his new home in New Orleans. And more praise for Minkah Fitzpatrick. Mr. Big Chest goes to Washington? Well, not yet. But it seems as if he’d like to. The latest quarterback to...
Tim Benz: The NHL’s return to play address wasn’t a plan. It was more of an update.
When NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman made his return to play announcement Tuesday, was I the only one who walked away feeling like Clark W. Griswold in “Christmas Vacation”? Many of us were expecting details, dates, locations and playoff systems. Instead, we got a subscription to the “Jelly of the Month”...
First Call: A deeper look at Steelers coach Mike Tomlin’s odds for coach of the year
Wednesday’s “First Call” looks at why there was no push for Mike Tomlin in the NFL Coach of the Year gambling odds. We fix a “Super Snub.” And a little free advice for Peyton Manning. Money on Mike? You may have seen that NFL Coach of the Year odds are...
First Call: ESPN’s ‘Lance’ documentary isn’t ‘The Last Dance.’ And that’s OK.
For Monday’s “First Call,” we review Episode 1 of the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary about Lance Armstrong. “Lance” depicts the complicated story of the cancer-beating, EPO-using, self-absorbed cycling champion-turned-cautionary tale. And if you are coming to the 9 p.m. Sunday time slot to find the sequel Michael Jordan’s “The...
Mark Madden on ‘superficial’ Steelers, ‘cowardly’ Pitt, ‘creep’ Vince McMahon
This week’s “Madden Monday” podcast comes at you a day later than normal because of the Memorial Day weekend. But that just gives us more content to unearth. We start with Mark’s column over the weekend. It examines the Steelers’ locker room culture. Mark believes it has become too superficial....
Debate rages over Gov. Wolf’s comments about return of sports in Pa.
I feel like Dante in the movie “Clerks.” “I’m not even supposed to be here today!” Yeah, this was supposed to be an off day. Extend the holiday weekend a bit. But I got a call from one of our editors last night, asking if I’d be willing to do...
What makes a good linemate for Sidney Crosby? And what makes him so great?
Thursday’s “Breakfast With Benz” podcast features Sonny Sachdeva. He’s the Sportsnet.ca writer who put together the piece about Sidney Crosby’s linemates over the years. He chronicled the likes of Patric Hornqvist, Colby Armstrong, Chris Kunitz and many others — dating all the way back to juniors. It’s a really interesting...
First Call: Sleepers may prove to be biggest contributors from 2020 Steelers draft
NFL first-round picks are usually supposed to contribute in at least some significant capacity as rookies. Just look at the Steelers’ track record over the past decade. Maurkice Pouncey started all 16 games as a rookie center in 2010. T.J. Watt started 15 at outside linebacker in 2017. David DeCastro...
Tim Benz: Gov. Wolf’s comments about sports fans were arrogant and inaccurate
While exploring the prospect of major sports events returning to Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf put his foot in his mouth. Even while wearing a facemask. Yup, for this guy, that’s possible. Apparently, Wolf isn’t satisfied telling Pittsburgh’s quarterback whether he can get his haircut. He’s also telling Pittsburgh fans whether...
‘U mad, bro?’: Fans hot over Harrison’s envelope, Pirates payroll, Crosby comparisons
This week’s “U mad, bro?” hits on the Pittsburgh Steelers, Penguins and Pirates alike. So all the Pittsburgh pro sports fan bases can be satisfied with those who are unsatisfied! We look for balance here at “Breakfast With Benz,” and we aim to please. Or agitate. Whatever comes first. It...
First Call: How to bet on Big Ben. Why some national guys won’t. Bad options for his backup.Video
In Wednesday’s “First Call,” we look at how you should — or shouldn’t — bet on some individual Pittsburgh Steelers. One national take on the Steelers I like. One I don’t. And the ugly reality of the NFL quarterback situation. Who wants to bet big on Big Ben? FoxBet.com has...
Curtis Martin on Pitt Hall of Fame, advice for James Conner, beating Steelers in playoffs
Curtis Martin’s relationship with football has always been complicated. Especially since it seems like the sport chased him more than he pursued it. Martin’s mother, Rochella, essentially dragged her son onto the field to keep him occupied and out of trouble. So, for his senior year at Taylor Allderdice High...
First Call: Odell Beckham Jr. jabs Myles Garrett over helmet swing; Watt brothers’ ‘Ultimate Tag’ to debut
How do you connect the dots between ESPN’s “Last Dance” documentary about Michael Jordan and the Pittsburgh Steelers? Follow along. One of the scenes from Monday’s finale of the documentary depicted some exaggerated backside slapping between Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone during the 1998 NBA Finals. Cleveland Browns defensive lineman...
Some goals. Some goons. A brawl. A building. The top 20 Penguins grudges of all time.
Last week, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan published a list of unresolved grievances for every NHL team. She got an assist from ESPN producer and Pittsburgh-area product Denny Wolfe for some perspective. And it’s a pretty good list of the unresolved anger issues Penguins fans hold in the pit of their gut....
Tim Benz: A link between the Rooney Rule and the NFL Draft is bad. What it says about the league is worse.
The NFL’s plan to expand the Rooney Rule is bad. The commentary the league is making about itself for even considering such a proposal is even worse. The NFL has only four minority head coaches (Mike Tomlin, Steelers; Brian Flores, Miami Dolphins; Anthony Lynn, Los Angeles Chargers; and Ron Rivera,...
First Call: Sidney Crosby is the Michael Jordan of hockey, former Penguins star says
Let’s hope we are a long way off from “The Last Skate” when it comes to Penguins star Sidney Crosby. But in the wake of the successful ESPN “The Last Dance” documentary about Michael Jordan, Sportsnet.ca asked Penguins assistant coach Mark Recchi for a hockey comparison to Michael Jordan. And...
Mark Madden on JuJu Smith-Schuster: ‘He wasn’t unmotivated, he was unfocused’
Some sports are starting to play without fans. Golf. NASCAR. Soccer. How can the four major North American sports — and the NCAA — learn from what they are seeing so far? That’s how Mark Madden and I start off this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast. Mark has been watching the...
What fantasy sports players expect out of Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, 82-game MLB season
Part of the reason many folks have been missing sports so much is the loss of fantasy sports, too. So if Major League Baseball comes back soon — if the players and owners ever get their acts together — that means fantasy baseball can come back, as well. Now what?...
First Call: James Harrison has much more to say about Steelers beyond ‘the envelope’
In Friday’s “First Call” we look at everything James Harrison said in that interview with Willie Colon besides the inferred payment for his hit on Mohamed Massaquoi. Also, that story isn’t sitting well with Saints coach Sean Payton. Fake crowd noise on NFL broadcasts? And another “Lemieux” has No. 66....
Ken Macha on Pitt Hall of Fame, almost managing Pirates, Dave Parker legends
For nearly 70 years, baseball has been tied to Ken Macha. At age 69, the former Major Leaguer is still coaching with Westmoreland County Community College. His path on the diamond saw him roam as far as Venezuela, Montreal and Japan. But it so often threaded its way back through...
First Call: Ranking all 10 of Steelers first round picks of 2010s
NFL.com posted this ranking of the No. 1 overall picks in the draft from 2010-19. That’s what you do when you are in the midst of a coronavirus shutdown and you have no content to speak of. Hey, I’m not hatin’. I’m praising! Good job, Ali Bhanpuri. The check is...
U mad, bro? Readers fume over coverage of Ben Roethlisberger, Barry Bonds, NHL return
This week’s “U mad, bro?” has a little of everything. Angry hockey fans. Miffed Barry Bonds defenders. Football historians in a snit. Even a good ol’ fashioned case of mistaken identity. “B Byrnes” goes hard after Fox’s Jay Glazer for his shot at Ben Roethlisberger’s history of offseason fitness. Or...
Tim Benz: MLB owners are sneaky, but anti-cap paranoia makes players look worse
I’m not one who likes to compare big-time sports to everyday life. Matters of salaries and collective bargaining agreements and billions of dollars of revenue crop up quite a bit in professional athletics. When that happens, tune in to a sports talk radio show and invariably “Joe Working Class Hero”...
First Call: Jay Glazer unhappy with response to his jab at Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger
Wednesday’s “First Call” features NFL insider Jay Glazer’s latest attempt to clarify his characterization of Ben Roethlisberger’s workout habits. More heat on New York Jets coach Adam Gase for how he is using Le’Veon Bell. And there is a large Pittsburgh presence on the Pro Football Focus All-Decade team. Overcorrection?...
Odds set for ‘MNF’ booth. Antonio Brown is actually on the board.
Football fans can actually bet on who will be the next color commentator in the “Monday Night Football” booth. By some stroke of insanity, former Steeler Antonio Brown is on the board via Sportsbetting.ag. With odds of 100/1. I know. I thought they’d be greater when I read the headline,...
