Breakfast With Benz category, Page 2
Tim Benz: Ben Roethlisberger was the QB. But it’s Joey Porter who is throwing stones from a glass house
When it comes to any off-the-field or personality-related debates, it would take a lot for me to side with Ben Roethlisberger over Joey Porter Sr. Unfortunately, Porter just said a lot. As he so often did. On the field, or off of it. I really enjoyed covering Porter. Roethlisberger was...
U mad, bro?: Prickly Pittsburgh fans snipe about Aaron Rodgers reports and Pirates’ spending history
It’s almost Valentine’s Day. Love is in the air. Need proof? Take a look at my social media mentions. It’s pretty obvious. Steelers and Pirates fans are flat-out gushing over everything I have to say about their teams. Enjoy our heartfelt love letters to one another in this week’s “U...
Strong week for Robert Morris athletics continues with men’s and women’s hockey recognition
On Monday, Robert Morris found out two of its basketball players earned Horizon League recognition. DeSean Goode was named Player of the Week, and Darius Livingston earned Freshman of the Week. ???? We swept the @HorizonLeague awards this week. @goode_desean is the Player of the Week and @DariusLjr is the...
First Call: Steelers reportedly interested in Malik Willis; odds for Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown to make Hall of Fame
Malik Willis’ name is coming up with the Pittsburgh Steelers again. Odds are out on Ben Roethlisberger’s chances to make the Hall of Fame next year. We know where Tiger Woods’ son will be golfing in college. The American women’s hockey team at the Olympics stays red hot. And the...
Tim Benz: Pirates’ offseason spending should be embraced, even if cynical explanations are accurate
With spring training getting underway, a lot of Pittsburgh Pirates fans are eagerly debating how much the club’s offseason moves will improve 2026 results from a year ago. Did you catch those words I just tied together in that sentence? “Fans.” “Eagerly.” “Improve.” “Pirates.” Yeah. Uncharted waters around these parts...
First Call: Calvin Austin on his uncertain future with Steelers; Marcell Ozuna’s PNC Park struggles
Tuesday’s “First Call” has some revealing quotes from one of Pittsburgh’s top wide receivers. We look at a challenge facing Marcell Ozuna now that he is a Pittsburgh Pirate. Pitt gets good news about a Panthers basketball alum in advance of the club’s big game against Duke on Tuesday night....
Tim Benz: We may already be looking at an Aaron Rodgers decision deadline
According to what ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting, we may be coming up on a soft deadline from the Pittsburgh Steelers to Aaron Rodgers regarding a decision about his playing status next year. During an appearance Monday on the “Pat McAfee Show,” Schefter told the program that many on the...
Even with Marcell Ozuna, Pirates’ offseason moves are tough to evaluateVideo
The Pittsburgh Pirates made some national headlines Monday by signing former Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna to a one-year, $12 million contract. Even before that acquisition, The Athletic’s Jim Bowden recently released his grades for how Major League Baseball organizations performed this offseason. The former Cincinnati Reds general manager...
Tim Benz: Are Steelers fans playing the wrong ‘what-if game’ after Seattle’s Super Bowl win?
My Super Bowl gathering Sunday night couldn’t have been the only one in Pittsburgh that had this kind of conversation. “What if the Steelers had been willing to outbid Seattle for Sam Darnold?” There were plenty of reports that the Steelers made an offer for his services. To what extent...
Madden Monday: The Seahawks are ‘worthy winners,’ but Super Bowl LX ‘a fitting cap to a really bad NFL season’
In this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden of TribLive and 105.9 The X doesn’t mince words when it comes to discussing Seattle’s 29-13 win over New England in Super Bowl LX. “I think it was a fitting cap to a really bad NFL season. I thought this was one...
First Call: ‘Odds are increasing’ that we’ll see a 2nd year of Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh; George Pickens status update in Dallas
Monday’s “First Call” has some Pittsburgh Steelers news about Aaron Rodgers that may have been buried by Super Bowl Sunday festivities. A former Steeler is getting the franchise tag. A retired Steelers coach likes the decision to hire Mike McCarthy. And I pat myself on the back for some wise...
Tim Benz: A New England Super Bowl win wouldn’t be a wake-up call for the Steelers
I was listening to my TribLive “Beyond the Bylines” colleague Joe Starkey on his 93.7 The Fan radio show Friday. He mentioned that some callers to the station stated that they were actually rooting for the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl on Sunday. Their theory was that if...
First Call: Jay Glazer rips Aaron Rodgers; former Steeler sounds off about Tom Brady
Fox’s Jay Glazer doesn’t hold back when talking about Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. A new Steelers coach gets some bad news from the Hall of Fame. A former Steeler speaks his mind when it comes to ex-New England Patriots legend Tom Brady. And we outline a busy weekend of...
Football Footnotes: Our annual season-ending Super Bowl betting edition
Last year’s Super Bowl was 24-0 Philadelphia before halftime. How did I stay interested in the game? Gambling, my friends. Gambling. I had bets all over the board. Big ones, little ones. Hefty ones. Mini ones. From conventional to exotic. From basic to bananas. I did all that … to...
For RMU hockey coach Derek Schooley, watching his daughters play each other on home ice will be a ‘full-circle moment’
Hopefully, Robert Morris University hockey defenseman Kaitlyn Schooley of Moon has plenty of meals on her university dining card. Maybe she can just pick up a pizza on the way back to her apartment, or grab a sandwich at the rink. But if she had any notion of swinging by...
First Call: Jay Glazer offers new layer to Mike Tomlin’s resignation; Andy Weidl’s name floated for NFC job
Thursday’s “First Call” advances some new talking points about Mike Tomlin’s resignation. Another NFC team is being linked to Pittsburgh Steelers assistant general manager Andy Weidl. The Penguins have a tough game to close out their schedule before the Olympic break. And a very familiar name may be making a...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans angry about a lack of faith in Mike McCarthy and Will Howard
Here’s what I’ve learned over the past week: • I need to give Aaron Rodgers another chance to be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback. • I also need to give Will Howard a chance to be the Steelers’ quarterback. • I’m being too hard on the Mike McCarthy hire. • I’m...
Steelers Nation Radio’s Matt Williamson embraces Patrick Graham as DC, is intrigued by idea of Malik Willis at QBVideo
Pittsburgh Steelers fans should be on board with the hirings of Mike McCarthy and Patrick Graham. They should also be intrigued by the idea of Malik Willis becoming the team’s quarterback. But they better dial back the enthusiasm on Will Howard, and the notion of selecting a quarterback in the...
20 years after Willie Parker’s Super Bowl run, his Steelers teammates recall how they turned him looseVideo
From 1992-98, safety Darren Perry wore a black-and-gold Pittsburgh Steeler uniform with No. 39 on the back. However, on Feb. 5, 2006, in Detroit, Mich., Perry was wearing a headset and a Steelers ball cap as the team’s defensive backs coach. He watched as someone else in his old jersey...
First Call: Cam Heyward wants to stay in Pittsburgh; ex-Steeler’s high praise for new DC Patrick Graham
Steelers defensive captain Cameron Heyward claims he wants to keep playing in Pittsburgh. A former Steeler is pumping the tires of the club’s new defensive coordinator. A familiar college coaching name is switching Big Ten teams. And we look at a busy night for local college basketball. All that in...
Tim Benz: The Penguins aren’t good enough to need a wake-up call. But they got it Monday night
After a lousy performance in a 3-2 loss to Ottawa on Monday night, Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson was asked about attempting to bounce back Tuesday in a key intradivisional game against the New York Islanders. “It can’t get any worse, can it?” No, Erik. No, it can’t. From Karlsson...
First Call: Retired AFC North rival may join Mike McCarthy’s staff; ex-Steelers coaching candidate goes to Ravens
One former AFC North rival could be joining the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff. Another is heading back to Baltimore. The Steelers are considering the prospect of bringing the son of a former black-and-gold coach on board for Mike McCarthy’s staff. And George Pickens discusses his future in Dallas. All that...
First Call: Goalie fight in NHL outdoor game; Pitt’s Alex Van Pelt lands new coaching job
Monday’s “First Call” sees a familiar Pittsburgh name getting a coaching job in the NFL. But it’s not on the Steelers staff under Mike McCarthy. There was a goalie fight in Tampa Bay’s Stadium Series game against Boston. Former Penguin Colby Armstrong sees his longtime NHL record tumble. And the...
Tim Benz: Does it really matter that Mike McCarthy is from Pittsburgh? Right now it does. Check back in September
Ever since Greenfield native Mike McCarthy got hired as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the question has been asked: “How much does it really matter that he is from Pittsburgh?” Right now it does. Based on the initial reaction when McCarthy was named as Mike Tomlin’s replacement, the...
Madden Monday: If Mike McCarthy thinks the Steelers’ defense is top 5 worthy, he’s in for a rude awakening
During his first press conference as Pittsburgh Steelers coach, Mike McCarthy admitted something noteworthy. “I’ve been a head coach for 18 years. I’ve had one top 5 defense,” McCarthy said of his 2010 team. “We won the Super Bowl that year.” The implication seemed to be that there was enough...
