Breakfast With Benz category, Page 2
Tim Benz: Pirates start 2026 by living up, and down, to many preseason expectations
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ 2026 season opener against the New York Mets went from “That couldn’t have started better” to “That couldn’t have started worse.” Real quick. It ended poorly, too, with an 11-7 defeat. Game No. 1 of 162 also crystallized a lot of the reasons to feel better about...
First Call: Ex-Steelers QB says Aaron Rodgers delay may be about money; Pens need to rebound in Ottawa
Thursday’s “First Call” has an interesting angle on the Aaron Rodgers watch from a former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback. A high-profile receiving target at Ohio State floats a theory about Will Howard. We preview the Penguins’ game in Canada on Thursday night. And Robert Morris’ top scorer is entering the transfer...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans loathe the idea of signing Kirk Cousins if Aaron Rodgers doesn’t return
It’s clear that most Pittsburgh Steelers fans despise the notion of potentially waiting all the way through the draft for Aaron Rodgers to sign. The only idea the Steelers fans seem to hate more? Signing any of the other available veteran quarterbacks. Ick! What a list. I was reminded of...
Sweet 16/Elite 8 breakdown: Could we see an all-Pittsburgh coaching matchup in the Elite 8?
One week into March Madness, and there isn’t as much chaos within people’s brackets as we normally see. The transfer portal, NIL and sprawling power conferences have a lot to do with that. The two biggest surprises still alive are an SEC school in 11th-seeded Texas and a Big Ten...
‘It’s just too loud’: Penguins need to turn down the volume in their own endVideo
Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Muse wants to turn down the volume during Penguins games. Not the goal horn. Not the PA microphone. Not even the constant banging of Iceburgh’s “Let’s Go Pens” drum. Muse isn’t bothered by any of those things. It’s the constant buzzing of opposing players around the...
First Call: Mike Tomlin hires agents for potential TV work; Strong Steelers presence expected for Ohio State pro day
Mike Tomlin has hired representation for a future in television. The Steelers won’t get a look at a potential draft target at his pro day. A former Steelers coach is going to take on an important job in Las Vegas, and Omar Khan is making a crucial pro day stop....
Tim Benz: Some Pirates optimism is warranted but let’s not go overboardVideo
If there is a line of people ahead of me who are more cynical and jaded about the Pittsburgh Pirates, it’s a short one. Yet here I am — with Game 1 of the 2026 season approaching Thursday — predicting 81 wins. I’ve been hovering around that number for quite...
First Call: Linebacker appears on Steelers’ draft radar; Najee Harris’ comeback attemptVideo
Tuesday’s “First Call” shows us a potential position of interest for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the upcoming NFL Draft. A former Steeler is trying to prove he can still play. The Penguins are back at it against the NHL’s very best. And there is news from the ice and the...
What are the Steelers getting in Jamel Dean? A full scouting report on Pittsburgh’s new cornerback
One of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ biggest moves in free agency was to address the starting cornerback position opposite Joey Porter Jr. The franchise did so by signing Tampa Bay’s Jamel Dean. The 29-year-old inked a three-year, $36.75 million contract with the Steelers on March 13. Jay Recher is a frequent...
ESPN’s Adam Schefter: If Aaron Rodgers doesn’t return to Steelers, Kirk Cousins would be ‘logical pivot’Video
Instead of just getting a straight answer from the Pittsburgh Steelers — or from Aaron Rodgers himself — about their 42-year-old quarterback’s plans to play or retire in 2026, we are forced to follow a trail of bread crumbs for information. Again. Just like last year. Even though free agency...
First Call: Wild stats about Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields; Pens hold steady in Metro Division swirl
As we all monitor the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback situation, Monday’s “First Call” has some interesting stats surrounding Justin Fields and Aaron Rodgers. We’re also tracking the Eastern Conference playoff situation for the Penguins. A former Robert Morris Colonial had a shining moment in the NCAA Tournament. And a pair of...
Tim Benz: A month from the NFL Draft, Steelers’ approach to free agency crystalizes selection strategyVideo
A month out from the NFL Draft, the Steelers’ approach to free agency has prevented the franchise from needing to reach and get desperate on the big stage in Pittsburgh on April 23. Well, except for quarterback if they potentially get stiffed by Aaron Rodgers. But let’s worry about that...
Madden Monday: Penguins’ goaltending ‘has been unacceptable since coming back from the Olympic break’Video
After a 5-1 home loss to Carolina on Sunday, Mark Madden of TribLive and 105.9 The X is feeling pretty shaky about the Pittsburgh Penguins’ playoff chances. “I see a team that’s kind of sagging,” Madden said during this week’s Madden Monday podcast. “I think they’re no better than 50-50...
Beyond the Bylines: Pens push for the playoffs; Pirates win totals; missing Pitt in March MadnessVideo
“Beyond the Bylines” is back after a week off. Joe Starkey and Tim Benz dive into March Madness. They discuss the state of the Penguins’ playoff chase, their upcoming schedule, Evgeni Malkin’s history and contract status, and the goaltending. The guys also look at the Pirates’ projected win total, Konnor...
Tim Benz: Penguins’ version of March Madness doesn’t stop with the end of their grueling road trip
March Madness is a phrase normally associated with college basketball. The NCAA Tournament got going this week with the First Four games in Dayton, and it hits full stride Thursday and Friday across the country with the Round of 64. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Penguins have been in their own version...
First Call: CeeDee Lamb gushes about Mike McCarthy; Steelers make interesting pro day choiceVideo
Thursday’s “First Call” has some opinions on the Aaron Rodgers situation from a Pittsburgh Steelers legend. Top Steelers officials went to a pro day of note in the SEC. One of Mike McCarthy’s former players is heaping praise on his former coach. And Penn State’s Gavin McKenna is getting lots...
U mad, bro?: Steelers’ offseason moves, Radko Gudas’ suspension make readers mad before March MadnessVideo
By the time many of you read this, you’ll already be mad at your own brackets in March Madness. Specifically, you’ll be angry at the advice Mike DeCourcy and I gave you for your Final Four picks. I take responsibility in advance of our inevitable failures. Between now and then,...
Busting the Bracket: NCAA basketball analyst Mike DeCourcy helps you win your office pool
Sporting News columnist Mike DeCourcy joins me once a week to talk about the Steelers and the NFL on our “Friday Football” livestream. But during college basketball season, DeCourcy also does a lot of work for the Big Ten Network and Fox. He joins me annually on the “Breakfast With...
First Call: Ex-Steeler Beanie Bishop suspended by NFL; AFC North rival TE may be on the move within the division
A former Steeler is in trouble with the NFL. An AFC North rival of the club could be on the move within the division. The Penguins got no help Tuesday night in the Eastern Conference. And there are some Pittsburgh ties to the first result of this year’s NCAA Tournament....
First Call: Steelers ‘linked’ to Miami QB Carson Beck; Sidney Crosby ‘flying’ at Penguins practicesVideo
The Pittsburgh Steelers are being “linked” to Miami quarterback Carson Beck. New Steelers running back Rico Dowdle apparently wasn’t thrilled with his usage by the Carolina Panthers late in 2025. And reports are strong about Sidney Crosby’s rehab with the Penguins. Meanwhile, there was a lot going on in the...
Madden Monday: Penguins survived without Evgeni Malkin — now he must deliver
When the Pittsburgh Penguins hit the ice against the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night, they’ll be getting Evgeni Malkin back from his five-game suspension. Not a moment too soon, according to Mark Madden during this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast. After all, it feels like the team has been clinging to...
First Call: Steelers’ offseason class rated in ESPN’s top 5; Connor Heyward talks about leaving Pittsburgh
Monday’s “First Call” has a positive spin on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ free-agent class. We say goodbye to Connor Heyward as he leaves the Steelers for an AFC rival. Another ex-Steeler has a new home. The Penguins are set to face a difficult foe, and the Robert Morris hockey team is...
Tim Benz: VCU hoping to benefit from Pittsburgh pixie dust after A-10 Tournament winVideo
The coach from Philadelphia, whose team wears black and gold, beat the Flyers (with a guy named L’Etang) at PPG Paints Arena to win a basketball championship. A lot of that fails to compute, right? But there was no such confusion as to how coach Phil Martelli Jr. and his...
Tim Benz: Duquesne just missed the mesh point in Atlantic 10 tournament loss to VCU
Duquesne head coach Dru Joyce III talked about it after his team’s final road game of the year, a 64-52 loss at Rhode Island. The Dukes’ defense held URI to just 9 of 25 shooting from the floor (1 of 11 from the 3-point arc) and 19 points in the...
Tim Benz: New Steelers free agents open a window into how the new coaching staff may operate
Friday afternoon, the Pittsburgh Steelers introduced a few of their new free-agent signees to the Pittsburgh media. It was a chance to meet running back Rico Dowdle, wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and cornerback Jamel Dean. All three of the new players came off as engaging and seem like they...
