Tim Benz Columns category, Page 69

As the Pittsburgh Penguins prepare to play Wednesday night’s game against the Colorado Avalanche, they’ll do so with Monday’s loss to the Ottawa Senators hanging over their heads. Unfortunately for the Pens, that checkmark in the loss column isn’t going anywhere, no matter how much the club feels like it...

During a radio interview Tuesday afternoon, former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger revealed that he had conversations with the San Francisco 49ers about coming out of retirement for at least a portion of the 2022 season. While speaking with TribLIVE’s Mark Madden during his afternoon show on 105.9 The X,...

Tuesday’s “First Call” suggests the Pittsburgh Steelers are heavily scouting defensive front-seven prospects in the NFL draft. An ex-Steelers quarterback has a new home. The Penguins have a Florida Panthers problem. And Duquesne’s football team better get used to playing on the road. Eye on the Hawkeyes Mike Tomlin and...

Bryan Rust was the last player to get out of his gear and leave the locker room. After speaking with the media, he sat at his stall, staring into emptiness. Probably replaying the game’s pivotal play, if not the entire game itself. Rust’s performance during the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2-1 loss...

After the Pittsburgh Penguins lost to the New York Rangers 6-0 on Saturday, Mike Sullivan had a fervent defense of Jeff Carter and Brian Dumoulin — essentially deflecting media criticism of those two players and their struggles. “(Media) like to pick on certain guys,” Sullivan said. “You like to go...

For the Pittsburgh Penguins, their woes against the Metropolitan Division are emblematic of the bigger picture problems facing the team. The most pressing of those problems for the Penguins is simply that they just aren’t very good. After two losses to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden last...

Thursday and Friday mark what many feel to be two of the best days of the sports year: the first two days of the NCAA College Basketball Tournament. Perfectly timed on the sports calendar. Perfectly formatted with its fan-friendly three-week-long bracket system. Perfectly packaged with its survive-and-advance drama, and David...

March Madness is upon us, but Pittsburgh sports fans don’t seem that mad about Pitt. They’re mainly mad about the Steelers, the Penguins and my coverage of both teams. OK, and a little mad about Pitt too. Here’s this week’s “U mad, bro?” Tim sent me an email after Penguins...

Thursday’s “First Call” has an interesting assessment of new Pittsburgh Steelers guard Nate Herbig. There’s been some shade thrown at the Patriots for signing former Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. What’s the ripple effect of Cincinnati’s big contract for Orlando Brown? The Steelers have scheduled a top-30 visit with a center....

It kinda felt like the Penguins were saying “mission accomplished” before the job was really done. Anything like that ever happened before? Heading into Tuesday night’s game against the lowly Montreal Canadiens, the Penguins had been riding a hot streak. They had won seven of nine games. They had risen...

While most Pittsburgh Steelers fans have their eyes on what the franchise is doing in free agency at cornerback, I’m more interested in what they are going to do at inside linebacker. On Day 1 of the legal tampering period, the Steelers decided to let cornerback Cameron Sutton go to...

This will be the most exciting week of college basketball in Western Pennsylvania in a long time. Pitt, Penn State and West Virginia have all qualified for the NCAA Tournament in the same year for the first time since 2011. The action gets going Tuesday night as Pitt takes on...

Tuesday’s “First Call” touches on a delicate situation for new Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson. Mike Tomlin opens up about the toughest moment of his Steelers coaching career. We have the latest developments surrounding Lamar Jackson’s contract situation in Baltimore. The Cincinnati Bengals may be weaker in the secondary next...

As NFL free agency approaches this week, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a choice to make. Do they try to outbid other teams in an attempt to keep cornerback Cameron Sutton, or do they let him go to another franchise willing to pay more? Similarly, are the Steelers willing to outspend...

Monday’s “First Call” has movement on the cornerback front that may interest Pittsburgh Steelers fans. A second Steelers draft visit has become public. Chase Claypool’s long-term future is up for debate in Chicago. Plus, an ex-Penguins coach plays the role of good Samaritan upon a nationally televised return to Pittsburgh....

The NCAA Tournament bracket was released Sunday with Pitt playing against Mississippi State as a First Four team in Dayton on Tuesday. The winner will play Iowa State on Friday. Many Pitt fans seemed to react with equal amounts of relief and outrage. Relief in the sense that Pitt managed...

I used myself as my own baseball-fan guinea pig on Tuesday. I set up as much of a real life, everyday, control environment as I could to watch the Pittsburgh Pirates spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays. I made a turkey sandwich. Brewed a cup of coffee. Opened...

If you really want, you can try to rationalize away the Pittsburgh Penguins’ disastrous results against the New York Islanders this season. You can try to convince yourself that if both teams qualify as the Eastern Conference wild cards, there’s not much difference between being seventh or eighth anyway. That...

A former Pittsburgh Steeler is sticking up for a former Pitt Panther after a rough NFL Combine. Another former Panther is slated to the Steelers in CBS’ latest mock draft. Aaron Donald will remain with the Los Angeles Rams. And there was a big time interconference showdown in the NHL...

I’m never done being impressed with Twitter’s ability to turn anyone it wants into a victim. Even if that “victim” is getting a pity party for receiving $32 million and reportedly turned down an offer of $133 million guaranteed. This week’s social media poster child for heroism in the face...

In keeping with the March Madness theme of the week, let me give you my four No. 1 seeds when it comes to agitated Pittsburgh sports fans. •Southside Region: Steelers fans when the team goes 9-8 and fails to win a playoff game •North Hills Region: Penguins fans after the...

In Thursday’s “First Call,” we have some free agency ideas for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Ravens are nabbing coaches with Pittsburgh connections. And some ex-Penguins stood out with highlights across the NHL. Brown in Black and Gold? CBSSports.com posted an AFC “NFL free agency matchmaker” column on Wednesday. The premise...

When a college basketball team goes from 6-24 to 20-11 in one year, there shouldn’t be too many complaints from the head coach. Given those enjoyable circumstances for Duquesne’s Keith Dambrot, that has generally been the case this season. But one thing Dambrot has pointed out is that he’d like...