Joe Starkey’s Cup of Joe: What is an ‘AFC North’ quarterback?
Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 350 words or less Steelers GM Omar Khan made sure to talk up last season’s third-string quarterback — the sixth-round pick who has never appeared in a live NFL game — in addressing reporters at the NFL Combine. Of course he did. Khan...
Joe Starkey: The Steelers are Omar Khan’s show now. Is that a good thing?
Evaluating the Steelers’ personnel decisions in recent years was always tricky, because it was often unclear whether coach Mike Tomlin or general manager Omar Khan dictated a given decision. Who was pulling the trigger on many of the main acquisitions, via the draft, trades and free agency — and where...
Joe Starkey’s Cup of Joe: Steelers not alone in quarterback quandary
The ESPN.com headlines Tuesday felt like one big cry for quarterback help: • “Browns GM: Starting QB up for grabs, includes Sanders, Watson” • “Falcons GM: QB Cousins to be released March 11” • “Dolphins GM: ‘Everything’s on the table’ with Tua” • “Texans GM: Stroud trade speculation is ‘moronic’”...
Joe Starkey’s Mailbag: Would a salary cap enable the Pirates to keep Paul Skenes?
You ask. I answer. It’s time for “Mailing It In,” a weekly Q&A that appears Tuesdays at TribLive.com. Most of the questions come via X, but you can also hit me up at jraystarkey@gmail.com. Let’s gooooooo …. Chris Abt, @Chris_Abt: Why aren’t we considering that the imminent MLB lockout and...
Joe Starkey: My unforgettable afternoon with the Miracle on Ice team
The icy glares had long since melted. Herb Brooks was no longer the fiery tyrant of 1980. He was no longer the mad man who’d ordered his players to skate sprints in the dark after a lazy performance against Norway, telling them if they kept smashing their sticks on the...
Beyond the Bylines: Joe Starkey, Tim Benz on Sidney Crosby’s injury, NHL in the Olympics, Steelers PodcastgateVideo
This week’s “Beyond the Bylines” streamed on Thursday instead of Friday because Joe Starkey already needs a vacation, and he’s only been back at TribLive for about a month. So he is going to Florida to play golf on Friday. We did not discuss Joe’s golf game. We did, however,...
Joe Starkey: Sidney Crosby’s injury should not have happened
Who was officiating the Canada-Czechia Olympic hockey game Wednesday, Jerry Meals? Actually, it was three NHL officials and a Swedish one, and their incompetence might have altered the course of the tournament, not to mention the Penguins’ promising season. As of this writing, Sidney Crosby was to undergo imaging for...
Joe Starkey’s Mailbag: Why can’t the Pirates win 85 games?
You ask. I answer. It’s time for a weekly Q&A mailbag that appears Tuesdays at TribLive.com. Most of the questions come via “X,” but you can also hit me up jraystarkey@gmail.com. Let’s gooooo … Frank from Cranberry, via email: Joe — hope the colonoscopy went well. The prep sucks. Anyway,...
Joe Starkey’s Cup of Joe: Steelers should steer clear of Tyreek Hill
CUP OF JOE: Starkey on Sports in 350 words or less Omar Khan’s never-ending search for a legit No. 2 receiver resumes this offseason. Strike that. The Pittsburgh Steelers have a No. 2 receiver. His name is DK Metcalf. He’s a decent player when he’s not taking pot shots at...
Joe Starkey’s Cup of Joe: Elroy Face and old baseball stories that never get old
CUP OF JOE: Starkey on Sports in 350 words or less I had only a few conversations with Elroy Face, but he was always ready with a story. His passing Thursday at age 97 reminded me of that. And of a few other things: • How quickly time flies and...
Joe Starkey: Projecting Pirates lineups is suddenly enjoyable, especially with Konnor Griffin in them
I keep reading about how the Pirates defense could be compromised by their offseason acquisitions, and I keep not caring. I’ll take the offense. Consider the case of all-field, no-hit Ke’Bryan Hayes, now in Cincinnati. Hayes is an elite defender, but how many times per game is he afforded the...
‘Beyond the Bylines’ with Tim Benz and Joe Starkey — Feb. 13, 2026Video
Go “Beyond the Bylines” with Tim Benz and Joe Starkey as they cover the latest sports talk in Pittsburgh — digging deeper on the subjects — from Steelers to Penguins to Pirates, and beyond. Watch the Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, show:...
Joe Starkey: Ben Roethlisberger led where his team needed him most — on the field
What did Ben Roethlisberger actually say about Mike Tomlin that has Joey Porter and so many other ex-Steelers all hot and bothered? Not much, as it turns out. Back in December, Roethlisberger stated on his podcast what all but the most delusional Tomlin apologists were saying: “Maybe it’s a clean-house...
Joe Starkey’s Mailbag: Would Mac Jones be a good option for Steelers?
You ask. I answer. It’s time for a weekly Q&A mailbag that appears Tuesdays at TribLive.com. We had a banner first three weeks. This is no time for a trap game. Apologies for the delay this week. Most of the questions come via “X,” but you can also hit me...
Joe Starkey’s Cup of Joe: Great defense still wins championships. If only the Steelers had one
Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 350 words or less This part of Dan Graziano’s Super Bowl piece on ESPN.com stood out, in the context of Art Rooney II wanting to bring Mike Tomlin back after nine years of not coming close to a playoff win (before Tomlin fired...
Joe Starkey: Malik Willis is the kind of quarterback the Steelers should be courting
It’s not like we didn’t know already, but Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike McCarthy finally made it plain. Asked by KDKA’s Bob Pompeani last week if he’d like to try to recreate his Green Bay magic with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, McCarthy replied in no uncertain terms. “That’s the plan,” he said....
Joe Starkey: Ravens went risky. Steelers stayed safe. Who’ll be proven right?
You knew as soon as the Steelers and Baltimore Ravens became unexpected members of this year’s coaching cycle that one of them would hire a young, untested riser of a defensive coordinator as its new head coach. You just didn’t think it would be the Ravens. Neither did I. That...
Joe Starkey’s Mailbag: Should Kordell Stewart be in the Steelers Hall of Honor?
You ask. I answer. It’s time for a weekly Q&A mailbag that appears Tuesdays at TribLive.com. We had a banner first two weeks. Let’s go for a three-peat. Most of the questions come via “X,” but you can also hit me up jraystarkey@gmail.com. Let’s go … David Reese, @davidreese36: Good...
Joe Starkey’s Cup of Joe: It doesn’t sound like Tristan Jarry is making friends in Edmonton
Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 350 words or less Oh boy. Things seem to be deteriorating for Tristan Jarry in Edmonton. Did you see his comments after getting pulled from a 7-3 loss to Minnesota on Saturday? Whether you’re a goalie, a quarterback or a pitcher — in...
Joe Starkey’s Cup of Joe: The Pirates whiffed on Eugenio Suarez
Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 350 words or less The Pirates had the second-most strikeouts in the National League last season. They whiffed 1,422 times. Add one more. Bob Nutting and Ben Cherington watched a fastball go right down the middle. The Pirates desperately need a third baseman....
Joe Starkey: Mike McCarthy mentioned ‘1137 Greenfield Ave.’ Quite a woman lives behind that door
“My heart is full. My focus is singular. It’s time to bring another championship back to this great city. And with that, I just want to make sure when we do get that trophy, the seventh trophy in the case, we’ll start that victory parade at 1137 Greenfield Ave.” —...
Tim Benz and Joe Starkey go ‘Beyond the Bylines’ with new showVideo
Have you ever wanted a little more from your sports coverage? With their new video series “Beyond the Bylines,” TribLive sports writers Tim Benz and Joe Starkey dare to go there. Airing Fridays at 8 a.m., they’ll take on the week’s biggest story — this week, the focus is obviously...
Joe Starkey: Which Hall of Fame is a bigger joke — baseball or football?
STARK RAVING Just when it didn’t seem possible any Hall of Fame could be a bigger farce than baseball’s, the Pro Football Hall of Fame stepped up and said, “Hold my Belichick.” Bill Belichick reportedly won’t be a first-ballot Hall of Famer? Hahahahahahahahahahahaha. Oh well, at least Shedeur Sanders made...
Joe Starkey’s Mailbag: Will Howard isn’t really the Steelers’ plan at quarterback … is he?
You ask. I answer. It’s time for a weekly Q&A mailbag that appears Tuesdays at TribLive.com. We had a banner Week 1 that’ll be tough to top. But that’s why we lift all them weights. Most of the questions come via “X,” but you can also hit me up jraystarkey@gmail.com....
Joe Starkey’s Cup of Joe: Patriots went from great to bad to great again while Steelers stayed the same
CUP OF JOE: Starkey on sports in 350 words or less. I wonder if New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft looks at 2023 as a wasted year. I’m guessing not. It got him back to the Super Bowl. There are many reasons the Patriots are in position to win their...
