Tim Benz stories, Page 154
First Call: Lamar Jackson vs. a jet ski, NHL hub city sleeper, Pirates’ Jameson Taillon lashes out
Tuesday’s “First Call” looks at Lamar Jackson’s sand football/jet ski mishap. Belief in the Browns. And an update on the NHL hub city discussion. This must’ve gone over big in Baltimore How quickly do you think John Harbaugh passed out after watching this? First of all, it’s star quarterback Lamar...
Tim Benz: Saints open old wounds for Steelers fans
One of the most painful regular season losses in Steelers history was the team’s Week 16 defeat in New Orleans back in 2018. You remember. • The awful pass interference call against Joe Haden in the end zone. • The other awful pass interference call later in the game. •...
Tim Benz: Jake Guentzel, RMU announcement provide ‘pure sports’ jolt
Guess what I’m doing today. I’m going to a press conference! Woo-hoo! What do I wear? A coat and tie? A tux?! Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Tim, what’s the big deal? You do this for a living. How many thousands of press conferences have you gone to over...
First Call: ESPN’s McGwire-Sosa documentary heavy on nostalgia, light on substance
Monday’s “First Call” is going to be a review of ESPN’s Mark McGwire-Sammy Sosa documentary “Long Gone Summer.” I looked at the clock for about the fourth or fifth time Sunday night. It was 10:45 p.m. “Are they going to get to the steroids topic or what?” I asked aloud....
Madden Monday: Which sport will return as close to normal as possible?; John Harbaugh’s complaints
The NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball are all in various states of uncertainty regarding potential returns to play. In this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden and I discuss which league is most likely to return in a form familiar to its viewers. I say it’s the NBA. That...
New Pirate Carmen Mlodzinski: Old school. Old soul. No to Twitter. Yes to Rock N’ Roll.
New Pittsburgh Pirates draft choice Carmen Mlodzinski is just your typical 21-year-old. No Twitter. No Instagram. Listens to Led Zeppelin, Alice in Chains, Nirvana, Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots. Doesn’t play video games. Prefers baseball, golf and playing guitar. Like I said, a typical 21-year-old. If he was 21 back...
Fantasy Sports podcast: MLB frustrations, running back contract woes, Ryder Cup
We bust out the time machine for this week’s fantasy sports podcast with Jeff Erickson of RotoWire. First, we go into the future, forecasting what fantasy strategies may be like in a baseball season that lasts between 48 to 80-plus games. The big variable seems to be pitchers. With the...
First Call: Even Steelers fans may agree with Ravens coach John Harbaugh on this one
For “First Call” Friday, we talk about why Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh may win over the hearts and minds of some Steelers fans. It’s been three months since the phrase “social distancing” became common in the American vocabulary. I’m just as dubious of some of the measures being implemented...
U mad, bro?: Readers irate with protesting players, Al Villanueva column, politics and sports
We don’t need to ask the rhetorical question. I know that “U are mad, bro.” Everybody is mad at something — and mad at each other — these days. So, I’ll just let all of you focus your anger toward me. That’ll make it easy. Here are some responses to...
Tim Benz: AFC North has the best chance to produce 3 playoff teams
I saw an interesting question posed by the folks at Pro Football Focus. The football stats site asked, “Which AFC division, if any, is most likely to send three teams to the playoffs this season?” Keep in mind, there are seven potential spots this year because of the new wild-card...
First Call: Ben Roethlisberger’s Twitter turn. D.C. for Antonio Brown?
Thursday’s “First Call” gives an update on Ben Roethlisberger’s notorious Twitter account, the latest on Antonio Brown’s job hunt, what might happen to the Steelers-Cowboys Hall of Fame Game, and someone steps into Sidney Crosby’s elite company. Welcome back? If Ben Roethlisberger’s offensive line blocked as well as his social...
Taking over a college hockey program during a pandemic … and other fun hobbies
It’s your first college head coaching job. It’s a small school. It’s Division III men’s hockey. You aren’t the biggest program in your own state, or your own city. The team is 14-58-6 in its first three seasons. And you’ve signed on during a pandemic. So, you’ve been on the...
Tim Benz: Steelers training camp at Heinz Field may not be as bad as some thought
When I first heard that the Pittsburgh Steelers are planning to hold training camp at Heinz Field, I had the same reaction many of you did. “Oh, this stinks for the Steelers! Let ’em practice on the South Side. The concerns over social distancing in the locker room are stupid....
First Call: Great Pittsburgh draft picks — not as obvious as Mario Lemieux
Wednesday’s “First Call” was inspired by the flashbacks so many were dedicating to Mario Lemieux. Tuesday was the anniversary of his draft selection by the Pittsburgh Penguins back in 1984. And that got me thinking of how many home runs the Penguins hit with their high draft choices. If you...
NHL playoff length and reseeding. Right moves? Or bad decisions?
The National Hockey League is continuing to inch back toward playing. The Penguins are supposed to resume small-group workout sessions at the UPMC Lemieux Performance Complex in Cranberry on Tuesday. This is a lightning pace toward getting back to action compared to Major League Baseball. But things are crawling along...
First Call: A dilemma for some players to consider before kneeling at NFL games
For “First Call” on Tuesday, I simply wanted to respond to a question I got in my email inbox from a reader. Albert — who emailed under the pseudonym “ALB” — posed the following conundrum for NFL players who may be planning on kneeling during the national anthem to start...
Tim Benz: Don’t underestimate what loss of college football could really mean
There have been a lot of frustrating angles to covering sports during the coronavirus pandemic. Most notably, of course, has been the complete and total shutdown of them. I’ve found that … bothersome. You? A close second, though, is the cavalier reaction from some claiming that, “Sports aren’t important at...
Tim Benz: Praising Maurkice Pouncey’s balance, fairness and objectivity
Flame wars over coronavirus. Raging battles over how to maintain law and order while eradicating police brutality. The louder both sides of the political aisle scream at one another, the less I hear them. It’s just a cacophony. Their voices sound so similar. Yet, neither side is speaking a language...
First Call: Will NBC dump Drew Brees? Or maybe vice versa?
Drew Brees just got a valuable lesson in his new career. Before his first career even ended. The New Orleans Saints quarterback is reportedly slated to become an NFL analyst with NBC when he retires. It’s presumed Brees will be hanging up his cleats after the upcoming season. After what...
Madden Monday: How MLB and NHL are getting in their own way, Steelers talk
After a week off, the “Madden Monday” podcast is back. Mark Madden and Tim Benz take a long look at attempts to reboot the NHL and MLB seasons. Why are both leagues constantly getting in their own way? From a hockey perspective, the issue seems to be how long things...
Tim Benz: Steelers players miss the mark by blaming the media for Drew Brees controversy
A lot of blame can be thrown around for a lot of different issues these days. There’s no shortage of it. A heaping tablespoon can be served to media members (and outlets) regarding coverage and commentary surrounding the covid-19 pandemic and civil unrest in the wake of George Floyd’s death...
Why Steelers WR Diontae Johnson could be a breakout fantasy star. And 1 thing holding him back.
If Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson was really injured most of 2019, how good can he be in 2020? That’s a question Steelers offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner is going to have to ask. Opposing defenses, too. Not to mention who really matters — YOU! When your fantasy football draft comes...
First Call: A subtle reason why the NFL’s 4th-and-15 onside kick alternative failed to pass
For our final “First Call” before vacation, we look at that dippy NFL proposal to have a fourth-and-15 alternative for an onside kick. Owners decided to table the proposal after an initial show of hands revealed a split 16-16 vote, according to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network. In the...
U mad, bro? Readers rant about Steelers outlook, college football, NHL reboot, Antonio Brown
I’m not mad today. I know. That’s rare. I’ve got a week of vacation coming up. So I’m in a good mood. As good of a mood as one can have given the circumstances of the present day. But, apparently, some things in the sports world still have you fine...
How and when you watch the Penguins in the rebooted NHL may be a little different
Nothing about the partially completed plan to resume NHL play is normal. Hub cities. Quarantine. Buildings without fans. The playoff structure itself. Just to scratch the surface. Something else that may be odd is how we watch the games. From their start times to how they are called. We’ve all...
