Breakfast With Benz category, Page 145
‘U mad, bro?’: Fans hate the return for Patric Hornqvist, Mike Tomlin’s replay challenges
I took a random day off Thursday. Needed a day to clear the mind and come up for air, ya know? So “U mad, bro?” was pushed back a day. Woof! Nothing like erasing the mental health benefits of 24 hours off like opening your email and social media after...
First Call: Pirates may ‘earn’ MLB top draft choice; NFL mask fines; former Penguins are NHL buyout targets
Wednesday’s “First Call” shows us that the Pirates may be in line for Kumar Rocker atop the MLB draft after all. We try to figure out when the NBA and NHL may restart for next season. And the NFL keeps handing out mask fines for coaches. Ready to Rock? ESPN’s...
Texans coping with DeAndre Hopkins’ absence same way Steelers are moving on from Antonio Brown
This team had a generational talent at wide receiver who was suddenly traded during the offseason. Now that franchise is trying to figure out if any of the other receivers on the roster are capable of being a legit No.1 target. No, I’m not flashing back to the 2019 Pittsburgh...
Kordell Stewart on Steelers days: ‘Nothing to put my head down about … I’d do it exactly the same way’
Few athletes had as volatile of an existence in Pittsburgh as former Steelers quarterback Kordell Stewart. Wild popularity and praise upon his arrival. To scorn, criticism and failure. Then a renaissance. Then he was discarded for Tommy Maddox. Now he’s perhaps better understood nearly two decades after his departure at...
First Call: Mike Tomlin can improve some history; NFL fines coaches for ignoring masks; Saquon Barkley checks in
Tuesday’s “First Call” dares to dream big about a Steelers fast start. We also check in on injured Penn State great Saquon Barkley. J.J. Watt identifies a problem for his Houston Texans coming to Heinz Field. And NFL coaches are paying the price if they don’t mask up. Say that...
What are the Penguins doing with Jared McCann?
It feels as if the Penguins’ extension of Jared McCann’s contract has created more questions than answers. But why stop now? That’s been a theme throughout the offseason for general manager Jim Rutherford. For a team he suggested needed changes, the Pens GM sure is going a long way toward...
Tim Benz: Blaming rash of NFL injuries on canceled preseason is way off
The Steelers offensive line is already chewed up. But don’t shed a tear for the Black and Gold. Yet. A lot of NFL teams have been bitten much harder by the injury bug. Sunday’s Week 2 led to outright fantasy league carnage. New York Giants star running back Saquon Barkley...
Unfiltered: Tim Benz and Mark Madden discuss Steelers win, Penguins moves, Pirates payrollVideo
Tim Benz and Mark Madden return for this week’s edition of “Unfiltered” on TribLive’s Facebook page talk about Steelers win over the Broncos. The Steelers came out and looked great in the first half against the Broncos, but then had to hang on in the second half to get the...
First Call: Steeler rips refs; former Steeler helps Ravens; WPIAL star shines for Patriots
Monday’s “First Call” starts with a certain Steeler who isn’t happy with the referees. J.J. Watt isn’t happy with a certain teammate. A WPIAL standout shines in the NFL. And a former Steeler is helping the Ravens — again. Zebras get a zero Steelers linebacker Vince Williams took to Twitter...
Mark Madden, Tim Benz: Limited fans should be allowed at Heinz Field games
Don’t get your knickers in a twist, Pitt fans. I know you enjoy doing that. But I’m not here to offend. I’m not here to make the all-too-easy jokes about attendance at Heinz Field for Panthers football games. “How would Pitt players know the difference if fans were in the...
Tim Benz: ‘Feats of Strength/Airing of Grievances’ after Steelers barely hang on to beat Broncos
Steelers fans weren’t allowed in the stands at Heinz Field on Sunday. Yet, somehow, I could sense 68,000 Pittsburghers simultaneously tensing up during the second half against the Denver Broncos. In my mind’s eye, I could see the Terrible Towels being thrown to the ground. I could hear the screams...
Can the Steelers reboot the same defensive assault on Denver they unleashed on New York?
On Monday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense overwhelmed the New York Giants offense en route to a 26-16 victory. Along the way, the defense held New York star running back Saquon Barkley to just six yards on 15 carries. So what does that mean for this Sunday’s game at Heinz...
Tim Benz: Continuity helped Steelers, other AFC favorites in Week 1. Expect the same in Week 2.
When it came to offseason NFL coverage, one drum was consistently pounded as a major positive for the Pittsburgh Steelers heading into this odd 2020 campaign. Cohesion on the coaching staff and roster. Simply having more talent than a lot of other teams doesn’t hurt either. However, getting that talent...
First Call: Hornqvist, Kessel, Saad all salary ‘trade bait’? Hall of Fame voter’s strong endorsement of Bill Nunn
Friday’s “First Call” gives us a ringing endorsement of Steelers scout Bill Nunn and his posthumous chances of becoming a Pro Football Hall of Famer. Another Hall of Fame honor was bestowed during “Thursday Night Football.” Maurkice Pouncey’s twin brother needs surgery. And Saquon Barkley is responding to some criticism....
First Call: Steelers-‘MNF’ ratings tank. O.J. Simpson defends Saquon Barkley. Terry Bradshaw’s new TV show.
The Steelers. Plus, a New York audience. That should jolt “Monday Night Football” ratings to open the season! Guess again, ESPN. That’s how we start Thursday’s “First Call.” We also see how O.J. Simpson is supporting Saquon Barkley. And we preview Terry Bradshaw’s new television show. Where’s the remote? A...
U mad, bro? Readers furious over Alejandro Villanueva’s helmet debate. ‘Fixed’ NFL games. Pirates problems.
This week’s “U mad, bro?” ranges from the Steelers, to a Big Ten reboot, to Pirates ineptitude, to Justin Timberlake. It also ranges from substantive to silly. Alejandro Villanueva’s agenda. Mason Rudolph’s helmet. Accusations of NFL officials on the take. And covid-19 propaganda. Aside from that … eh, it’s rather...
The long, strange football history of Pitt-Syracuse. And it’s getting odder by the year.
Saturday marks the 75th college football game between Pitt and Syracuse. And one word sums up the history of this series. Weird. It’s one of the strangest, goofiest rivalries in terms of historical trends that you will find. Just look at Syracuse’s three most recent trips to Heinz Field. 2020...
First Call: James Harrison, others joke about Cam Heyward’s interception; Le’Veon Bell to injured reserve
In Wednesday’s “First Call,” how about a little ribbing between Steelers friends? Big-name receivers are in the trade rumor mill. And Le’Veon Bell is going on injured reserve. Stirring the pot Former Steelers offensive lineman Ramon Foster was always Mr. Nice Guy in the locker room. But he could stir...
Steelers shouldn’t overcomplicate an already dicey O-line situation
That was interesting for Steelers fans. While it lasted. Technically, did it even start? After months of discussion surrounding a revamped Steelers offensive line in 2020, it’s entirely possible the chosen unit will never play together in a regular-season game. Upon the retirement of left guard Ramon Foster after the...
Tim Benz: Mixed start for JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Conner redemption tour
Since Ben Roethlisberger was coming back to lead the Steelers offense in 2020, that was going to be good for everybody. Especially wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and running back James Conner. That was the preseason theory, right? Those two Pro Bowlers from 2018 regressed dramatically without Roethlisberger in the lineup...
First Call: Ravens coach defends risking Lamar Jackson, Bruce Arians blunt about Tom Brady
Tuesday’s “First Call” gives us John Harbaugh’s defense of Lamar Jackson staying in the Baltimore Ravens’ blowout win Sunday. Bruce Arians isn’t afraid of criticizing Tom Brady. The Dallas Stars are onto the Stanley Cup Final. And Pitt is a big favorite on Saturday. Leavin’ Lamar The Baltimore Ravens destroyed...
Did the Penguins hire assistants for Mike Sullivan? Or potential replacements?
With the Steelers underway, some have pushed Penguins talk to the back burner until free agency or when the offseason trade market truly kicks into gear. But not for those of us here at “Breakfast With Benz.” General manager Jim Rutherford got a head start, so we feel the need...
Tim Benz: First 2020 ‘Airing of Grievances/Feats of Strength’ after Steelers beat Giants
I know that 2020 has taken away some of our most beloved traditions. Thankfully, not Steelers football. At least it’s still on television, even if you can’t go to the games. And because the Steelers are playing, you get to continue enjoying our favorite Steelers postgame tradition here at “Breakfast...
First Call: Typical ‘Bengalrific’ loss; Le’Veon Bell injured; Ex-Steeler, rookies help Ravens
What does Monday’s “First Call” teach us? The Ravens may be just as good as last year. The Browns may be even worse than last year. And the Bengals will always be the Bengals. OK. Maybe we didn’t need “First Call” to teach us that. But it’s worth reiterating. Also,...
Madden Monday: Steelers opener; Penguins ‘in organic decline,’ see themselves ‘as what they were, not how they are’
The first game of the 2020 Steelers season is Monday night against the New York Giants. So Mark Madden and I start this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast with a heavy dose of football. But the Penguins conversation is intriguing as well. Those that follow the team are trying to figure...
