Breakfast With Benz category, Page 157
U mad, bro? Steelers fans vent about JuJu Smith-Schuster, Antonio Brown, Leonard Fournette
In the week leading up to the NFL Draft, it was clear Steelers fans were feeling particularly on edge. Hey, no first-round pick for the first time since 1967 will do that to you. So, instead of fretting over what was going to happen in the first round, Black and...
First Call: Pittsburgh as NHL return city?; Some underrated potential Steelers draft targets
For “First Call” today, we’re still talkin’ hockey in a bubble. Just different bubbles. Forget New Hampshire, North Dakota and Saskatchewan. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed through ESPN.com that the NHL is looking at four NHL host cities as designated locations to condense the league and to restart the 2019-20...
NFL Draft analyst: Perfect sleeper replacement for Javon Hargrave, OLB options for Steelers
In the first part of our pre-draft podcast with Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling, he outlined how he thought the draft laid out nicely for the Steelers to meet their offensive needs. Even though they won’t be making a first-round selection. In part two, we look at the prospects the Steelers...
Tim Benz: That JuJu Smith-Schuster trade idea? Not gonna happen. But worth a look.
A chin-scratching Steelers trade rumor bubbled to the surface Wednesday. JuJu Smith-Schuster to the San Francisco 49ers for a first-round pick. Rumor has it? #49ers called and checked on the availability of #Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster. #NFL #NFLDraft2020 Some things to note #PittsburghSteelers have no number one pick and this...
First Call: Unflattering review of Leonard Fournette, former WPIAL star getting NFL trade interest, Gronk trade impacts gambling
In Wednesday’s “First Call,” a less than stellar review of Leonard Fournette. A former Western Pa. football star may be on the move. And the Rob Gronkowski trade is shifting gambling lines. No fan of Fournette Former Pittsburgh sportswriter Vito Stellino is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He...
Ravens’ Lamar Jackson wants Antonio Brown. Is he crazy? Or onto something?
I’ve been quite happy with how the NFL has managed to socially distance itself from former Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown. The league has been much farther than six feet away from A.B. since September. Now NFL MVP Lamar Jackson wants Brown to return. And he’d like to see Mr....
NFL Draft analyst: Draft ‘sets up really nicely’ for Steelers’ offensive needs
The Steelers haven’t been without a first-round draft pick since 1967. But with the way things are lining up for this week’s NFL Draft, 2020 may not be a bad year for that to be the case. That seems to be the assessment of at least one draft analyst I...
How politics surrounding coronavirus may slow NHL’s return, 2016 flashbacks
Brian Metzer of the Penguins Radio Network joins me for our weekly hockey chat. During this week’s Essey Tire podcast, we solve all the world’s problems. Who am I kidding? We complain about the state of affairs we are all dealing with in this coronavirus-shut-in-addled existence we are all muddling...
First Call: Price on Leonard Fournette may slip into Steelers range, Jameis Winston’s new tactic
Tuesday’s “First Call” gives us an update on the Leonard Fournette trade front. The asking price could dip into the Steelers’ range if they are interested. That’s not it for drama in Jacksonville. Another Jaguars player is going after ownership. Jameis Winston is playing coy with his free agency. And...
Tim Benz: Ripple effect of Steelers going with a WR or RB early in draft
What I’m about to give you is just my anecdotal observation. It’s far from scientific data. That being said, considering what we’ve learned over the last two months, we all tend to pick and choose scientific data based on the numbers we prefer to believe anyway. So let’s stick with...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden discuss how the draft may impact Steelers trades; Matt Murray’s future
In this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden and I focus on the NFL Draft. We both see the logic in the Steelers drafting a skill-position player in the second round. But what becomes of JuJu Smith-Schuster or James Conner if that happens? Could either of them be traded? If...
First Call: Should Steelers look at Leonard Fournette? Rare national praise for Ben Roethlisberger
Monday’s “First Call” starts the week with rare pre-NFL Draft praise of Ben Roethlisberger from the national media. Could the Steelers target running back Leonard Fournette in a trade? More Jameis Winston to the Steelers chatter. And it appears that the Chinese Professional Baseball League (Taiwan) doesn’t quite grasp the...
Pitt doctor leading covid-19 battle discusses lessons learned through sports, optimistic for football’s return
Not much has made me smile since the covid-19 shut-in. Tiger King. Bert Kreischer’s new comedy special. Oh, and this dog video. Good boy’s reaction...?pic.twitter.com/OK3t2x1VJU— Rex Chapman? (@RexChapman) April 15, 2020 C’mon! You gotta laugh every time, right? There was one other thing that gave me a chuckle. It was...
First Call: Ben Roethlisberger’s thoughts on Steelers drafting QB; Mason Rudolph works out with JuJu
Friday’s “First Call” looks at some quotes from Ben Roethlisberger about the talk that his team may draft a quarterback next week. Video of Mason Rudolph and JuJu Smith-Schuster working out together. A new Steelers draft candidate emerges at linebacker. And the latest on the Penguins-Capitals playoff series. Huh?! The...
Former Pirate Rinku Singh describes journey from baseball to pro wrestling
Pirates fans never got to see Rinku Singh pitch in a Major League game at PNC Park. But now they can watch him on a big stage. As a blossoming wrestling star. Singh grew up in Bhadohi, India. He and fellow Pirates minor league teammate Dinesh Patel were thrust onto...
Gov. Wolf won’t commit to Steelers, Eagles hosting games to start 2020 season
In recent days, President Trump and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease director, have each talked about the prospect of America’s sports world getting back on track after the nation’s battle against covid-19. All sports were effectively shut down during NCAA basketball conference championship week...
First Call: Todd Haley’s Twitter mishap, Odell Beckham Jr. trade talk, Derek Watt’s new number
Thursday’s “First Call” features a funny Twitter faux pas from Todd Haley. Trade rumors are swirling around a big-name player with the Cleveland Browns. Hilarious draft rules are in place for homebound prospects. And the worst … sports … Jeopardy answer … EVER! What day is it? A lot of...
RMU’s Chris King on challenges athletic directors face because of covid-19
First-year Robert Morris athletic director Chris King had just gone through a full week of overseeing his teams barrel through playoff performances. The men’s basketball team had just won the NEC Tournament at the brand-new UPMC Events Center. His women’s team finished 17-1 in conference play. The men’s hockey team...
First Call: Watt brothers star on ‘Tonight Show’; sports movie ideas for Stephen King’s list
For “First Call” Wednesday, we try to help out renowned horror writer Stephen King. And the Watt brothers take over “The Tonight Show.” The offseason of the Watt brothers continues. Steelers T.J. and Derek Watt joined older brother J.J. Watt during a segment on “The Tonight Show” Tuesday. It was...
Derek Shelton has one clear goal to protect Pirates pitchers amid coronavirus shutdown
No one in the baseball world is happy right now. No season to start. No games to be played. Everyone is just sitting around idle. Although sitting around idle is still better than having your entire offseason of work go up in smoke. Then having to do it over and...
Tim Benz: OK, ESPN. Here’s your ‘alternate reality’ path for Steelers to draft a QB.
“Inglourious Basterds” is one of my favorite movies. It’s got an alternate outcome to World War II at the end. The device of an alternate-outcome premise is popular on television lately. HBO’s “The Plot against America” is along those lines. So was Amazon’s “Man in the High Castle.” Perhaps our...
Remembering the 2017 Penguins-Predators Stanley Cup Final
We go down memory lane in this week’s “Essey Tire” hockey podcast with Brian Metzer of the Penguins Radio Network. In lieu of actual hockey, the NHL Network is running an all-day marathon on Tuesday of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Nashville Predators. So...
Tim Benz: New MLB idea to save season is better, but some flaws can’t be fixed
The latest model to lay out some version of a potential Major League Baseball season in 2020 appears to be an improvement over the first one we saw. But it is still fraught with specific problems, unavoidable pitfalls and significant overarching questions about health during the coronavirus pandemic. Please don’t...
First Call: Rod Woodson’s weird logic on Roethlisberger vs. Bradshaw debate
Tuesday’s “First Call” takes a look at how Steelers legend Rod Woodson entered the fray regarding the recently spicy Ben Roethlisberger versus Terry Bradshaw debate. Steelers Hall of Famer Rod Woodson appeared on FS1’s “Speak for Yourself” on Monday. He was asked if Terry Bradshaw was right when he deferred...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden: Steelers draft could have ripple effect; idea of remote MLB, NHL locations
Coming off of Easter Sunday, this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast looks at a different kind of resurrection. That of the entire sports world. When will we see it? And when we do, will we recognize it? Mark and I aren’t just talking about the mechanics of the leagues getting off...
