Breakfast With Benz category, Page 161
U mad, bro? Readers blast Big Ben, Bud, Benz. Jeff Capel and the NFL, too.
It may be March. But it’s a football-heavy “U mad, bro?” this week. Readers throw elbows at Ben Roethlisberger and his… well… throwing elbow. I take one in the chops, too, for questioning how well Roethlisberger’s recovery will go. Bud Dupree, Jeff Capel and the entire NFL machine get roasted...
Robert Morris hockey coach Derek Schooley gets ready for playoff push
The Robert Morris men’s hockey team (11-18-5) is looking to make the Atlantic Hockey championship weekend for the seventh straight year. If they do it, it won’t come easy. The playoffs start this weekend. And the Colonials were unable to secure a bye in the first round. So they’ll have...
First Call: T.J. Watt’s new commercial, NHL player takes skate to face, Duquesne owns overtime
The NFL’s Watt brothers start off Wednesday’s “First Call.” Why wouldn’t they? They are everywhere else. Also, we check out what happened in the rest of the Eastern Conference while the Penguins finally got back on the winning track. An NHL player gets a skate to the face. Duquesne owns...
Steelers ‘Believe it or Not’: Ben Roethlisberger will be back as good as ever
The building of the 2020 Pittsburgh Steelers is about to begin. NFL free agency starts March 18. The NFL Draft begins April 23. So let’s take a look at some of the things the Steelers have told us about what they plan to do this offseason and if we believe...
First Call: Tight end for Steelers?; Tom Brady wants Antonio Brown; Bud Dupree update; Tom Wilson bobblehead
Tuesday’s “First Call” features a potential tight end target for the Steelers. Also, updates on Bud Dupree’s franchise tag and Tom Brady’s free agency. It looks like Antonio Brown is still on Brady’s radar. A one-time Penguins prospect is coming to PPG Paints Arena in a different uniform. And the...
Steelers’ offseason plan? There may have been clues at the NFL Combine.
The NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis has come and gone. Our Joe Rutter — TribLive Steelers beat writer — was on hand covering all sorts of Steelers angles. He joined me on 105.9 the X Monday afternoon and we touched on most of them. First and foremost, these are uncharted...
Tim Benz: Ways to fix the Penguins and end their 6-game slide
Penguins fans certainly have spent a lot of time in recent days trying to figure out what’s wrong with their favorite hockey team. I know I have. I imagine those fans came to the same conclusion I did. Everything is wrong. Nothing is right. And that’s not an overreaction. Look...
First Call: Watt brothers exchange jabs on Twitter; Alex Ovechkin keeps scoring for Capitals
Today’s “First Call” features a little brotherly love. Pfft! No. Not from Philadelphia. Why would we ever subject you to that? Naw. This is from Pittsburgh. And… Houston. J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans tweeted this video of himself working out. Watt is trying to return to top form after...
Tim Benz, Brian Metzer: No Penguin is without blame during recent tumble
No “Madden Monday” podcast this week. It’s a “Metzer Monday” instead with Brian Metzer of the Penguins Radio Network. What a good time to get him on the podcast, anyway. Because the two of us spare no horses when it comes to criticism of the Penguins. They now have a...
Tim Benz: Fans should have seat at NFL’s collective bargaining table
When it comes to NFL coverage, I‘m usually one of the last guys to write a weepy column that sobs, “But what about the fans!?” Actually, make that the last guy. The absolute last person to do so. You’re a football fan. Not a child in an orphanage, an abandoned...
First Call: Henry Ruggs III runs stunning 40-yard dash; Tom Brady’s future; Penguins vs. struggling Ducks
Friday’s “First Call” features a blazing 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, the latest on Tom Brady’s future, a look at the Penguins’ next opponent and the college hoops calendar for the weekend. Oh, Henry! Henry Ruggs III nearly set the record for a 40-yard dash time at the NFL...
Ex-Penguin Mike Rupp says new acquisitions must make strong early impressions
It’s been all Penguins hockey all week long on the “Breakfast with Benz” podcast. Why wouldn’t it be? Given the Penguins’ recent trade activity and their four-game losing streak, there has been a lot to discuss. I recently interviewed former Penguin Mike Rupp on 105.9 the X. He’s now an...
Tim Benz: How the Steelers should address the dirty little secret about their defense
The word “luck” wasn’t often used in connection to the 2019 Pittsburgh Steelers. Especially relating to injuries. • The team lost the top two quarterbacks on the depth chart. • The starting running back sat out six games and parts of four others. • The starting tight end missed two...
What are Penguins getting in Evan Rodrigues and Conor Sheary?
What are the Penguins getting in Evan Rodrigues and round two of Conor Sheary? Well, based on their first game since coming over from Buffalo, not much. Neither player had a point as the Penguins lost to Los Angeles Kings 2-1. Rodrigues didn’t have a shot on goal, a blocked...
U mad, bro? Readers vent about Penguins trades, Pitt coverage, potential Antonio Brown return
This week’s “U mad, bro?” is really rough on Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford. It’s also unkind to former Steeler Antonio Brown. And I didn’t come off very well either. John emailed me about the Penguins trades in recent weeks. He’s not thrilled with general manager Jim Rutherford dealing Dominik...
First Call: Steelers talk with WR; Le’Veon Bell staying with Jets?; Zamboni goalie honoredVideo
Wednesday’s “First Call” is packed. The Steelers talked with a high-profile wide receiver at the NFL Scouting Combine. A radio host in Cleveland got suspended for ripping Baker Mayfield. “Zamboni Goalie” David Ayers was honored in Carolina. Le’Veon Bell may be staying in New York after all. And all of...
Are Penguins aligning their new-look line combinations in the right way?
It’s time for our weekly hockey podcast with TribLive Penguins beat writer Seth Rorabaugh. Lots to kick around here. John Marino and Brian Dumoulin got back on the ice for practice Tuesday. We get an update on the potential for their returns. Also, Seth seems to think we shouldn’t give...
Tim Benz: NFL is insane for reinstating Vontaze Burfict
The National Football League is welcoming back longtime Steelers nemesis Vontaze Burfict. The NFL deserves whatever comes next as a result of this decision. Unfortunately, whatever player Burfict attacks next does not. According to NFL.com, the former Oakland Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals linebacker quietly got reinstated by the NFL last...
First Call: Deontay Wilder blames outfit for loss, Conor Sheary proves his point, Astros’ Jose Altuve hit by pitch
In Tuesday’s “First Call,” we look at the predictive powers of Conor Sheary. Deontay Wilder has a wild excuse for his loss to Tyson Fury. And Jose Altuve already got hit by a pitch. Premonition? Maybe Conor Sheary was right all along. The former Penguin was traded to the Buffalo...
Penguins get Conor Sheary back: Feel-good story or actual upgrade?
The NHL trade deadline has come and gone. The Pittsburgh Penguins were very active. They acquired forwards Patrick Marleau, Conor Sheary and Evan Rodrigues. Dominik Kahun goes up to Buffalo for Sheary and Rodrigues. A conditional third-round pick heads to San Jose for Marleau. Is that enough to make the...
Tim Benz: How Penguins fared on trade deadline day vs. Metro Division foes
Back on Feb. 10, when the Penguins acquired Jason Zucker from Minnesota, the question appeared to be: “Have the Penguins done enough to catch the Capitals atop the Metro Division?” That question is still very much up for debate. Now, on Feb. 25, another question needs to be asked: “Did...
First Call: NFL CBA missing the boat; what if Steelers made playoffs under proposed format?
For Monday’s “First Call,” we take a look at the many threads of conversation surrounding the NFL collective bargaining talks, a 17-game schedule, and the potential expansion of the playoff field to seven teams per conference. • J.J. Watt and Richard Sherman say the players shouldn’t like what has become...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden tackle Penguins’ recent losses, Pitt violations, Steelers’ needs, Pirates spring training
Last Monday, it was tough to come up with a negative thing to say about the Pittsburgh Penguins. This Monday, it’s tough to find something good. The Pens have lost three games in a row. They’ve given up 14 goals in the defeats, and the Philadelphia Flyers are closing in...
Tim Benz: The NCAA rule book is dumb. And so were Pitt’s violations of it.Video
The NCAA rule book is far too dense. The application of those rules is woefully random. And its allocation of discipline when those rules are broken is horribly inconsistent. Technically, those are just my opinions. But I dare you to find me a fan of college athletics who doesn’t presume...
Tim Benz, Jerry DiPaola take deep look into Pitt athletics violations
Pitt’s athletic program has been placed on three years’ probation, and both the football and men’s basketball teams were given penalties for rules violations and cover-ups between August 2015 and March 2018. Oh no! Does that mean the legendary 7-7 football team that went to the ACC Championship Game has...
