Breakfast With Benz category, Page 162
Tampa Bay radio host endorses Jameis Winston to Steelers, dismisses Antonio Brown to Bucs with Tom Brady
No move during free agency was as big of a deal as Tom Brady going to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so we talked to Jay Recher of WDAE Radio about how it transpired. It sounds like it was a slow boil that started in January. “We’ve been talking about this...
First Call: A forgotten great game from Penguins covid-19 replay series
The NHL Network and AT&T SportsNet are replaying a slew of old Pittsburgh Penguins games to occupy the hearts and minds of idle Penguins fans frustrated by a lack of hockey due to the coronavirus shutdown. On Wednesday, the NHL Network will air the Penguins’ Stanley Cup clinching games from...
U mad, bro? ‘Anti-social’ distancing edition: Readers vent about Steelers, MLB, even… the U.S. Senate?
Pent-up “Breakfast With Benz” readers are angry “Breakfast With Benz” readers. It appears some of you who click on this page daily are not taking the pandemic shutdown well. You are lashing out at the Steelers backup quarterbacks, Antonio Brown, baseball, and… …the U.S. Senate? That’s a new one. Hey,...
First Call: ‘Pittsburgh icon quarantine matchmaker’ is greatest coronavirus time-waster ever
It takes a lot to make people smile these days, given the covid-19 shutdown. So credit TribLive’s Chris Benson for coming up with a way to make that happen. He developed this fantastic coronavirus shut-in timewaster. Hit play. Then, whenever you hit pause, that is the one Pittsburgh icon you...
NHL is considering a September Stanley Cup. How will 2021 be impacted?
Picture it. The Stanley Cup. Awarded… …in September??? Yes. That could happen based on a conference call among NHL owners Tuesday. In our weekly hockey podcast, Penguins Radio Network host Brian Metzer and I talk about the logistics of that attempt. And whether or not that is even worthwhile to...
Tim Benz: Grading Steelers free agency moves. And why that’s so hard to do.
This doesn’t have to be “it” for the Pittsburgh Steelers when it comes to acquiring talent for the upcoming 2020 season. Obviously, there is the NFL Draft in April. Yes, that event is still taking place despite the covid-19 crisis. In a studio. To what degree of participation or production,...
Tim Benz: Importance of sports is being downplayed, but their absence has never been more painful
Here’s a message for the “sports don’t matter at a time like this” crowd. After this weekend, don’t ever say such a thing again. During NCAA basketball conference championship week, at the dawn of the coronavirus epidemic, The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach tried to sing that song as the ensuing wave...
First Call: Watt brothers and Wisniewski brighten spirits, Patriots bring back ex-Steelers QB, NHL money crunch
Monday’s “First Call” features two new Steelers bringing a rare smile to our faces these days. New NFL Draft plans. A former Steeler goes back to the New England Patriots. And the financial woes of the NHL may be worse than we thought after the league-wide shutdown. Now that’s a...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden discuss Steelers free agent signings, state of sports amid coronavirus pandemic
Just about everything else is shutdown these days. But “Madden Monday” is not. Mark Madden of 105.9 the X and I are here to talk about what sports do exist. That includes the Steelers and NFL free agency. We examine the good things and bad things the Steelers did this...
The ripple effect of huge NFL moves, delayed MLB season in the fantasy sports world
Not only is the NFL free agent madness impacting the actual league, but it’s also having a major impact on the fantasy football world. A ton of skill-position players moved, so Jeff Erickson and I have plenty to discuss for our weekly fantasy sports podcast. Obviously, Tom Brady going to...
Tim Benz: What’s the Pittsburgh equivalent of Tom Brady leaving New England?
Pittsburgh Steelers fans — much like 30 other NFL fan bases — are enjoying a heaping teaspoon of schadenfreude at the expense of the New England Patriots right now. After 19 years of dominance, the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era is over. Brady is going to play his remaining few years...
First Call: Antonio Brown works out with Steelers WR; Jameis Winston to Pittsburgh?; Sidney Crosby’s future as a coach
In Friday’s “First Call,” we look at which Steelers player is a workout pal with Antonio Brown. Mike Sullivan adresses the the idea of Sidney Crosby eventually coaching. Should Jameis Winston go to the Steelers? Also, more bad news in Boston. And “March Madness” replacement brackets. A.B.’s buddy If anyone...
How did it go so wrong? Tim Benz, Ken Laird discuss Tom Brady leaving the Patriots
Nope. Sportswise, things aren’t great in Pittsburgh right now. The Steelers are just a .500 team. The Pirates may never sniff .500 again. And the Penguins were barely clinging onto third place in the Metro Division when the coronavirus shutdown hit. Could be worse, though. We could be in Boston....
‘U mad, bro?’ knows what you need in these troubling times: The venting of Steelers fans
If there is one thing I have learned from all the covid-19 fallout, it is that as Pittsburghers we have come together. We are all linking arms while somehow being six feet apart. We are all pulling on the same rope. Then wiping down that rope with sanitizer. We are...
RMU coach Andy Toole reflects on his team’s NCAA games that never got to tip off
Usually the idea of missing out on a mid-week, mid-March night in Dayton, Ohio doesn’t sound like something that could plunge you into depression. Right now, Robert Morris basketball players may disagree. That’s where they should have been this week. Playing in an NCAA First Four game to kick off...
First Call: Laughing at Tom Brady leaving; Bengals big signing; bad NHL schedule idea
In “First Call” Wednesday, people are laughing at New England’s pain. The NHL player proposal to restart the season stinks. And Marc-Andre Fleury looks like he is in the weeds of a quarantine. Now it is our turn No one is making this easy on New England. Legendary quarterback Tom...
Brett Keisel, fans coax J.J. Watt to Steelers so he can join his brothers
On Tuesday, word leaked that the Steelers are set to sign former Los Angeles Chargers fullback Derek Watt. He is the older brother of Steelers Pro Bowl linebacker T.J. Watt and the younger brother of Houston Texans star defensive lineman J.J. Watt. Most fullbacks don’t exactly get a ton of...
Tom Brady tweets goodbye message to Patriots
It’s not clear where New England Patriots legend Tom Brady is going to play football next season. But it is becoming clear that it will no longer be in New England. Brady posted what appears to be two good-bye tweets to the Patriots organization and fans Tuesday morning. FOREVER A...
First Call: NFL players mock former Penn State coach Bill O’Brien for DeAndre Hopkins trade
Monday was full of major NFL moves on the first day of free agency. Here’s a look at some of the ones that happened late at night that you may have missed. And if you did, I don’t blame you. Based on all the coronavirus news, I would’ve hidden under...
Can this NHL season survive a 45 day pause? If so, how can the playoffs work?
No hockey. No problem for Brian Metzer and me during our weekly hockey podcast! Eh, who am I kidding? It’s a problem. But Metzer — the Penguins Radio Network host on 105.9 the X — and I make the most of it. We pontificate over how the NHL could survive...
Tim Benz: Browns, Ravens improve as Steelers crawl to cap compliance
We’re used to seeing it. On Day 1 of the NFL’s 2020 free agency period, the rest of the league took a headfirst dive into the deep end of the pool. Meanwhile, the Steelers are simply in a doggy paddle toward cap compliance. That’s the case every year, right? But...
First Call: Coronavirus crisis may keep Raiders in Oakland; Tom Brady’s options narrowing; Xavier Johnson staying at Pitt
In “First Call” for Monday, we defend the NFL’s decision to move forward with the start of its league year. Coronavirus may impact the Raiders’ ability to move to Las Vegas on time. And potential landing spots for Tom Brady are disappearing. Look a little deeper The NFL took heat...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden discuss the new NFL CBA, sports alternatives for coronavirus shutdown
The coronavirus has stopped sports. But it hasn’t stopped us from talking about them on “Madden Monday.” In this week’s podcast, Mark Madden and I discuss what you can do to occupy your time without sports on television. I suggest “Brockmire.” Listen for Mark’s recommendations. There are also good ESPN...
Tim Benz: Players, teams that could suffer most under coronavirus sports shutdown
The coronavirus sports shutdown may be worse than originally thought. On Sunday, the Centers for Disease Control recommended “that for the next 8 weeks, organizers … cancel or postpone in-person events that consist of 50 people or more throughout the United States.” That means sports. All of ‘em. The NCAA...
How fantasy sports, gambling are affected by coronavirus; odd team surfaces for Tom Brady
Sports is a multibillion-dollar business. So is sports gambling. So is the fantasy sports industry. And a lot of people in those lines of work are being impacted by the absence of sports because of the coronavirus outbreak. Much like the casual players and big-money investors. Our friend Jeff Erickson...
