Breakfast With Benz category, Page 166
U mad, bro? Readers seething over Steelers’ elimination, Mike Tomlin, ‘Hard Knocks’ prospect
Whenever the Steelers get knocked out of the playoff race, you know things are going to get spicy. This week’s “U mad, bro?” lives up (or is it down?) to expectations with heat coming from all directions. No one is safe. Not Mike Tomlin. Not the organization. Not HBO. Not...
How much of Mike Tomlin’s season-ending press conference should give Steelers’ fans hope?
Fellow TribLive columnist Kevin Gorman joins me for our last wrap up of Mike Tomlin’s weekly press conferences in 2019. Given that the Steelers have been eliminated short of the playoffs for a second straight year, the next time we do this may be August in Latrobe, and the “Hard...
Tim Benz: Plenty for Steelers to fix that Ben Roethlisberger can’tVideo
When assessing the 2020 Steelers offense, the easy thing to say is, “Ben Roethlisberger will be back, and that’ll fix everything.” Given how good the defense could be again, what a dream scenario that would be! Too bad it isn’t close to true. Yes, Roethlisberger will fix a lot. Red-zone...
First Call: Antonio Brown rips JuJu Smith-Schuster; Jets coach dismissive of Le’Veon Bell
As has been the case for most of 2019, the year couldn’t end without another day of former Steelers Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell being in the headlines. Brown couldn’t pass up one last chance to take a jab at former teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster on social media. Boo Boo Shoester...
What will Penguins do if Jake Guentzel is hurt, too?Video
Ok, now the hockey gods are just messing with us, right? Aren’t the Penguins out of guys to get injured? As soon as hope started to build for a return of Sidney Crosby, now Jake Guentzel might be out for a while. At least we are bracing ourselves for that...
Tim Benz: Don’t inflate Steelers’ mediocre 8-8 finish
If you looked skyward in Pittsburgh around 2:45 p.m. Monday, you saw a gorgeous double rainbow over the city. I was heading to the North Side at the time, and I felt like I was driving right into it. Both arches appeared to end directly in Heinz Field’s parking lot....
First Call: Browns’ Baker Mayfield barks at fans; Bengals RB takes out ref; Blue Jackets’ John Tortorella epic rantVideo
In Monday’s “First Call,” another epic postgame rant from John Tortorella. Another Saquon Barkley highlight. More comedy from the Bengals. And more yapping from Baker Mayfield. ‘Torts-ing’ it up one more time in 2019 Columbus Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella went on one of his classic postgame tirades after a...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden rip Steelers’ season-ending disaster, ‘Hard Knocks’ possibility, offseason challenges
When you need optimism and positivity in a time of sorrow for the Pittsburgh Steelers, you turn to Mark Madden and Tim Benz. We are nothing if not a beacon of hope in your time of need. For instance, in today’s “Madden Monday” podcast about how the Steelers will miss...
Tim Benz: Final 2019 airing of grievances after Ravens humiliate and eliminate SteelersVideo
The Steelers’ 2019 season is over. Technically, so is Festivus. But that’s not going to stop us from engaging in the “Airing of Grievances” about the Steelers one more time before the calendar turns to 2020. Believe me, after what we saw in Baltimore to wrap up the year, there...
At Christmas break, a look at Penguins’ coaching, goaltending, healthVideo
Much like Santa Claus, Brian Metzer and I are all over the map on Christmas Eve. Yes, we get into our weekly Penguins chat, as always on a Tuesday. We talk goaltending. The state of the Pens’ health. And their current standing in the Metro Division. Also, we look at...
First Call: Steeler fan’s quick change goes viral; Browns collapse official in ClevelandVideo
In Monday’s “First Call,” a Steelers fan pulls off an epic quick change. The Browns meltdown continues. We take a look at Will Grier’s debut with Carolina and Saquon Barkley’s huge day. Way to come prepared Here’s one Steelers fan who planned ahead. He was ready to cheer for Devlin...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden dissect everything that went wrong in Steelers’ loss to Jets
The Steelers’ postseason hopes are hanging by a thread. Matt Murray still can’t find his game. And the Pirates are signing players who hit .151. Merry Christmas. Don’t blame Mark Madden for being a Grinch. Me either. We aren’t putting the coal in your stocking. We are just telling you...
Tim Benz: Airing of grievances after a costly Steelers loss to JetsVideo
No Steelers fan is festive this Festivus season. Why should they be? For the second straight year, the Steelers have spent most of December playing themselves out of a playoff spot. The latest issue was Sunday’s 16-10 loss to the 6-9 New York Jets. Now ‘tis the time on the...
First Call: Le’Veon Bell expects some love from Steelers fans; how Yankees won over Gerrit Cole
Friday’s “First Call” looks at Le’Veon Bell as the Steelers prepare to face his New York Jets. An odd twist to ESPN’s NHL all-decade team. And a $324 million-dollar bottle of wine. Don’t get full of yourself Le’Veon Bell says he is expecting a 50-50 split of boos and cheers...
With Bill Hillgrove out, AT&T SportsNet’s Rob King prepares to step in to Steelers broadcast
Longtime Steelers radio play-by-play voice Bill Hillgrove will not call the last two games of the regular season. He is having back surgery. It’s unclear if he will be able to call playoff games if the Steelers make it that far. So Rob King of AT&T SportsNet will be filling...
Tim Benz: Jets’ stellar run defense can’t scare Steelers
The result was bad. The explanation was worse. Last week, the Steelers threw the football with fourth-string quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges 38 times against the Buffalo Bills. That’s the same Buffalo Bills team that entered the game third in the NFL in pass defense. That didn’t end well. Hodges was...
First Call: Steelers captain Cam Heyward not on board with ditching ‘Renegade’Video
“The jig is up. The news is out.” “Renegade” is in a slump. Last Sunday, the Buffalo Bills hit a 40-yard pass-play, and went on a game-altering fourth-quarter scoring drive after the videoboard crew played the Steelers’ noted pump-up song. The Bills went so far as to practice with the...
Evgeni Malkin or Jaromir Jagr? Geno’s 400th goal brings debate into focus
Our weekly Penguins podcast with TribLive beat writer Seth Rorabaugh finds Seth on the road in Wilkes-Barre. He’s checking in on the AHL Pens while the NHL club is out west in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. They face the Oilers Friday after beating the Flames on Tuesday. Seth gives us...
Tim Benz: Steelers say game plan is to get Jets QB Sam Darnold to see more ghosts
En route to a 33-0 loss back on Oct. 21, New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold got caught on “Monday Night Football” microphones admitting he was “seeing ghosts” from the New England Patriots defense. Sam Darnold is mic’d up and he came to the sidelines and said, “I’m seeing ghosts.”(Via...
U mad, bro? Steelers loss has readers anything but merry during holiday season
So much for the idea of Christmas spirit. A Steelers loss to the Buffalo Bills has turned just about everyone on my Twitter feed and in my email into a Grinch. Understandable. Anyone who sat through four quarters of watching that offensive quack-fest from Devlin “Duck” Hodges probably didn’t walk...
First Call: CFL wants ‘Duck’ as Canada goose; Steelers LB Bud Dupree snubbed from Pro BowlVideo
In Wednesday’s “First Call,” if the Steelers decide they don’t want Devlin Hodges this offseason, someone else already does. Bud Dupree got snubbed from the Pro Bowl. And a reason to doubt the Tennessee Titans. ‘Duck’ to become a Canada goose? If things go south in Pittsburgh for quarterback Devlin...
Tim Benz, Kevin Gorman agree with Steelers’ QB decision, rip Mike Tomlin’s strategy vs. Bills
Wednesday’s “Breakfast With Benz” podcast features Trib columnist Kevin Gorman. It’s our weekly wrap-up of Mike Tomlin’s press conference. Kevin and I look at the fallout from the loss to the Buffalo Bills in terms of playoff impact. Gorman still has his eyes on the Browns as a threat. I...
Tim Benz: Steelers are stuck with ‘Duck’ for now. Starting him Sunday is right call.Video
I started drinking coffee when I was 13. I’ll say it before you do. Yes, that’s what stunted my growth. It was usually instant coffee. I stole it from my father every morning. He always seemed to have Folgers Instant Crystals or Taster’s Choice in the pantry. Gross. The grounds...
First Call: How the Bills used ‘Renegade’ against Steelers; Browns’ players want outVideo
For Tuesday’s “First Call,” the Bills used “Renegade” to their advantage. Some Browns players want out of Cleveland. And not everything went great for a Bills fan at Heinz Field. Renegade role reversal When the jumbotron crew at Heinz Field plays “Renegade,” the goal is to fire up the Steelers...
Penguins start swing through Western Canada while dealing with illness
In our weekly hockey chat with Penguins Radio Network host Brian Metzer, we cover a lot of ground. As the Penguins themselves will be doing over the next few weeks. The club is on the road for its swing through Western Canada starting Tuesday night against the Calgary Flames, before...
