Breakfast With Benz category, Page 72
Tim Benz: If Kyle Dubas is sincere about his intentions, he may be saving himself — and the Penguins — a headache
If Kyle Dubas is sure that he doesn’t want to be an NHL general manager in another city besides Toronto, then the Penguins shouldn’t try to tempt him to Pittsburgh. I’ve heard some fans and media types speculate that Dubas is just negotiating, that he is downplaying any desire to...
Potential return of Mason Rudolph to Steelers makes sense for both sides — even if some refuse to see it
Back in February, I reported that Pittsburgh Steelers free agent quarterback Mason Rudolph would test the market but would also consider a return to the Steelers if the team decided to trade or release second-stringer Mitch Trubisky in advance of the draft. More than a few people told me I...
Le’Veon Bell wants to settle old scores with Vontaze Burfict in boxing ring
The career of former Pittsburgh Steeler Le’Veon Bell was altered by two big hits from former Cincinnati Bengals players. First, there was the blow that hyperextended his knee from safety Reggie Nelson at the end of the 2014 season that caused Bell to miss the playoffs. Then there was the...
First Call: J.J. Watt nixes talk of being a Steeler; team signs top XFL corner, considers former Pro Bowl LB
Tuesday’s “First Call” is loaded with Steelers nuggets, including J.J. Watt’s statement on the notion of him playing in Pittsburgh. The Steelers are also signing an XFL star cornerback, while considering a former Pro Bowl linebacker. Plus, there is more college realignment news, and Major League Baseball’s best were sparkling...
Former Pitt, WPIAL hoops star Cam Johnson using NBA platform, family motivation in Rush to Crush Cancer
While Cameron Johnson was starring in the WPIAL at Our Lady of Sacred Heart, Pitt basketball coach Jamie Dixon wanted to make an in-home recruiting visit shortly before Easter. The way Johnson’s aunt — Gina Caliguire — tells the story, her nephew was looking forward to the visit. But it...
Madden Monday: Not buying into New York rumors about Mike Sullivan going to Rangers
The New York Post’s Larry Brooks sent a tweet last week that kicked up speculation about the Pittsburgh Penguins’ general manager search. And about the organization’s current head coach. Brooks says he has heard some scuttlebutt that the Penguins may try to hire Kyle Dubas as GM if he and...
First Call: Is Kyle Dubas now in play for Penguins’ GM search? Steelers allegedly sign rookie tryout RB
The Pittsburgh Steelers appear to have added to their running back room. A former Steeler is trying to find a new home in the NFC South. The Pirates got as little help as they should’ve expected from the Kansas City Royals against the Milwaukee Brewers this weekend. A few Penguins...
Penguins reflect on 30 years after David Volek’s goal: ‘His name is scratched in my skull’
When former Pittsburgh Penguin Grant Jennings talks, his voice sounds like hockey. It’s a Western Canadian accent with a tough, low grumble to it. There’s a spirited gravel that sounds like it comes along with 14 professional years — and nearly 1,500 penalty minutes — at all levels of the...
30 years after on-ice collision, former Penguin Kevin Stevens relives that moment and his long comeback
Ask anyone associated with the 1993 Pittsburgh Penguins what they remember about the Patrick Division Final against the New York Islanders. Any player. Any coach. Any fan. Any vendor at the Civic Arena. The responses will be nearly universal. Overtime loss. Game 7. David Volek. 4-3. Strangely, though, the one...
U mad, bro?: Pirates fans already turn sour from May slump; Penguins fans grumble about missing playoffs
The honeymoon appears to be over for the Pittsburgh Pirates. And for Penguins coach Mike Sullivan. And for football owner Antonio Brown. Pittsburgh sports fans chime in on all those topics and more in this week’s “U mad, bro?” We begin with “Frogger33” on Twitter. I was on WPXI’s “The...
First Call: Steelers suggested as landing spot for veteran linebacker; Joey Porter discusses Pittsburgh drafting son
Wednesday’s “First Call” takes us inside Joey Porter’s emotions as the Pittsburgh Steelers waited to draft his son. A familiar name is linked to the Steelers in free agency. And the team is giving the once-over to another XFL standout. In baseball, a former Pirate is struggling with his new...
Andy Weidl said ‘It takes a village to do a draft.’ Will it also take a village for Steelers to raise Kenny Pickett?
When Andy Weidl spoke to the Pittsburgh media last week, it was just the second time he had formally done so since becoming the Steelers assistant general manager a year ago. It happened once in training camp, about two months after he was hired. The second time was last Friday...
First Call: Ben Roethlisberger asks Bill Cowher about ’04 draft; over-under odds for local college football teams
Tuesday’s “First Call” has quite a personal conversation about Pittsburgh Steelers history between Ben Roethlisberger and Bill Cowher. We have a positive report about one of the Steelers draft choices. The Brewers keep in line with the Pirates atop the NL Central. Duquesne is in the hunt for a big-conference...
For North Hills alum Margo Malone, personal loss inspired ‘an easy 26 miles’ en route to Pittsburgh Marathon win
For even the most competitive marathoners, some runs are far more challenging than others. Oftentimes it’s not the races. It’s the training. North Hills graduate Margo Malone can speak to that. A cross-country runner at Syracuse University from 2012-16, Malone remembers the early wake-up calls and brutal cold of the...
First Call: Steelers get an ‘A’ offseason grade; Omar Khan deflects knowledge of Jets’ draft plans before trade
Pittsburgh Steelers management is still downplaying any prearranged knowledge of how pick No. 14 would work out upon completion of their draft-night trade with the New England Patriots. The Steelers are getting high marks for that deal as well as the rest of their offseason. The Pittsburgh Passion honors Franco...
Madden Monday: On Steelers’ offseason, ‘people act like they have solved all of their problems — they haven’t’
A lot of praise is being thrown at the feet of the Pittsburgh Steelers for their offseason. By most accounts, their haul of draft choices was quite good. General manager Omar Khan appeared to do a solid job during his first run through NFL free agency by beefing up all...
Tim Benz: Pirates doing a lot to prove skeptics right; they better stop the trend this week
A week ago, the Pittsburgh Pirates looked like a team that could do no wrong. Now, for the Bucs, it’s a case of anything that can go wrong will go wrong. For as good as April was for the Pirates (ending the month 20-9), May has been every bit as...
Ex-Steeler Antonio Brown claims he doesn’t own Albany Empire — and that he’s a ‘foreign national’
If you read the details surrounding former Pittsburgh Steeler Antonio Brown’s chaotic ownership of his National Arena League football team, buckle up. Because that news was just scratching the surface. Earlier this week, details emerged that Brown’s franchise, the Albany Empire, was in a state of unrest after coaching changes,...
First Call: JuJu Smith-Schuster explains when mutual interest with Bill Belichick began; an ex-Steeler OT not retiring yet
It’s an all-Steelers Friday “First Call” to wrap up the week. We start by getting new Patriots receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster’s take on when he thinks Bill Belichick started to notice him as a player. A former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman wants to make a comeback. We also see some unfortunate...
Tim Benz: Pirates need bounce-back effort against Toronto after big thud in Tampa
You can call the Pittsburgh Pirates’ three-game series in Tampa whatever you want. A reality check. A step back. A wake-up call. A litmus test. However you want to phrase it, one thing is definitely true: It was a giant disappointment. The Pirates were swept by the Rays in their...
First Call: XFL TD reception leader to join Steelers’ rookie camp; ex-Steeler with blunt words for Devin White
Thursday’s “First Call” introduces us to a new pass catching target with the Pittsburgh Steelers out of the XFL. General manager Omar Khan reveals some details about trade discussions for the second-round pick that ended up being used on Joey Porter Jr. A former Steeler has little sympathy for one...
NFL GM on Steelers-Patriots trade: ‘Belichick did it just to (expletive) the Jets’
The “did they or didn’t they” saga surrounding the Steelers-Patriots trade during Round 1 of the NFL Draft took a few more turns Wednesday. Like many nationally, I assumed that Patriots coach Bill Belichick took particular joy in greenlighting a trade with the Steelers to move back from No. 14...
U mad, bro?: Fans agitated over too much early Pirates hype, too much heat on Mike Sullivan, too many dirty NHL hits
OK, so maybe we took the Steelers’ draft-night conspiracies a little far. I don’t think so. But some of you do. Maybe, just maybe, we started talking up the Pirates too much before the Rays stomped them down. And perhaps the NHL playoffs have degenerated into “West Side Story” gang...
Tim Benz: Challenge gets tougher for Pirates in Game 2 with Rays
It was a bad night for the Pittsburgh Pirates to endure a few bad breaks. A lot has gone right for manager Derek Shelton’s team in 2023. But that wasn’t the case Tuesday in Tampa Bay. The Pirates lost Game 1 of their much anticipated three-game showdown against the American...
Antonio Brown’s National Arena League team ‘in chaos’: nonpayment for players, coaching changes, team bus incident
Not long ago, we told you that former Steeler Antonio Brown was being sued by a celebrity jeweler over issues of non-payment. A former live-in chef once made a similar claim. He’s also allegedly failed to pay doctors, trainers and artists. So should we be surprised that the players on...
