Breakfast With Benz category, Page 98
U mad, bro?: Fans unload on Penguins for blowing playoff lead; rip Pirates’ hitting; mock Vogelbach’s mad dash
To the surprise of no one, Pittsburgh Penguins fans are ticked off about their team blowing a 3-1 series lead against the New York Rangers en route to playoff elimination. Meanwhile, Pirates fans are ticked off about … everything. That’s why we invented “U mad, bro?” It’s basically a public...
First Call: Antonio Brown postpones his Pittsburgh concert; a Steelers GM candidate is out of the mix
In Thursday’s “First Call,” Pittsburgh Steelers fans are going to have to wait for the triumphant return of Antonio Brown. One candidate to replace Kevin Colbert as Steelers general manager is out of the running. An ex-Penguin burns the New York Rangers in Round 2 of the Eastern Conference playoffs....
First Call: Steelers GM candidate gets 2nd interview, another gets a look from an AFC rival; Tom Brady to be ‘roasted’
Wednesday’s “First Call” gives us an update on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ general manager search. Jerome Bettis reaches a personal milestone. One of the Steelers’ historic rivals is getting shined up by ESPN. And Tom Brady is about to be “roasted.” Brandon to Buffalo? The Steelers announced Tuesday that vice president...
Tim Benz: Sidney Crosby’s comments on his long-term future should get us thinking
Because Pittsburgh Penguins star center Sidney Crosby is so consistent with his pragmatic, stay-in-the-middle-lane approach to dealing with the media, he rarely lets any quote slip that’s surprising. Frankly, the one he uttered Tuesday may not be all that remarkable either, but, during the Penguins breakup day interviews, the team’s...
Tim Benz: Steelers rookie DeMarvin Leal ‘touching the waters’ with decision to add some weight
Given the thirst so many people had for the Pittsburgh Steelers to draft a defensive lineman, I’m sure the instant reaction from most was to applaud when DeMarvin Leal’s name popped up next to the franchise’s logo in the third round last month. But that may have been followed by...
First Call: Vince Williams takes high school coaching job, endorses Antonio Brown’s idea to retire as a Steeler
A former Pittsburgh Steeler is making news by taking a high school coaching job. He is also endorsing a reunion between the Steelers and Antonio Brown. Things aren’t perfect in Cincinnati with the Bengals and a star player. The New York Rangers are underdogs in their next series despite dispatching...
Madden Monday: ‘Penguins blew it. Choked is too strong of a word. Or maybe it’s not.’
A lot of Pittsburgh Penguins fans seem to have sympathy for the club even though it blew a 3-1 series lead to the New York Rangers. Sunday’s 4-3 overtime result in favor of New York finished off the series comeback for the Blueshirts and ended the Penguins’ season. After all,...
First Call: Melvin Ingram signs with a team Steelers will face in 2022; Steelers schedule deemed tougher than numbers indicate
Monday’s “First Call” has a landing spot for a former Pittsburgh Steeler. The Steelers schedule may be even harder than we thought. The Pirates are getting another look at the Chicago Cubs already. The pitcher who helped no-hit the Pirates during a loss discusses the odd set of circumstances. And...
Tim Benz: Blown leads result in blown series as Penguins season ends in New York
The Penguins-Rangers first-round Eastern Conference playoff series lasted seven games and 13 days. With all that happened during that time, it felt like it lasted 70 games and 130 days. We witnessed: • A triple-overtime Penguins win in Game 1 and an overtime Rangers win in Game 7. • The...
Tim Benz: ‘Rattled’ Penguins can’t write a better ending to familiar script
After 40 minutes of the Penguins-Rangers game Friday night, it dawned on me. Are we all really here at PPG Paints Arena for Game 6? Or is this a weird out-of-body experience? Are 18,187 of us just watching a hologram replay of Wednesday’s Game 5? As was the case Wednesday,...
First Call: Pitt’s possible partners in proposed ACC football scheduling changes; Capitals blow lead, on cusp of elimination
Thursday’s “First Call” provides some updates about potential changes to the ACC football conference. The Penguins-Rangers game at Madison Square Garden wasn’t the only crucial result to track in the NHL playoffs. The upcoming Pirates-Reds series this weekend has a different tone to it than the one they played last...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans already sounding off about quarterback decisions; Penguins fans in goalie mode
Pittsburgh Steelers fans are in regular-season mode already when it comes to quarterback conversation. It’s playoff time, so Penguins fans are in a lather. And we discuss zoology on the North Side. It’s quite the collection of reader responses in this week’s “U mad, bro?” We begin with Jonathan. He...
Tim Benz: Penguins didn’t pass 20-minute test without Sidney Crosby. The road ahead now looks much longer
Once it was clear that Sidney Crosby wasn’t coming back from injury, the Pittsburgh Penguins needed to be better than the New York Rangers for just 20 minutes to end their first-round playoff series. They weren’t. Now they might need to be better without him for 60 minutes. Or else...
First Call: Steelers referenced as ‘potential’ landing spot for former Pro Bowl cornerback; Canes go back up on Bruins
Wednesday’s “First Call” stokes the conversation about a former Pro Bowl cornerback perhaps connecting with the Steelers. Some local players got on the scoresheet in NHL playoff action. And there is some question about the extent of Tom Brady’s deal with Fox. Bucks for Bradberry? On Tuesday, I mentioned the...
Tim Benz: Penguins’ spike in goals is impressive, but the work to create the shots is what shines
When it comes to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ goal explosion against the New York Rangers, the contrast is stark between what the Pens did in Games 1 and 2 at Madison Square Garden versus their output at home. Over the first two games at MSG, the two teams played a little...
As Penguins look to eliminate Rangers, momentum (and history) are on their side
The Pittsburgh Penguins are about to play the New York Rangers in a playoff elimination game. Momentum is on their side. And so is history. For the most part. The two teams have faced each other in the postseason seven times before this spring. The Penguins have won five of...
First Call: Steelers GM candidate getting 2nd interview, others may be looking elsewhere
A well-known Pittsburgh name is getting a second look in the hiring process to replace Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert while some of their other candidates may be heading elsewhere. An interesting free agent cornerback has hit the NFL’s open market. Pierre McGuire is in need of a new hockey...
Tom Brady’s ‘unretirement’ reportedly had a big influence on NFL schedule makers. Might it impact Steelers?
Tom Brady’s late decision to play in 2022 may also dictate some changes in plans for the NFL schedule makers. Who knows, maybe the Steelers, too? Via Sam Farmer of the L.A. Times, the gurus who figure out the schedules and national television broadcasts had to do a reboot once...
Tim Benz: The Penguins have suddenly reduced Igor Shesterkin from bold to broken
OK. Now, this is what it looks like to break a goalie. Penguins fans should know. They’ve seen it before. Penguins vs. that-season Vezina winners in playoffs, past 40 yrs-'96Rd1 WSH Jim Carey*✅'00Rd1 WSH Olaf Kolzig✅'01Rd2 BUF Dominik Hasek✅'16Rd2 WSH Braden Holtby✅'17Rd1 CBJ Segei Bobrovsky✅'22**Rd1 NYR Igor Shesterkin❓(*-lost job; **-presumed)...
Madden Monday: Some technical elements of Louis Domingue’s game the Rangers may try to exploit
Something I frequently hear about the Penguins-Rangers first-round playoff series is that Pens goalie Louis Domingue is an “X-factor” or a “variable” in the series. I don’t see it that way. Quite the opposite. Based on what we’ve seen from Domingue so far — he allowed five goals in his...
Tim Benz: Bad time for Pirates to have a massive step up in competition
It’s been a while since we’ve really checked in on the Pirates. The NFL Draft and the Penguins playoff push has kept us pretty busy. That stuff and, well, the abject inability to be competitive and the organizational disinterest in trying. Those things come into play as well. But, hey,...
First Call: ESPN report says Mitch Trubisky knew the Steelers may draft Kenny Pickett before signing; Baker Mayfield conspiracy theory
Monday’s “First Call” looks at the looming Steelers quarterback battle. We find an interesting Steelers-related conspiracy theory about Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield. Gambling odds have Kenny Pickett as the favorite to win NFL Rookie of the Year. And the Pirates are getting ready for a step up in competition. What’s...
Tim Benz: Penguins, Rangers treat fans to 3 games in 1 night as ‘roller coaster’ series continues
During that triple-overtime Game 1 of the Penguins-Rangers Eastern Conference playoff series, the teams played what was almost the equivalent of two full games. Then, in Saturday’s Game 3, they basically played three separate games in one night. The Penguins dominated the first period, taking a 4-1 lead into the...
First Call: 2 names emerge to start 2nd round of Steelers GM interviews; how Malik Willis learned of Kenny Pickett’s selection
Friday’s “First Call” zooms in on a second round of Pittsburgh Steelers’ general manager interviews. The Seattle Seahawks may not be at the top of the Baker Mayfield sweepstakes after all. We also found out how Malik Willis discovered the Steelers were drafting Kenny Pickett instead of him. And the...
Steelers GM Kevin Colbert’s revealing take on how NFL ready Kenny Pickett may truly be
As I look ahead to Pittsburgh Steelers training camp this summer, my brain actually goes back to Saint Vincent College in 2010. That’s when we knew Ben Roethlisberger was going to be suspended for at least the first four (and perhaps six) games of the season. So we were all...
