Tim Benz stories, Page 119
Tim Benz: Steelers who flashed in 1st preseason game look to build on positive momentum Thursday night
Just because the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys played each other in Canton last week, that doesn’t mean the game tape needed to stay there. No, the Hall of Fame Game was hardly Hall of Fame-worthy viewing as the Steelers outlasted the Cowboys 16-3 in a less than enthralling battle...
U mad, bro?: Ben Roethlisberger, Bob Nutting, Mike Tannenbaum, Tim Benz all feel heat from readers
This edition of “U mad, bro?” looks like Tony Gwynn’s spray chart. Wherever the ball is pitched, it’s a line drive in the other direction. Ben Roethlisberger, Mike Tannenbaum, Bob Nutting, Jameson Taillon and even … me. We’re all ducking hard line drives back up the middle this week. So...
Under-the-radar Steelers defensive lineman draws praise from Mike Tomlin
One of Mike Tomlin’s most tried-and-true touchstones when it comes to coaching axioms is to analyze the development of players between their first and second seasons. Just look at recent Steelers Hall of Fame inductee Troy Polamalu. He looked like a complete bust as a rookie in 2003. He was...
First Call: How much did Ben Roethlisberger consider retirement? Hines Ward’s Hall of Fame odds
Former Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward is up against some longshot odds of getting into the Hall of Fame. How seriously did Ben Roethlisberger consider retirement last winter? Some Baltimore Ravens are banged up, and we rank the AFC North wide receivers. All of that in Tuesday’s “First Call.” Big...
Tim Benz: Mike Tomlin can call T.J. Watt’s contract situation just a ‘brushfire,’ but the Steelers may eventually feel the heat
For the time being, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says he’d be wise to avoid fanning the flames surrounding T.J. Watt’s in-person holdout. On Tuesday, Tomlin was asked how the decision was made to get the star outside linebacker to attend training camp practices but only to do individual drills with...
First Call: Zach Banner needles ‘Rat Bird’ Al Villanueva; former Steeler Mike Logan on Troy Polamalu’s Hall of Fame praise
Tuesday’s “First Call” shows us Mike Logan’s reaction to Troy Polamalu’s Hall of Fame speech. A volley from Pittsburgh Steeler offensive lineman Zach Banner towards an old friend in a new uniform. Bruce Arians is popping off at his players. And ex-Pirate Jameson Taillon is in good form for the...
Mike Lange’s favorite goal call, how ‘Lange-isms’ started and which was the first
Even at Heinz Field during Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, the buzz was all about Mike Lange’s retirement. After 46 years broadcasting Pittsburgh’s NHL team, the Penguins announced Monday that Lange would be stepping down from the broadcast booth before the 2021-22 season. Roughly 30 minutes before Steelers practice started, I...
Tim Benz: Departure of women’s coach Paul Colontino is latest hurdle for Robert Morris hockey
For former Robert Morris University women’s hockey coach Paul Colontino, he just couldn’t wait any longer. No more delays. No more soft deadlines. No more uncertainty. He needed a job. And a team to coach. More than two months after waiting for the RMU administration to tell him if either...
Madden Monday: Troy Polamalu’s Hall of Fame speech was a eulogy for the ‘Steeler Way’ as much as it was praise of it
Troy Polamalu’s Hall of Fame induction speech on Saturday was the kind of thing that raises little black and gold goosebumps on the skin of Steelers fans. It evoked memories of Jack Lambert’s speech when he was inducted back in 1990. “If I could start my life all over again,...
First Call: T.J. Watt projected for Canton; Al Villanueva’s issues in Baltimore; why Justin Houston picked Ravens instead of Steelers
In Monday’s “First Call,” we look at the career of Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt with a long-term lens. Extremely long term. We also have a pair of notes from Baltimore Ravens training camp that are directly tied to the Steelers. And we look at the ripple effect of Josh...
Tim Benz: Steelers shouldn’t feel obligated to trade James Washington, but one city looks like a logical landing spot
On Saturday, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin denied an ESPN report that wide receiver James Washington has requested a trade. It appears that Washington feels he won’t get much of a chance to show his abilities in the final year of his rookie contract playing behind fellow receivers JuJu...
First Call: Troy Polamalu recalls first grasp of Steelers Nation emotions; Ravens feel good about pass rush improvements
In Friday’s “First Call,” Troy Polamalu recalls the instant when he grasped what it was like to be a Steelers player in Pittsburgh. The Baltimore Ravens are feeling optimistic about their pass rush. Aaron Rodgers’ future in Green Bay is still filled with questions. And an ex-Pirate gets a start...
Tim Benz: Steelers take steps forward in some areas where biggest strides are needed
No one is a bigger Pittsburgh Steelers worrywart than me. Hey, knowing is half the battle. Based on how 2020 ended, though, there is plenty to worry about when it comes to the upcoming edition of the team. That said, many of the most glaring points of concern showed signs...
Dermontti Dawson paved the road to the Hall of Fame for Steelers teammate Alan Faneca
As Alan Faneca awaits his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction, it’ll be easy for Pittsburgh football fans to conjure up memories of another Steelers Hall of Famer. Former center Dermontti Dawson. Both Dawson and Faneca have secured their spots as elite NFL offensive linemen. Both got to play in...
From WPIAL to S.I. swimsuits, Apollo’s Dessie Mitcheson launching boutique with body-positive messageVideo
Former WPIAL athlete Dessie Mitcheson left Pittsburgh area fairways for international runways a long time ago. Now she’s going from a big-time model to a small business owner. And she’s doing so back home in Western Pennsylvania. Mitcheson — who was a golfer and regionally top-15 ranked diver at Kiski...
U mad Bro: Pirates fans grumble about trades, ‘media bias’; Pens fans carp about goaltending
This week’s “U mad, bro?” has Pittsburgh Pirates fans split between ripping me about the MLB draft and ripping Ben Cherington about his recent trades. Penguins fans are split among themselves over how worried they should — or shouldn’t — be about the goaltending. And Steelers fans are … oddly...
First Call: Hall of Fame still hopeful Steelers’ Troy Polamalu will attend; Tyler Boyd says Joe Burrow’s knee still ‘iffy’
In Thursday’s “First Call,” we try to figure out if Pittsburgh Steelers legend Troy Polamalu will be able to attend his own enshrinement at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Tyler Boyd isn’t 100% sold on Joe Burrow’s knee rehab in Cincinnati just yet. We check in on some former...
First Call: Former Steeler Mike Hilton’s interesting quote; Ben Roethlisberger praises Hall of Fame teammates
Wednesday’s “First Call” has some eyebrow-raising comments from a former Pittsburgh Steeler. Ben Roethlisberger has high praise for some former teammates. Max Starks is excited about his new job. And big bucks are coming to a pair of former WPIAL basketball stars. Safety First? Old allegiances die quickly in the...
Tim Benz: Mike Tomlin reflects on relationship with Bill Cowher in advance of Cowher’s Hall of Fame induction
During an interview in advance of his upcoming Hall of Fame induction, former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher had one request. He wanted current coach Mike Tomlin to allow him to call one more defensive play during the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys. “Let...
Ryan Malone on his tech-savvy sports business venture, state of the Penguins, Sidney Crosby memories
When former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Ryan Malone gutted up to return to play after taking a puck to the face in Game 5 of the 2008 Stanley Cup Final, it was a moment Penguins fans of that era will never forget. Nor will they ever forget his two power-play goals...
First Call: Steelers have ‘1% chance’ to win Super Bowl; Chase Claypool’s bold prediction; Fleury’s nudge to join Blackhawks
Tuesday’s “First Call” shows us that one national outlet isn’t painting a pretty picture for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Super Bowl chances. Coronavirus is getting in the way of the Steelers’ takeover of Canton for the Pro Football Hall of Fame inductions this weekend. Marc-Andre Fleury looks strange in red. Adam...
Mike Sullivan on coaching Team USA, facing Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, belief in Penguins goalies and revamping the bottom 6
Mike Sullivan rattled off the names as if he was reciting his current Penguins roster. However, it was a roster from 41 years ago. And it wasn’t the Penguins. “Mike Eruzione. Jim Craig. Jack O’Callahan. David Silk,” Sullivan said. “Those were the four guys from BU (Boston University) where I...
Tim Benz: Despite crowded depth chart, off-the-radar receivers drawing praise at Steelers training camp
If there is one position where the Steelers have depth — and it really may be just one position — it’s wide receiver. Well, when those receivers hold onto the ball anyway. The 2020 issue of drops aside, the Steelers can boast four wide receivers who seem to have at...
Tim Benz: Robert Morris hockey teams need clarity from administration, not an NCAA extension
For the Robert Morris University hockey teams, this was a weekend where no news wasn’t necessarily good news. Robert Morris had previously put a fundraising deadline of July 31 as the end date for the men’s and women’s hockey programs to generate enough funds to keep their programs alive. This...
First Call: Ravens sign player Steelers considered, watch Marc-Andre Fleury’s announcement to play in Chicago
Monday’s “First Call” has some high expectations for two young Pittsburgh Steelers. We have an update on Marc-Andre Fleury’s decision regarding the Chicago Blackhawks. And a player the Steelers considered signing is going to the Baltimore Ravens instead. We even have a heartwarming Olympic moment, hurling and Gaelic football. Not...
