Tim Benz stories, Page 151
U mad, bro? Fans fume about Pirates, MLB labor. Some Steelers angst sprinkled in, too.
I feel like we are experiencing a reverse Michel Therrien when it comes to apathetic baseball fans in Pittsburgh. “Dey prenten’ dey don’t care. But I know dey care.” Baseball fan anger wrapped in disillusionment in the wake of the ongoing labor dispute. That’s the theme for this week’s “U...
Tim Benz: If NFL players’ message about kneeling gets ‘hijacked,’ options exist
If athletes who kneel during the national anthem want their message against police brutality to be more firmly understood by a wider swath of America, they may want to try a different approach. Because the same script which led to a redirection of that message is playing out exactly as...
How hub cities and NHL’s ‘family dynamics’ could impact a reboot
From babies to bears. That’s what you get in this week’s “Breakfast With Benz” hockey podcast. Brian Metzer of the Penguins Radio Network joins me to talk about the latest hurdle to the hockey reboot. Offspring. Not the band. The newborns. According to ESPN, numerous hockey players are dealing with...
First Call: ‘Madden Curse’ for Lamar Jackson? Reliving Jaromir Jagr’s draft. Pro Bowl to Vegas.
In Wednesday’s “First Call,” we relive the Jaromir Jagr draft of 1990. The Pro Bowl has a new home. Will the Madden Curse strike Lamar Jackson? And looking at Tom Brady as a Buccaneer. On Tuesday, the Penguins celebrated the 30th anniversary of drafting legendary winger Jaromir Jagr. On this...
Tim Benz: Congrats, MLB! You’ve somehow made me enraged at my own apathy.
I’m angry about my lack of anger at Major League Baseball. Does that make any sense? On Monday night, I watched MLB commissioner Rob Manfred on ESPN. He was attempting to tap dance through an explanation over the game’s flailing attempt to reboot from the covid-19 shutdown. He did so...
RMU coach Andy Toole discusses jumping to Horizon League, recruiting challenges, travel
That Robert Morris Northeast Conference championship game back on March 10 was a send-off in a number of ways. The Colonials 77-67 victory over St. Francis (Pa.) not only was the final sporting event in Pittsburgh prior to the covid-19 shutdown. It also turned about the school’s last game in...
First Call: Lamar Jackson vs. a jet ski, NHL hub city sleeper, Pirates’ Jameson Taillon lashes out
Tuesday’s “First Call” looks at Lamar Jackson’s sand football/jet ski mishap. Belief in the Browns. And an update on the NHL hub city discussion. This must’ve gone over big in Baltimore How quickly do you think John Harbaugh passed out after watching this? First of all, it’s star quarterback Lamar...
Tim Benz: Saints open old wounds for Steelers fans
One of the most painful regular season losses in Steelers history was the team’s Week 16 defeat in New Orleans back in 2018. You remember. • The awful pass interference call against Joe Haden in the end zone. • The other awful pass interference call later in the game. •...
Tim Benz: Jake Guentzel, RMU announcement provide ‘pure sports’ jolt
Guess what I’m doing today. I’m going to a press conference! Woo-hoo! What do I wear? A coat and tie? A tux?! Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Tim, what’s the big deal? You do this for a living. How many thousands of press conferences have you gone to over...
First Call: ESPN’s McGwire-Sosa documentary heavy on nostalgia, light on substance
Monday’s “First Call” is going to be a review of ESPN’s Mark McGwire-Sammy Sosa documentary “Long Gone Summer.” I looked at the clock for about the fourth or fifth time Sunday night. It was 10:45 p.m. “Are they going to get to the steroids topic or what?” I asked aloud....
Madden Monday: Which sport will return as close to normal as possible?; John Harbaugh’s complaints
The NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball are all in various states of uncertainty regarding potential returns to play. In this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden and I discuss which league is most likely to return in a form familiar to its viewers. I say it’s the NBA. That...
New Pirate Carmen Mlodzinski: Old school. Old soul. No to Twitter. Yes to Rock N’ Roll.
New Pittsburgh Pirates draft choice Carmen Mlodzinski is just your typical 21-year-old. No Twitter. No Instagram. Listens to Led Zeppelin, Alice in Chains, Nirvana, Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots. Doesn’t play video games. Prefers baseball, golf and playing guitar. Like I said, a typical 21-year-old. If he was 21 back...
Fantasy Sports podcast: MLB frustrations, running back contract woes, Ryder Cup
We bust out the time machine for this week’s fantasy sports podcast with Jeff Erickson of RotoWire. First, we go into the future, forecasting what fantasy strategies may be like in a baseball season that lasts between 48 to 80-plus games. The big variable seems to be pitchers. With the...
First Call: Even Steelers fans may agree with Ravens coach John Harbaugh on this one
For “First Call” Friday, we talk about why Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh may win over the hearts and minds of some Steelers fans. It’s been three months since the phrase “social distancing” became common in the American vocabulary. I’m just as dubious of some of the measures being implemented...
U mad, bro?: Readers irate with protesting players, Al Villanueva column, politics and sports
We don’t need to ask the rhetorical question. I know that “U are mad, bro.” Everybody is mad at something — and mad at each other — these days. So, I’ll just let all of you focus your anger toward me. That’ll make it easy. Here are some responses to...
Tim Benz: AFC North has the best chance to produce 3 playoff teams
I saw an interesting question posed by the folks at Pro Football Focus. The football stats site asked, “Which AFC division, if any, is most likely to send three teams to the playoffs this season?” Keep in mind, there are seven potential spots this year because of the new wild-card...
First Call: Ben Roethlisberger’s Twitter turn. D.C. for Antonio Brown?
Thursday’s “First Call” gives an update on Ben Roethlisberger’s notorious Twitter account, the latest on Antonio Brown’s job hunt, what might happen to the Steelers-Cowboys Hall of Fame Game, and someone steps into Sidney Crosby’s elite company. Welcome back? If Ben Roethlisberger’s offensive line blocked as well as his social...
Taking over a college hockey program during a pandemic … and other fun hobbies
It’s your first college head coaching job. It’s a small school. It’s Division III men’s hockey. You aren’t the biggest program in your own state, or your own city. The team is 14-58-6 in its first three seasons. And you’ve signed on during a pandemic. So, you’ve been on the...
Tim Benz: Steelers training camp at Heinz Field may not be as bad as some thought
When I first heard that the Pittsburgh Steelers are planning to hold training camp at Heinz Field, I had the same reaction many of you did. “Oh, this stinks for the Steelers! Let ’em practice on the South Side. The concerns over social distancing in the locker room are stupid....
First Call: Great Pittsburgh draft picks — not as obvious as Mario Lemieux
Wednesday’s “First Call” was inspired by the flashbacks so many were dedicating to Mario Lemieux. Tuesday was the anniversary of his draft selection by the Pittsburgh Penguins back in 1984. And that got me thinking of how many home runs the Penguins hit with their high draft choices. If you...
NHL playoff length and reseeding. Right moves? Or bad decisions?
The National Hockey League is continuing to inch back toward playing. The Penguins are supposed to resume small-group workout sessions at the UPMC Lemieux Performance Complex in Cranberry on Tuesday. This is a lightning pace toward getting back to action compared to Major League Baseball. But things are crawling along...
First Call: A dilemma for some players to consider before kneeling at NFL games
For “First Call” on Tuesday, I simply wanted to respond to a question I got in my email inbox from a reader. Albert — who emailed under the pseudonym “ALB” — posed the following conundrum for NFL players who may be planning on kneeling during the national anthem to start...
Tim Benz: Don’t underestimate what loss of college football could really mean
There have been a lot of frustrating angles to covering sports during the coronavirus pandemic. Most notably, of course, has been the complete and total shutdown of them. I’ve found that … bothersome. You? A close second, though, is the cavalier reaction from some claiming that, “Sports aren’t important at...
Tim Benz: Praising Maurkice Pouncey’s balance, fairness and objectivity
Flame wars over coronavirus. Raging battles over how to maintain law and order while eradicating police brutality. The louder both sides of the political aisle scream at one another, the less I hear them. It’s just a cacophony. Their voices sound so similar. Yet, neither side is speaking a language...
First Call: Will NBC dump Drew Brees? Or maybe vice versa?
Drew Brees just got a valuable lesson in his new career. Before his first career even ended. The New Orleans Saints quarterback is reportedly slated to become an NFL analyst with NBC when he retires. It’s presumed Brees will be hanging up his cleats after the upcoming season. After what...
