Tim Benz stories, Page 175
Tim Benz: ESPN changes yellow ‘Monday Night Football’ graphic after angry complaintsVideo
Complaining your way into what you want seems to be a fashionable trend these days. First Antonio Brown managed to get his way out of Pittsburgh. Then Oakland. Now confused “Monday Night Football” viewers are getting their way as well. The MNF graphics crew received a lot of complaints during...
First Call: Deion Sanders says Ben Roethlisberger will retire during season; Raiders fans roast Antonio Brown
In Tuesday’s “First Call,” Raiders fans voice their displeasure about Antonio Brown. Details of Brown’s contract with the Patriots are out. Deion Sanders seems to think Ben Roethlisberger will retire. And the Astros are unstoppable. What are they saying? The Oakland Raiders were on Monday Night Football at home to...
Podcast: Seattle still rattled over Seahawks’ loss to Steelers in Super Bowl
Hard as it may be to do, we need to move on from the Pittsburgh Steelers season-opening beat down in New England. After all, a good Seattle Seahawks team is coming to Heinz Field Sunday afternoon. Former ESPN anchor Steve Bunin joins me to preview the contest. A native of...
Antonio Brown could have been a Seahawk? Imagine his debut against the Steelers
Antonio Brown floating out of Oakland in his hot air balloon over to New England has been a huge story. “Did we just become best friends? YUP” pic.twitter.com/A5gSwiNS68— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 10, 2019 Oh, gross. Make me puke. That element of Brown teaming up with Tom Brady and company...
Tim Benz: More grievances to air about Steelers’ bad defenseVideo
Hey! Get back here! I’m not done berating you yet. Something struck me when I finished my “Airing of Grievances” post Sunday night. I was almost 800 words into excoriating the Pittsburgh Steelers for their awful, season-opening loss to the New England Patriots, and I hadn’t even mentioned the defense...
First Call: Steelers fans, it could be worse; you could be a Browns fan
In Monday’s “First Call,” our AFC North recap features a rotten start for Cleveland. Also, the Bengals hang tough and the Ravens go bonkers. Plus, Philadelphia fans live down to their reputation, while Saquon Barkley lives up to his. Cleveland clunker I’m not one who dismissed the offseason hype about...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden recap Steelers’ ugly loss to Patriots
It’s time for this week’s “Madden Monday” with Mark Madden of 105.9 the X. And it’s ugly. How could it be anything else after that disaster in New England? The Steelers lost to the Patriots 33-3. The passing game was awful. The run game was non-existent. The play calling was...
Tim Benz: First airing of grievances is deep after Steelers debacle vs. PatriotsVideo
We pick up where we left off in 2018 at Breakfast With Benz. Whenever the Pittsburgh Steelers lose — and even sometimes when they win — we post our “Airing of Grievances.” It was easier than ever to construct after Sunday’s season-opening 33-3 loss to the New England Patriots. Well,...
Tim Benz: Give it time. Antonio Brown will blow up in New England, tooVideo
One thing is obvious with this whole Antonio Brown saga. It’s all Derek Carr’s fault. Hey, if it was all Ben Roethlisberger’s fault in Pittsburgh — as the national media kept telling us over and over again — it must have been all Carr’s fault in Oakland, right? Knock on...
Chuck Cooper III discusses father’s induction into Basketball Hall of Fame
There’s one Pittsburgh guy who will be getting a standing ovation in New England this week. Chuck Cooper. The Westinghouse High School and Duquesne basketball star is going into the basketball Hall of Fame this weekend. And it is overdue. In 1950, Cooper was the first African-American player to be...
First Call: Brotherly love at PNC Park; Austin Meadows stays hot
In Friday’s “First Call,” we see a family bonding moment that made Major League Baseball history at PNC Park. Austin Meadows stays hot for Tampa. And a contract situation to watch in the NHL. Multiple Morans Brother, can you spare a strike? Pirates infielder Colin Moran faced his brother Brian,...
Friday Football Footnotes: Former Steeler rips Antonio Brown; O.J. Simpson piles on
“Friday Football Footnotes” returns for Week 1 of the NFL season. Both O.J. Simpson and Merril Hoge are piling on Antonio Brown. Drew Rosenhaus doesn’t sound optimistic about Monday night for A.B. And we have injury information from both Cleveland and New England. Rosenhaus not rosey If Drew Rosenhaus can’t...
Tim Benz: Some Steelers actually enjoy playing in New England
The 2016 AFC Championship Game. Giving up 55 points in 2013. Anthony Smith’s guarantee in 2007. Getting smoked the night the building opened its doors in September 2002. Yeah. Gillette Stadium has pretty much been a house of horrors for the Steelers. The franchise is just 1-5 there and 0-5...
First Call: Antonio Brown’s latest tantrum; JuJu Smith-Schuster on Sports Illustrated cover
In Thursday’s “First Call,” Antonio Brown rips his new team. JuJu Smith-Schuster is a Sports Illustrated cover boy. And someone just did something we haven’t seen since Babe Ruth. We’ve seen this fish before It took nine full seasons before Antonio Brown became intolerable in Pittsburgh. I wonder if he’ll...
Duquesne football prepares for its title defense with opener vs. Walsh
The Duquesne football team is taking the field for the first time this weekend. And they are doing so as defending champions. The Dukes won the NEC title then went on to upset Towson for the school’s first FCS playoff victory. History was made yesterday at Towson #GoDukes pic.twitter.com/Wu68DolWrE— Duquesne...
U mad, bro? Pitt fans lash out at Pat Narduzzi; angst over Pirates, Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell
How do I know when somebody is starting to slip in popularity at Pitt? When I write a critical column regarding the Panthers football team and I get far more positive response to it than I do negative. Normally, if I write anything remotely skeptical about Pitt football, I’m overwhelmed...
Tim Benz: How Steelers should prepare for post-Gronkowski Patriots
It’s … what? What word would you use? Ironic? Typical? Funny? Unfortunate? No. Not unfortunate. No matter how you slice it, be glad that the Steelers don’t have to deal with Rob Gronkowski anymore. Even if they are probably better suited to do so right now than they have ever...
First Call: New Coyote Phil Kessel speaks; Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott gets huge contract
Wednesday’s “First Call” features details on Ezekiel Elliott’s new contract. Phil Kessel speaks for the first time as an Arizona Coyote. Austin Meadows homers again. And two local pitchers break new ground in the Major Leagues. Kessel the Coyote Phil Kessel may have been traded to Arizona two months ago,...
Without Rob Gronkowski, will Patriots rely on running game vs. Steelers?
We head to New England to get a little perspective on the Patriots for Wednesday’s podcast. And a familiar voice provides that for us. TribLive Radio pioneer Ken Laird joins me. He now works with WEEI in Boston as part of the radio station’s morning show. Ken tells us how...
Tim Benz: Steelers’ Javon Hargrave could be a ‘Blockbuster’ vs. Patriots
It isn’t the most obvious Mike Tomlin analogy of all time. But I see where he is going with it. At his weekly press conference on Tuesday, I asked Tomlin about nose tackle Javon Hargrave. In my mind, if the Steelers pull off an upset against the New England Patriots...
Tim Benz: Le’Veon Bell’s latest jab at Steelers is laughable
Le’Veon Bell lobbed one more shot at the Pittsburgh Steelers before the start of the 2019 season. And this one was just a plain old quote. Not a tweet or a mumbled rhyme in a terrible rap track. Check out this hot take from the New York Jets running back....
First Call: Ex-Steeler Chad Brown screws up nickname; Gerrit Cole is strikeout leader; Phil Kessel to speak
In Tuesday’s “First Call,” a former Steeler gives us some bad broadcasting. A former Cowboy looks for big broadcasting bucks. Le’Veon Bell’s ironic tweet. Gerrit Cole’s huge afternoon. And Phil Kessel finally speaks. Brownout of the brain Chad Brown is now providing color commentary for the Pac-12 Network. He had...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden discuss how Steelers matchup against Patriots
In this week’s “Madden Monday” with Mark Madden of TribLive and 105.9 the X, it’s a ton of Steelers-Patriots talk. The Steelers are faster on defense than they have been in the past. But are they fast enough to keep up with Tom Brady and his wide receivers? There are...
Tim Benz: Steelers want a win over Patriots to matter this time
It meant nothing. Oh, sure. For a few hours on December 16, 2018, it was a lot of fun. To borrow a phrase from Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, his team had finally managed to “be the dragon” by slaying the dragon. The dragon that usually flies into Pittsburgh...
Tim Benz: Pitt is stuck in the middle with Pat Narduzzi
One of the easiest things to do in sports is throw dirt on a college football team if it loses its opener. Especially if that loss is at home, in conference and against a beatable opponent. With only 12 games on the schedule, if a team drops a contest like...
