Tim Benz stories, Page 8

The Major League Baseball All-Star selection process got it right. Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Paul Skenes has been named to the National League team. Now NL manager Torey Lovullo needs to do the right thing as well and name Skenes the starter. That’s just my opinion, but the numbers make a...

When it comes to the debate over how important it is that the Penguins’ core three finish their careers in black and gold, I feel like many of us in Pittsburgh bring a lot of baggage to the conversation. Because, as we are seeing now, the desire to keep some...

In our final “First Call” before the Fourth of July, Bill Cowher pumps the tires of a Pittsburgh Steelers rookie. We look at a funky Pirates stat that tells a significant story. Aaron Judge continues to set Major League Baseball on fire. And the Duquesne Dukes know their draw for...

Thursday is Independence Day. So I plan on celebrating my independence from work. Hence, we are posting “U mad, bro?” a day early this week. Don’t worry. I’m offering up plenty of fireworks about the Penguins’ current roster, the Pirates’ ups and downs and Mike Tomlin’s recent track record. This...

For Robert Morris men’s hockey, the second season of the program’s reboot doesn’t begin on the ice until October. It’s feeling real now, though. The schedule was released Tuesday. The roster is set. After a return to play from a two-year hiatus last fall, the rhythm is back. The cycle...

Here’s a quote from Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas during his press availability with reporters following Day 1 of free agency on Monday: “We have more players that can improve — by far — than the number we can acquire. Just think about the math. How do you get...

Tuesday’s “First Call” compares the value of the Pittsburgh Steelers versus the rest of the NFL. We also preview the upcoming Pirates-Cardinals series, recap some team-hopping from a bunch of ex-Penguins, and get news about a Robert Morris hockey player who is getting a look from one of the NHL’s...

Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington made his weekly radio appearance on 93.7 The Fan on Sunday. With the season now halfway finished, he was asked what it would take for his team to make the playoffs. What followed was an eight-minute, uninterrupted soliloquy that was basically a long-winded way...

After trading to acquire his rights, it looks like the Tampa Bay Lightning will work out a deal with former Penguin Jake Guentzel. Brandon Aiyuk claims that he wants to stay in San Francisco. A pair of second-year Steelers are getting their tires pumped at NFL.com. Livvy Dunne is influencing...

The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired forward Kevin Hayes and a second-round pick from the St. Louis Blues over the weekend in exchange for future considerations. Hayes is about to begin the sixth year of a seven-year contract. His salary cap hit is $7,142,857. But, thanks to a trade from Philadelphia last...

We are taking a few days off here at “Breakfast With Benz.” But even if an off day falls on Thursday, we will make sure “U mad, bro?” gets posted. One can’t keep all that rage pent up for an extra seven days. Especially with so much agitation bubbling up...

Aside from posting “U mad, bro?” on Thursday morning, “Breakfast With Benz” is taking a quick break for a few days. This will be the final “First Call” for the week. We’ll get back in gear Monday. For Wednesday’s “First Call,” I thought I’d do something different and address a...

The Pittsburgh Pirates have posted 14 runs in their first two games at Cincinnati this week, but their season-long offensive woes are far from conquered. During his weekly radio appearance on 93.7 The Fan, Derek Shelton acknowledged the Pirates’ offensive problems in 2024, but stopped short of endorsing the idea...

There is a twist in the Brandon Aiyuk story that Pittsburgh Steelers fans won’t like. An ex-Steeler is getting cut. An ex-Penguin may be looking for a new team. And a new Ravens QB may get a position change. All that in Tuesday’s “First Call.” Mr. Aiyuk going to Washington?...

Thus far, the results have been impressive for Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes. Over the first eight games of his career, the 2023 No. 1 overall pick is 4-0 with an ERA of 2.14. Through 46⅓ innings pitched, the LSU/Air Force product has yet to leave a game with...

Whenever Paul Skenes is pitching, the Pittsburgh Pirates can’t roll out their Sunday lineup. Even if it is actually a Sunday. The Pirates learned that lesson this Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays during an afternoon when Skenes allowed a leadoff home run, then nothing else after that. Paul Skenes...

In Friday’s “First Call,” we outlined why Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris should’ve taken acute interest in the contract extension recently signed by New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson. As a refresher, Harris was the first player at the position selected in the 2021 draft. The Steelers picked...

The last two times Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington has spoken publicly, he’s had a slightly different message about his plans when it comes to potentially adding help to the 2024 roster. Back on June 8, Cherington said, “We want to do everything we can to put our team...

There’s a new framework for how the NFL Comeback Player of the Year is awarded. I expect most Pittsburgh Steelers fans — and bettors — won’t like it. The Associated Press has changed the guidelines of how voting for the annual award should go. Via ProFootballTalk.com, the new language is...

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris will definitely take note of a new contract signed by one of his peers in the AFC. Two Steelers defensive backs are lashing out at the idea of an 18-game season. The Pittsburgh Maulers are not coming back into existence just yet. The Pirates...

In the final game of their recently completed series against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday, the Pirates plated two runs in the top of the seventh to close out their scoring in what would end up being an 8-2 victory in Denver. Since then, the Pirates have come to bat...

We can complain about the heat in Pittsburgh as much as we want, it’s not going anywhere. That hasn’t stopped us the past few days, though, has it? We can complain about the Pirates’ anemic offense and Mike Tomlin’s playoff drought with the Steelers as much as we want too....

Patrick Queen’s arrival in Pittsburgh is already adding spice to the Steelers-Ravens rivalry. The Pittsburgh Steelers are advancing plans for a game in Ireland. A former Steelers wide receiver is attempting a comeback. Gerrit Cole made his first Major League start of the year. And teams in the Metropolitan Division...

In the latest episode of his “Games with Names” podcast, former New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman interviewed actor and one-time Steeler Ed O’Neill. Before making it big as Al Bundy on Fox’s “Married with Children” or Jay Pritchett on ABC’s “Modern Family,” O’Neill was a football player at Ohio...