Tim Benz Columns category, Page 42
First Call: Despite hopes from Duquesne fans, Bronny James reportedly staying in NBA Draft; new Courtland Sutton trade talk
Tuesday’s “First Call” suggests a potential target for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL trade pool may not be out of play just yet. It doesn’t appear that LeBron James’ son will be going to Duquesne after all. An ex-Penguin comes up big in the NHL playoffs. And Monday marked...
First Call: Steelers sign cornerback after tryout; T.J. McConnell shines in NBA playoffs
Monday’s “First Call” has a defensive back signing for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jameson Taillon will be back this week for the Cubs. The Pirates have a tough trip to Milwaukee looming. And T.J. McConnell is tearing it up with the Indiana Pacers. All A’s for Anthony Averett Anthony Averett’s audition...
Madden Monday: If Steelers don’t land a legit No. 2 WR, Omar Khan will have ‘flunked the offseason’
While some Pittsburgh Steelers fans are insisting the lack of depth at wide receiver is a problem that will be rectified before the 2024 season kicks off, others are worried. As we discussed at “Breakfast With Benz” last week, consider me in that second camp. During this week’s “Madden Monday”...
Tim Benz: Paul Skenes’ arrival means the future has to be now for fumbling PiratesVideo
For a change, it felt like someone upstairs was looking out for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Well, at least for a little while. As late as 2 p.m. Saturday, the rain was teeming down on PNC Park. But by 3:30 p.m., a half hour before Paul Skenes’ first pitch, the sun...
Tim Benz: Steelers’ WR depth issues can’t be rationalized away
Do you know how I can tell that the Pittsburgh Steelers’ precarious wide receiver depth is starting to become a big concern? Because Steelers fans keep trying to tell me I shouldn’t be concerned. That’s how. That’s usually the telltale sign. The harder the Steelers’ fan base pushes back against...
U mad, bro?: Pirates fans tired of empty at-bats; impatience for Paul Skenes; Steelers fans sound off about Najee Harris
The Pittsburgh Pirates can’t hit. Some feel like it took too long to promote Paul Skenes. The Penguins fired an assistant coach. And the Steelers essentially admitted they shouldn’t have drafted a running back in the first round three years ago. There is plenty of room for grumbling in Pittsburgh...
First Call: What it may have cost the Steelers to land Brandon Aiyuk; Martavis Bryant released again
Thursday’s “First Call” takes a look behind the curtain as to what it may have cost the Pittsburgh Steelers to land Brandon Aiyuk in a trade with San Francisco. A former Steelers pass-catcher is back on the open market. A second former Steelers front office alum is in the hunt...
Tim Benz: When Paul Skenes shows up, it’ll be nice if other Pirates also start showing up
Pittsburgh Pirates fans are just going to have to twiddle their thumbs and wait for first-round pick Paul Skenes to show up for his Major League debut Saturday. That wouldn’t be quite so bad if all of Pittsburgh wasn’t also waiting for the rest of the team to show up...
First Call: Steelers welcome RB on tryout; Patriots may want ex-Steeler as GM; Jake Guentzel scores twice for Hurricanes
Wednesday’s “First Call” features a former Pittsburgh Steeler up for an important post in New England. The Steelers are welcoming a new running back. A local product plays a big role in New York’s win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Stanley Cup playoff action. And a former WPIAL star looks...
Cole Tucker can relate to Paul Skenes’ life as a Pirates No. 1 pick in ways beyond baseball
For a moment, former Pittsburgh Pirates first-round draft choice Cole Tucker may have gotten lost in a memory. Sitting on the visitor’s bench at PNC Park on Monday afternoon, now as a Los Angeles Angel, Tucker looked out at what used to be his home field and talked about what...
Tim Benz: A Super League with NFL ties? Power conference CBAs? Many paths still uncertain for college athletes
The latest forecast of what could become the college sports landscape came last week from Yahoo.com’s Ross Dellenger. He outlined the prospect of a compensation model for power schools of $300 million each over the next decade via a $17 million- to $22 million-per-year revenue distribution cap for athletes. That...
Tim Benz: If the Pirates ‘haven’t figured out yet’ how to promote Paul Skenes, don’t make it harder than it needs to be
At 17-19, not much has gone right for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2024. At least not since that 11-5 start. At least not before they got back-to-back series on the schedule against the lousy Los Angeles Angels after facing the even worse Colorado Rockies. The hitting has been bad for...
First Call: Najee Harris trade talk dismissed; Duquesne WR gets Steelers’ look; Antonio Brown jab makes Tom Brady roast
Tuesday’s “First Call” finds a dismissal of some Najee Harris trade talk. A Duquesne wide receiver is getting a shot with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Joey Porter Jr.’s cousin won’t be joining him in the Steelers’ defensive backfield after all. And we give you the Antonio Brown joke that made it...
Tim Benz: Blaming assistant coaches won’t fix Pittsburgh’s plodding sports teams
During a recent episode of “The Carton Show” on FS1, retired Pittsburgh Steeler Willie Colon said his former coach Mike Tomlin is in hot water. “I love Mike Tomlin. But I have to officially say he is on the hot seat,” Colon said. “When you talk about his overall record,...
First Call: Ex-Penguin Jordan Staal finalist for Selke Trophy; 2 former Pirates pitchers lighting up the NL
Monday’s “First Call” has an honor for a former Pittsburgh Penguin. Chase Claypool gets a familiar number with his new team. Paul Skenes isn’t the only Pirates pitching prospect worth tracking in the minors. And a pair of ex-Buccos pitchers are tearing it up in the National League. Selke for...
Madden Monday: ‘Sully has got to go. I’m tired of saying, ‘He’s a great coach, but …”
Last week, Todd Reirden was fired as one of Mike Sullivan’s assistant coaches with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Given that one of his duties was overseeing the Penguins’ shockingly disappointing 30th-ranked power-play unit (15.3%), that shouldn’t come as a surprise. During this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden of 105.9 The...
First Call: Veteran WR market gets thin for Steelers; was Danny Smith teasing about Justin Fields returning kicks?
In Friday’s “First Call,” are the Pittsburgh Steelers really planning to have Justin Fields return kicks? The pickings are getting slim at wide receiver if general manager Omar Khan is planning to make a move. A former Pitt Panther is getting a look from the Steelers. And No. 66 is...
Tim Benz: Steelers’ call on Najee Harris’ option says more about the past than it does the future
There’s no glaring criticism of the future to be made about Thursday’s decision by the Pittsburgh Steelers to decline Najee Harris’ fifth-year option. In either direction. By rejecting the option, if Harris gets hurt or underperforms in 2024, his contract will expire, and they can let him walk and get...
A look at Pirates’ offensive numbers finds little reason for immediate hope
I’m not sure the phrase “swept by the Oakland A’s” really needs much contextualizing, but let’s do that from a Pittsburgh Pirates’ perspective as they return home from a brutal California swing. Not only did the Pirates lose three in a row against the vagabond franchise from Oakland, but they...
Tim Benz: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton job opening could lead to intrigue at NHL level for Penguins as well
On Sunday, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that they would not renew the contract of AHL head coach J.D. Forrest in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. It didn’t take long for people to start doing some simple calculations as to who may fill that job. A name that was immediately advanced was Sheldon Keefe. Discussion...
U mad, bro?: Some fans didn’t like the Steelers’ draft (or my opinions on it); ‘ruff’ debut for Pirates’ pup
Despite a draft that has gotten positive reviews, not all Pittsburgh Steelers fans are happy about the organization’s efforts last weekend. Others just didn’t like my coverage of it. We also have some angst over the Steelers’ QB situation, baseball pitch counts and general disdain over how the Pirates “have...
First Call: Reported ‘power struggle’ between Kyle Dubas, Mike Sullivan; theory on why Troy Fautanu fell to Steelers
Thursday’s “First Call” finds a reported sticking point between Kyle Dubas and Mike Sullivan regarding the Pittsburgh Penguins’ coaching staff. Troy Fautanu’s agent has a theory on his client’s alleged knee red flags. The Steelers have their options when it comes to Najee Harris’ fifth-year option. Pressley Harvin III has...
First Call: Jets may have nabbed Steelers’ draft pick; another veteran WR hits free agency; 18-game NFL season looming
In Wednesday’s “First Call,” another wide receiver is available for the Pittsburgh Steelers to sign if they want him. The NFL may get an 18-game season sooner than you think. It turns out that the Steelers are very fortunate Roman Wilson was still on the board when they selected him...
Tim Benz: Assume huge gap between what Steelers are saying about WR search and what’s really going onVideo
Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan appeared on Tuesday’s “Pat McAfee Show” with an update on his team’s hunt for a veteran starting wide receiver. The update is that there is no update. That conversation has been in high gear since Diontae Johnson was traded to Carolina in early March,...
Tim Benz: Forget memes and nicknames, Omar Khan showed guts in a different way in 2024 Steelers’ draft
Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan has developed a reputation for being more aggressive than his longtime predecessor and mentor Kevin Colbert. Fans of the team sure do love yelling “Khan Artist” and sharing social media clips of Omar from “The Wire” with Khan’s face edited onto them. For all...
