Tim Benz stories, Page 202
Podcast: Pirates fantasy baseball outlook; how legalized gambling could affect things
Major League Baseball fantasy drafts are getting going soon. In our weekly fantasy sports podcast, Rotowire`s Jeff Erickson joins me to talk some strategy, especially as it relates to the Bryce Harper and Manny Machado conundrums. We also dive deep into what you can expect from the Pirates infield. Plus,...
Tim Benz: Are Steelers players trying to defuse the Antonio Brown drama?
It sure sounds like the Steelers players are trying thaw the cold war between the organization and wide receiver Antonio Brown. Take a look at some of these quotes coming from the Pro Bowl. JuJu Smith-Schuster endorsed the idea of...
Football footnotes: Jets safety’s tackle sends Patriots mascot to hospital during Pro Bowl session
In "Friday Football Footnotes," a Jets player takes out the Patriots mascot. The Browns may not be as far along as we think. And they aren`t Another reason to abolish the Pro Bowl? I thought no one was physical at the Pro Bowl? New York Jets safety Jamal Adams was...
Tim Benz: Cryptic Antonio Brown tweets starting to annoy Steelers fans
Trying to interpret what Antonio Brown`s tweets mean is nearly impossible. Whenever I try, I feel like I`m Indiana Jones attempting to translate ancient hieroglyphics. Almost everything Brown tweets is: • Nonspecific • Open-ended • Contradictory • Or all of the above For example, look at this gem. [embed width="350"...
Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski says he’s optimistic about Jeff Capel at Pitt
It was quite a night at the Petersen Events Center on Tuesday. I was there for Duke`s beatdown of the Panthers. Zion Williamson lived up to the hype with 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Jay-Z was in the house. Duke looks like the real deal, ranked second in...
First call: Would NFL be better off going with college overtime rules?
"First Call" for Wednesday features Washington Capitals misery, an NFL overtime debate and a big night on The Bluff. Who has a quarter? A lot of football fans think that the NFL overtime rules are too reliant on who wins the coin toss. In other words, too many games —...
U mad, bro? Readers angry at Steelers brass, support Mike Tomlin (but not Greta Van Fleet)
"U mad, bro?" this week features emailers who are just as mad at the Steelers players and front office as I am, supporters of Mike Tomlin, haters of me and those who despise Greta Van Fleet. I think Steve is being even more critical of Steelers president Art Rooney II...
Tim Benz: The confounding cases of Steelers’ Morgan Burnett, Penguins’ Derick Brassard
Let`s focus on a pair of Pittsburgh athletes. The first player came to Pittsburgh in 2018. His acquisition was widely applauded as a solid move by management. The player`s arrival filled what had been deemed to be a significant hole for quite some time. He was going to get a...
Tim Benz: Jeff Capel modeling Pitt’s rebuild off experience with Duke
Pitt coach Jeff Capel is extremely rare in one regard. He knows what it`s like to lose. At Duke. That doesn`t happen often in Durham, N.C. But during Capel`s sophomore season — when head coach Mike Krzyzewski was absent due to a medical leave — the Blue Devils went 13-18...
First call: Antonio Brown reportedly goes on $500K shopping spree; Pirates rumors abound
In "First Call" Tuesday, we look at Antonio Brown`s shopping spree, Starling Marte trade rumors, and Super Bowl MVP gambling odds. A.B.`s shopping spree Antonio Brown apparently isn`t worried about his earning power moving forward, even if he does get shipped out of Pittsburgh. TMZ reports he went on a...
Why were the Penguins so spotty on West Coast road trip?
It`s our weekly Sided.co "Breakfast With Benz" hockey podcast with Brian Metzer of the Penguins Radio network. Plenty of topics on the table this week. • The Penguins were very spotty on that 2-3 west coast trip before the break. How come? • How do the Pens currently compare to...
Tim Benz: L.J. Fort’s ‘kicker tweet’ shows Steelers don’t comprehend chaos around them
During NFL championship Sunday, Steelers linebacker L.J. Fort sent out this tweet. That`s true. In terms of points scored, Harrison Butker (Chiefs), Will Lutz (Saints) and Stephen Gostkowski (Patriots) were third, fourth and sixth in scoring this season. The Rams` Greg Zuerlein was 12th, and...
First call: Tom Brday’s F-bomb, Michael Thomas’ butt give NFL some ‘oops’ moments
In Monday`s "First Call," Tom Brady drops an F-Bomb on TV. A player gets his pants pulled down during a tackle and Fox ditched the feed. A tennis player has a meltdown. Hit the dump button! It`s not often that these two quarterbacks are confused with one another. But Tom...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden discuss officiating chaos, Art Rooney’s stance on Steelers
In this week`s Madden Monday, Mark Madden of 105.9 the X joins me to talk about the dueling overtime games in the AFC and NFC title round Sunday. Specifically, we discuss the officiating chaos and why the Patriots just won`t die. LISTEN: Tim Benz, Mark Madden discuss AFC, NFC title...
Steelers fans bask in blown pass-interference call against Saints in NFC title game
A fistful of bitter karma with a coating of sweet schadenfreude dipped in black-and-gold righteous indignation. That was the recipe for Steelers fans who were watching the NFC Championship Game. With 1:48 remaining on a third-and-10 play from the Rams 13-yard line, the score was 20-20. Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman...
Tim Benz: Art Rooney’s constant defense of Steelers culture actually proves its flaws
Boy, Art Rooney II sure is willing to die on this hill, isn`t he? Last week, the Steelers owner said he disagreed with the popular fan and media assessment that his Steelers are "a circus" and don`t have a "culture problem." Like many Steelers fans and Pittsburgh media members, I...
Tim Benz: Pitt draws high praise from Syracuse despite loss
SYRACUSE, N.Y. Last Monday, the basketball teams that played Saturday at the Carrier Dome took big steps forward. Pitt toward becoming a legitimate ACC program again by upsetting 11th-ranked Florida State at home. Syracuse toward being a legitimate Sweet 16 threat again by upsetting top-ranked Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium....
ESPN’s Mel Kiper predicts Steelers will draft inside linebacker in 1st round
The worst thing about the NFL season ending way too early is that NFL Draft season starts way too early. But Steelers fans will likely enjoy this speculation to kick off the campaign. ESPN`s Mel Kiper has the Steelers drafting an inside linebacker in the first round. That`s a position...
First call: Does Antonio Brown have a ‘burner’ Twitter account?
In Friday`s "First Call," does Antonio Brown have a burner account? A first look at the draft for the Steelers. And an honor for Jarome Iginla. A.B.`s `burner` We all know Antonio Brown is a burner on the field. But does he have a "burner" account on his phone? One...
Breaking down Pitt’s chances of pulling off upset in Syracuse
Pitt hosts Duke on Tuesday. But first Jeff Capel`s crew visits Syracuse on Saturday. Trib Pitt beat writer Jerry DiPaola and I discuss the prospects of the Panthers pulling off another ACC upset, as they did against Florida State on Monday. We dive into the nuances of attacking the Orange`s...
Tim Benz: Steelers extending Mike Tomlin would mean nothing for his future
If you are someone like me, you embrace the idea of a Steelers head coaching change. And if you are someone like me, you would have preferred to see Mike Munchak get the job. But that ship has sailed. That`s not going to happen. It was never going to happen....
Tim Benz: Can Pitt coach Jeff Capel rediscover Jamie Dixon’s magic against Syracuse?
The chants of "We Want Duke" could be heard Monday throughout Petersen Events Center. A celebratory Pitt basketball crowd was basking in the glow of its rejuvenated program upsetting 11th-ranked Florida State. Yup. A game against mighty Duke on Tuesday night. That`s the next home tilt for new Panthers head...
First call: Terry Bradshaw on ‘The Masked Singer’; a player who doesn’t want Antonio Brown
In Thursday`s "First Call," another Steeler on "The Masked Singer." One wideout doesn`t want Antonio Brown on his team, Alexander Ovechkin channels his inner Mike Tyson and an NCAA hoops double-coach ejection. What am I missing here? When I saw Terry Bradshaw`s name trending in Pittsburgh on Twitter last night,...
U mad bro? Bruce Arians slams Antonio Brown, who rips Emmanuel Sanders
Ooh! It`s a special "U Mad, Bro?" Normally, this weekly post is all about our beloved readers venting at me. But, here`s a new one. This week`s entry is all about Steelers getting mad at each other. As Mike Tomlin might say, "It`s Steelers vs. Steelers today." Well, a current...
Podcast: Uncertainty remains after Art Rooney II addresses Steelers offseason plans
In the wake of a nightmare collapse for his team, Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II held his annual meeting with Pittsburgh-area beat writers. Joe Rutter was our representative for Trib. He joined me for our podcast. Rooney said one thing in particular that I couldn`t believe. I shared my...
