Tim Benz Columns category, Page 118
Tim Benz: With questions in Steelers passing game, James Conner must be sharp from Day 1
Most of the questions on the first day of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp last year were about Le’Veon Bell, his contract status and the state of the running game in his absence. James Conner answered many of those questions and rendered many of the concerns moot with a Pro Bowl...
Tim Benz: Will addition by subtraction actually work for Steelers, Penguins?
We sure are big on the concept of addition by subtraction around these parts, aren’t we? The Steelers will be better because Antonio Brown is gone. Ben Roethlisberger won’t force the ball to a single receiver anymore. Brown’s ridiculous social media behavior will be happily absent. The game-planning to help...
Tim Benz: Mysteries of 2019 Steelers won’t be solved in training camp
I feel like I’m alone on this. I know why. But I can’t come off my island on this one. Based on nothing but anecdotal conversations with some of my colleagues in the media and fans who follow the Pittsburgh Steelers, I get the sense there is heightened curiosity for...
Tim Benz: 1 stubborn stance about Steelers that Mike Tomlin must drop
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is still spinning the same yarn. Circus? Distractions? There was never anything crazy about the Steelers locker room! When speaking to ESPN last week, Tomlin made the following statement when asked if he expected a “calmer locker room” this year. “I don’t know that our...
Tim Benz: A look at some great Pittsburgh-Philadelphia sports moments
With the Philadelphia Phillies coming into town for a weekend series, the nostalgia gears in my brain got going. I started flashing back to my favorite Pittsburgh-Philadelphia sports memories of years gone by. I figured I’d choose one from each of the three major professional sports to outline on “Breakfast...
Tim Benz: Even Mike Tomlin’s critics should find this ranking unjust
I’m not one who has a reputation for taking it easy on Mike Tomlin. But even a critic like me can’t agree with this opinion of the Pittsburgh Steelers coach from Elliot Harrison at NFL.com. He published a list ranking the 32 head coaches. And he has Tomlin ninth. That’s...
Tim Benz: Pirates better off ‘living in the past’ than the present
If current Pittsburgh Pirates players are upset about their organization living in the past, I have an idea to fix that. Do something worth remembering in the present! A recent report stated some Pirates players asked management to stop showing a promotional video that was geared around them watching Willie...
Tim Benz: Mike Sullivan admits Penguins had chemistry problems
We are three posts into our five-part series of “money quotes” from Mark Madden’s interview with Penguins coach Mike Sullivan on 105.9 the X. We’ve gotten Sullivan’s reaction to the Phil Kessel trade, his thoughts on getting Evgeni Malkin right again and his views on how to address some defensive...
Tim Benz: Penguins going younger, faster to mask issues on defense
This is the third of our five posts examining the “money quotes” from Mike Sullivan’s interview on 105.9 the X with Mark Madden last week. This entry looks at an admission from Sullivan about his team. Two, actually. Frankly, neither is groundbreaking. More or less, both corroborate opinions that many...
Tim Benz: Cubs’ Joe Maddon hints at tense series vs. Pirates. Do they deserve it?
There’s a growing opinion about the Pirates across the National League. They throw up-and-in too much. This isn’t really a new thing. That reputation has been attached to the Pirates for a while. Going back years. There was the beanball war with Arizona in 2018. And there was one between...
Tim Benz: Mike Sullivan nails Evgeni Malkin’s biggest problem. Now fix it.
We do a lot of “Take 5’s” around here. Five takes on the Steelers’ loss to the Broncos. Five takes on the Steelers’ loss to the Raiders. Five takes on the Steelers tying the Browns. Five takes on why the Steelers can never get a win against a lousy team...
Tim Benz: What Pirates could offer to get Madison Bumgarner
Picture it. Madison Bumgarner pitching at PNC Park in October again. I mean, for the hometown team this time. You might remember him from the wild-card game five years ago as a member of the eventual World Series champion San Francisco Giants. Right. That guy. Well, the 2014 World Series...
Tim Benz: Who are the 2019 Pittsburgh Pirates?
At the Major League Baseball All-Star break, the 2019 standings do a nice job telling the story of the National League Central. I’m not sure that they do as good of a job telling the story of the 2019 Pittsburgh Pirates. Come to think of it, I don’t know how...
Tim Benz: It’s not worthwhile for Pirates to find position for Francisco Cervelli
After at least six concussions, Francisco Cervelli says he’s done with catching. The Pirates general manager isn’t ruling that scenario out either. “As we go through with Cervy, we need to be cognizant that there may be a position change at hand,” Neal Huntington said. “We’re continuing to work through...
Tim Benz: Alex Morgan sipping tea is fine; pandering double standards aren’t
The U.S. women’s national soccer team has gotten its fair share of attention for celebrating too much and showing up its opponents during the Women’s World Cup. Even their own social media account was getting cocky after the 2-1 semifinal win against England on Tuesday afternoon. PARTY LIKE IT’S 1776...
Tim Benz: Like it or not, Penguins GM Jim Rutherford sticking to his plan
Let’s not put Jim Rutherford on an aircraft carrier with the “Mission Accomplished” sign behind his head just yet. But it appears the Penguins general manager has taken many of the steps he wanted to take this offseason. During his season-ending press conference in April, Rutherford said he wanted to...
Tim Benz: History of Pirates trading closers has been spotty
If the Pirates are genuinely considering a trade of Felipe Vazquez, one thing is clear. The team better get its next closer in exchange for him. Otherwise, recent history shows us that the return for good closers the Pirates have previously had has been poor. To the credit of Neal...
Tim Benz: Steelers explain plan to deploy WRs without Antonio Brown
The comment from Ben Roethlisberger resonated. Clearly, JuJu Smith-Schuster was banged up during the season finale. That’s part of the reason why the Steelers’ passing offense was so lackluster en route to an ugly 16-13 victory over a last-place Bengals team. An even bigger reason, though, was the absence of...
First Call: Trace McSorley’s new gig; Max Scherzer’s shiner; NHL rule changes
For Thursday’s “First Call,” Trace McSorley expands his horizons. Can the NHL do what the NFL can’t? A youth umpire brings about parental chaos. Max Scherzer’s black eye is a golden moment. What’s next? Penn State product Trace McSorley may be returning punts for the Ravens. McSorley has always wanted...
U mad, bro?: Readers pop off about Penguins trades, Pirates’ Ray Searage, NFL replay
In this week’s “U mad, bro?” readers pop off about Pirates pitching, defend Jim Rutherford, and attack instant replay. Greg wasn’t a fan of my thoughts on Jim Rutherford’s mixed messages about any more potential trades. A GM isnt being honest with the media and fans..this is a stunning event....in...
Tim Benz: Steelers’ Devin Bush insists he’s big enough for NFL
We can all be critical. And we often are. But it’s not like Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert is blind. Nor are head coach Mike Tomlin and defensive coordinator Keith Butler. Certainly, Dick LeBeau wasn’t either. They saw this coming. The Steelers realized where offense was going in the NFL,...
Tim Benz: Even Olli Maatta defenders should endorse this Penguins trade
My first reactions to Saturday’s trade of Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta to Chicago for forward Dominik Kahun were: • What am I missing? • Are the Penguins absorbing a lot of the salary? • Is this part one of a two-part deal? So far, the answers to those questions appear...
Tim Benz: Is Penguins GM Jim Rutherford kidding us? Or himself?
When it comes to Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford, one question needs to be asked. Who is he kidding? Us? Or himself? Right now, I’d say it’s the former. By the time the 2019-20 season starts, it may end up being the latter. Over the past three weeks, the...
Tim Benz: Can ‘Sweet Feet’ Shaun Sarrett fill Mike Munchak’s shoes with Steelers?
Everybody is in on the joke now. Not just the offensive linemen. “There you go, ‘Sweet Feet,’ ” Ben Roethlisberger hollered as he walked past a throng of media waiting for new offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett. “Uh, I mean, coach Shaun.” It’s been the running joke of Steelers spring...
Tim Benz: This decade of Steelers football isn’t what numbers suggest
This was an interesting find by TribLive’s Chris Adamski. He came across this table compiled by German stats guy René Bugner. No commentary from Bugner. Just the numbers. It’s a list of the best decades ever compiled by NFL teams. His numbers outline the best combined regular-season and playoff win-loss...
