Breakfast With Benz category, Page 72
First Call: Steelers Pat Freiermuth deemed ‘underappreciated’; Patriots punished; Lamar Jackson on Ravens’ new offense
Thursday’s “First Call” shines a spotlight on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ most “underappreciated” player. The sleepy Pirates bats have a difficult wake-up call out west. The New England Patriots are in trouble with the NFL again. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is discussing his new offense. And America’s red-hot hockey team looks...
U mad, bro?: Fans angry about Steelers QBs, Ben Roethlisberger’s quote on Kenny Pickett, state of the Penguins
So let me get this straight, Pittsburgh sports fans. The Pirates are 5-15 in May. They have played seven series this month and are 0-6-1 in them. They’ve been outscored 91-56 along the way. That’s 2.8 runs scored per game. Yet none of my “U mad, bro?” entries are Pirates...
Tim Benz: Calling out another hypocritical, dumb NFL rule change in the name of ‘player safety’
The National Football League has instituted yet another dumb rule change in the name of player safety. What is really unsafe at this point, though, is the NFL’s radioactive level of hypocrisy. Like, we’re talking about the “open the valves” scene in “Chernobyl” level of radioactive hypocrisy. On Tuesday, the...
First Call: Kenny Pickett adds bulk; Steelers consider veteran pass rusher; salary projections for Penguins’ free agents
Wednesday’s “First Call” looks at a veteran pass rusher the Pittsburgh Steelers may attempt to sign. Quarterback Kenny Pickett describes his efforts to bulk up. We’ve got projected salaries for a few free agent Penguins and gambling odds on the next Pens general manager. Plus, Brian Burke has a new...
First Call: NFL passes Thursday night flex plan despite Steelers ‘no’ vote; Antonio Brown to play for Albany Empire
Tuesday’s “First Call” features a former Pittsburgh Steeler who is trying to get his career in gear out west. Antonio Brown’s return to the field is set. We know some future Super Bowl and draft locations. And dispute Art Rooney II’s best efforts, Thursday night flex scheduling is coming to...
Tim Benz: Making sense of Mike Sullivan’s reported AHL action plan for the Penguins’ new GM
A Pittsburgh Penguins-related item we dropped into “First Call” last week has really stayed with me through the weekend. Tony Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey posted these notes about the Penguins on both the NHL level in Pittsburgh and the AHL level in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. • “There are big changes coming...
Tim Benz: Forget what you’ve heard on Penguins’ front office search — here’s the real ‘Succession’ plan
To me, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ quest to fill their vacant general manager and president of hockey ops jobs has been pretty boring. HBO’s “Succession” has been much more interesting. By the end of the upcoming holiday weekend, both succession plans may be finalized. So forget everything you’ve heard about the...
Kenny Pickett, Merril Hoge share personal reasons for helping to aid cancer research
Early Saturday morning, on one of his last days before the start of Pittsburgh Steelers OTAs, second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett made his way through the rain outside of Stage AE. As the first-ever honorary event chair of the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center “Rush to Crush Cancer,” Pickett served as the...
First Call: Ben Roethlisberger admits he ‘didn’t want (Kenny Pickett) to succeed’ early on; Antonio Brown rips Arena team
We have some interesting self-reflection from former Pittsburgh Steeler Ben Roethlisberger. And it involves current quarterback Kenny Pickett. Mason Rudolph shares some details about his spin through free agency. Antonio Brown is mad at his National Arena League team. And things are looking worse for the Pirates heading into their...
Madden Monday: Anger over Pirates’ decisions a matter of perspective on team’s potential
The Pittsburgh Pirates lost two out of three games to the Arizona Diamondbacks this weekend. They have played six series this month and have lost five. The only series they didn’t lose was splitting a two-game road trip to Detroit last Tuesday and Wednesday. The team’s 20-8 start has been...
Tim Benz: Some perspective before we lose perspective on Steelers backup QB talk
Since we’ve spent most of one week of our lives arguing about Steelers backup quarterbacks here in Pittsburgh, let’s do a little comparative analysis. We could probably extend this experiment throughout the NFL and reach a similar conclusion. But for the sake of avoiding a granular discussion like third QB...
First Call: T.J. Watt mocks himself with pool mishap video; Pens assistant up for head coaching gig
Friday’s “First Call” features Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt escaping a household injury in an amusing video. Plus, a former Steeler could land in a new city, and a Penguins assistant coach may be trying to move up. And Major League Baseball is getting the best out of its top...
Pirates need to get right as sneaky-good Arizona Diamondbacks slither into town
After the Pittsburgh Pirates won in Detroit 8-0 on Wednesday, there’s some hope that perhaps their bats are finally heating up. And right now, there may be no pitcher in baseball hotter than current Bucs ace Mitch Keller. Both trends will have to continue this weekend as the Pirates welcome...
U mad, bro?: Pittsburgh sports fans angry over present state of Penguins, past failures of teams, talk of future stadium plans
Pittsburgh sports fans are scarred over something that happened 30 years ago. They are already grumbling about something that may happen seven years in the future. And they are really ticked about some stuff happening right now. That’s the case in this week’s “U mad, bro?” Let’s start with a...
First Call: Antonio Brown plans to play for his arena team; praise for Steelers signing; interesting Pens nuggets in minorsVideo
Thursday’s “First Call” has high praise for a Pittsburgh Steelers free agent signing. There are some changes of interest in the Steelers scouting department. Pirates prospect Henry Davis won’t cool down. We have some interesting notes from the Penguins seeping out from the farm club. And then there’s the story...
Tim Benz: Steelers rookies hope to prove they’re as versatile as scouting suggests
When looking at the 2023 Pittsburgh Steelers draft class, versatility appears to be one of its biggest strengths. In theory, second-round pick Keeanu Benton (DL/Wisconsin) should be able to move up and down the defensive line of scrimmage, playing nose tackle or end. Third-round pick Darnell Washington (TE/Georgia) is expected...
First Call: Steelers sign XFL star WR; new home for Pat McAfee’s show
Wednesday’s “First Call” has some roster news for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Plus, the shenanigans between the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays won’t stop. And the “Pat McAfee Show” is heading to a major network. Hello, Hak After the Steelers invited XFL receiving star Hakeem Butler to their rookie...
Tim Benz: If Kyle Dubas is sincere about his intentions, he may be saving himself — and the Penguins — a headache
If Kyle Dubas is sure that he doesn’t want to be an NHL general manager in another city besides Toronto, then the Penguins shouldn’t try to tempt him to Pittsburgh. I’ve heard some fans and media types speculate that Dubas is just negotiating, that he is downplaying any desire to...
Potential return of Mason Rudolph to Steelers makes sense for both sides — even if some refuse to see it
Back in February, I reported that Pittsburgh Steelers free agent quarterback Mason Rudolph would test the market but would also consider a return to the Steelers if the team decided to trade or release second-stringer Mitch Trubisky in advance of the draft. More than a few people told me I...
Le’Veon Bell wants to settle old scores with Vontaze Burfict in boxing ring
The career of former Pittsburgh Steeler Le’Veon Bell was altered by two big hits from former Cincinnati Bengals players. First, there was the blow that hyperextended his knee from safety Reggie Nelson at the end of the 2014 season that caused Bell to miss the playoffs. Then there was the...
First Call: J.J. Watt nixes talk of being a Steeler; team signs top XFL corner, considers former Pro Bowl LB
Tuesday’s “First Call” is loaded with Steelers nuggets, including J.J. Watt’s statement on the notion of him playing in Pittsburgh. The Steelers are also signing an XFL star cornerback, while considering a former Pro Bowl linebacker. Plus, there is more college realignment news, and Major League Baseball’s best were sparkling...
Former Pitt, WPIAL hoops star Cam Johnson using NBA platform, family motivation in Rush to Crush Cancer
While Cameron Johnson was starring in the WPIAL at Our Lady of Sacred Heart, Pitt basketball coach Jamie Dixon wanted to make an in-home recruiting visit shortly before Easter. The way Johnson’s aunt — Gina Caliguire — tells the story, her nephew was looking forward to the visit. But it...
Madden Monday: Not buying into New York rumors about Mike Sullivan going to Rangers
The New York Post’s Larry Brooks sent a tweet last week that kicked up speculation about the Pittsburgh Penguins’ general manager search. And about the organization’s current head coach. Brooks says he has heard some scuttlebutt that the Penguins may try to hire Kyle Dubas as GM if he and...
First Call: Is Kyle Dubas now in play for Penguins’ GM search? Steelers allegedly sign rookie tryout RB
The Pittsburgh Steelers appear to have added to their running back room. A former Steeler is trying to find a new home in the NFC South. The Pirates got as little help as they should’ve expected from the Kansas City Royals against the Milwaukee Brewers this weekend. A few Penguins...
Penguins reflect on 30 years after David Volek’s goal: ‘His name is scratched in my skull’
When former Pittsburgh Penguin Grant Jennings talks, his voice sounds like hockey. It’s a Western Canadian accent with a tough, low grumble to it. There’s a spirited gravel that sounds like it comes along with 14 professional years — and nearly 1,500 penalty minutes — at all levels of the...
