Breakfast With Benz category, Page 99
Tim Benz: Mitch Trubisky navigating choppy waters of Steelers QB situation with ease on Day 1
If Mitch Trubisky can read a defense as well as he can read a room, then maybe the Pittsburgh Steelers really do have a diamond in the rough. Speaking with reporters Tuesday for the first time (in person, anyway) after the first OTA practice, Trubisky appropriately addressed, deftly sidestepped or...
Bryan Rust discusses new Penguins contract, his knee procedure and futures of Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin
Penguins winger Bryan Rust surprised many in the hockey world by getting to the end of the 2021-22 season as a prospective free agent but then signing a deal to stay in Pittsburgh before testing the waters. On Monday, Rust joined TribLIVE columnist Mark Madden on his 105.9 The X...
Tim Benz: Penguins GM Ron Hextall seems to want to keep the band together. I’m still hoping for a few new tunes
Based on what Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ron Hextall said Monday, not only does he want to keep the whole band together, he wants to re-release a greatest hits album. As I listened to Hextall’s comments from his press conference, my mind started to picture Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, Evgeni...
First Call: Aaron Donald not at OTAs yet; NFL free agents at positions of need for Steelers; ex-Penguin stays hot in playoffs
Tuesday’s “First Call” updates the Aaron Donald situation in Los Angeles. We check in on potential free agents the Pittsburgh Steelers may want to investigate. A rematch of an ex-Pirate pitching duel takes a turn. And a former Penguin stays hot in the postseason. A.D.’s day Los Angeles Rams star...
Tim Benz: Cardinals vets feasting on Pirates an all too familiar scene
It felt like a turn-back-the-clock kind of weekend at PNC Park for the St. Louis Cardinals. For the Pittsburgh Pirates, meanwhile, time continues to stand still and the calendar never advances to a better year. Adam Wainwright spun a gem. Albert Pujols hit a pair of home runs. Paul Goldschmidt...
First Call: Michael Vick remains retired; Jameson Taillon shines for Yankees; Pirates hope for break vs. Rockies
Monday’s “First Call” debunks the thought that former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Michael Vick may try a comeback. Jameson Taillon continues to author a fine season in New York. Josh Bell has cooled off in Washington. The Pirates may get a break with the Rockies in town. And Patric Hornqvist is...
Madden Monday: What Bryan Rust’s signing means for Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin, Ron Hextall and other Penguins
A lot of questions are popping up in the wake of Bryan Rust’s decision to re-sign with the Pittsburgh Penguins. One thing isn’t up for debate, though. This is a good deal for the Pens. The franchise is keeping a two-time Stanley Cup champion who has 73 goals over the...
Tim Benz: Steelers, Penguins both idling in Pittsburgh playoff purgatory
Pittsburgh once referred to itself as the “City of Champions,” based on the success of its sports teams in the 1970s, 1990s and early 2000s. Of late, though, those franchises have gone from playoff champions to playoff chumps. • The Penguins’ recently completed playoff series loss to the New York...
Struggling Pirates hitters now have to face pitching nemesis
For the Pittsburgh Pirates hitters, coming back to PNC Park on Friday might be a case of getting the wrong guy at the wrong time. The Buccos batters will face a familiar foe in Adam Wainwright and the St. Louis Cardinals to open a three-game series and a six-game homestand....
First Call: Another in-house candidate gets 2nd Steelers GM interview; Mike Tomlin applauds retiring Raven
Friday’s “First Call” has an update on the Pittsburgh Steelers general manager interviews. We also get a look at the franchise’s offseason “to do” list. Mike Tomlin pays respect to a retiring Baltimore Raven. And an ex-Penguin plays a role in St. Louis’ win in Colorado on Thursday night. Keeping...
U mad, bro?: Fans unload on Penguins for blowing playoff lead; rip Pirates’ hitting; mock Vogelbach’s mad dash
To the surprise of no one, Pittsburgh Penguins fans are ticked off about their team blowing a 3-1 series lead against the New York Rangers en route to playoff elimination. Meanwhile, Pirates fans are ticked off about … everything. That’s why we invented “U mad, bro?” It’s basically a public...
First Call: Antonio Brown postpones his Pittsburgh concert; a Steelers GM candidate is out of the mix
In Thursday’s “First Call,” Pittsburgh Steelers fans are going to have to wait for the triumphant return of Antonio Brown. One candidate to replace Kevin Colbert as Steelers general manager is out of the running. An ex-Penguin burns the New York Rangers in Round 2 of the Eastern Conference playoffs....
First Call: Steelers GM candidate gets 2nd interview, another gets a look from an AFC rival; Tom Brady to be ‘roasted’
Wednesday’s “First Call” gives us an update on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ general manager search. Jerome Bettis reaches a personal milestone. One of the Steelers’ historic rivals is getting shined up by ESPN. And Tom Brady is about to be “roasted.” Brandon to Buffalo? The Steelers announced Tuesday that vice president...
Tim Benz: Sidney Crosby’s comments on his long-term future should get us thinking
Because Pittsburgh Penguins star center Sidney Crosby is so consistent with his pragmatic, stay-in-the-middle-lane approach to dealing with the media, he rarely lets any quote slip that’s surprising. Frankly, the one he uttered Tuesday may not be all that remarkable either, but, during the Penguins breakup day interviews, the team’s...
Tim Benz: Steelers rookie DeMarvin Leal ‘touching the waters’ with decision to add some weight
Given the thirst so many people had for the Pittsburgh Steelers to draft a defensive lineman, I’m sure the instant reaction from most was to applaud when DeMarvin Leal’s name popped up next to the franchise’s logo in the third round last month. But that may have been followed by...
First Call: Vince Williams takes high school coaching job, endorses Antonio Brown’s idea to retire as a Steeler
A former Pittsburgh Steeler is making news by taking a high school coaching job. He is also endorsing a reunion between the Steelers and Antonio Brown. Things aren’t perfect in Cincinnati with the Bengals and a star player. The New York Rangers are underdogs in their next series despite dispatching...
Madden Monday: ‘Penguins blew it. Choked is too strong of a word. Or maybe it’s not.’
A lot of Pittsburgh Penguins fans seem to have sympathy for the club even though it blew a 3-1 series lead to the New York Rangers. Sunday’s 4-3 overtime result in favor of New York finished off the series comeback for the Blueshirts and ended the Penguins’ season. After all,...
First Call: Melvin Ingram signs with a team Steelers will face in 2022; Steelers schedule deemed tougher than numbers indicate
Monday’s “First Call” has a landing spot for a former Pittsburgh Steeler. The Steelers schedule may be even harder than we thought. The Pirates are getting another look at the Chicago Cubs already. The pitcher who helped no-hit the Pirates during a loss discusses the odd set of circumstances. And...
Tim Benz: Blown leads result in blown series as Penguins season ends in New York
The Penguins-Rangers first-round Eastern Conference playoff series lasted seven games and 13 days. With all that happened during that time, it felt like it lasted 70 games and 130 days. We witnessed: • A triple-overtime Penguins win in Game 1 and an overtime Rangers win in Game 7. • The...
Tim Benz: ‘Rattled’ Penguins can’t write a better ending to familiar script
After 40 minutes of the Penguins-Rangers game Friday night, it dawned on me. Are we all really here at PPG Paints Arena for Game 6? Or is this a weird out-of-body experience? Are 18,187 of us just watching a hologram replay of Wednesday’s Game 5? As was the case Wednesday,...
First Call: Pitt’s possible partners in proposed ACC football scheduling changes; Capitals blow lead, on cusp of elimination
Thursday’s “First Call” provides some updates about potential changes to the ACC football conference. The Penguins-Rangers game at Madison Square Garden wasn’t the only crucial result to track in the NHL playoffs. The upcoming Pirates-Reds series this weekend has a different tone to it than the one they played last...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans already sounding off about quarterback decisions; Penguins fans in goalie mode
Pittsburgh Steelers fans are in regular-season mode already when it comes to quarterback conversation. It’s playoff time, so Penguins fans are in a lather. And we discuss zoology on the North Side. It’s quite the collection of reader responses in this week’s “U mad, bro?” We begin with Jonathan. He...
Tim Benz: Penguins didn’t pass 20-minute test without Sidney Crosby. The road ahead now looks much longer
Once it was clear that Sidney Crosby wasn’t coming back from injury, the Pittsburgh Penguins needed to be better than the New York Rangers for just 20 minutes to end their first-round playoff series. They weren’t. Now they might need to be better without him for 60 minutes. Or else...
First Call: Steelers referenced as ‘potential’ landing spot for former Pro Bowl cornerback; Canes go back up on Bruins
Wednesday’s “First Call” stokes the conversation about a former Pro Bowl cornerback perhaps connecting with the Steelers. Some local players got on the scoresheet in NHL playoff action. And there is some question about the extent of Tom Brady’s deal with Fox. Bucks for Bradberry? On Tuesday, I mentioned the...
Tim Benz: Penguins’ spike in goals is impressive, but the work to create the shots is what shines
When it comes to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ goal explosion against the New York Rangers, the contrast is stark between what the Pens did in Games 1 and 2 at Madison Square Garden versus their output at home. Over the first two games at MSG, the two teams played a little...
