Tim Benz stories, Page 132

Based on the Penguins’ history when it comes to their players’ health, I’m sure we all had the same thought when the team returned to practice during the coronavirus pandemic. “Sid is going to get it. Mumps. Concussions. A broken jaw from a teammate’s slapshot. He’s gonna get the virus.”...

It seems as if Pittsburgh’s three professional sports teams finally are on the verge of returning to play after the coronavirus lockdown. The Pirates’ first regular-season game is Friday. The Penguins’ first exhibition game is July 28 against the Philadelphia Flyers. That’s also the day the Steelers are supposed to...

Our “Breakfast With Benz” Pittsburgh Pirates Spring Training 2.0 coverage has built all week to this. We’ve posed one crucial question per day about the Pirates as they prepare for the 2020 shortened season. We looked at the batting order and the starting rotation. We analyzed the bullpen and tried...

Some Pittsburgh Steelers fans feel the need to defend a player that was never even insulted. Some Penguins fans are ticked about the media trying to quell a goalie controversy that the same fans are claiming they didn’t want to see in the first place. And the mayor of Pittsburgh...

If you’re already tired of hearing about the Pirates “piggyback” starting idea, too bad. They aren’t going to be the only team employing that type of tactic in this herky-jerky 2020 Major League Baseball season. That’s what Jeff Erickson tells us in this week’s “Breakfast With Benz” fantasy sports podcast....

This week at “Breakfast With Benz,” we have isolated one major question surrounding the Pirates per day as they ramp up for the start of this delayed 2020 season. So far we have looked at the lineup, the starting rotation, and the future of first-round draft choice Cole Tucker. Thursday’s...

You’re calling off sick on Friday, right? What? You’re not? How come? Did you forget it’s “Dave Parker Day”? Yup! Tomorrow is the 41st anniversary of “The Cobra’s” MVP performance in the All-Star Game, July 17, 1979. That’s when the Pirates right fielder gunned down two American League runners with...

Our TribLIVE colleague Mark Madden had an interesting Penguins nugget about the goaltenders on his radio show on 105.9 The X Wednesday. Madden said that he has been getting Twitter direct messages and reports from some colleagues in the media who have been attending Penguins “Phase 3” training camp practices...

With the Pirates ramping up to their 60-game sprint of a season, each day this week at “Breakfast With Benz,” we will be examining the five most pressing questions facing the team. The Pirates open the season on Friday, July 24 in St. Louis. Tuesday’s question: What should the Pirates...

NFL.com came up with a list of players — one per franchise — poised to make their first Pro Bowl. The Steelers nominee was second-year linebacker Devin Bush. Devin. Bush.PLAYMAKER. @_Dbush11 : CBS: NFL app // Yahoo Sports appWatch free on mobile: pic.twitter.com/YjufHcm2hT— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2019 Good...

As the Penguins get ready for existence inside the Toronto hockey hub, we tracked down a guy who could paint a picture for us of what the surroundings will be like for the team. Mike Zeisberger joins us for Wednesday’s podcast. He’s based out of Toronto and writes for NHL.com....

On Monday, the Penguins opened training camp to prepare for 2020’s rebooted “NHL in a bubble” format. The quest for the Stanley Cup officially resumed in Cranberry at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. But first there is the quest to escape practices without the whole team contracting coronavirus. Easier said...

The Pirates are ramping up to their 60-game sprint of a season at PNC Park’s “Spring Training 2.0.” The Major League Baseball schedule starts for the Pirates on Friday, July 24 in St. Louis. So each day this week at “Breakfast With Benz,” we will be examining the five most...

Tuesday’s “First Call” finds praise for Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt, but criticism for running back James Conner. Also a peek at the new design for NFL faceguards in the covid-19 era. And betting odds for Washington’s new NFL nickname. My idea won’t win. But it is the best of the...

The Pirates are ramping up to their 60-game sprint of a season at PNC Park’s “Spring Training 2.0.” The Major League Baseball schedule starts for the Pirates on Friday, July 24 in St. Louis. So each day this week at “Breakfast With Benz,” we will be examining the five most...

If you listen to our “Madden Monday” podcasts weekly, then you know Mark Madden’s strong affection for Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. Obviously, Mark is JuJu’s biggest fan. So when Smith-Schuster celebrated subscriber No. 1,000,000 to his YouTube channel, you knew Mark would be the first one in line to...

Former Steelers receiver Antonio Brown fell into some money and celebrates in style. That’s how we kick off Monday’s “First Call.” Also, ESPN gives a little love to two Steelers stars. And Yasiel Puig is getting some interest. Guess what. It’s not from the Pirates. I know. You’re shocked, right?...

Former WPIAL superstar Terrelle Pryor wants to get back into the National Football League. And the Jeannette Jayhawk alum says he’d prefer to play with either New England or his hometown Steelers. Pryor tells TMZ that he’s been in touch with approximately five teams. The free agent wide receiver and...

Sometimes this job requires you to act like you have all the answers. All the time. Immediately. Even if you don’t. Saying “I don’t know” feels like a cop-out. But when it comes to asking what the football ripple effects will be from Thursday’s decision by the Big Ten to...

In June, when Saints quarterback Drew Brees said he couldn’t condone players protesting the national anthem, he was excoriated by athletes throughout the sports world. By the media. And on Twitter. He went from one of the most popular players in football to a national pariah overnight. To be clear,...

This week’s Fantasy Sports podcast takes a look at potential Pirates surprises in a shortened season. Jeff Erickson of RotoWire has a few. He says Joe Musgrove and Mitch Keller have a chance to pop in the pitching rotation. Musgrove may outperform his average draft ranking. And if Keller can...

As Penguins fans ready themselves for the playoffs in the coronavirus era, the presumptive hub cities for the NHL’s return to play are Edmonton and Toronto. Part of the reason Edmonton was chosen is because Canada has contained its covid-19 outbreak much better than America. And Las Vegas — the...

Thursday’s “First Call” features a pandemic problem for Gerrit Cole. Might we see robot fans at games? The potential rebooted NHL television schedule is interesting. And the Cleveland Browns appear to be out when it comes to Jadeveon Clowney. Covid conundrum for Cole Former Pirate Gerrit Cole made a simulated...

In this week’s “U mad, bro?”, fans are fired up about NFL players balking at a return to play. Also, emailers are growling at DeSean Jackson, MLB umpire Joe West and the Pirates. Most importantly, we mourn the absence of Enrico Pallazzo in this time of great American need. Jim...

We’ve been waiting for months to see what life within the NHL bubble is going to be like. Now we are getting an idea. The National Hockey League has released its return-to-play protocol for Phase 3 and Phase 4. That’s training camp and the ensuing restart of the season on...