Tim Benz stories, Page 134

When I heard Ben Roethlisberger’s soundbite admitting that he had battled addictions to alcohol and pornography, I had two immediate questions. The first was, how was this story so far off the radar for so long? Roethlisberger was a speaker for the “ManUp Pittsburgh” Christian men’s program, which was streamed...

Can I make a confession? I’m not at all jealous of any destination that becomes an NHL hub city. I know Pittsburgh was perceived to be a hub city candidate at one point and still hasn’t been completely ruled out. It’s far from a leading candidate, though. And that’s fine....

Tuesday’s “First Call” looks at the idea of Martavis Bryant returning to the NFL. A former Penguins brawler is retiring. A difference of opinion in Baltimore. And Aaron Donald wants to be a two-way player. Bryant back again? Sirius Radio contributor Rudy Carpenter says that Martavis Bryant wants back in...

Full marks to my radio colleague Adam Crowley at ESPN Pittsburgh. On Monday, Crowley put up a web poll — clearly designed to tweak the masses. A tactic I fully embrace, by the way. More overrated Pittsburgh sports moment— Adam Crowley (@_adamcrowley) June 22, 2020 Psst! Adam, there’s a Mr....

Monday’s “First Call” takes a look at the Hall of Fame chances for a pair of former Pittsburgh Penguins. The Steelers first pick of the draft appears to be off the radar compared to some position peers. And the Baltimore Ravens may be in the mix for a big fish...

When you combine the National Football League, a pandemic, social upheaval, President Donald Trump, and an election year, you are going to see some rather odd intersections of reality. Such was the case over the weekend. Within the span of one tweet — and the span of 36 hours —...

Well, we’ve made it to triple digits. We are now beyond 100 days since major American team sports shut down. We’re at 103 now. So if you think it’s easy to do this job without melding the coronavirus and its surrounding society-wide quagmire into the mix, you are insane. During...

Defensive end Cameron Heyward is the Pittsburgh Steelers NFLPA union rep now that Ramon Foster has retired. And, given the coronavirus uncertainty, he seems dubious of the chances that the NFL can pull off the Hall of Fame Game between the Steelers and Cowboys. “It’s just my point of view,”...

Friday’s “First Call” features yet another potential destination for Antonio Brown. High praise for Steelers stars Minkah Fitzpatrick and T.J. Watt. Plus the mock-ups of the NFL’s covid-19 helmets are… …well…. Let’s just say we provided a photo. Have a nice weekend. A.B. to S.F.? Thursday afternoon, the San Francisco...

Given the Pittsburgh Steelers’ track record since 1972, NFL fans in the city may have a slightly skewed vision of success versus failure. That’s my nice way of saying, “Yinz know, Stiller fans are spoiled, n’at, right?” Granted, if the Steelers fail to make the playoffs again in 2020, that’ll...

Thursday’s “Breakfast With Benz” podcast features Robert Morris athletic director Chris King. We talk at length about RMU’s move to the Horizon League from the NEC for basketball in 2020 and to the Big South from the NEC for football in 2021. Like many institutions these days, RMU is dealing...

I feel like we are experiencing a reverse Michel Therrien when it comes to apathetic baseball fans in Pittsburgh. “Dey prenten’ dey don’t care. But I know dey care.” Baseball fan anger wrapped in disillusionment in the wake of the ongoing labor dispute. That’s the theme for this week’s “U...

If athletes who kneel during the national anthem want their message against police brutality to be more firmly understood by a wider swath of America, they may want to try a different approach. Because the same script which led to a redirection of that message is playing out exactly as...

From babies to bears. That’s what you get in this week’s “Breakfast With Benz” hockey podcast. Brian Metzer of the Penguins Radio Network joins me to talk about the latest hurdle to the hockey reboot. Offspring. Not the band. The newborns. According to ESPN, numerous hockey players are dealing with...

In Wednesday’s “First Call,” we relive the Jaromir Jagr draft of 1990. The Pro Bowl has a new home. Will the Madden Curse strike Lamar Jackson? And looking at Tom Brady as a Buccaneer. On Tuesday, the Penguins celebrated the 30th anniversary of drafting legendary winger Jaromir Jagr. On this...

I’m angry about my lack of anger at Major League Baseball. Does that make any sense? On Monday night, I watched MLB commissioner Rob Manfred on ESPN. He was attempting to tap dance through an explanation over the game’s flailing attempt to reboot from the covid-19 shutdown. He did so...

That Robert Morris Northeast Conference championship game back on March 10 was a send-off in a number of ways. The Colonials 77-67 victory over St. Francis (Pa.) not only was the final sporting event in Pittsburgh prior to the covid-19 shutdown. It also turned about the school’s last game in...

Tuesday’s “First Call” looks at Lamar Jackson’s sand football/jet ski mishap. Belief in the Browns. And an update on the NHL hub city discussion. This must’ve gone over big in Baltimore How quickly do you think John Harbaugh passed out after watching this? First of all, it’s star quarterback Lamar...

One of the most painful regular season losses in Steelers history was the team’s Week 16 defeat in New Orleans back in 2018. You remember. • The awful pass interference call against Joe Haden in the end zone. • The other awful pass interference call later in the game. •...

Guess what I’m doing today. I’m going to a press conference! Woo-hoo! What do I wear? A coat and tie? A tux?! Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Tim, what’s the big deal? You do this for a living. How many thousands of press conferences have you gone to over...

Monday’s “First Call” is going to be a review of ESPN’s Mark McGwire-Sammy Sosa documentary “Long Gone Summer.” I looked at the clock for about the fourth or fifth time Sunday night. It was 10:45 p.m. “Are they going to get to the steroids topic or what?” I asked aloud....

The NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball are all in various states of uncertainty regarding potential returns to play. In this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden and I discuss which league is most likely to return in a form familiar to its viewers. I say it’s the NBA. That...

New Pittsburgh Pirates draft choice Carmen Mlodzinski is just your typical 21-year-old. No Twitter. No Instagram. Listens to Led Zeppelin, Alice in Chains, Nirvana, Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots. Doesn’t play video games. Prefers baseball, golf and playing guitar. Like I said, a typical 21-year-old. If he was 21 back...

We bust out the time machine for this week’s fantasy sports podcast with Jeff Erickson of RotoWire. First, we go into the future, forecasting what fantasy strategies may be like in a baseball season that lasts between 48 to 80-plus games. The big variable seems to be pitchers. With the...

For “First Call” Friday, we talk about why Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh may win over the hearts and minds of some Steelers fans. It’s been three months since the phrase “social distancing” became common in the American vocabulary. I’m just as dubious of some of the measures being implemented...