Tim Benz stories, Page 23

On Thursday at Steelers training camp, general manager Omar Khan was asked if the team was in the midst of pursuing a pass catcher for the thin wide receiver room. “There’s nothing going on right now,” Khan said. That’s probably accurate only insofar as at the literal moment Khan was...

How good is Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes? He’s so good that, on the eve of the Steelers reporting to training camp, he had all of Pittsburgh buzzing about baseball for a change. How bad is the Pirates lineup, though? It’s so bad that it couldn’t muster more than...

Something just doesn’t add up with Najee Harris’ explanation as to why he didn’t get a fifth-year option from the Pittsburgh Steelers. I’m not suggesting that Harris is the one blurring the lines. If I’m him, I’d be confused too. The 2021 first-round draft choice spoke with media members Wednesday...

Thursday’s “First Call” struggles to find any Steelers on that ESPN.com list of top NFL players of this century. We have lots of wide receiver news for Steelers fans to track. Lamar Jackson had an abbreviated debut at Ravens training camp. And a former Pirate is well aware that his...

Steelers training camp 2024 is upon us at Saint Vincent College. The team reports on Wednesday. You know what that means. Innumerable stories of who brought the biggest TV into the dorm rooms. Which player is rooming with which teammate? Who showed up in the flashiest car (or helicopter/fire truck)?...

We’ve found something Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes can’t do. Be his own offense. Actually, based on some of his hitting numbers as a college batter, theoretically, he could do exactly that. Certainly more effectively than many of the guys who were in the lineup to “support him” Tuesday night. Skenes...

Wednesday’s “First Call” has news about the Steelers working out a quarterback with local ties. The team is checking out a few wide receivers as well. The Cleveland Browns have reworked the contract of their top pass-catcher. And the NFL is barreling toward an 18-game regular season. Steelers bringing in...

During his Hall of Fame induction speech Sunday, Jim Leyland perfectly encapsulated the memories left by the Pittsburgh Pirates teams he managed in the early 1990s. “I never felt like ‘manager and fans’ in Pittsburgh,” Leyland said. “It felt more like ‘manager and friends.’ I know we made you happy,...

After his team’s 2-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals Monday night, Pirates manager Derek Shelton was asked if he believed the “clutch gene” existed in baseball. “If you talk to anybody who is an analyst, they will tell you, ‘No.’ If you talk to anyone who has ever put...

In advance of training camp, the Steelers appear to be checking out depth along the defensive line and at fullback. An ex-Steeler is getting a look from the Carolina Panthers. A former Pitt Panther is putting himself in a tough spot with his new team. And we examine Tuesday’s Pirates-Cardinals...

After a week off at “Breakfast With Benz,” there is plenty of catching up to do. We have a lot to preview as NFL training camps begin and the Pittsburgh Pirates get back into divisional play this week. For our initial “First Call” back from break, let’s get recalibrated by...

Despite all the hype surrounding his All-Star Game start, Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes delivered by getting through the first inning without allowing a hit. Paul Skenes retires Aaron Judge and it's a scoreless first inning ???? pic.twitter.com/X4o89E5f6f— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 17, 2024 “I thought he handled...

On Sunday, Ben Cherington wanted to take us all to math class. During Cherington’s weekly radio show on 93.7 The Fan, play-by-play man Joe Block asked the Pittsburgh Pirates general manager if the team’s recent hot stretch of eight wins in nine tries altered the front office’s approach in advance...

When it comes to all the buzz surrounding the prospect of Pittsburgh Pirates rookie sensation Paul Skenes starting the All-Star game, National League manager Torey Lovullo isn’t playing dumb. He’s heard it all. And the Arizona Diamondbacks bench boss may not be feeling the pressure just about starting Skenes. It...

After the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 1-0 win in Milwaukee on Thursday, manager Derek Shelton said it wasn’t a hard decision to pull rookie pitcher Paul Skenes with a no-hitter going after 11 strikeouts over seven innings. That better not be true. That decision should’ve at least given Shelton significant pause. Forget...

Friday’s “First Call” passes along news about a new job for former Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert. Fox is shaking up its NFL play-by-play tandems now that Tom Brady is on board. Bill Belichick is working with a former Steeler in a new sports media role. The Pirates look...

Thursday’s “First Call” gives us LaVar Arrington’s view of the Steelers in 2024. We get a teammate’s opinion of the ongoing Brandon Aiyuk saga in San Francisco. Former Penguin Carl Hagelin updates his health. And the Pirates get a second crack at a pitcher that recently gave them problems. No...

On Tuesday, July 16 the 94th Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be played at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. On July 11, 1944, the 12th MLB All-Star Game was played at Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field — a little more than a month after the Allied Forces invaded Europe on...

Next week, we are on vacation here at “Breakfast With Benz.” Not just a long holiday weekend, or a couple of half days in a row to run errands, spruce up the backyard and drink beer on the porch. No, my friends. I’m talking about full-on, all-out, actually leaving the...

At least one former Carolina Panthers star is pumped about his old team landing ex-Steeler Diontae Johnson in a trade. One of the three sons of former Steelers who committed to Notre Dame is already heading elsewhere. Tyler Glasnow is out of the All-Star game. Does that mean Pittsburgh’s Mitch...

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes deserves to be an All-Star based on merit since his promotion to the Major Leagues in May. From an entertainment perspective, he should be the starter in the game as well. There is one skill in particular that has made Skenes All-Star worthy: his...

If the Steelers are surprised about Cameron Sutton’s eight-game suspension, they shouldn’t be. And if the club is suddenly worried about what this news may do to the defense, then maybe the front office should’ve addressed slot-corner in a different way. The NFL took that action against the 29-year-old defensive...

Tuesday’s “First Call” has some interesting quotes from Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow about T.J. Watt and the field conditions at Acrisure Stadium. Some roadblocks are falling between Paul Skenes and a potential start in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Plus, at least one national source isn’t optimistic about...

On Sunday, the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum is hosting a launch for a new book about the 2008 Super Bowl champion Steelers defense. It’s entitled “Legendary: The 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers Defense, the Zone Blitz, and My Six Decades in the NFL.” The book is authored by the 2008 team’s defensive...