Tim Benz stories, Page 51

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ decision to sign outside linebacker Alex Highsmith to a $68 million extension has been applauded by some. Others see it as overspending on an above average, but not great, player. One thing is for sure, the signing has kicked up another wave of scolding the Steelers for...

My first question to LSU baseball coach Jay Johnson regarding Pittsburgh Pirates first-round draft choice Paul Skenes was pretty simple. What are the Pirates getting in this guy? “You can’t get a better pitcher. And you can’t get a better person,” Johnson instantly replied. On the personality side, during his...

Friday’s “First Call” rebukes Pro Football Talk’s NFL head coach rankings, which place Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin second. We also find out who may sign former Steeler Arthur Maulet and what Steelers’ connection exists in the new ownership of the Washington Commanders. Plus, a new professional sports team in...

If it feels like the trade speculation surrounding Erik Karlsson to the Pittsburgh Penguins has dragged on for a long time, that’s because it has. The Penguins first seemed to crop up as a potential trade target for the Norris Trophy-winning defenseman at the outset of free agency on July...

About a month from now, it’s going to be all-Steelers, all the time in “U mad, bro?” So for the time being, let’s enjoy the variety. You know, like a 12-pack of those seasonal beers from Sam Adams. This week pounding the Pittsburgh Pirates ownership will serve as the flagship...

Thursday’s “First Call” begins with a Pittsburgh Steelers trade that never happened. We also look at the Pirates’ trip to visit Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels. Plus, Derek Shelton is getting heat, and there is Duquesne basketball news too. Motor City Mims The Detroit Lions have acquired New...

We found out Wednesday that The Eagles are going to headline a concert at PPG Paints Arena. Don’t worry, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a bye that week. It’s part of the band’s Long Goodbye tour. So I thought we should continue the tradition we began at “Breakfast With Benz” when...

Pittsburgh Pirates first-round draft pick Paul Skenes throws hard. He’s been known to hit 103 miles per hour. It’s part of the reason why he posted a 1.69 ERA in 122⅔ innings pitched with 209 strikeouts at LSU this season. The 6-foot-6 right hander lives life hard too. When I...

Wednesday’s “First Call” has the latest on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ alleged pursuit of Erik Karlsson. We give you some thoughts on Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett from the man who drafted him. Plus the Vezina Trophy odds are out, and the Pirates are the latest victims of one of the hottest...

After a few years of experience, Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot now has a feel for what roster-building is like with college basketball in the NIL/transfer portal era. “The roster situation is never going to be the same like it used to be 10 years ago. You just have to keep...

Tuesday’s “First Call” features Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris ripping the NFL’s pay structure for players at his position. Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett endorses the use of play-action and promises bigger things from Diontae Johnson. Plus, rookie tight end Darnell Washington is being tied to a college payment scandal...

I understand where Andrew McCutchen was coming from when he gave his rah-rah speech Sunday after the Pittsburgh Pirates were swept by the San Francisco Giants. It’s the kind of veteran leader “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” stuff you have to say after a 10th loss in 12 tries....

Monday’s “First Call” looks at how a pair of NFL signings may impact the Pittsburgh Steelers. There is positive news regarding a Pirates prospect. And we identify what Quinn Priester will be facing in his Major League Baseball debut for the Pirates. What’s in the ‘HOP’per The Tennessee Titans have...

For Robert Morris men’s hockey coach Derek Schooley, the process isn’t entirely new. Building a team virtually from scratch. He did it before when the Colonials program took the ice for its inaugural season in 2004-05. Now he’s doing it again in 2023-24 as both the men’s and women’s teams...

After a week off, “Madden Monday” is back at “Breakfast With Benz.” And two things haven’t changed at all since I last spoke with Mark Madden of 105.9 The X and TribLIVE. The Pittsburgh Pirates keep losing, and we keep waiting to see what’s going on with the Penguins’ pursuit...

These days, just about the only thing that the Pirates may be hitting at the right time is the All-Star break. After losing three of four in Los Angeles, manager Derek Shelton’s team is 6-17 in its last 23 games. So the Buccos are limping into their final series before...

Two former Penguins with Stanley Cup rings. Two different radio stations. Two different opinions on whether the Penguins should pay a high price for Erik Karlsson. The Penguins are believed to be in the trade market to acquire the Norris Trophy winner. Most reports are that the Pens and the...

Friday’s “First Call” has an interesting forecast for Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett. An ex-Penguins player is about to be surrounded by some familiar faces. A WPIAL basketball product is now on Team USA. And Pirates fans are about to read something they probably don’t want to consider regarding the upcoming...

Thursday’s “First Call” has a big reveal for former Pitt star Darrelle Revis regarding his Hall of Fame induction. An ex-Steeler is taking on some off-field responsibilities with his new franchise. We have gambling odds on the Calder Trophy, a preview of Thursdays’ Pirates-Dodgers pitching matchup, and an interesting prediction...

Holding the top overall choice in the 2023 Major League Baseball draft provides two rare opportunities for the Pittsburgh Pirates. 1. Theoretically, they can just make a pure baseball decision on a player, and money doesn’t have to come into play. 2. Theoretically, they can’t screw it up. Theoretically. That’s...

Many of us are coming off a four-day weekend. The rain finally stopped for the Fourth of July. And we are still more than a month away from the Pittsburgh Steelers really doing anything to get you upset. But that didn’t stop plenty of people from filling up my inbox...

Our Fourth of July edition of “First Call” features J.J. Watt’s account of considering the Steelers as a free-agent destination a few years ago. We look at the Penguins’ latest player acquisition. If Paul Skenes becomes a Pirate, he wants to do more than pitch. And Ronald Acuña Jr. is...

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin made a recent appearance on the L3 Leadership podcast. It was in advance of the Urban Impact ManUp Pittsburgh conference that he does annually. As noted Monday at SteelersNow.com, Tomlin discussed what he deemed to be the hardest year he’s had coaching in the NFL since...

This is probably a tough hypothetical for Penguins fans to embrace, but work with me on this one. What if it had been ex-Penguins general manager Ron Hextall who had signed goaltender Tristan Jarry to a $5.3 million contract over five years? What if that had been his parting shot?...

On Saturday, the Pittsburgh Penguins decided to retain goalie Tristan Jarry in free agency, signing him to a five-year contract that carries a salary cap hit of $5.375 million. New Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas called keeping Tristan Jarry “the best bet to make for our club” in...