Tim Benz stories, Page 7

Hockey’s 4 Nations Face Off was a big success. Now, what can the NHL do for an encore? In this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden of TribLive and 105.9 The X says, so far, with its own product, things aren’t going great for the league. “Even the fast teams...

Every now and then, you can read a quote from an athlete, and it can be 100% true but still be wrong. After Team USA lost the 4 Nations Face-Off final to Canada, 3-2, in overtime Thursday, forward Dylan Larkin was asked about America’s chances to grab gold in 2026...

Friday’s “First Call” remembers a former Steeler from the 1970s. There’s some belief that the Steelers may want Nick Chubb. Speculation continues about Justin Fields’ status in Pittsburgh. Plus, we set the table for the upcoming weekend of action in college hockey and college basketball. Missing Mike A member of...

Hockey on the radio can have a hypnotic effect. When there are extended stretches without goals, big hits, acrobatic saves or penalties, you can get lulled into a passive serenity by swooshing skates, clacking sticks and the low murmur of a crowd. That’s where Pittsburgh Penguins play-by-play voice Mike Lange...

Some quarterbacks just aren’t going to come to Pittsburgh. Other quarterbacks may never leave. And certain Pirates may take a little longer to put on the uniform than we all hoped. All these topics have our readers simmering in this week’s “U mad, bro?” Someone calling themselves “Pirate Crusher” (so...

When ESPN Bracketology expert Joe Lunardi posted his latest round of NCAA Tournament projections Monday afternoon, Pitt wasn’t among the last group of teams in the dance. They weren’t in the group of the “first four” teams out of it. They weren’t in the next group of four out, either....

Whether it’s been through columns I’ve posted at “Breakfast With Benz,” our podcasts or when I’ve been on the radio in recent months, you’ve heard me mention the “Snow Globe Theory” regarding the 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers. The theory is that if I shook up the season’s 18 results and just...

Amid all of the hoopla for this weekend’s 50th anniversary of “Saturday Night Live,” I watched the four-part docuseries on Peacock called “SNL 50: Beyond Saturday Night.” I really enjoyed it. I thought it was better than any individual SNL episode I’ve seen in recent years. All four parts were...

Duquesne’s last game against Dayton knocked the Dukes men’s basketball team off track. The Dukes (10-14, 5-6 Atlantic 10) see Saturday’s rematch as an opportunity to finally stay on track. “They beat us so bad at home the last time, I am taking that personally,” forward Jakub Necas said Thursday...

Friday’s “First Call” has the same potential destination for both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson. An ex-Steelers assistant coach is part of the shuffling deck in Detroit. A trio of former Penguins registered points in the Team USA win over Finland in the American opener of the 4 Nations Face-Off....

Trevor Lawrence probably isn’t coming to Pittsburgh. Quite frankly, no one Thursday said anything to the contrary. You wouldn’t know that, though, based on the spitfire and gnashing of teeth that accompanied pushback to a report that said the Steelers inquired about his availability from the Jacksonville Jaguars. To immediately...

A week after the Robert Morris men’s hockey team had to finish a game without a goalie, the Colonials are preparing for this weekend’s games with the NCAA version of an EBUG: Emergency Backup Goaltender. The Colonials entered last weekend’s series against Bentley with one of their goalies, Croix Kochendorfer,...

Thursday’s “First Call” has wedding plans for a former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback. Sidney Crosby stood out in Canada’s first game of the 4 Nations Face-Off. Mario Lemieux was a star of the pregame ceremony as well. Plus, a Cincinnati Bengal has requested a trade, and Pitt’s women’s basketball team plays...

Kenny Pickett winning a Super Bowl has certainly touched a nerve within Steeler Nation. So has the state of Pittsburgh’s current quarterback situation. It took one whole day for some bad news to come out of spring training for the Pirates. And some people didn’t appreciate my gambling advice. That...

It’s been three days since the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl, and I keep hearing that’s good news because it means the Pittsburgh Steelers are “on the right track” toward building a team in their image. Since, you know, the Eagles are all about defense and running the football....

“First Call” for Wednesday has some interesting news about Aaron Rodgers’ demise in New York. We also tell you which Steeler is aggressively opposed to the notion of Rodgers coming to Pittsburgh. It might not take very much for the Steelers to pry Deebo Samuel loose from San Francisco. Also,...

I feel like I’m channeling Robin Williams from “Good Will Hunting” on this one. But with Pittsburgh Pirates players reporting to spring training this week, I think it needs to be said. Hey, Adam Frazier. It’s not your fault. There are going to be times this year when you think...

I hadn’t really been thinking about the Pittsburgh Steelers all that much during Sunday’s Super Bowl until I saw a Häagen-Dazs ice cream commercial in the second half. It featured Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Ludacris from the “Fast & Furious” movies. That reminded me of the Steelers because, much...

Comments from former Steelers coach Bill Cowher are likely to keep the Aaron Rodgers speculation going in Pittsburgh. An ex-Steeler is on his way out of New England. Television ratings for the Super Bowl were good — and for some very specific reasons. We have an idea of how Sidney...

According to a report from SI.com, Deebo Samuel’s agent will reach out to the Pittsburgh Steelers to discuss a trade. The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver has received permission to seek a trade with another team. Via Noah Strackbein of S.I., one of those clubs he intends to talk to...

When Fox’s Jay Glazer threw a log on the fire of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offseason quarterback conversation last week, I got the impression a lot of us were talking about the wrong part of what he said. What Glazer mentioned (on the “Fantasy Football Happy Hour”) about the unlikelihood of...

When evaluating what went wrong with the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl on Sunday night, Mark Madden of TribLive and 105.9 The X has a very simple explanation. Look at quarterback Patrick Mahomes. “Mahomes absolutely soiled the bed,” Madden said in this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast. “He was...