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Tim Benz Columns category, Page 101

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Tim Benz: Phil Kessel to Wild would’ve been wrong move for Penguins
If there was a trade in place between the Penguins and Wild involving Phil Kessel, it appears to be off now. And it appears it’s off because Kessel doesn’t want to go to Minnesota. The Wild aren’t on his eight-team approved list for trades. And, according to Sportsnet, Kessel doesn’t...
Tim Benz: NFL simplifies replay, poised to complicate Hail Marys
I’ll give this to the Pittsburgh Steelers secondary: They sure are a diplomatic bunch. I approached many of the defensive backs who were at organized team activities Thursday, looking for some reaction to the tweak of the new NFL pass-interference rules. In case you missed the news Wednesday, the league...
Tim Benz: Quieter Steelers on social media? So far, no good
An early question has been raised about the 2019 Pittsburgh Steelers. Did the team purge itself of players who do distracting, corrosive, nitwit-like things such as Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell, Martavis Bryant and James Harrison? Or did they just pave the way for younger, louder, less-accomplished nitwits to emerge? Unfortunately,...
Tim Benz: New Steelers already pressed for jobs they were just hired for
Welcome to town. Now go fight for the job opening you just thought you were hired to fill. That is the message being sent by the Steelers to each of their three significant free-agent signees this offseason. Inside linebacker Mark Barron, formerly of the Rams, inked a two-year, $12 million...
Tim Benz: If anyone is two-faced, it’s Antonio Brown, not Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger admitted to KDKA-TV that his comments about Antonio Brown after last season’s loss in Denver went too far. He apologized for that during a sit down with Bob Pompeani that aired Monday. That wasn’t good enough for Mr. Big Chest. As Roethlisberger himself pointed out, sometimes when it...
Tim Benz: Steelers’ offensive line might not be as impressive as you think
You probably liked the numbers ESPN.com’s Brian Burke gave us about the Steelers pass-rush Thursday. So you are inclined to believe them. You may not like what he has to say about the Steelers’ offensive line, so these stats you’ll probably want to dismiss. That’s usually how it works when...
Le’Veon Bell responds to reports that his signing ruined Jets front office
Former Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell is responding to criticism that his signing is part of the reason the Jets blew up their front office Wednesday. Sort of. The Jets fired general manager Mike Maccagnan and vice president of player personnel Brian Heimerdinger on Wednesday. Head coach Adam Gase will...
Tim Benz: Le’Veon Bell’s signing may have helped cause Jets firings
Le’Veon Bell is already causing problems for the New York Jets. And he hasn’t even practiced with the team yet! This time, it’s not Bell’s fault, really. You can’t blame “Juice” for a drug violation, a tardy appearance at a walk-through, a rap diss or a social media faux pas....
Tim Benz: Understanding what ‘Benny Snell Football’ should be for Steelers
In a three-minute interview posted on Steelers.com, Steelers rookie running back Benny Snell refers to himself in the third person three times. OK. Just so long as Benny Snell realizes that Benny Snell is still third string. For now. “Benny Snell football could be second (down) and 3 (yards to...
Tim Benz: The biggest reason for lagging MLB fan interest
By now, you have probably read some of the alarm-bell columns discussing Major League Baseball’s attendance issues. As USA Today reports, MLB saw an attendance drop in March-April 2019, on the heels of a 4% season-long decline in attendance in 2018. That was the largest dip in a decade. Furthermore,...
Tim Benz: Pirates can’t afford injury bug within starting staff
In his usual Sunday media scrum with reporters, Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Neal Huntington rattled through the litany of injuries that have beset his club. “We haven’t had an at-bat from our regular left fielder (Corey Dickerson),” Huntington said to begin his mental checklist. “Our regular right fielder (Gregory Polanco)...
Tim Benz: Penguins fans must prepare for real change … eventually
This is always a frustrating time of year to write about the Pittsburgh Penguins. Well, at least in non-Stanley Cup winning seasons anyway. The cycle is drudgery, and it is familiar. The Penguins lose a series. The fans, media, locker room, and management call for change. Rumors emerge about potential...
Tim Benz: So much for prioritizing Artie Burns’ confidence, or his option
Remember how we started yesterday’s “First Call” with Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert telling the world the team was hoping that struggling cornerback Artie Burns could regain his confidence? Yeah, forget that. Unless the organization thinks that refusing to pick up Burns’ fifth-year option is the best route to restoring...
Tim Benz: Time for Evgeni Malkin to follow his own advice
On locker cleanout day following the Pittsburgh Penguins’ sweep at the hands of New York Islanders, Kris Letang was indignant at suggestions that he may need to change his game. You know, be more structured and patient. Take fewer chances. Play more conservative. The response was not one of agreement....
Tim Benz: Father of Steelers draft choice renounces Browns fandom
Imagine being a fan of the Cleveland Browns. Your team leaves. It comes back. And becomes an NFL punchline for decades. Now, on the verge of, potentially, Cleveland’s first division championship in decades, you renounce your fandom to start rooting for … … the hated Pittsburgh Steelers? That’s what DeAndre...
Tim Benz: NFL Draft could have a big impact on many current Steelers
As we posted Saturday evening after the conclusion of the draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers simply had too many roster issues this offseason to have them all properly addressed before training camp starts. This is normally the case for teams that miss the playoffs. And it’s definitely the case after non-playoff...
Tim Benz: Let’s talk about what the Steelers DIDN’T get during the draft 
We’ve spent three days talking about what the Pittsburgh Steelers got in the draft. Now let’s talk about what they didn’t get. That’s quality “starter-in-waiting” (to use a Tomlinism) depth for two positions where they are thin and potentially will be thinner after this season because of free agency: outside...
Tim Benz: Steelers draft Antonio Brown clone. On the field anyway.
The Steelers selected a clone of Antonio Brown with their second pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. And they did it with the pick they got in exchange for Brown from Oakland in the trade that shipped him to the Raiders last month. Let’s hope the comparisons stop with physical...
Tim Benz: What did the the NFL Draft tell us about Devin Bush’s fashion sense?
I love the player. I love the trade. I love the pick. In my opinion, the Steelers couldn’t have done a better job when it comes to how they executed the first round of the draft. The franchise traded up into the top 10 of the NFL Draft on Thursday...
Tim Benz: These teams could steal Devin White, Devin Bush from Steelers at NFL Draft
So, who is going to mess this up for the Steelers? During last year’s NFL Draft, it was Chicago, Tennessee and Dallas. They were the teams that nabbed the three first-round, pure inside linebackers that would have perfectly meshed within the defensive system in Pittsburgh. And perhaps would have helped...
Tim Benz: Steelers picking CB Rock Ya-Sin in 1st round would be mistake
Let’s hope this is wrong. Unless you run a T-shirt shop in the Strip District. In that case, business might be boom … Never mind. You get the point. For as great of a name as Rock Ya-Sin may be, I think it would sound a lot better if it...
Tim Benz: Are Penguins’ Mike Sullivan, Jim Rutherford really on same page?
It had to be on purpose, right? Head coach Mike Sullivan and general manager Jim Rutherford standing side-by-side during the Penguins’ season-ending media availability. Sharing the podium. Answering questions in the presence of each other. There must have been intent behind the execution of the 2019 season-ending news conference last...
Tim Benz: Penguins better listen to themselves after ‘self-inflicted’ playoff exit
If the Penguins showed this much pushback against the New York Islanders, maybe they’d still be playing. Locker cleanout day got a little testy at times Thursday at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry. The 2019 Penguins team was packing up for the last time in the wake of...
Tim Benz: Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger says a lot by saying little
For those of you hoping to finally read some Ben Roethlisberger quotes in the wake of all the slings and arrows he has taken from departed ex-teammates, prepare to be excited. For those of you hoping to see Roethlisberger retaliate in the same fashion, prepare to be disappointed. Actually, don’t...
Tim Benz: Everyone is full of it in ESPN story about Antonio Brown trade
ESPN posted a long “behind the scenes” account of the trade that sent Steelers receiver Antonio Brown to Oakland last month. In terms of new information — especially if you heard the taped conversation between Brown and his agent Drew Rosenhaus — there’s not a ton of new information there....


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