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Tim Benz Columns category, Page 69

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Le’Veon Bell hints at retirement, suggests he’d like ‘a time machine’ to handle 2018 divorce from Steelers differently
A day after saying he’d be staying away from football this year to concentrate on boxing, former Steeler Le’Veon Bell now sounds like a player who is on the cusp of retirement. He also sounds like a man with a lot of regrets. In a long Instagram post Wednesday, Bell...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans are sure that they hate Acrisure Stadium; Penguins fans aren’t thrilled with free agency
The Steelers announced that they are giving the naming rights for Heinz Field to some company you’ve never heard of, from a city that isn’t Pittsburgh. The Penguins are bringing back a team that won’t change at all from the team that has failed to win its last five playoff...
Tim Benz: There are plenty of reasons to hate Heinz Field name change — but we’re laying it on a little thick
Speaking at what used to be known as Heinz Field, Greg Williams didn’t seem like he deserved to be the most hated man in Pittsburgh. The truth is, that’s because he probably isn’t. I’m not sure if anyone in Pittsburgh really dislikes Williams. Or could recognize him on the street....
Tim Benz: Evgeni Malkin’s decision to stay in Pittsburgh softens focus on Rickard Rakell’s contract
Did you ever break up with someone after a long relationship, then start dating somebody else you barely know right away in an attempt to get back at that other person? Did that new relationship immediately start off with a $30 million prenup? That sort of feels like what happened...
Ben Roethlisberger sounds off on the Heinz Field name change
Social media disapproval poured in from all areas in the wake of Monday’s decision by the Pittsburgh Steelers to change the name of Heinz Field to Acrisure Stadium. The most prominent person to tweet a figurative thumbs down was former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger — the most accomplished player to...
Tim Benz: Evgeni Malkin has been playing hardball on the contract front; it’s clear the Penguins are willing as well
If you were under the impression that Evgeni Malkin’s contract negotiations with the Pittsburgh Penguins were going to end as swimmingly as Kris Letang’s did, sorry to disappoint. Apparently, this keeping the band together idea isn’t going to happen without getting out of tune. Malkin has been playing hardball with...
Tim Benz: Penguins 1st-round draft pick Owen Pickering’s amazing growth spurt — and how it could shape his progress
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ first-round draft choice Owen Pickering had to be exaggerating. Right? After being selected as the 21st pick in the first round of last week’s NHL Draft, the 6-foot-4, 180-pound defenseman claimed that he was only 5-foot-6, 130 pounds three years ago. That had to be hyperbole. That...
Tim Benz: Even staunch Marc-Andre Fleury supporters have to be glad this round of rumors about Pittsburgh return is over
While you are reading this post, keep in mind it is being written by someone who has been a Marc-Andre Fleury believer, defender and even occasional apologist. That being said, I’m very happy Fleury re-signed with the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. Because the latest iteration of rumors conjuring up a...
Tim Benz: Love or hate the Yankees, they made baseball about baseball at PNC Park again — for 2 nights, anyway
As he came up through the Pittsburgh Pirates system, Clay Holmes had been told how electric PNC Park could be when it was sold out for a big game. He just needed to come back as a New York Yankee on Tuesday night to finally experience it in person. “When...
Derek Shelton acknowledges where Pirates failed to get the most out of Clay Holmes
The Pittsburgh Pirates did a lot right in their 5-2 win against the New York Yankees on Tuesday night. • They got out to an early lead against former Pirate Jameson Taillon with a second-inning home run by Daniel Vogelbach. Then they added on with three more in the fourth...
Tim Benz: College football conferences may have to die for the sport to rediscover why they were important
I’ve long had a theory about how the shifting landscape of college sports conferences would end. Pretty close to how it started. I consider the constant conference expansion and contraction to be college football nihilism. The existence of conferences as we know them today is unfounded, senseless and useless. Objective...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans react to Mike Tomlin’s Super Bowl XLV comments; Penguins fans refocus on offseason
Many of our readers did NOT like my column regarding what Mike Tomlin said about the Super Bowl XLV loss to the Green Bay Packers. Others are still upset about Chase Claypool’s recent comments. Some folks are fretting about the Penguins offseason. And then there’s at least one of you...
Vincent Trocheck, J.T. Miller, Logan Cooley skating in ‘The G.O.A.T League’ in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh hockey fans who want to see J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck skating in their hometown are getting their wish. Just not in Penguins uniforms. At least not yet anyway. The two Western Pa. bred NHL stars are part of the G.O.A.T. League. It takes place Wednesday nights during the...
Tim Benz: What do big WR contracts mean for the Steelers and Diontae Johnson? Maybe not as much as we think
On Tuesday, the Washington Commanders shelled out $71 million to wide receiver Terry McLaurin. Many are wondering what that means for Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson. He wants a contract extension, too. Personally, I don’t think it means anything. If the Steelers were going to be inclined to sign Johnson, don’t...
Pirates enduring frustrating ‘close but no cigar’ stretch of road games
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ current road trip has been defined by two things. Competitive games and frustrating results. Overall this season, the Pirates are pretty decent in one-run games, 10-9. Of late, though, winning the tight ones have been a problem. That’s unfortunate for a team that also has a propensity...
Tim Benz: Watching the Avalanche’s Stanley Cup celebration gives Penguins fans a lot to consider
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby got so much love during the Colorado Avalanche’s championship celebration, I thought he was going to come on the ice and skate a lap with the Stanley Cup. First, Avs star (and fellow Nova Scotian) Nathan MacKinnon told ESPN’s Emily Kaplan that he felt destined...
Tim Benz: Mike Tomlin’s conversation on Steelers’ Super Bowl XLV loss puts new spin on result
To hear Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin talk so openly about the Super Bowl XLV loss to the Green Bay Packers adds a different perspective on that defeat. Tomlin appeared on a recent edition of “The Pivot” podcast with ex-Steeler Ryan Clark and former NFL players Channing Crowder and Fred...
Madden Monday: Kris Letang and Ron Hextall are ‘further apart on money’ than we’ve been told
During this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden of 105.9 The X and TribLIVE provided a less-than-optimistic update for those that want to see free-agent defenseman Kris Letang stay in a Pittsburgh Penguins uniform. “Letang and (general manager Ron) Hextall are further apart on money than what I had originally...
Tim Benz: Jam-packed half-hour for Michael Chavis ends up telling whole story for Pirates
Michael Chavis seemed disappointed that he hadn’t impacted Thursday’s Pirates-Cubs game much. He was 0 for 3, and over at first base, he hadn’t been given much of an opportunity to impact the game defensively. Yet once the game was over, Chavis was at the center of the three biggest...
Tim Benz: Steelers shouldn’t stop adding to defense with Larry Ogunjobi. Another position is in need
Now that the Steelers have spent even more money on the defense by signing Larry Ogunjobi, I’m sure that will regenerate the conversation about the disparity between how much the team is spending on defense versus how little the team is spending on offense. So I have an idea of...
U mad, bro?: Chase Claypool’s bravado, Rashard Mendenhall’s excuses have Steelers fans grumbling
A Steelers wide receiver is making bold predictions. An ex-Steelers running back is making lame excuses. Mike Tomlin is talking about Antonio Brown. And a local university is considering a nickname change. So much for a midsummer swoon for “U mad, bro?” Things are plenty hot this week. Let’s start...
Tim Benz: Plenty of concerns about the Steelers offense — how much they’re paid shouldn’t be one
In recent weeks, many people have pointed out the disparity in pay between the Steelers offense and the Steelers defense. At $65 million, Pittsburgh’s offense is the cheapest in the NFL. Their $116 million defense is the NFL’s most expensive. That has resulted in criticism from many, including FS1’s Colin...
Where Tristan Jarry sits amid a swirling Penguins offseason
The biggest question surrounding Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry has now become: When is he going to be allowed to answer the biggest question? Yeah. One of those quizzes, inside an enigma, wrapped in a riddle type of things. I mean, he’s twice proven that he’s an above-average regular-season goaltender,...
Tim Benz: Steelers WR Chase Claypool still hasn’t learned the difference between confidence and false bravado
During a recent episode of the “I Am Athlete” podcast, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool said that he sees himself as a top-five — or perhaps even top-three — wide receiver in the National Football League. “I’m not normal. I feel that way when I’m on the field. I...
Tim Benz: Ex-Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall picked the wrong fight
The last thing I’d ever try to give myself on my birthday is a Twitter flame war with an entire NFL fanbase. But that was the present former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall gift wrapped for himself Sunday. On his 34th birthday, Mendenhall sent a tweet regarding his memorable...


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