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Tim Benz Columns category, Page 89

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Tim Benz: For a guy who always talks about ‘moving forward,’ Mike Sullivan’s Penguins keep moving backward
A favorite crutch for Penguins coach Mike Sullivan is “moving forward.” He uses it as a transition. As punctuation. As a point of emphasis. All the time. Unfortunately, his team has spent the last three years moving backward. Badly. From Stanley Cup champion in 2017. To a second-round exit in...
‘First Call’: ‘Pacman’ Jones cusses out Steelers CB Joe Haden, burns a box of his jerseys
For Thursday’s “First Call,” TMZ has video of former Cincinnati Bengals annoyance Adam “Pacman” Jones burning a box full of Steelers jerseys. There are no more words necessary. And if we did use any more words as quotes from Pacman, they’d probably all have to be censored or edited out...
Robert Morris AD: Total shutdown of college sports? Not yet. But ‘there may be that discussion’
I’m getting to that point with college sports. That point when you think, “Shut it down until there is a coronavirus vaccine. Or a treatment. Or national infection rates are next to nothing.” I’m conflicted. Because I’m also at a point where I think, “Just play through it. We aren’t...
‘U mad, bro?’: Penguins fans shred Evgeni Malkin, Matt Murray; Steelers grumbling, too
You knew that venom would be spewed toward the Penguins in “U mad, bro?” this week. The team was dreadful in its four-game, qualifying-round elimination at the hands of the 24th-seeded Montreal Canadiens last week. Fans are ticked off. They should be. My only question was, “Which Penguins were going...
Tim Benz: David DeCastro understands O-line changes for 2020, braces for more in ’21
Amidst two years of non-playoff results, significant injury and roster tumult on the Pittsburgh Steelers offense, one thing has remained relatively steady. The offensive line. Change is coming in 2020, however. Alejandro Villanueva will remain as the left tackle. Center Maurkice Pouncey and right guard David DeCastro will look to...
Tim Benz: Want a rebuild for impotent Penguins? Let’s examine what that really means.
Blow it up! Tear it down! Total reboot! We hear those reactions from Penguins fans after almost every season-ending playoff exit. Those calls for drastic change are often hyperbolic emotion. Prisoner-of-the-moment stuff. Presently, though, demands from fans and media to reconstruct the team resonate more logically after the club’s putrid...
Tim Benz: Steelers coaches insist the defense can get even better. OK, let’s find out where.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was already on record as saying his defense can do more in 2020. Even in the turnover department, where the franchise led the NFL last year with 38. “It’s reasonable to expect us to improve in that area and to improve in all areas,”...
Tim Benz: Beyond Ben Roethlisberger, who will be most helped by new quarterback coach Matt Canada?
Just because former Pitt Panthers offensive coordinator Matt Canada has returned to Pittsburgh doesn’t mean his offense has. Not entirely anyway. Now in his first year as quarterbacks coach with the Steelers, Canada spoke with members of the Pittsburgh media this week. He took great measures to reiterate his specific...
When will Penguins scoring pick up? How do they work around it until it does?
The Penguins may have scored enough to beat the Montreal Canadiens on Monday. But that’s a far cry from saying that they are scoring … enough. The team’s 3-1 victory in Game 2 of its preliminary-round series was a rarity of late. The Penguins had lost their previous seven postseason...
Tim Benz: Pirates may prove ESPN right on ‘worst ever win percentage’ prediction
Tuesday’s Pirates-Twins game was delayed in the top of the fifth inning when an unauthorized drone flew over Target Field in Minneapolis. Welp, this is a first. Pirates vs Twins game delayed because of a drone on the field. pic.twitter.com/uMPPcv8nOL— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) August 4, 2020 The delay lasted about...
Tim Benz: Some Penguins answered challenges in Game 2. More must do so in Game 3.
Challenges made. Challenges answered. Well, in some cases anyway. The Penguins lost Game 1 of their NHL Eastern Conference preliminary round series to the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 Saturday. And it was very clear which players and which aspects of the Penguins game needed to improve for them to get a...
Tim Benz: Mike Sullivan is ignoring the obvious when it comes to net-front issues
After the overtime loss Saturday to the Montreal Canadiens in the 2020 playoff opener, Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan blamed a lack of offensive net-front presence as a major factor. “We generated a fair amount of scoring chances,” Sullivan said after the defeat. “It’s not that there wasn’t opportunity....
Tim Benz: Penguins better finish or they’ll be finished a lot quicker than we thought
For a team that is supposed to have a lot of finishers, the Penguins haven’t finished much of anything during the playoffs lately. And if that trend doesn’t change fast, they’ll be finished in the reformatted 2020 NHL postseason a lot quicker than the hockey world anticipated. The Penguins lost...
Tim Benz: Pirates’ Mitch Keller fixing shortcomings he identified
During the Pirates’ rebooted training camp at PNC Park, starting pitcher Mitch Keller identified two specific goals to hone his arsenal. • Develop a changeup. • Get the spin and movement on his fastball to equal its often-electric velocity. So far, so good to start Year 2 of his big-league...
U mad, bro? Fans torn on Ben Roethlisberger, shred Pirates bullpen, defend Stephon Tuitt
Steelers and Pirates fans shouldn’t be mad about anything. Because this week’s “U mad, bro?” is coming a day early. I was looking at the rest of the week’s schedule and realized it was best if we just got our rage out a little earlier than normal. Because, apparently, a...
Tim Benz: PNC Park opener like we may never see again. Let’s hope so, anyway.
Curiosity. That’s what drew me so deeply into 2020’s coronavirus-delayed first weekend of Major League Baseball. Well, that, and desperation for any sort of live sports whatsoever. Just having the games back is what mattered most. Fans in the stands or not. I wasn’t eagerly looking forward to what “Pandemic...
Tim Benz: Patchwork Pirates, odd MLB season deliver as advertised over first weekend
The first weekend of Major League Baseball in the coronavirus era was exactly as advertised — not just for the local team but league-wide. From an MLB perspective, viewers across the country quickly got used to cardboard cutout fans, manufactured crowd noise and runners beginning extra innings at second base....
Top issue as Pittsburgh sports return: How much can Ben Roethlisberger fix the Steelers offense?
All week at “Breakfast with Benz,” we’ve been tackling the biggest issues surrounding Pittsburgh’s three pro sports teams as our region’s franchises return to play after a four-month absence thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. The Steelers will be the last team back. That’s if the NFL can get off the...
Biggest issues as Pittsburgh sports return: How far will Penguins go in revamped playoffs?
The Penguins are taking part in the rebooted NHL playoff format. And it’s not with the goal of soaking in Toronto’s Canadian National Exhibition and the scenery of Edmonton. No. The goal is to win a sixth Stanley Cup. The Penguins have a good chance of doing so in 2020...
Biggest issues as Pittsburgh sports return: Can Steelers defense recreate 2019 dominance?
Two of Pittsburgh’s pro sports teams are on their way back to competition after the coronavirus-induced lockdown. The Pirates open their season on Friday in St. Louis. The Penguins are supposed to face the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference hub city of Toronto on July 28. That’s also when...
Biggest issues as Pittsburgh sports return: Will Jake Guentzel’s comeback get Penguins another Stanley Cup?
Our long wait for the return of Pittsburgh’s professional sports scene is hopefully coming to an end. The Pirates are playing warmup games. Their regular-season debut is slated for Friday in St. Louis. The Penguins’ first exhibition game is July 28 against the Philadelphia Flyers. That’s also the day the...
Biggest issues as Pittsburgh sports return to play: Which Josh Bell will Pirates get
It seems as if Pittsburgh’s three professional sports teams finally are on the verge of returning to play after the coronavirus lockdown. The Pirates’ first regular-season game is Friday. The Penguins’ first exhibition game is July 28 against the Philadelphia Flyers. That’s also the day the Steelers are supposed to...
5 big 2020 Pirates questions: Will a short season help the Pirates?
Our “Breakfast With Benz” Pittsburgh Pirates Spring Training 2.0 coverage has built all week to this. We’ve posed one crucial question per day about the Pirates as they prepare for the 2020 shortened season. We looked at the batting order and the starting rotation. We analyzed the bullpen and tried...
5 big 2020 Pirates questions: Can the starting rotation keep team afloat?
With the Pirates ramping up to their 60-game sprint of a season, each day this week at “Breakfast With Benz,” we will be examining the five most pressing questions facing the team. The Pirates open the season on Friday, July 24 in St. Louis. Tuesday’s question: What should the Pirates...
5 big 2020 Pirates questions: What should be done with Cole Tucker?
The Pirates are ramping up to their 60-game sprint of a season at PNC Park’s “Spring Training 2.0.” The Major League Baseball schedule starts for the Pirates on Friday, July 24 in St. Louis. So each day this week at “Breakfast With Benz,” we will be examining the five most...


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