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Tim Benz Columns category, Page 94

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Tim Benz: Duquesne coach shares his memories of playing in NBA against Kobe Bryant 
How many charges do you think a guy takes by the time he makes it to the NBA? Hundreds probably. Thousands, maybe? Of them, how many do you think a player actually remembers? Well, Duquesne assistant basketball coach Carl Thomas certainly has one that stands out. Because it came from...
Tim Benz: Ben Roethlisberger, his draft peers and QB mortality
On Wednesday, I got this text from someone who covers another NFL team besides the Steelers. He was at the Senior Bowl practices in Mobile, Ala. “(Mike) Tomlin is standing right here watching quarterbacks pretty closely.” Sure. I admit it. Upon reading that, my brain went places for a cheap...
Tim Benz: Penguins better come back sharp from break. And fast.
That didn’t go as hoped. Aside from the obvious goal of grabbing two points against the Philadelphia Flyers in their last game before a 10-day break, the Penguins had some other items on their agenda. “We want to put a full game together,” captain Sidney Crosby said after Sunday’s exciting...
Tim Benz: Let’s break down this list of potential Steelers free agent targets
The Steelers don’t have a first-round draft choice this year. No, Minkah Fitzpatrick doesn’t count. Again. So will they try to fill some holes via free agency instead? We should hope. My colleagues at USA Today’s Steelers Wire listed a few potential candidates. Let’s see which ones make sense. Teddy...
Tim Benz: Who cares if Penguins crowd jeers Matt Murray? What matters is how he responds. 
In the wake of the derisive cheers aimed at Penguins goaltender Matt Murray Sunday, there was quite a showdown on Pittsburgh sports talk and online. In the Black corner, you had the “It’s my money. It’s my ticket. I’ll boo if I want” crowd. In the Gold corner, you had...
Tim Benz: Hard to find sympathy for ‘cheated’ Astros rivals who stood silent
For the past week, the news cycle surrounding the Houston Astros sign-stealing controversy has been constant. And so has the bloodletting. Manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow have been fired. Because they were formerly members of the Astros, Red Sox manager Alex Cora and Mets manager Carlos Beltran...
Tim Benz: Steelers inductions part of needed debate for Hall of Fame changes
Many debates have popped up this week over who should — and shouldn’t — get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a result of the 2020 “Centennial Slate.” I default to one self-reflective question: “What makes me more angry? Borderline guy who gets in? Or those who are...
Ex-White Sox catcher, Pitt star Kevan Smith at center of Astros’ sign-stealing: ‘We knew they had something’
A former WPIAL baseball star is speaking out about the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal. He was a first-hand witness to it and was prominently featured in the exposure of it. I spoke with Seneca Valley alum and former Pitt quarterback Kevan Smith on Thursday. You can hear the entire conversation...
Tim Benz: Is Tony Romo, or any NFL analyst, worth $14 million?
A report from Front Office Sports states that ESPN is preparing to offer CBS NFL analyst Tony Romo somewhere between $10-$14 million annually. Let’s split the difference and say it’s $12 million. If Romo were to sign that deal, he’d make more cash in 2020 as a broadcaster than: •...
Tim Benz: The complicated case of Steelers RB James Conner
If there’s one thing we’ve learned about Mike Tomlin and his dealings with the media, it’s this: If he doesn’t want to answer a question directly, he won’t. He’ll no comment. He’ll respond but not really answer. He’ll talk around an inquiry. He’ll say a lot without saying anything. If...
U mad, bro? Readers trash NFL overtime, JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Conner, Tom Brady. But mostly Tim Benz.
Most of the heat in this week’s “U mad, bro?” comes down on me because of my thoughts on Tom Brady and NFL overtime. Well, me and Brady himself. And JuJu Smith-Schuster. And James Conner. And Mike Tomlin. Ok. Maybe it’s not all me. Anyway, let’s see who the readers...
Tim Benz: There’s no perfect NFL overtime fix. So stop complaining. 
Another round of NFL postseason games. Another round of overtime results. Another round of whining from people who think the tiebreaking system is unfair. In other words, whining from New Orleans. Or people who bet on New Orleans. OK, maybe Buffalo, too. This is becoming an annual event, much like...
Tim Benz: Even Steelers fans would forget hatred of Tom Brady if he lands in Pittsburgh 
It’s the opposite of what any Steelers fan wants to envision. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is working out over the next two months. He looks down at his surgically repaired elbow and says, “This thing ain’t healing right. I’m not close. It’s getting worse. Not better. I’m not going to be...
Tim Benz: Don’t kid yourself. Steelers never could’ve done what Titans did to Patriots 
Yeah. It crossed my mind, too. Watching the New England Patriots crumble at home against the Tennessee Titans in the first round of the AFC playoffs. Could this have been the year? What if the Steelers didn’t fall apart down the stretch and had managed to scratch their way past...
U mad, bro? Readers seething over Steelers’ elimination, Mike Tomlin, ‘Hard Knocks’ prospect
Whenever the Steelers get knocked out of the playoff race, you know things are going to get spicy. This week’s “U mad, bro?” lives up (or is it down?) to expectations with heat coming from all directions. No one is safe. Not Mike Tomlin. Not the organization. Not HBO. Not...
Tim Benz: Don’t inflate Steelers’ mediocre 8-8 finish
If you looked skyward in Pittsburgh around 2:45 p.m. Monday, you saw a gorgeous double rainbow over the city. I was heading to the North Side at the time, and I felt like I was driving right into it. Both arches appeared to end directly in Heinz Field’s parking lot....
First Call: Browns’ Baker Mayfield barks at fans; Bengals RB takes out ref; Blue Jackets’ John Tortorella epic rant 
In Monday’s “First Call,” another epic postgame rant from John Tortorella. Another Saquon Barkley highlight. More comedy from the Bengals. And more yapping from Baker Mayfield. ‘Torts-ing’ it up one more time in 2019 Columbus Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella went on one of his classic postgame tirades after a...
Tim Benz: Let’s not be too accepting if Steelers miss playoffs
I saw way too much of this on Twitter during the Steelers’ loss to the New York Jets Sunday. Well it all comes down to next weekend. If the Steelers don’t find any semblance of an offense, why would you want them in the playoffs? The best we could hope...
With Bill Hillgrove out, AT&T SportsNet’s Rob King prepares to step in to Steelers broadcast
Longtime Steelers radio play-by-play voice Bill Hillgrove will not call the last two games of the regular season. He is having back surgery. It’s unclear if he will be able to call playoff games if the Steelers make it that far. So Rob King of AT&T SportsNet will be filling...
Tim Benz: Steelers are stuck with ‘Duck’ for now. Starting him Sunday is right call. 
I started drinking coffee when I was 13. I’ll say it before you do. Yes, that’s what stunted my growth. It was usually instant coffee. I stole it from my father every morning. He always seemed to have Folgers Instant Crystals or Taster’s Choice in the pantry. Gross. The grounds...
Tim Benz: Pirates need to let manager Derek Shelton truly be in charge
A frequent criticism of the Pittsburgh Pirates in recent years has been that the franchise employed one of the most expensive managers in Major League Baseball but had one of the lowest payrolls. In August 2018, USA Today published a deep dive into why managerial contracts were dipping. Clint Hurdle’s...
Tim Benz: Steelers, Bills do it differently on defense, but see same stellar results
When I look at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ game against the Buffalo Bills, I keep seeing the numbers “10” and “9” flashing in my head. As in the final score. I just wish I had a clearer picture of which team’s logo was next to the bigger number. Then I pause...
Tim Benz: Young Jedi Tristan Jarry should rebound after Penguins’ ‘Star Wars’ night loss
AT&T SportsNet’s Penguins reporter Dan Potash got into the mood for “Star Wars” night at PPG Paints Arena Tuesday. The Force is with me...how about you?? Puck drop is seconds away! -DP #StarWarsThemeNight @penguins @NHLNetwork pic.twitter.com/QaAPxD9Yqk— AT&T SportsNet™ PIT (@ATTSportsNetPIT) December 11, 2019 Unfortunately for the Pens, the Montreal Canadiens...
Tim Benz: Duck, Diontae, defense lead Steelers’ feats of strength in win over Cardinals 
It all makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? An undrafted rookie quarterback from Samford beating back-to-back No. 1 overall picks. Well, that’s what it has come down to for Devlin “Duck” Hodges. The Steelers fourth-string quarterback has managed to beat both Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray in back-to-back weeks. And he...
U mad, bro? Readers sound off on Steelers QBs, NFL refs; Browns fans can’t let it go
I know why you are mad. You are mad because I skipped “U mad, bro?” on Thursday when I took a personal day. That’s fair. You should be. You need it. You love it. You missed it. Let me fix this and make you whole again. Here’s a special Friday...


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