Tim Benz Columns category
First Call: Yankees may be interested in David Bednar; Pirates ‘reluctant to seriously engage’ in Mitch Keller trade talks
There are some interesting developments on the David Bednar trade front. The New York Yankees could be interested. It appears Ben Cherington has had very little motivation to trade Mitch Keller. Justin Fields is dealing with his injury well in New York. And the Baltimore Ravens are bringing an Olympic...
Tim Benz: Sidney Crosby’s arrival was Pittsburgh’s most consequential sports event of the past 20 years
Wednesday marked the 20th anniversary of the Pittsburgh Penguins drafting Sidney Crosby. You could argue (in fact, I think I will right now) that Crosby’s arrival was the single most consequential event in Pittsburgh sports over the past two decades. If the Penguins don’t win the lottery to draft Crosby,...
U mad, bro?: Readers revolt against George Pickens post, Pirates fans grumble over Jack Suwinski and Ben Cherington
I kicked a hornet’s nest with my recent column about former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver George Pickens. Pirates fans have their usual discontent about team ownership, and there’s already a little concern about Aaron Rodgers. This heat makes everyone agitated. Why don’t we all vent a little steam in “U mad,...
First Call: Broderick Jones expected back at practice; more interest in David Bednar; Ben Cherington ‘in limbo’
Wednesday’s “First Call” has an update on Broderick Jones’ practice status. Trey Hendrickson will report to training camp in Cincinnati. The other two AFC North teams have seen significant players go down with injuries at their camps. And we have more speculation about the futures of David Bednar, Mitch Keller...
Stephen A. Smith’s nuclear rebuke of George Pickens Cowboys-Steelers comp misses 1 small detail
On Monday, wide receiver George Pickens heaped praise on what it is like to be a Dallas Cowboy in the wake of his trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers. “I kind of understand the camaraderie more than I did in Pittsburgh,” Pickens said on 105.3 The Fan. “The Cowboys, it’s like...
First Call: Asking price for David Bednar reportedly ‘bananas’; Minkah Fitzpatrick calls Pittsburgh exit ‘very unfortunate’
Tuesday’s “First Call” features Minkah Fitzpatrick’s first quotes since being traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Miami Dolphins. We also get updates on David Bednar’s trade stock and Kenny Pickett’s health. Plus, more gambling issues swirl around the Cleveland Guardians. Minkah speaks For the first time since he was...
Tim Benz: Bryce Harper, Rob Manfred confrontation shows cooler heads must prevail in MLB labor talks
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred was reportedly told to “get the (expletive) out” of the Philadelphia Phillies locker room by two-time MVP Bryce Harper last week. As reported by ESPN.com and The Bandwagon, Manfred fired back at Harper with similar language and refused to leave. According to ESPN’s Jeff...
Paul Skenes says Pirates must ‘consciously, intentionally make moves to get us better’
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes tossed six shutout innings Sunday. I thought his second-best pitch was his changeup. I thought his best pitch was the one he made during a postgame interview. While hosting Sunday’s postgame show on 93.7 The Fan, Dan Zangrilli asked Skenes if he felt the...
First Call: Minkah Fitzpatrick’s new money; Kenny Pickett’s injury; a twist on Mitch Keller trade rumors
Monday’s “First Call” features some new money up front for former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. We look at Kenny Pickett’s hamstring injury in Cleveland. There is a new layer to the Mitch Keller trade rumors, and we examine the Pirates’ road trip out west. Pickett’s problem It doesn’t sound...
Tim Benz: Sparkling Sunday from Paul Skenes, Oneil Cruz shines light on Ben Cherington
There was some irony to the Pittsburgh Pirates hosting Peanuts Night on Saturday. After all, most of the episodes of Peanuts that involved baseball featured Charlie Brown getting knocked off the mound by line drives, Snoopy being traded for five random prospects, and it rained a lot. Not to mention,...
Madden Monday: ‘At what point are (the Pirates) going to keep their good players?’
As Thursday’s Major League Baseball trade deadline looms, starting pitcher Mitch Keller and closer David Bednar appear to be the Pittsburgh Pirates who would most likely bring a decent return. Keller has a 3.53 ERA. His 15 quality starts are tied for first in the National League. His 125 innings...
Tim Benz: Aaron Rodgers is the X-factor in meeting his own ‘expectations’ with Steelers
During his first training camp interview as a Steeler, quarterback Aaron Rodgers was asked if he had expectations for himself and the team. “I do, yes,” Rogers flatly replied. And they might be? “I’m not telling you,” Rodgers quipped back. Conversely, Steelers general manager Omar Khan didn’t feel the need...
First Call: Mike Tomlin’s early praise for Kaleb Johnson; potential trades for Mitch Keller, David Bednar
Friday’s “First Call” has potential trade destinations for two former Pirates All-Stars. A Steelers rookie turned some heads on Day 1 of training camp. We preview the Pirates’ weekend series against Arizona. And we check in on Russell Wilson’s start in New York. Good start Mike Tomlin isn’t one to...
Steelers defense pledges to create new ways for T.J. Watt, rest of the pass rush to create havoc
A lot is being made of the first 11-on-11 play of the Steelers’ 2025 training camp: Aaron Rodgers intercepted by Patrick Queen on a throw intended for DK Metcalf. Of course that was going to get some buzz. I was kinda intrigued by the third play, though. T.J. Watt was...
First Call: Juan Thornhill pushes back at Cleveland’s portrayal of his skills; viral video of funny Browns photo op goof
A new Pittsburgh Steeler is still unhappy about how he was portrayed in Cleveland. The Browns had an unfortunate viral moment. Another Steeler is in the NFL’s Top 100. And a former Steelers first-round pick may have just suffered a season-ending injury. All that in Thursday’s “First Call.” Not over...
Pat McAfee issues on-air apology to Ole Miss student after spreading false internet rumor
ESPN’s Pat McAfee apologized to a University of Mississippi student Wednesday after he advanced a viral story about the woman’s sex life during an episode of his show in February. The rumor turned out to be untrue. The 19-year-old and her family ended up posting a response to the internet...
Tim Benz: Mike Tomlin, Omar Khan, T.J. Watt say a lot without saying it all
Steelers general manager Omar Khan hasn’t spoken to the Pittsburgh media since the team traded George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys back in May. There’s been a lot to catch up on since then. “We signed Aaron Rodgers, and (I) can’t wait for the fans to get to know him....
U mad, bro?: Fans go off about T.J. Watt’s contract, Paul Skenes’ lack of run support, Bob Nutting’s ineptitude
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ season is essentially over because Steelers training camp has started. But that doesn’t mean Pirates fans can’t fire a few parting shots on their way off to irrelevance. Even after sweeping the Tigers. Also, some readers are already in training camp mode, getting their Steelers dander up...
First Call: George Pickens ‘excited to run better plays’ in Dallas; T.J. Watt on playoff failures being ‘attached to my name’
Wednesday’s “First Call” has an interesting quote from former Pittsburgh Steeler George Pickens in Dallas. T.J. Watt speaks in advance of training camp after making his new contract official. And the UFL is going through major changes. Tough to misinterpret George Pickens said something Tuesday that I’m sure will get...
Tim Benz: Going position by position to see if the Steelers will be better in 2025
As the 2025 Pittsburgh Steelers report to training camp Wednesday, my preliminary belief is they won’t surpass last year’s record of 10-7. In fact, my initial prediction is that they’ll probably be 9-8, and this may even end up being the year they finish with a losing record for the...
Tim Benz: For Paul Skenes, playing the ‘stopper’ role means something a little different in Pittsburgh these days
After Paul Skenes’ six innings of shutout pitching Monday, Major League Baseball posted a photo of the Pittsburgh Pirates ace with a note about his 1.38 ERA over his past 13 starts. Whoever it was from MLB’s social media department that put the graphic together, I’m sure they were well-intended....
First Call: Pat McAfee to broadcast from Steelers training camp; what T.J. Watt’s contract may do for an AFC North rival
Tuesday’s “First Call” has broadcast information for Pat McAfee’s show at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp. We also provide updates on two former Steelers, and we try to figure out if T.J. Watt’s extension has sparked a dialogue surrounding the contract of an AFC North rival. Falling in line Now that...
Madden Monday: As long as the Pirates have this ownership, ‘nothing can be fixed’
To start the second half of the season, the Pittsburgh Pirates (39-61) were swept at home by the worst team in the American League. The Chicago White Sox (35-65) won all three games at PNC Park over the weekend by a combined score of 27-7. Here are some numbers to...
After a weekend’s worth of talk, cleaning up some leftovers from T.J. Watt’s new contract
After a weekend’s worth of discussion, analysis and social media chatter surrounding T.J. Watt’s new contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, let’s address some of the bigger talking points. And let’s advance some different topics that should be investigated a little bit more. • After T.J. Watt signed his new $123...
Tim Benz: For 2025 Steelers, development of young core outweighs importance of veteran additions
For those who are hopeful about the 2025 Pittsburgh Steelers ending the franchise’s current playoff-win drought at eight seasons, much of that optimism is centered around new components on the team. Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, Jonnu Smith and Kaleb Johnson have been added on offense. Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay, Brandin...
