Tim Benz: Jake Guentzel, RMU announcement provide 'pure sports' jolt - TribLIVE

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Guess what I’m doing today.

I’m going to a press conference! Woo-hoo!

What do I wear? A coat and tie? A tux?!

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Tim, what’s the big deal? You do this for a living. How many thousands of press conferences have you gone to over the years?”

Well, since March 10 … none.

Nothing. Nowhere to go. Nothing to cover. No one to interview. Except over email. Or Zoom. Or telephone.

That’s it. Because of the coronavirus shutdown.

So, honestly, I’ve missed it.

The last one I attended? The postgame presser after Robert Morris’ basketball team won the NEC title game.

I guess it all comes full circle. Because the next one I’m going to get to attend is in the same building — the UPMC Events Center in Moon Township. On Monday, the Colonials are likely announcing a move to the Horizon League for basketball. And, presumably, the Big South for football.

That’s huge news for the school. It’s a good Pittsburgh sports nugget, too. But not exactly the biggest news story I’ve ever covered.

It’ll feel that way Monday, though. A rare return to regularity. A rare return to normalcy. The way things used to be. Pre-covid.

There’s news. There’re people to interview. Questions to be asked. Answers to be given. Human interaction (gasp) to be had.

With masks on still. That’ll look weird. But I can deal with it.

I’m a little … nervous? These are guys in the Pittsburgh press I’ve known for 20 years. Been working around them forever. Now it feels odd seeing them again.

But I can’t wait. First day of junior high school kinda jitters. I’ve got my Trapper-Keeper folders lined up and ready to go.

I felt the same thing last week when I saw Penguins forward Jake Guentzel skating. It was his first official time on the ice since his December 30th injury.

We all knew it was coming. We all saw the projections back when Guentzel initially got injured. He could be back in June. If the Penguins got all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.

Well, it’s June. And there is no Cup Final.

And there won’t be for a few more months. At best.

But — for once — for the first time since the covid-19 shut-in, that felt like a true, literal hockey event.

I guess the NFL Draft and free agency were similar. That was pure sports, too. No talk of pandemics, or hot zones, or death rates, or contagion charts.

No talk of protest or politics.

But it was different. Roger Goodell in his basement. Dave Gettleman having to wear a mask in his den by himself. Bill Belichick’s dog selecting a safety from Lenoir-Rhyne.

Even as “sportsy” as an event as the NFL Draft was, the covid-19 aura hung over it.

But Guentzel coming back in this quasi-training camp situation has the tone of a plain old sports story.

I say that in the best way possible.

How healthy is he? What line will he play on? If he plays with Sidney Crosby, will it be with Jason Zucker, too? Or does Conor Sheary stay on as the third cog?

You know. Sports stuff. It doesn’t matter if we are still up to six weeks from seeing those decisions come into play. Or four months from seeing RMU play in the Horizon League.

These are sports stories pure and simple. Not actual games.

Yet.

But I’ll gobble them up with joy. I’m guessing most of you will, too.

Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via Twitter. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.

Categories: Penguins/NHL | Robert Morris | Sports | Breakfast With Benz