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Tuesday’s “First Call” has an offseason star not on the radar for the Pittsburgh Steelers. We have odds for the boxing match between Le’Veon Bell and Adrian Peterson.
A Penguins assistant loses in a head coaching gig.
And we tell you about a gigantic gambling payout thanks to the Colorado Avalanche winning the Stanley Cup.
Set up your dukes
Former Steeler Le’Veon Bell has signed to box his former NFL running back Adrian Peterson.
According to ESPN Ringside’s Mike Coppinger, there will be a heavyweight boxing exhibition on July 30th at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Adrian Peterson and Le’Veon Bell have signed deals for a heavyweight boxing exhibition on July 30 at the https://t.co/jQOG7qPgUR Arena in Los Angeles, according to sources @MikeCoppinger. pic.twitter.com/8NuDo6KF1y
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) June 27, 2022
Both men are free agents. Peterson is 37 years old, 6-foot-1, 220 pounds; Bell is 30, 6-foot-1, 225 pounds.
Neither player has boxed professionally and this fight does not count as a professional debut.
Former NBA player Nick Young is also on the undercard. He will fight rapper Blueface.
BetOnline.ag already has odds on the game. Bell is the early favorite at minus 180 (5/9). Peterson is the underdog at +140 (7/5).
Let’s see if the fight actually happens or if Bell asks for more money at the last minute.
Costly gain
Speaking of cashing in on the gambling window, how about this nugget from Yahoo’s Sam Cooper?
He published a story about a bettor who turned a $500 free promo bet into $269,000.
According to Cooper, a player used an endorsement deal from MGM for a three-team combination in December. He made the Colorado Avalanche win the Stanley Cup, the Los Angeles Rams win the Super Bowl, and the Golden State Warriors win the NBA title.
Back then, the Rams paid out at +1000 to win the Super Bowl, Golden State was at +600 to win the NBA title. And the Avalanche were at +600 to win the cup. The odds on this combo were +53800, resulting in a payout of $269,000 after Colorado won the cup final with a 2-1 win in Game 6 on Sunday.
Not a bad return on a free promo bet, right?
Hey, hey, heyward
ESPN.com compiled a list of “surprising offseason standouts for all 32 NFL teams.”
ESPN Steelers reporter Brooke Pryor nominated rookie H-Back/Tight End Connor Heyward.
“It’s hard being really under the radar as Cam Heyward’s younger brother.” Pryor wrote. “But rookie Heyward impressed in offseason practice, showing chemistry with first-round quarterback Kenny Pickett in a nice hook during a two-minute practice at minicamp. Sixth-round pick Heyward appears to play a hybrid tight end/fullback role on an offense that values versatility in its skilled players. Having worked primarily with tight ends and receivers, Heyward likely won’t be competing with Derek Watt for the fullback roster spot, making it likely that both will find roles on the 2022 team.”
I didn’t pick up as much Blitz from Heyward as Pryor did in spring practice. Although if I had to pick a guy I would actually pick someone from the position group she had. Zach Gentry looked really muscular to me (in a good way, if Najee Harris is reading along) and seemed poised to be a better version of the second tight end than he was for much of the past year, when Eric Ebron was injured.
Hang around
Penguins assistant coach Todd Reirden isn’t leaving town just yet.
The Chicago Tribune reports Reirden was one of four candidates for the position with the Chicago Blackhawks. But Reirden didn’t get the gig.
Luke Richardson did it instead. He was an assistant with the Montreal Canadiens for the past four seasons. Richardson replaces Derek King, who was hired as the Hawks’ interim head coach after Jeremy Colliton was fired in November.
King and Canucks assistant coach Brad Shaw were the other two candidates for the job.
Richardson was also an assistant coach for the Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders before going to Montreal. He served one game as head coach for the Canadians during the 2020-21 Stanley Cup Finals when Dominique Ducharme was sidelined due to Covid-19 protocols.
Pair of ex-pirates
Former pirates Tyler Anderson and Chad Kuhl closed horns on the hill Monday night in Denver.
Kuhl was the starting pitcher for the Homesteading Colorado Rockies. Anderson went into the game 8-0 for the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. But it was Kuhl who shone on Monday.
He threw a three-hit, complete game shutout as the Rockies won 4-0.
Kuhl is now 5-5 with a 3.49 ERA. Anderson, who gave up four earned runs and 10 hits, falls to 8-1 with a 3.23 ERA.
Tim Benz is a contributor to the Tribune Review. You can contact Tim at [email protected] or via Twitter. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless otherwise noted.
