First Call: Tyrann Mathieu claps back at Le'Veon Bell; Tyler Glasnow injured; Marc-Andre Fleury outduels Carey Price

Former Pittsburgh Steeler Le’Veon Bell is now getting heat from ex-teammates in Kansas City after ripping Chiefs coach Andy Reid.

Super Bowl winner Chris Godwin looks back on how his Penn State days aided his career. Marc-Andre Fleury claims Game 1 in his goalie duel against Carey Price. Tyler Glasnow suffers a worrisome injury. And at least one former Robert Morris hockey player isn’t giving up hope of resurrecting the programs just yet.

All that in Tuesday’s “First Call.”

Mad Mathieu

Le’Veon Bell recently popped off about his ex-coach in Kansas City, Andy Reid.

The former Steelers running back said he’d never play for Reid again and expressed a personal dislike for him.

A dislike he has yet to specify, but one he insists is real and legitimate. Though some of Bell’s former teammates with the Chiefs aren’t buying.

Just ask safety Tyrann Mathieu.

These fellas will blame everybody for their lack of success. That’s how I know I’m built different

— Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era) June 13, 2021

Well, they call him the Honey Badger for a reason. Even if it’s on social media.

This isn’t the first time that Bell has gone “scorched earth” after leaving a team. Bell was still ripping the New York Jets play-calling as recently as last month. And, of course, he had some lousy things to say about Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers and Pittsburgh fans on the way out the door in 2019 as well.

So maybe Mathieu is on to something.

Tampa takeover

Penn State product Chris Godwin was a guest author for Peter King’s “Football Morning in America” column this week.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver spent some time talking about what his recruitment to State College and his time in Happy Valley meant to his career.

“At the time, being from a small state (Delaware), it was a dream to play in college and then to make the NFL,” Godwin wrote. “But before that offer, I didn’t really know. Getting that offer, for me, was the moment it went from something I wanted to, This is Plan A, this is the only plan. Let’s go for this.

“Going to Penn State helped me get better. I’m the type of guy who looked to see what the best players did, and I took mental notes, and I tried to do what they did, or more. I was watching the NFL every week, measuring myself. Then, as I was making more and more plays in my sophomore year and started to really ascend on my team where I became the number one option, I’m just like, this could really happen. I finished with 1,101 yards that year. I thought that was kind of a building block to get me noticed at the next level. After my junior year, I declared for the 2017 draft. I thought I was ready.”

Turns out he was right. Godwin had 1,333 yards and nine touchdowns en route to a Pro Bowl season in 2019. Then he had 840 yards and seven more scores during the Bucs 2020 Super Bowl season, despite suffering an injury that resulted in missing four games.

Oh, no, Glasnow

Speaking of Tampa Bay, Rays starter Tyler Glasnow left Monday’s game against the Chicago White Sox after four innings with right elbow inflammation.

The former Pirate allowed two runs on three hits and was removed with Tampa Bay leading 3-2 in a matchup of teams that entered with the two best records in the majors. Glasnow walked one and struck out six, throwing 40 of 53 pitches for strikes.

Tampa won 5-2, in part because of a homer from another former Pirate, Austin Meadows.

That baby is out of here!! ? @RaysBaseball take an early 2-0 lead after an Austin Meadows homer!#RaysUp 2-0 pic.twitter.com/WbpUxjF0a3

— Bally Sports Sun: Rays (@BallyRays) June 15, 2021

That was Meadows’ 15th homer of the season.

Fine Flower

Former Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury guided his new team to a Game 1 victory in the NHL semifinals Monday night.

The Vegas Golden Knights outlasted the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 in the first contest of a best-of-seven series. Fleury stopped 28 of 29 shots en route to his 90th postseason victory.

Montreal’s Carey Price had a few spectacular saves along the way in the other net.

Sacré Carey.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/2jBZ7zc3Mt

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) June 15, 2021

But it wasn’t enough as the Knights grabbed a 1-0 series lead. Vegas got three goals from defensemen Monday — Nick Holden, Alec Martinez and Shea Theodore.

Holding out hope

Monday’s “Breakfast With Benz” posts included a feature about potential teams that could fill the void of DI hockey if the Robert Morris programs eventually fold.

It’s been almost a month since the university announced the elimination of the programs without warning. And based on what we published yesterday, neither Pitt nor Duquesne nor Chatham seems to be on the verge of elevating their programs to that level.

But at least one RMU alum isn’t giving up the ship yet when it comes to keeping the Colonials alive. Class of 2016 Colonial David Friedmann made a bold prediction.

RMU Hockey programs will be saved

— David Friedmann (@Friedsy) June 14, 2021

That’s certainly the preferred option. The Colonials men’s and women’s programs became established quickly when they joined the DI level in 2004 and 2005, respectively. A best-case scenario would be to have the Colonials stick around and continue to advance their programs at the college level.

But any efforts to keep the Colonials solvent need to get going quickly because recruits are already defecting and current players are already transferring. To date, the RMU administration has illustrated zero interest in finding a way to keep the sport intact.

Part of the university’s strategy of cutting the program at the time that it did was to make it difficult to even have a healthy program remaining to save if efforts went in that direction.

So if there’s a bailout to be had, Colonials alumni and fans need to find it quickly to maintain a pulse for a roster for 2021-22.