Pederson, Payton Playing for More than Pride

Photo: Jeff Bayer

(South Lake Tahoe, NV) - Doug Pederson got the best of Sean Payton when the two NFL coaches made a friendly wager on the golf course at the NFL Meetings in March.  Now Payton wants to get even. Win or lose, it will be for a good cause.

Pederson, who led the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl championship in February, and Payton, the New Orleans Saints coach, are competing in the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, Nev., this week.

Prior to Thursday’s celeb-am round at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, the two met at the practice green, hugged and shared some laughs. Then they announced that the one who loses between the two of them will make donations to team-affiliated autism charities in both cities.  They will compare scores after three days of competition in the 29th annual competition airing live on NBC this weekend.

The benefitting charities are the Eagles Autism Challenge in Philadelphia (www.eaglesautismchallenge.org) and KultureCity in New Orleans (www.kulturecity.org).

“Pederson and Payton are going to play for Autism,” Payton said.

Payton’s loss in March means that the Eagles will get to wear their midnight green home jerseys when the teams meet in New Orleans on Nov. 18.

Asked if there was anything else on the line this week, Payton said, “We’ve got to figure that out.
“That’s not for your information,” he added with a chuckle. “But there is pride on the line.”

This weekend, Payton is listed at 50-1 at the legal Nevada sportsbooks, while Pederson is 100-1 to win the tournament.

Eagles Autism Challenge: “The Eagles Autism Challenge is dedicated to raising funds for innovative research and programs to help unlock the mystery of autism. By providing the necessary resources to doctors and scientists at leading institutions, we will be able to assist those currently affected by autism as well as future generations. Our event aims to inspire and engage the community, so together we can provide much needed support to make a lasting impact in the field of autism.”

KultureCity: “KultureCity owes its birthright not to any one person, or any few, but to the many thousands of people who make up the KultureCity family – families who have worked tirelessly for acceptance and a better future for their children with autism, families who have fought school systems for their children to be educated, doctors for their children to be treated, establishments for their children to be attended to. These families are the backbone of KultureCity.”