PRO FOOTBALL
WASHINGTON (AP) Digging deeper into a culture war that he’s
repeatedly stoked, President Donald Trump called off a visit to the
White House by the Philadelphia Eagles, citing the dispute over
whether NFL players protesting racial injustice must stand during
the playing of the national anthem.
Trump said in a statement Monday that some members of the Super
Bowl championship team ”disagree with their President because he
insists that they proudly stand for the National Anthem, hand on
heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the
people of our country.”
He said the team wanted to send a smaller delegation Tuesday, but
”the 1,000 fans planning to attend the event deserve better.”
Instead, Trump said he would be hosting ”a different type of
ceremony,” featuring the U.S. Marine Band and the U.S. Army
Chorus, that ”will honor our great country, pay tribute to the
heroes who fight to protect it, and loudly and proudly play the
National Anthem.”
None of the Eagles took a knee during the anthem in 2017.
One of the people set to attend the ceremony told The Associated
Press less than half of the team’s 53-man roster planned to go. The
person spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature
of the decision.
PRO HOCKEY
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Washington Capitals are one win away from the
first Stanley Cup in franchise history after a 6-2 blowout of the
Vegas Golden Knights in Game 4 gave them a commanding 3-1 series
lead.
Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals will get their first chance to hoist
the Cup in Game 5 on Thursday night in Las Vegas. No team since the
Detroit Red Wings in 1942 has blown a 3-1 lead in the Cup Final.
Evgeny Kuznetsov dished out four assists, T.J. Oshie, Tom Wilson,
Devante Smith-Pelly, John Carlson, Michal Kempny and Brett Connolly
scored and Braden Holtby stopped 28 of the 30 shots he faced.
The desperate Golden Knights outchanced the Capitals by a wide
margin but fell apart after James Neal clanked a shot off the post
instead of hitting a wide-open net early in the first period. The
expansion team’s Cinderella run is in danger of coming to a quick
end.
Marc-Andre Fleury allowed six goals on 23 shots, and by the time
Neal and Reilly Smith scored in the third period, it was too late.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Kyler Murray says he is committed to playing football for Oklahoma
this season even after becoming a top-10 pick in the Major League
Baseball draft.
Murray, the favorite to replace Heisman Trophy winner Baker
Mayfield as the Sooners’ starting quarterback, was selected ninth
overall by the Oakland Athletics on Monday night, putting him in
position for a signing bonus of about $4.8 million to play baseball.
The speedy Murray has been a major league prospect since high
school. He played outfield for the Sooners and hit .296 with 10
homers, 13 doubles and three triples in 189 at-bats this season.
Still, his selection so early in the first round was a surprise,
and it could mean a change in career paths for the former five-star
football recruit.
The slot value for the No. 9 pick is $4,761,500. If the A’s don’t
sign him, they would lose that amount from their available bonus
pool of $9,553,200 this year but would get the No. 8 pick as
compensation next year. The deadline for Murray to sign is July 6.
SOCCER
ZURICH (AP) – FIFA can afford to have Morocco host the 2026 World
Cup, according to President Gianni Infantino, even if the rival
North American bid promises billions of dollars more in revenue.
Ahead of next week’s vote by FIFA member federations in Moscow,
Infantino said: ”FIFA can afford whatever the congress decides.”
”We have to live with that and to make the best of any decision
which is taken,” said the FIFA leader, who Moroccan bid leaders
have publicly suspected of favoring the joint United
States-Canada-Mexico bid.
In a FIFA panel’s evaluation of the candidates, the North American
bid got the only maximum mark for its tickets and corporate
hospitality sales plan.
A difference in projected ticket sales of $1.3 billion between the
two bids helped lead the report to note ”significantly higher”
forecast revenue of $14.3 billion from North Americans and $7.2
billion from Morocco.
TENNIS
PARIS (AP) – Serena Williams called off her Grand Slam comeback,
pulling out of the French Open because of a chest injury before she
was supposed to play Maria Sharapova.
Williams announced her withdrawal at a news conference at Roland
Garros on Monday.
Williams’ voice quivered as she said she can’t serve because of a
problem with her tight pectoral muscle.
She and Sharapova were scheduled to play a fourth-round match
Monday.
