Trump calls off Eagles White House visit

Digging deeper into a culture war that he’s repeatedly stoked, President Donald Trump on June 4 called off a visit by the Philadelphia Eagles to the White House Junes 5, citing the dispute over whether NFL players must stand during the playing of the national anthem.

Trump said in a statement 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, 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 United States Marine Band and the United States 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.”

It remains unclear exactly what prompted the change of plans. The White House did not immediately respond to questions about what had sparked the decision and why the circumstances were different from other events honoring winning teams, which some players have boycotted.

MLB

DETROIT SELECTS MIZE NO. 1» The Detroit Tigers selected Auburn right-hander Casey Mize with the No. 1 pick in the Major League Baseball draft Monday night.

The announcement at MLB Network studios marked the second time the Tigers led off the draft, and first since they took Rice pitcher Matt Anderson in 1997.

The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Mize had long been linked to the Tigers, and he pitched his way this season to the top spot on Detroit’s list. Mize went undrafted out of high school three years ago, but developed into a potential big league ace while in college.

NBA

BURKE GETS EXTENSION » Basketball has been part of Doris Burke’s life for as long as she can remember.

And it’s not going away anytime soon.

Burke and ESPN announced Monday they have agreed on a multiyear contract extension, one that will see her retaining her role as a fulltime NBA game analyst as well as a reporter for the conference finals and NBA Finals. She has been with ESPN since 1991, not long after her playing career at Providence ended.

“It is hard to put into words how grateful I am to continue my career with ESPN,” Burke said. “I’ve loved basketball my entire life and to be able to cover this sport is a privilege that I don’t take for granted.” My love for the game, and for my colleagues, both in front of the camera and behindthe-scenes, make this job such a rewarding experience every day.”

NFL

KELLY TO GET JIMMY V AWARD » Buffalo Bills Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly will receive ESPN’s Jimmy V Award for the toughness and perseverance he’s displayed during his ongoing battle with oral cancer.

ESPN officially announced the honor Monday, a few hours after Kelly first revealed the news while attending his charitable foundation’s 32nd golf tournament outside of Buffalo. Kelly will be honored during the network’s ESPY Awards on July 18.

The award is named for late North Carolina State men’s basketball coach Jimmy Valvano, who gave an inspirational speech at the ESPYs in 1993 less than two months before he died of cancer. Valvano most notably led the Wolfpack on an improbable run to win the 1983 NCAA Tournament championship. Kelly had surgery to have cancer removed from his jaw in March after tests revealed a recurrence. The 58-year-old Kelly was initially diagnosed five years ago with skin cancer and had been cancer free since September 2014.