KATE SMITH’S STATUE REMOVED BY FLYERS
PHILADELPHIA» The Philadelphia Flyers removed a statue of late singer Kate Smith outside NHL team’s arena Sunday, two days after covering it amid allegations of racism against the 1930s star with a popular recording of “God Bless America.”
“The NHL principle ‘Hockey is for Everyone’ is at the heart of everything the Flyers stand for,” Flyers president Paul Holmgren said in a statement. “As a result, we cannot stand idle while material from another era gets in the way of who we are today.”
On Friday, the Flyers said Smith’s “God Bless America” recording had been removed from their library, following baseball’s New York Yankees.
The Yankees suspended use of Smith’s recording during the seventh-inning stretch amid conflicting claims about several of her songs, including a 1939 song “That’s Why the Darkies Were Born.” The tune originated in the 1931 Broadway revue “George White’s Scandals,” and was considered satire at the time. Smith’s likeness also appears in a 1939 ad that heavily uses the mammy caricature, one of the most wellknown racist depictions of black women.
Smith’s connection with the Flyers started in 1969 when a team executive ordered her version of “God Bless America” to be played instead of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” That led to her performing the song several times before games in the 1970s. A year after her 1986 death, the team erected the statue.
Monarch’s Manson No. 1 in U.S.
LONGMONT» Max Manson of Monarch High School cleared 17 feet, 3 inches in the pole vault Saturday at the Boulder County Championships at Everly-Montgomery Field. That is the top outdoor leap in the nation this year among high school athletes.
The only other high school athlete to reach 17 feet this season is Jacob Herrscher of Greenhill School in suburban Dallas. His best leap is 3 inches shorter than Manson’s.
Fognini wins Monte Carlo Masters.
MONACO» Fabio Fognini won the biggest title of his career after beating Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 6-4 in the Monte Carlo Masters final.
The 13th-seeded Italian’s first title of the year was his ninth overall but first at Masters level.
It came the day after he stunned defending champion Rafael Nadal in straight sets, becoming the first player to beat Nadal here since Novak Djokovic in the 2015 semifinals.
After going out in the third round of the Australian Open, Fognini had won only one match and lost six times before this tournament.
McCarron wins Champions event.
Scott McCarron completed a wire-to-wire victory in the Mitsubishi Electric Classic for his third victory at TPC Sugarloaf.
The winner of the PGA Tour defunct BellSouth Classic at the course in 1997 and 2001, McCarron closed with a 1-under-par 72 for a two-stroke victory over Jerry Kelly, Joe Durant, Kirk Triplett and Kent Jones in the PGA Tour Champions event.
The 53-year-old McCarron finished at 7-under 209 for his ninth victory on the 50-and-over tour. He won three times on the PGA Tour.
Oshie out for rest of NHL playoffs.
VA.» Washington Capitals ARLINGTON, winger T.J. Oshie is expected to miss the rest of the playoffs after undergoing surgery to repair a broken right clavicle.
The team announced Oshie’s surgery Sunday. Coach Todd Reirden had already called Oshie out indefinitely.
Oshie was injured late in Game 4 at the Carolina Hurricanes on a hit from behind from Warren Foegele. Oshie went right shoulder-first into the boards, and Foegele was given a twominute minor penalty for boarding.
The 32-year-old had 21 points in 24 games during Washington’s run to the Stanley Cup last year.