New York Post, Tuesday, August 13, 2019nypost.com33SPORTS SHORTS
HOOPS: NCAA walks back ‘Rich Paul Rule’
The NCAA has backtracked on new certification stan-
dards and will no longer require a bachelor’s degree for a
sports agent to represent Division I men’s basketball play-
ers who declare for the NBA draft while maintaining col-
lege eligibility.
The requirement drew criticism last week when the cer-
tification standards were revealed, including a social me-
dia blast by NBA star LeBron James. The requirement
was quickly dubbed the “Rich Paul Rule” in reference to
James’ agent, who does not have a college degree.
The NCAA announced Monday it would amend the
standards so bachelor’s degrees would not be required for
agents currently certified and in good standing with the
NBA players union.
The amended policy still requires the agent to be certi-
fied by the NBPA for at least three consecutive years, as
well as taking an in-person examination, going through a
background check and paying required fees.
Kyle Lowry of the NBA champion Raptors says his
surgically repaired thumb has not recovered sufficiently
enough to allow him to participate with USA Basketball in
camp for the FIBA World Cup, and is withdrawing from
consideration for the team.
MLB: Santana’s clutch HR lifts Tribe into firstCarlos Santana homered leading off the ninth inning to
send the Indians to a 6-5 win in Cleveland over the fast-
fading Red Sox and back into first-place in the AL Central.
After the Red Sox tied it in the top of the inning, Santana
connected on a 2-2 pitch from Marcus Walden, barely
driving it over the wall in left to give the Indians their big-
gest win this season. The Indians moved past the idle
Twins and are alone in first for the first time since April 19.
In Washington, Trea Turner and Matt Adams hom-
ered, Erick Fedde pitched well after allowing a solo shot
on the game’s first pitch and the depleted Nationals held
on to edge the Reds 7-6.ETC.: Report: Running backs want own union
A petition reportedly has been filed with the National
Labor Relations Board seeking to create a separate union
for NFL running backs.
According to the website Law360, the petition was filed
Thursday by the International Brotherhood of Profes-
sional Running Backs and focuses on the shorter careers
for players at the position.
“These employees have unique career structures; and
the current one-size fits all unit is inappropriate,” the pe-
tition says of players’ representation by the NFL Players
Association. “Excluded: All other player groups,” it said.
Francis Jacobs is the youngest male player ever to sign a
pro soccer contract in the U.S., according to USL Champion-
ship club Orange County SC. Jacobs, of Laguna Beach, Calif.,
was 14 years, four months and 29 days old when he signed his
deal in July, a month younger than Freddy Adu was when he
signed with DC United of the MLS in November 2003.By BRIAN COSTELLOJets great Joe Namath
saw the 2019 version of
the team up close on
Monday, watching prac-
tice and spending some
time in the quarterbacks
room with Sam Darnold.
Namath said his expec-
tations for Darnold are
high, but the quarterback
can’t win by himself.
“Win a championship,”
Namath said of those ex-
pectations. “Now expec-
tations and hopes are
two different things. I
hope we can win a cham-
pionship, but I don’t
know that kind of talent
is here right now. It re-
mains to be seen.”
The Jets are not quite
ready to contend for a ti-
tle yet, but Namath be-
lieves in the second-year
quarterback. Darnold is
the latest quarterback to
try to fill the Hall of
Famer’s giant shoes.
“I like his demeanor,”
Namath said. “We didn’t
go out to dinner or any-
thing, but the few times
that I’ve been in his pres-
ence and talked with him
he gives you a good vibe,
a good feeling. He’s re-
spectfully humble. Physi-
cally, he can play as well
as anybody. He just needs
to keep polishing himself
and the team needs to
polish up.”
Namath pointed to Ar-
chie Manning as an ex-
ample of a great quarter-
back who did not win
very much with the
Saints because of the
poor team that sur-
rounded him.
“I know it’s a team
game, and I’ve often said
this: The best quarter-
back I’ve seen who
would probably be the
first Manning into the
Hall of Fame was Archie,
but he never had a team,”
Namath said. “He was
with the New Orleans
Aints. It is a team game.
“Sam’s got to have the
help on both sides of the
ball. He can play.’’
Both Gase and general
manager Joe Douglas
spent time with Namath
during practice.
“That was awesome,”
Gase said. “I met him last
year when I was at Miami
and we were down there
and played that game. I
got to meet him there and
just getting to be around
him today and talking
through what we were
doing on the practice
field. Him hearing how
we’re calling in the plays,
I don’t think he had that
technology. But it was
cool, like my kids getting
to meet him. I don’t know
how my 5-year-old even
knows who he is but
somehow he does. So
that was cool today.”➤The Jets signed Tay -
lor Bertolet as their new
kicker Sunday after the
surprise retirement of
Chandler Catanzaro.
Could they add another
kicker to compete with
him?
“I think right now
we’re going to stay with
what we’re at right now
and we’ll keep talking
with Joe and his crew up-
stairs and just kind of see
how it goes,” Gase said.
“Just go through this
game, see what happens,
see how it goes. I like the
way that we’re operating
right now, we’ll see how
it carries over to Thurs-
day [against the Fal-
cons].”
— Additional reporting
by Mark CannizzaroJETS NOTES
Helmet in hand, AB set to return
By JOSH DUBOWALAMEDA, Calif. — Raid-
ers receiver Antonio Brown
lost his grievance with the
NFL on Monday over his use
of an old helmet that is no
longer certified as safe to use
for practice or play.
The arbitrator issued the
ruling after holding a hearing
Friday with Brown, represen-
tatives from the league and
the players’ union.
“While I disagree with the
arbitrator’s decision, I’m
working on getting back to
full health and looking for-
ward to rejoining my team-
mates on the field,” Brown
said in a statement on Twit-ter. “I’m excited about this
season appreciate all the
concerns about my feet.”
Brown has not participated
in a full practice for the Raid-
ers after starting training
camp on the non-football in-
jury list with injuries to his
feet that reportedly came
from frostbite suffered while
getting cryotherapy treat-
ment in France. Brown was
cleared to practice July 28
and participated in part of
two sessions but wasn’t
around the team last week
when he had the grievance
hearing with the NFL over
his helmet.
NFL spokesman Brian
McCarthy earlier in the dayreiterated the league’s stance
that Brown wouldn’t be al-
lowed to practice or play
without a certified helmet.
Brown was one of 32 play-
ers using helmets last season
that are now banned by the
league and players’ associa-
tion. Those players, includ-
ing Tom Brady, were able to
use the helmets last season
under a grace period butwere required to make the
change in 2019.
“I’ve been experimenting
with a couple different ones,
and I don’t really love the
one that I’m in, but I don’t re-
ally have much of a choice,”
the Patriots quarterback told
WEEI on Monday morning.
“So I’m just trying to do the
best I can to work with it.”
— APNamath: Sam
won’t be able
to win on own
JOE NAMATH
Has high expectations
for QB Sam Darnold.To advertise in NYPTravel call 212-930-8100
AdvertiseYour
Getaway
Destination
in the
PENNSYLVANIAPhilly Boutique HotelGreat downtown loc., designer rm
Incl.brkfst buffet, fitness center,
e-mail access, 8 movie channels great art-
work, friendly staff. $125/nt.
ALEXANDER INN, Spruce at 12th St
Free 877-ALEXINN 215-923-3535
http://www.alexanderinn.comPENNSYLVANIA
PHONE SERVICESSolution toVery Easy #4,812 Solution to Difficult #4,602134678295
765923184
982514367
259386741
478291653
613745928
547169832
326857419
891432576724538619
389461752
615792834
293687145
157324968
468915327
942176583
836259471
571843296Puzzles on Page 28