COLLEGE FOOTBALLIn another step toward redefining the amateur status of college athletes, Northwestern has agreed to drop social media restrictions placed on football players after a complaint about the team handbook was filed with the National Labor Relations Board.ESPN first reported the complaint was withdrawn in September after Northwestern agreed to modify its rules. The NLRBs advisory memo states the scholarship football players are assumed to be statutory employees and that certain team rules were unlawful. That could affect players at the other 16 private schools that compete in FBS.A group of former Northwestern players, led by an advocacy group for college athletes, failed last year in its attempt to gain the right to unionize the team from the NLRB, although the door was left open for other changes when the board said the players should be treated as employees. The board has no jurisdiction over public institutions, which include the vast majority of colleges and universities in Division I.DERRICK ROSE LAWSUITLOS ANGELES -- The night after Derrick Rose and two of his friends had sex with his ex-girlfriend, he had a hunch she was going to claim they raped her, the NBA star testified Tuesday.Rose said he became suspicious of the woman when she texted later the same day of the alleged early morning attack in August 2013 to say how inebriated she had been and to describe burns she claimed she got on her hands from a fire pit outside his Beverly Hills house. Rose said he believed she was sober and never witnessed any burns the night before.It looked like a setup, Rose said. It turned out to be what I thought.Rose testified for a second day in the $21.5 million lawsuit that claims he and his friends had sex without the womans consent when she was incapacitated from drinking and, possibly, drugs. The woman claims the three entered her apartment and had sex with her while she was blacked out after drinking tequila at Roses rental house earlier and other booze she had before she got there.PRO HOCKEYNEW YORK -- The NHL is adding a staff of spotters to better help identify players who may have sustained a concussion and have them removed from games for evaluation.In an enhancement of its concussion protocol, the league announced the spotters will monitor all game broadcasts from the NHLs headquarters in New York. The spotters are certified athletic trainers who have hockey experience and educated in identifying signs of potential concussions.They will have the authority to contact teams directly to have players removed during a game. The players will not be allowed to return until being cleared by the teams medical staff.The NHL will also have concussion spotters attending each game.Previously, there had been team-affiliated concussion spotters in each arena and they could recommend to medical staffs but not require players be removed from a game.The new rules were announced a day before the NHL opens the regular season. The policy first went into effect during the World Cup of Hockey tournament last month.BASEBALLATLANTA -- The Atlanta Braves named Brian Snitker manager, rewarding him for reversing the teams direction in his role as interim manager this season.The Braves finished last in the NL East but won 20 of their last 30 games under Snitker, who was named interim manager on May 17 after Fredi Gonzalez was fired. Snitker had a 59-65 record, including 37-35 after the All-Star break.Despite the strong finish under Snitker, the Braves also interviewed former managers Bud Black and Ron Washington.Washington was named the Braves third-base coach and Chuck Hernandez was named pitching coach. Snitkers staff also includes bench coach Terry Pendleton, first base coach Eddie Perez, hitting coach Kevin Seitzer, assistant hitting coach Jose Castro and bullpen coach Marty Reed.Snitker, 61, was not given much long-term security. He was hired only for the 2017 season with a club option for 2018.UNDATED -- Tim Tebow comforted a fan who was having a seizure, praying and talking college football with the man after the former NFL quarterback played his first baseball game in the Arizona Fall League.I just remember just being very disoriented, Brandon Berry told The Associated Press by phone. Then I saw Tim.Berry had the seizure following a game in Glendale, Arizona, held at Camelback Ranch, the spring training home for two major league teams. Tebow stayed with Berry for 15 to 20 minutes until paramedics took him from the stadium, praying for Berry while placing a hand on his leg.The 30-year-old Berry said he was OK at home in nearby Avondale after being released from the hospital.Berry said he doesnt remember much after the seizure, except that he told the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner that he cheered for Georgia -- an SEC rival of Tebows Florida Gators.OLYMPICSROME -- Italy suspended Romes bid for the 2024 Olympics, forced to pull the plug because of the staunch opposition of the citys mayor.Italian Olympic Committee president Giovanni Malago said that he had written to the IOC announcing the decision to interrupt the candidacy.While the letter left open a small possibility for a revival of the bid if there is a change in city government, Malago didnt hold out much hope.The move comes after Romes city council voted last month to withdraw support of the bid on the recommendation of Mayor Virginia Raggi. Nike KD 8 Shoes Clearance . Tracey comes to the Blue Bombers after spending over a decade with Queens University. Most recently he was the schools assistant football coach. Kevin Durant Shoes On Sale" . NBA officials ruled the court unplayable in the Bucks final exhibition game on Oct. 25 because players were slipping, and the game was cancelled midway through the first period. http://www.cheapkdshoesclearance.com/cheap-lebron-james.html . "Thank you for the warm welcome," Beckham said on an 80-degree February morning. In this case, it was soccer weather. The sport moved a step closer to returning to South Florida on Wednesday, when Beckham confirmed he has exercised his option to purchase a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in Miami. Kevin Durant Shoes Cheap Online . Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC failed to make the postseason while Montreal Impact fell at the first hurdle losing heavily to Houston Dynamo in the Eastern Conference Knockout Round. Kyrie Irving Shoes Clearance CLEVELAND -- Hue Jackson has run out of pep talks. At this point, theres only so much he can do to stop this dismal season from an even deeper descent.The Browns record is one thing.Jackson cant lose his locker room, too.As his team recovered from a 24-9 pasting from Pittsburgh, a loss that dropped Cleveland to 0-11 in 2016 and below .500 overall for the first time in 66 years, the Browns coach said its vital over the next five games for his frustrated players to keep fighting -- together.I understand how people feel about us right now, Jackson said Monday.This team is going to continue to work hard. We are going to continue to stick together because we know that is the only way success will come. We have to continue to have each others backs.The Browns are hoping to avoid dubious history. Three NFL teams previously went 0-11 before winning a game -- the 1975 Chargers, 1984 Bills, 2000 Chargers -- while seven had even worse starts.It cant get much worse for the Browns than Sunday, when the Steelers overpowered them, recording eight sacks, taking rookie quarterback Cody Kessler out with a concussion -- his second head injury in 28 days -- and dominating both lines from the outset.Kessler will miss Sundays game against the surging New York Giants (7-3) and its possible the third-round pick is done for the season.Josh McCown, who was sacked four times and absorbed a few more crushing hits when he came in for Kessler in the fourth quarter, will make his third start this season.The 37-year-old McCown has endured difficult seasons before, but those havent softened the impact this one is having.It is a tough, tough time for us, he said. Especially for guys who have been in the league for a little while and in our locker room, it is frustrating.But at the end of the day, we are going to continue to reload, come back to work and fight hard to make it right and get it going. We owe it to the rest of the guys in the locker room, the coaches, the people in the organization and the city to get this thing turned around.Some of the frustration is beginning to boil over.Following Clevelands 21st loss in 22 games, Browns wide receiver Terrelle Pryor, one of the lone bright spots in an otherwise depressing season, vented his feeling by calling out some offensive teammates for not doing a better job of proteecting the Browns quarterbacks.ddddddddddddryor didnt name names, but there was no hiding his anger. And unlike Pro Bowl tackle Joe Thomas, he didnt lay blame on Clevelands front office for gutting the clubs roster during the offseason to build for the future.Pryor spoke from his heart, which seems fractured.They cant keep getting hit like that, and if I want to voice my opinion, Im going to voice my opinion now, because its going on too much, he said. I dont care if youve got to hold these dudes. Hold them and take the damn penalty and stop getting our quarterbacks hit. I hate that.While Jackson appreciated Pryors passion, he didnt like his message.That is not Terrelles job, Jackson said. I know he is frustrated and we all are. No doubt, we need to protect our quarterback, but that is not for him to say.Lets focus on ourselves and support each other. That is what good teams do, and that is what we are going to work to become.Jackson spoke with Pryor, who caught five passes for 97 yards, another performance that will only help his bargaining power in getting a contract extension from the Browns.Sometimes, like most people, after the game and after the heat of the moment, you are a little frustrated and maybe you say some things that you wish you hadnt, Jackson said.I understand it is coming from a good place. I know that no one wants to see our quarterback getting hit, but I think everybody has to let me be the judge of that.As for Jackson, it appears he hasnt lost the confidence of his players, who remain supportive despite a season testing everyones patience and stomachs.We stand 100 percent behind him, linebacker Christian Kirksey said.Jackson is weathering the storm the only way he knows -- head on. He wasnt prepared to lose on this scale, but hes determined to not let the losing slow him down.I know what I signed up for, he said. I truly believe I am just the man for the job. That has not shown, and I respect that and I understand how our fans and all feel, but I am not running from this. I am going to run through it. We are going to fix this. That is what I came here to do.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL . ' ' '