Mo'ne can keep money and amateur status

THE DIMWITS at the NCAA take a lot of flak, so when they get something right, it's worth mentioning.

In this case it's a ruling that Mo'ne Davis - Philly's most popular ballplayer - will keep her amateur status even though she was paid for her role in a TV commercial.

The 13-year-old Davis appeared in a spot for Chevy - directed by Spike Lee - that aired during Tuesday night's World Series opener. And thanks to a change in NCAA rules she'll still be able to pursue her dream of playing basketball for Geno Auriemma at the University of Connecticut.

"Mo'ne Davis may be paid for appearing in the Chevy commercial without impacting her NCAA eligibility," the NCAA said in a statement. "Since January, NCAA Division I membership gave staff more flexibility to consider unique circumstances when determining eligibility. The NCAA staff's decision was made within this process and based on a combination of considerations. This waiver narrowly extends the rules - which allow Davis to accept the payment and still be eligible in any other sport - to include baseball."

The money Davis earned from the commerical will be placed in a trust fund, according to Lee.

Now if only the NCAA would take a cue from Lee and do the right thing in other areas of college athletics. Like allowing a coach to give a hungry player a few bucks for a sandwich now and then.

The wife of Royals reliever Wade Davis really knows how to tip.

Katelyn Davis was dining with family members Tuesday afternoon at Rock & Brews in Overland Park, a Kansas City suburb, when she left waiter Ryan O'Connor a ticket for the World Series opener.

"I started to walk away when I dropped off their check after they paid, and they said, 'Hold on, I was going to give you a tip, but instead we thought you might want this,' " O'Connor told KMBC-TV in Kansas City. "And they said, 'You're going to sit with us, we're a pretty cool family.' "