Sports briefs for January 4, 2005

Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2005 | 10:36 a.m.

Louisville's Petrino trying to mend fences

University of Louisville football coach Bobby Petrino apologized Monday for the weeklong uproar he caused by interviewing with Louisiana State University just days after agreeing to a new Louisville contract, but he insisted that he followed proper procedures in his communication with LSU.

Petrino said watching Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich's response to the events in a Sunday news conference had been difficult for him and acknowledged that his biggest concern now is rebuilding his relationship with Jurich and Cardinal fans.

"Obviously, if I had things to do over again, I wouldn't have done it that way," Petrino said. "... I think I have to do some repair work, there's no question about it. Because of the timing of the situation, obviously, I was wrong."

Petrino spoke one day after Jurich called a news conference to say that Louisville would honor its contract with Petrino, but Jurich was clear in his disappointment and left questions about Petrino's commitment to the university up to the coach to answer.

Petrino said that watching Jurich speak on Sunday "was hard on me a little bit, to be honest with you. There was a question of whether I was going to have a job here ... so to hear some of that was difficult on me."

He said mending that rift will be his most important challenge.

"I think that's my biggest concern, to get my relationship with Tom back to where it was," Petrino said.

Former head coaches David Cutliffe, Bill Lewis and Rick Minter were introduced as assistants on new coach Charlie Weis' staff at Notre Dame.

California quarterback Aaron Rodgers said he would skip his senior season and enter April's NFL draft.

Les Miles, who was 28-21 in four seasons at Oklahoma State, was introduced as the new Louisiana State coach.

U.S. opens on top

James Blake won three consecutive points in a second-set tiebreaker today to beat Peter Wessels of the Netherlands 6-1, 7-6 (4) and clinch a 2-0 victory for the United States in its opening-round match in the Hopman Cup tournament at Perth, Australia. Meghann Shaughnessy, a late addition to the U.S. team in place of injured Lindsay Davenport, got the other U.S. win, 7-5, 6-4 against Michaella Krajicek.

Roger Federer got his 2005 season started with a 6-1, 6-1 victory against David Ferrer in the Qatar Open at Doha.

Cavaliers: $375 million

Dan Gilbert completed his acquisition of the Cleveland Cavaliers franchise. The price was $375 million and the purchase must be approved by at least 23 of the National Basketball Association's 30 teams.

St. John's University officials announced that the Red Storm will not partipate in the Big East postseason tournamnent because of self-imposed penalties on the men's basketball program.

Famed scout dies

Rex Bowen, the scout who signed Maury Wills, Bill Mazeroski and Dick Groat, died at age 93 in New Smyra Beach, Fla. Baseball America chose Bowen as one of the top 10 scouts of the 20th century.

Champion coach out

Three-time NCAA champion T.J. Jaworsky was fired as Davidson's coach a day after being arrested in Charlotte, N.C., on charges of cocaine possession.