SPORTS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2014 Petrino says he’s changed; yeah, right NEW YORK: Bobby Petrino insists he’s a changed ing ice cubes in Alaska. “He is definitely a changed by Louisville the first time, two days before Just hours after assuring Atlanta owner Arthur man. Not the scoundrel who secretly interviewed person.” Puh-lease! Christmas 2002. “There were a number of open- Blank he has no plans to leave, Petrino submits his for someone else’s coaching job without telling his After Charlie Strong took the Texas job, the only ings this year and a number of phone calls that resignation, hops on a plane to Fayetteville and is bosses, who abandoned the Atlanta Falcons with thing that mattered to the Cardinals was finding came in. This is the only one I wanted.” hollering “Wooo Pig Sooie!” before the night is out. three games left in the season, who wrecked his someone to keep the victories coming. That’s why Less than a year later, he slips off to a clandes- Blank feels “betrayed,” and the players are even motorcycle with his mistress aboard and lied they brought back Petrino, who was 41-9 when he tine airport meeting with Auburn officials, neither more bitter when they arrive the next day to find a about the sordid affair as long as he could. We’re coached Louisville from 2003-06, including a trip side giving Jurich the courtesy of a phone call or form letter at their lockers, signed by Petrino. It supposed to believe he’s not that guy to the Orange Bowl. There was no need subjecting apparently fazed that the Tigers still have a coach, starts “Out of my respect for you” - utterly laugh- anymore.Yeah, right. us to all the familiar gibberish about Petrino find- Tommy Tuberville. Petrino apologizes and stays able - and ends with “while my desire would have In the latest sign that college athletics spews a ing his way to a better place as person. That with the Cardinals. been to finish out what has been a difficult season lot of high-minded malarkey but is never about doesn’t matter in the least, even if it’s true. * After interviewing for other jobs during each for us all, circumstances did not allow me to do so.” anything more than wins and losses, Louisville re- “I made mistakes, both professionally and per- of his first three years at Louisville, Petrino signs a “I feel like I’ve been sleeping with the enemy,” introduced Petrino as its head coach this week - sonally, and that’s something I’m not going to do 10-year contract worth at least $25.5 million in the safety Lawyer Milloy says. Then, in April 2012, pairing him with another member of the Morally again,” Petrino said. “The first mistake was leaving summer of 2006, a deal he says is designed to Petrino shows up with four broken ribs and wear- Bankrupt Hall of Fame, men’s basketball coach Louisville, and I’m hoping that the fans and every- send a message. ing a neck brace after a motorcycle crash. “When I Rick Pitino. You remember, the one who had inti- body will forgive me.” No problem there. The “For me and for my family, Louisville is home,” came out of the ditch, there was a lady there that mate relations with a woman other than his wife Cardinal Nation seems thrilled by the hiring, not Petrino says. “I want everyone to really believe it.” had flagged down a car,” he says, not bothering to at a restaurant table. wanting to lose any ground as it moves to the Less than six months later, he leaves to coach the mention she was his mistress and a women less The news conference tomorrow was downright Atlantic Coast Conference. We’ll see how they’re Atlanta Falcons. than half his age, former Arkansas volleyball play- sickening, with all the expected nonsense about feeling after Petrino goes 11-1 - he can coach, “I believe this is truly the best football job in the er Jessica Dorrell. With a police report about to be Petrino suddenly turning into a decent human after all - and starts sniffing around for an even NFL,” Petrino says after being hired by the Falcons released, Petrino is forced to come clean about being and the Cardinals being persuaded that he’s better job. A tiger doesn’t suddenly change his in January 2007. “It was an easy decision for me.” Dorrell, such as giving her a $20,000 gift and hir- just the right guy to turns boys into men. stripes. History suggests this guy won’t either. But quarterback Michael Vick never plays for the ing her to work in the football office over candi- “If it was the same Bobby that was here 10 new coach, sent to prison for running a dogfight- dates who are surely more qualified. But this time, years ago, I wasn’t interested,” said athletic director A brief review, in Petrino’s own words: ing ring, and the Falcons lose 10 of their first 13 we’re supposed to believe Petrino has changed. Tom Jurich, who might want to consider a job sell- “It’s a great fit for me,” he said after being hired games. Yeah, right. — AP Preview England skittle out PM’s XI CANBERRA: England’s bowlers ripped through the Australian Prime Minister’s XI for a morale-boosting first tour victory of 172 runs ahead of Friday’s second one-day internation- al. Chasing 265 to win in the Australian capital, the hosts lost wickets at regular intervals and were all out for 92 in the 26th over yesterday. Ravi Bopara grabbed four wickets for three runs in just three overs to wrap up the match and end a winless streak going back to the first Ashes Test in Brisbane back in November. Skipper Alastair Cook admitted his relief after a run of poor performances which saw an Ashes whitewash and dour, drawn tour games. “It’s great to win. It’s been a long-time com- ing,” Cook said. “We needed to start winning and winning puts you in the right frame of SHARJAH: Pakistan cricket captain Misbah-ul-Haq plays a shot during a prac- mind and gives you a little bit of confidence. tice session at the Sharjah International Cricket Stadium. — AFP “We know we’ve got a huge amount of work to do,” he added. CANBERRA: English batsman Gary Balance runs during the Prime Ministers XI cricket match at the Pakistan look to pitch The tourists had however labored to 264 for Manuka Oval Ground. — AFP eight off 50 overs on what was thought to be a youngster Spaseski making the second high- before Bopara clean bowled him for 12. The to level Sri Lanka series good batting wicket, if a little slow. Cook won est score of just 13. He pulled Bresnan high to second of five ODIs will be played at the the toss and decided to bat but rival captain deep fine leg where Joe Root took an easy Gabba on Friday. Australia won Sunday’s and former Test quick Brett Lee knocked him catch. opening tie in Melbourne by six wickets fol- SHARJAH: Pakistan will be desperate to ners. Pakistan are also likely to tinker with over for just one, edging a full length ball to Lee tried to fight back and hit a huge six lowing the 5-0 Ashes debacle. — AFP get a helpful pitch for a series-levelling their top-order batting with opener the wicketkeeper. win against Sri Lanka in the third and Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez The 37-year-old Lee was in vintage form final Test starting in Sharjah tomorrow. —- who both failed in Dubai-making way Captain Misbha-ul Haq was frustrated for Shan Masood or Azhar Ali. and had Joe Root lbw to leave England on two over the two unresponsive pitches, the Sri Lanka will have no such problems, for 12 runs in the day-night 50-over game at first in Abu Dhabi where Sri Lanka batted hoping Jayawardene recover from a fin- the Manuka Oval. resolutely to salvage a draw and then in ger injury which did hamper his batting The thermometer topped 37 Celsius (99 Dubai where a first-day seaming pitch in the second Test. Fahrenheit), but Lee still returned figures of undid Pakistan’s batting and later blunt- “Unless the pitch is very different, I two wickets for 22 runs off seven overs, includ- ed their bowling. don’t think we need to make any ing a maiden. Sri Lanka, helped by their new-look changes. When we go into a Test match England began to rally from yet another pace attack and a fighting century from we take our best bowlers, so if someone their old campaigner Mahela Jayawardne gets injured, we can always bank on a disastrous start when Lee went off after a four- recorded their biggest-ever win of nine back-up,” said Mathews who registered over burst and finally set the PM’s XI a target of wickets over Pakistan to take a 1-0 lead. his first overseas win as captain in Dubai. 265, at a run rate of 5.28. The lack of spin on the pitches “If we look at the batsmen, even if four Opener Michael Carberry found some form reduced Pakistan’s match-winning of them are wicketkeepers, they have in his 47 off 50 balls, including five boundaries, bowler Saeed Ajmal into a mere-runner done their jobs.