Posted on: Wednesday, December 29, 2004
Hawai'i Bowl's TV ratings up from 2003
Advertiser Staff and News Services
Ratings for the 2004 Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl slightly topped those of the 2003 game, according to ESPN officials.
The Dec. 24 game between the University of Hawai'i and University of Alabama at Birmingham drew a 2.2 rating, equating to 1.95 million households.
The 2003 game, which matched Hawai'i against Houston, drew 1.935 million households. That game was played on Christmas Day.
"We're extremely pleased," said Pete Derzis, executive vice president of ESPN Regional Television, which owns and operates the game. "It's another building block for the game."
LSU
Louisville's Petrino has 'preliminary meeting'
Louisville football coach Bobby Petrino has met with LSU officials about the Tigers' job but refused to say if he expected further talks.
"There's no offer on the table," he said yesterday.
The LSU job opened when Nick Saban left for the Miami Dolphins. Petrino, who called his session with LSU a "preliminary meeting," is in Memphis, where the No. 7 Cardinals play No. 10 Boise State in the Liberty Bowl on Friday.
"We agreed my focus would go to the bowl game and to finish the season — the great season that we've had," Petrino said after practice at the University of Memphis.
He said LSU officials sought permission to talk with him from Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich.
"They asked for a quick meeting, and with Tom's permission, I agreed to meet with them," Petrino said. "We sat down Sunday morning in Nashville on my way here."
LSU officials also received permission from Arkansas to talk to Razorbacks coach Houston Nutt, an Arkansas spokesman said yesterday.
Sports information director Kevin Trainor said LSU athletic director Skip Bertman was given permission by Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles. Trainor said he did not know whether Bertman had contacted Nutt directly by last night.
Phone messages left for Broyles were not immediately returned, and Nutt was not available for comment. Nutt said Monday that he was committed to staying at Arkansas.
Six days ago, Petrino received a raise from $550,000 to $1 million a season guaranteed, with more than $860,000 also possible in incentives. When his new contract was announced, he dismissed inquiries about the LSU position and noted his fondness for Louisville. Louisville moves from Conference USA to the Big East next season.
"This is the place I want to be," he said then. "This is the place my family wants to be."
Saban will coach LSU in the Capital One Bowl against Iowa on Saturday.
Player killed over 'trash talk' about cars
Vanderbilt running back Kwane Doster was shot to death after his friends and a group of other men exchanged "trash talk" about their cars, Tampa police said yesterday.
Police continued to appeal for help in making an arrest in the Sunday morning shooting. Police said they have suspects, but need witnesses who might have seen who fired the fatal shot.
Doster, 21, was shot to death at a sandwich shop after visiting a local club with two friends about 1:30 a.m. Sunday.
While leaving the club, Doster's friends had a discussion with three other men about their cars, said Tampa police spokesman Joe Durkin. Both groups were driving what Durkin described as "show" cars, and the arguments centered on whose car was better.
VANDERBILT
