BASEBALL

OWNERS APPROVE SALE OF BREWERS

Major league owners unanimously approved the $223 million sale of the Milwaukee Brewers yesterday from the family of commissioner Bud Selig to a group headed by Los Angeles investor Mark Attanasio. Attanasio, 47, is committed to keeping the team in Milwaukee, thanks to a 30-year lease to play in Miller Park.

Selig’s daughter, Wendy Selig-Prieb, has been in charge of the franchise since her father became commissioner in 1998.The team has struggled to be competitive in recent years but has made several player moves in the off-season thanks to the prospect of new ownership. The club has a payroll of slightly more than $40 million.

FOOTBALL

FINES FOR JETS’ BARTON, VIKINGS’ MOSS

Jets linebacker Eric Barton was fined $7,500 by the NFL for his hit on San Diego quarterback Drew Brees in last weekend’s playoff game, and told the Associated Press yesterday that he plans to appeal the penalty. Also yesterday, Minnesota’s Randy Moss was fined $10,000 yesterday for pretending to pull down his pants and moon the Green Bay crowd during Minnesota’s playoff win last weekend. Moss also rubbed his backside on the base of the uprights before hugging teammates.

PACKERS TO HIRE NEW GENERAL MANAGER

Packers president Bob Harlan plans to strip coach Mike Sherman of his general manager duties and is targeting the Seahawks’ Ted Thompson as a replacement. Sherman has a year left on his contract, which pays him about $3 million for his dual roles. He is 53-27 in the regular season since becoming Packers coach in 2000, but he’s only 2-4 in the playoffs, including a first-round loss to the Vikings last weekend.

PRO BASKETBALL

BUCKS’ FORD RULED OUT FOR SEASON

Milwaukee Bucks guard T.J. Ford was ruled out for the rest of the season yesterday because he’s still recovering from spinal surgery. Ford’s spinal cord bruise continues to improve but has not healed enough for him to start any type of basketball activity, the team said after consulting with doctors. He has missed the entire season for the Bucks after being injured in February 2004.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

FLOYD AGREES TO COACH USC

Tim Floyd is being hired as Southern California basketball coach, taking the job Rick Majerus accepted then abruptly quit last month. The former Bulls and Hornets coach will return to the college ranks, where he was 127-58 in eight seasons at the University of New Orleans, then 81-49 in four years at Iowa State. Floyd, 50, was fired as Hornets coach last May after they went 41-41 and lost in the first round of the playoffs in his only season with the team. USC fired Henry Bibby on December 6.

WILLIAMS LEADS DUKE OVER N.C. STATE

Shelden Williams scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half to help the fifth-ranked Blue Devils beat North Carolina State 86-74 last night. Daniel Ewing added 17 points for Duke (12-0, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference). The Wolfpack (10-5, 0-2), who have lost four straight games for the first time since the 1999-00 season. N.C. State reached no. 12 in the nation last month, but its once-promising season appears headed in the wrong direction.

GOLF

WIE STRUGGLES IN FIRST ROUND OF SONY OPEN

15-year-old Michelle Wie struggled to a 75 in the first round of the Sony Open in Honolulu yesterday. Wie finished better than 10 men among early starters on a blustery day, but she was nine shots behind co-leaders Stewart Cink and Brett Quigley, and facing an uphill path to her dream of making the cut.

The Kona wind, rare for these parts, gusted up to 25 mph and wreaked havoc on most everyone. Two-time defending champion Ernie Els had to birdie the last hole for a 71, while Vijay Singh stumbled home to a 69. The top 70 and ties after two rounds make the cut, and Wie was hopeful of being the first female since Babe Zaharias in the 1945 Tucson Open to do that.

TENNIS

FEDERER, DAVENPORT ARE TOP SEEDS FOR AUSTRALIAN OPEN

World number ones Roger Federer and Lindsay Davenport have been named as top seeds for next week’s Australian Open. On the men’s side, Andy Roddick was seeded second, while France’s Amelie Mauresmo nabbed the second seed in the women’s draw. The 2003 Australian Open champion Serena Williams is back again after missing last year’s slam and was seeded seven with her sister Venus seeded eight.

– Associated Press