In addition to giving Tony Sparano a contract extension, the Dolphins have apologized to him for mishandling the team's coaching situation. "The lines of communication should be handled differently," general manager Jeff Ireland said. "Now," owner Stephen Ross said, "I would go about it a different way." Ross and Ireland flew cross-country for an interview Thursday with Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh, leaving Sparano in very public limbo. Ross said he had never interviewed a coach before and was naive to believe he could keep his meeting with Harbaugh secret. "I never thought it would be national news," Ross said. "I realized after having read the papers the anguish I had put Tony through."