Florida Sentinel Bulletin

LONDON (AP) – Five-time champion Serena Williams avoided the kind of early upset that has sent many top players tumbling out of Wimbledon, beating Caroline Garcia 6-3, 6-2 on Thursday to reach the third round.

A day after Roger Federer topped the list of big names to go out in the second round, the top-ranked Williams was never in trouble against the 100th-ranked French qualifier.

Williams broke twice in each set to advance to a match with Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm, who at 42 became the oldest woman to reach the third round at Wimbledon in the Open era.

Date-Krumm beat Alexandra Cadantu of Romania 6-4, 7-5 to reach the third round for the first time since 1996, when she made it to the semifinals.

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Josh Brent is heading back to prison after he reportedly tested positive for marijuana for a second time.

It was reported that Brent tested positive for marijuana after providing a urine sample on June 19. The defensive tackle tested positive for THC metabolite on May 24. Brent was originally arrested after a fatal crash in December of last year that killed Jerry Brown, a defensive end also on the Cowboys roster.

If found guilty of intoxicated manslaughter, Brent could face two-to-20 years in jail.

Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was formally charged Wednesday afternoon with murder, more than a week after a body was found near his Massachusetts home. Hernandez was also charged with several counts of unlawful possession of firearms.

Wearing a white V-neck shirt, red sports shorts, and handcuffs in Attleboro District Court, Hernandez showed no emotion as attorneys for the victim laid out a bruising account of what allegedly happened the night semi-professional football player Odin Lloyd was killed, citing what they say is surveillance camera footage, text messages, and witnesses who were working the overnight shift who heard gunshots as evidence.

Hernandez, 23, was placed in handcuffs and put in a police cruiser just before 9 a.m. on Wednesday by Massachusetts State Police and North Attleborough police. Authorities have searched his home, on the Rhode Island line not far from the Patriots’ stadium, several times over the past week. Bristol County District Attorney Samuel Sutter confirmed in a statement that Hernandez would be arraigned later Wednesday at Attleboro District Court. Less than two hours after the arrest, the Patriots announced they were releasing Hernandez. The Patriots drafted Hernandez in 2010. Last summer, the team gave Hernandez a five-year contract that is worth $40 million, including a signing bonus of $12.5 million.

The body of Odin Lloyd, 27, was found June 17 about one mile away from the tight end’s North Attleborough home. The death was ruled a homicide; Hernandez has not been named as a suspect in the case. The investigation also cost Hernandez his endorsement contract with CytoSport, which makes Muscle Milk and other supplements for athletes, last week.

There is very little chance of Dwight Howard re-signing with the Los Angeles Lakers this summer, according to sources close to the situation.

Howard is willing to forgo the extra $30 million the Lakers can pay him to play for a coach and in a system he feels will better use his skill set, one source said. The Lakers can offer Howard a five-year, $118 million contract, while other teams can pay him only $88 million over four years. Howard plans to meet with Dallas, Houston and Atlanta before meeting with the Lakers once teams are allowed to contact free agents beginning July 1, a source said. It appears that the teams will visit Howard in Los Angeles.

Howard is notoriously indecisive, so the Lakers, while apparently major underdogs, should not be completely eliminated from contention. Before the 2011-12 season, he repeatedly asked the Orlando Magic to trade him, and then at midseason he opted in to the final year of his contract to remain in Orlando.

BOSTON — The champion of the men’s 2013 Boston Marathon returned his winner’s medal to Mayor Thomas Menino on Sunday to honor the city and those killed and injured in the bombings near the finish line of one of the world’s top running events.

“Sport holds the power to unify and connect people all over the world,” Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia told the crowd through a translator. “Sport should never be used as a battleground.”

As the New England Patriots cut ties with tight end Aaron Hernandez while he’s embroiled in a murder investigation, the Cleveland Browns have followed suit with rookie linebacker Ausar Walcott.

Signed a week ago, Walcott was released today by the AFC North franchise in the wake of him being charged with first-degree attempted murder after allegedly punching a man outside a club in Passaic, N.J. The alleged assault took place around 3 a.m. on Sunday, according to NorthJersey.com. The victim was in critical condition at a local hospital. Walcott was arrested on Tuesday.

Walcott also faces second-degree aggravated assault and third-degree endangering an injured victim charges. Walcott played college football at Virginia, where he finished with 128 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver and ESPN analyst Keyshawn Johnson will help coach receivers at Mission Viejo (Calif.) High this fall.

Johnson will attend practices in California on Tuesday and Wednesday before heading to the east coast for his ESPN work, head coach Bob Johnson said. He will be at about half of the team’s games. One of Johnson’s sons is an incoming freshman at the school.

Also on the Mission Viejo staff is Rob Johnson, who threw passes to Keyshawn at the University of Southern California and was a teammate on Tampa Bay’s 2002 championship club as a backup quarterback.

If you are a Tampa Bay Buccaneer fan, and enjoy sitting among the screaming fans at Raymond James Stadium, pack light, and bring nothing you don’t want everyone to see.

NFL owners, always concerned about security, have tightened the rules on what fans can bring into stadiums this year, and there will no longer be large purses, fanny packs, backpacks, seat cushions, coolers, camera bags or cinch bags allowed.

Fans can bring all the personal items they can fit into a clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bag that is 12-by-6-by-12 inches. That’s about the size of a one-gallon plastic freezer bag.

All ticketholders will be allowed to bring one see-through bag and one clutch bag or small purse to the game. Small items like wallets, keys and cellphone can be kept in a pocket, but will have to be shown to security. The new rules are intended to increase fan safety and speed up security lines.

The Tampa Sports Authority hasn’t decided whether it will also apply the NFL security mandate to other events at the stadium.

After much speculation surrounding a potential move, the Los Angeles Clippers have made it official and acquired head coach Doc Rivers from the Boston Celtics, pending approval from the league.

Sources confirmed on Sunday that the Clippers will sign Rivers to a three-year, $21 million contract. They will send a first-round pick as compensation for the Boston Celtics, who have agreed to release the coach from the three years, $21 million he has remaining on his deal with the club.

Contrary to previous reports, according to league and team sources, the Celtics have been complicit all along in assisting Rivers make the switch from Boston to Los Angeles.