Florida Sentinel Bulletin

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — It was tough for Kevin Faulk to leave football.

The team’s career leader in all-purpose yards made it official on Tuesday after two injury-plagued seasons. He formally announced his retirement after 13 memorable years in a ceremony at the team’s Hall of Fame attended by owner Robert Kraft, coach Bill Belichick and several teammates.

“I never thought I’d be saying I’m retiring from football,” Faulk said, “and I never thought I’d have three of these.” That’s when he took out the Super Bowl championship rings he won with the only team he played for since the Patriots drafted him in 1999 in the second round out of LSU.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — General manager Phil Emery says the Chicago Bears have not discussed a contract extension with coach Lovie Smith.

Emery said Wednesday there are simply “not enough hours in a day” during the season and that he prefers to negotiate during the offseason. Smith’s contract doesn’t expire until after the 2013 season. The Bears are in a good spot heading into their off week with a 4-1 record and a share of the NFC North lead with Minnesota.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Usain Bolt will aim for a three-peat of Olympic sprint titles in the 100 and 200 meters at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, rather than trying out a new event.

After Bolt became the first man to successfully defend both sprint titles at the London Olympics, he was coy about his prospects of competing in Rio, and there was speculation he could switch to the long jump or 400 for a new challenge.

But during a promotional visit to New Zealand on Monday, the self-declared “living legend” said his plan for 2016 “is all about just going and defending my titles.

NEW YORK — The star of the Long Island University Brooklyn basketball team and three teammates arrested in a campus brawl had their suspensions lifted Monday and were instead put on school probation and will be suspended for two games each.

Julian Boyd, a forward who was named the Northeast Conference player of the year last year, and three other players, Jamal Olaswere, Troy Joseph and C.J. Garner, were suspended from school after the brawl last month.

The fight broke out during a welcome-back party for students at the Brooklyn campus. Initially, there was an altercation among members of the basketball and track teams. Then, a second fight broke out between basketball players and other students, including a DJ at the party. Police say the four players were arrested after five students filed complaints. Those students were not seriously injured.

LANDOVER, Md.  — Redskins coach Mike Shanahan says quarterback Robert Griffin, III got a “mild concussion” when he was hit in the helmet on a sack during Washington’s 24-17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

Griffin left Sunday’s game in the third quarter and did not return.

Team spokesman Tony Wyllie says Griffin was examined by an independent neurologist before being sent home from the team’s stadium and will be evaluated again Monday. Wyllie adds Griffin got a cut on his chin.

The Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft was slammed into by Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon’s side on a third-and-goal play with about six minutes left in the third quarter.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.— NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and his wife, Ashley, and former NBA player Penny Hardaway have agreed to join the group of minority owners for the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Mannings and Hardaway join a minority group that includes singer and actor Justin Timberlake and a couple Memphis businessmen.

Pera, owner of a California tech company, agreed to buy the Grizzlies from Michael Heisley in June for $350 million. The NBA is expected to approve the sale this month.

Timberlake was born in Memphis. Hardaway is a Memphis native who played collegiately at then-Memphis State. Ashley Manning once lived in Memphis and married Peyton there on St. Patrick’s Day in 2001. Peyton Manning played at the University of Tennessee across the state in Knoxville.

LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas police say former NFL running back Larry Johnson is in jail after he was arrested in a felony domestic violence case involving an ex-girlfriend at a Las Vegas Strip resort.

Police officer Jose Hernandez says the 32-year-old Johnson was arrested early Friday at the Bellagio. It wasn’t clear if the 32-year-old woman received medical treatment.

New Lakers center Dwight Howard responded to Lakers icon Shaquille O’Neal on Thursday, one week after O’Neal put him behind former Lakers center Andrew Bynum and Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez in his center rankings.

“I don’t care what Shaq says,” Howard told reporters after practice Wednesday. “Shaq played the game and he is done. It’s time to move on. He hated the fact when he played that older guys were talking about him and how he played. Now he’s doing the exact same thing. Just let it go. There’s no sense for him to be talking trash to me. He did his thing in the league. Sit back and relax. Your time is up.”

Minnesota Vikings rookie safety Harrison Smith was ejected in the second quarter in the team’s game against the Titans Sunday for making contact with an official.

After Antoine Winfield picked off Tennessee QB Matt Hasselbeck, Smith was engaged in a tiff with receiver Nate Washington. An official stepped in between the two and forcefully pushed Smith several yards away from Washington. Smith then put his hand on the officials’ shoulder and tried to shove him out of the way to continue jawing with Washington.

Smith was flagged 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct and thrown out of the game, leaving Minnesota thin in the secondary.