Florida Sentinel Bulletin

SAN FRANCISCO – Frank Gore has long tried to pattern himself after Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, who played his entire 10-year career with the Detroit Lions.

Gore has seen other great running backs move from team to team while evolving into NFL stars – and he never wanted to be one of them.

Loyal to the San Francisco 49ers since the day they drafted him in 2005 in the third round out of Miami, Gore hoped to stay put with the same franchise for the long haul, for his career.

Gore agreed Tuesday to the $21 million deal, with $13.5 million in guaranteed money. In what was to be the final year of his contract, Gore had hoped to land a new deal before the Niners’ Sept. 11 season opener at home against the defending NFC West champion Seattle Seahawks – and he got it.

Tiger Woods said he was “honored” to be one of the two picks by U.S. captain Fred Couples for the 2011 Presidents Cup team. The biennial event against a squad of international players will be held at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia November 14-20.

“They wanted me on the team, and I’m honored to be a part of the team,” Woods said. “It’s a wonderful mix of younger guys and older veterans.”

Five former Tampa Bay Buccaneers are part of a group of former National Football league players suing the league and helmet-makers over head injuries suffered during their careers.

The 18 players named in the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles also include former Bucs Jimmie Giles, James Wilder, Cedric Brown, Greg Roberts, and Jesse Solomon.

The suit claims the NFL, Riddell Sports Group and its parent company, Easton-Bell Sports, knew the long term effects of brain injury from trauma suffered by the players and purposely hid it.

NFL spokesman, Greg Aiello, said the league will strongly contest the claims.

More than 75 current and former NFL players filed a similar suit in July, and another group did so this month in Philadelphia.

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson has been sentenced to 20 days in jail after reaching a deal to settle two misdemeanor assault cases in Texas.

Benson was in court in Austin, Texas, on Monday and the deal was struck after a jury was picked. He said he will surrender to authorities on Oct. 17, which is the Monday of Cincinnati’s bye week.

Benson was arrested in 2010 for allegedly punching a bar employee in Austin, and he pleaded no contest in that case. He was also arrested last month for allegedly punching a former roommate in downtown Austin. That case was dismissed.

Benson has been the Bengals’ leading rusher since 2008. The former Texas star was an unrestricted free agent but chose to sign a one-year contract to stay in Cincinnati.

PHILADELPHIA — Michael Vick is really back on top now.

Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles agreed on a six-year contract on Monday that again makes the Pro Bowl quarterback one of the highest-paid players in the NFL.

A source familiar with the negotiations said the deal is worth $100 million, including about $40 million guaranteed.

Vick was due to earn slightly more than $16 million this season after the Eagles designated him the franchise player in February. He’ll make a little less, possibly giving the Eagles salary cap flexibility to give Pro Bowl wide receiver DeSean Jackson an extension.

NEW YORK  — Venus Williams pulled out of the U.S. Open shortly before her second-round match Wednesday, saying she was diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome, an autoimmune disease that causes fatigue and joint pain.

The 31-year-old American, the champion at Flushing Meadows in 2000 and 2001, played her first match in two months Monday, when she beat Vesna Dolonts 6-4, 6-3 in the first round. Williams was supposed to face 22nd-seeded Sabine Lisicki on Wednesday.

Williams had cited a virus when withdrawing from hard-court tuneup tournaments between Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

“I enjoyed playing my first match here, and wish I could continue, but right now I am unable to,” Williams said in a statement released by the tournament.

“I am thankful I finally have a diagnosis and am now focused on getting better and returning to the court soon.”

DAEGU, SOUTH KOREA — Usain Bolt will only need about 20 seconds to show the world he is lightning fast and not just a little jumpy.

The Jamaican sprinter said in a statement Monday that he was disappointed with his false start in the 100 meters, which disqualified him from the world championship final.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have the services of their best defensive player if he can regain his health enough to get back on the field.

Although his future beyond 2011 is uncertain, Aqib Talib will not be suspended during this season for his role in a shooting incident that occurred in Texas earlier this year.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has informed Buc General Manager, Mark Dominik, of his decision, but also made it clear that he may revisit the matter following Talib’s trial on March 26, 2012.

Talib, 25, is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to police in Garland, Texas. Talib allegedly fired shots at his sister’s boyfriend and tried to hit him with a handgun.

The charge is a second-degree felony and carries a punishment of five to 20 years in prison.

Bucs Record 17-13 Victory Over Dolphins

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered their contest against the Miami Dolphins with a game plan. The result was a 17-13 victory and a 2-1 pre-season record.

Initially, quarterback Josh Freeman, his offensive line and some Bucs defenders picked up where they left off in last week’s embarrassing loss to the New England Patriots. But they all found a rhythm and the Bucs were able to secure the win.

In the first half, the Bucs finished fast, scoring a game-tying touchdown drive in the final two minutes, and in the fourth quarter got a game-winning touchdown out of third-team quarterback, Rudy Carpenter.

ATLANTA — Police said late Friday that former NBA player Javaris Crittenton, who was once suspended by the league over guns in the locker room, has been charged with murder after a woman was shot on an Atlanta street.

Police spokesman Carlos Campos said police have secured a murder warrant for the arrest of Crittenton, who played at Georgia Tech, in connection with the shooting death of 22-year-old Jullian Jones on Aug. 19. Campos said Crittenton is not in custody and is wanted.

Jones, a mother of four, was walking with a group of people on the city’s southwest side when a dark-colored SUV drove by and she was shot by someone inside the vehicle, police said.

Investigators say they don’t believe the woman was the intended target. Campos said the motive appears to be retaliation for a robbery in April, in which Crittenton was a victim, Campos said in a statement.