Monk Retires After Sitting Out A Season; Raiders Cut Hoss

Even though Art Monk didn’t play last season, he never announced his retirement. The record-setting wide receiver did so today.

“I had a good career, a great time and it’s time to move on and do other things,” said Monk, who spent 14 seasons with the Washington Redskins and one each with the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles.

“I felt like I could have performed last year, it was just the opportunities weren’t there. Things just weren’t the same.”

Monk’s 14 seasons with Washington included three Super Bowl victories in four appearances and three consecutive Pro Bowl bids from 1984-86.

“I will always consider myself a Redskin,” said the 39-year-old Monk, who finishes his career with 940 catches for 12,721 yards and 68 touchdowns. “I played this game since I was 11 years old. It’s all I knew.”

During his 16-year NFL career, Monk set league records with 106 catches in a single season and broke Steve Largent’s all-time reception mark of 819 catches. Since then, San Francisco’s Jerry Rice has eclipsed Monk’s mark and has 1,045 catches.

Hostetler no longer a Raider

Finally, quarterback Jeff Hostetler can tell the Raiders what he has waited all spring to say: Adios.

The Raiders released Hostetler on Tuesday, ending an awkward dance that began in February when they signed Jeff George to be their starting quarterback.

Hostetler is free to sign with Washington, which for weeks has had a completed contract waiting for his signature. The Redskins have tentatively scheduled a news conference for today in which they plan to introduce Hostetler as the backup to Gus Frerotte.

Chiefs may get Rison

Andre Rison and his agent are planning a trip to Kansas City. They aren’t coming to sample the barbecue or shop on the Plaza.

This will be a business trip, and all signs indicate it will end with Rison putting his name on a Chiefs contract.

“We’ve been talking on the telephone with Kansas City, and we’re to the point where we can entertain each other face to face,” said Charles Tucker, the agent for the free-agent wide receiver.

A visit by Rison and Tucker could come as soon as today. The Chiefs would only confirm talks with Rison are ongoing.

Tight end and long snapper Ted Popson has signed a three-year contract with Kansas City, the Chiefs announced.

The 30-year-old free agent spent the past three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. Last season he started six games and caught 26 passes for 301 yards and six touchdowns, two coming in a game against Cincinnati. He had 16 catches in 1995 and 13 in 1994.

Dolphins sign two

The Miami Dolphins signed linebacker John Fiala and wide receiver Brian Manning to three-year contracts.

Both players were taken in the sixth round of this year’s draft.

Fiala, 23, played for the University of Washington, where he was a two-year starter. He was selected to the All-Pacific 10 Conference second team his senior year, when he had a career-high 95 tackles.

Manning, 22, caught 140 passes for 2,280 yards and 13 touchdowns during his four-year career at Stanford.

49ers win at ballot box

The final vote count released Monday confirms that the San Francisco 49ers stadium measures on the city ballot squeaked to victory two weeks ago.

The victory margin actually widened slightly when provisional ballots were counted, with “yes” getting 50.4 percent of the vote on Proposition D, and 50.3 percent on Proposition F.

On June 3, they received 50.2 percent and 50.1 percent, respectively.

Proposition D provides for a $100 million lease-revenue bond as the city’s contribution to the proposed $325 million new 49ers stadium. Proposition F changes city laws to allow the stadium and adjacent $200 million mall to be built at Candlestick Point.

City elections director Germaine Wong said there were several more steps to be taken before the vote was certified.

Just hours after 49ers owner Edward DeBartolo appeared Tuesday before a grand jury in New Orleans investigating former Gov. Edwin Edwards’ business dealings, a DeBartolo-controlled company pulled out of a Louisiana casino project.

A spokesman for DeBartolo said the appearance had nothing to do with the change of his investment plans for the riverboat casino resort in Bossier City.

Instead, the possibility of slot machines at race tracks and having fellow NFL owners review the deal led to DeBartolo’s decision, the spokesman said.

Hollywood Casino Corp. said DeBartolo Entertainment Louisiana Gaming Inc. will no longer be involved in the casino, but will be an investor in the accompanying hotel, entertainment and retail facilities.

Hillary Crain, chairman of the gambling control board, said he did not know if the change was prompted by DeBartolo’s grand jury appearance in New Orleans.

DeBartolo and his attorney, Jack Martzell, both refused comment to reporters after DeBartolo’s appearance before the grand jury.

The Hollywood Casino project was approved in late April, with DeBartolo Entertainment as a partner in the casino. The project still must be approved by Bossier Parish voters.

Testimony began Tuesday in in San Jose, Calif., in the trial of 49ers fullback William Floyd, who is charged with misdemeanor drunk driving and illegal possession of a loaded firearm.

California Highway Patrol officers arrested Floyd in San Jose on Oct. 25 after stopping him for speeding and finding a loaded shotgun in his car.

Floyd doesn’t have a license to carry a weapon, according to court records.

The alleged incident occurred just two days before Floyd’s comeback game against the Houston Oilers following reconstructive surgery on his knee. He spent a few hours in the Santa Clara County jail and was released at 8 a.m., just in time to board the 49ers’ charter flight to Houston.