Blood traces found on Dele's boat
LOS ANGELES - Investigators found what they believe arebloodstains on the sailboat belonging to missing former NBA playerBison Dele, and police in Tahiti suspect that he and two others weremurdered by his older brother.
Authorities searching Dele's 55-foot catamaran at a Tahitian portfound traces of what appeared to be blood inside and outside theboat, said Michel Marotte, Tahiti's chief prosecutor.
Marotte said the findings must be verified in a laboratory. 'Butit does seem to be blood traces,' he told The Associated Press onFriday.
Meanwhile, Dele's brother, Miles Dabord, was in a coma and incritical condition at a hospital in Chula Vista, Calif. The FBI waswaiting to question him after learning his identity only Thursday.Dabord was found unconscious in Mexico last week and taken to thehospital. He was arrested Thursday and charged with trying to stealhis brother's identity.
Investigators believe Dele, who changed his name from BrianWilliams in 1998, his girlfriend Serena Karlan and Bertrand Saldo, aFrench skipper sailing with the group, were killed July 6 or 7, aftera layover in Tahiti, said Michel Marotte, chief prosecutor of Tahiti.
'We presume that the bodies of these people must be in the sea,the ocean, and will probably never be found,' Marotte said. 'Butwe're still looking.'
Sherman: Green may play
GREEN BAY, Wis. - Packers head coach Mike Sherman isn't giving upon injured running back Ahman Green, which is why after Friday'spractice Sherman wouldn't rule Green out of Sunday's game.
Green strained a quadriceps tendon in the Packers' 35-20 loss atNew Orleans and didn't practice all week.
If Green, the NFC's leading rusher with 236 yards, doesn't startthird-year running back Rondell Mealey will make his first startsince playing for Louisiana State University.
Sherman said Green was given Friday a magnetic resonance imagingtest, which showed some healing.
'We're going to try him out on game day,' Sherman said. 'It'll bea game-day decision.'
U.S. falls to 0-2 in Davis
PARIS - Andy Roddick and James Black are running out of chances tochange the United States' luck on the red clay of Roland Garros.
The Americans skidded and tumbled on their way to singles defeatsFriday at the home of the French Open, leaving their team down 0-2 inthe Davis Cup semifinals and in need of a comeback in the best-of-five competition.
Roddick lost first, 4-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 6-1, to Arnaud Clementon an overcast center court. Blake followed with a 6-4, 6-1, 6-7 (7),7-5 loss to Sebastien Grosjean, and both Americans returned to theirlocker rooms coated in red dirt and feeling miserable.
'I'm extremely disappointed that I lost,' Roddick said. 'GrandSlams, it's for yourself; it's almost selfish. Here, I'm playing fora whole team and a whole country. It goes a lot deeper.'
Sabonis returns to Blazers
PORTLAND, Ore. - After a year away from the NBA, Arvydas Sabonisis returning to the Portland Trail Blazers.
The 7-foot-3 center agreed to a multiyear contract on Friday.Terms were not disclosed.
'We are very excited to have Arvydas back in the Blazers family,'general manager Bob Whitsitt said. 'Sabas has been a big part of oursuccess in the past and we are looking forward to having him back onthe court.'
Seahawks activate Jones
SEATTLE - The Seattle Seahawks activated offensive tackle WalterJones on Friday and released guard Konrad Dean.
Coach Mike Holmgren said Jones will start Sunday against the NewYork Giants.
Jones, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, signed a one-year, $4.92million deal Monday after missing the preseason and the first tworegular season games because of a contract dispute. Holmgren said hewasn't sure how long Jones could play since he only practiced for oneweek.
'I would doubt if he can go the distance but we will see,'Holmgren said.
Rape harges dropped against Nash
NEW ORLEANS - Toe Nash, a high school dropout signed by the TampaBay Devil Rays, was released from jail Friday after pleading guiltyto having sex with a 15-year-old girl.
Nash, 20, was facing life in prison on three counts of aggravatedrape, according to Arthur Lemann IV, Nash's lawyer.
'They agreed to drop all the current charges for him pleading tocarnal knowledge,' Lemann said. 'He unfortunately made a mistake. ...It worked out well.'
Prosecutors also dropped theft charges, Lemann said.
WUSA ready for spotlight
BEAVERTON, Ore. - After seeing attendance drop league-wide in itssecond season, the WUSA has assembled a talented group of All-Starsto 'spread the word' about the women's game.
The first WUSA All-Star game will be played Saturday in Portland,a city without a WUSA franchise and the self-proclaimed Soccer CityUSA.
'This is the culmination of year two, but it's also the start ofyear three,' WUSA commissioner Tony DiCicco said. 'We want to keepthe buzz going. We don't want the season to end and people to forgetabout us. I think these types of games serve that purpose, andthey're a lot of fun as well.'
Copyright 2000 by Telegraph Herald, All rights Reserved.
