European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 12, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                              Page 28 stars and stripes Mideast edition april 2007 charges dropped against Duke Lacrosse players the associated press state prosecutors have decided to drop All charges against three Duke la Crosse players accused of sexual assaulting a stripper at a team a person close to the Case told the associated press on the North Carolina attorney generals which took Over the Case in january after the local District attorney was accused of ethics was expected to make the announcement wednes Day after this edition of stars and stripes went to the person who spoke to the a did not list the reasons state prosecutors had decided to drop the charges and spoke on the condition of anonymity because a for Mal announcement had not been the decision would end the troubled criminal prosecution of Reade Collin Finnerty and David the three were indicted on charges of kidnapping and sexual offence last Spring after a woman told police she was assaulted at a Lacrosse team party where she had been hired to per form As a the allegations outraged the a the woman is Black and attended nearby North Carolina Central University All three Duke play ers Are dropping the charges also would turn the focus of the sensational Case toward the future of Durham county District attorney Mike who has been charged by the state bar with ethics violations connected to his handling of the who could face disbarment Over the ethics was away from his Durham office from its earliest Nifong had driven the investigation into allegations that the 28yearold woman was gang raped and beaten by three White men at the March party thrown by Dukes highly ranked Lacrosse he pressed ahead with the Case even As evidence increasingly supported the players insistent claims that the accusations were fantastic at the it appeared the Case was based Only on the testimony of the whom defense attorneys said had told wildly different versions of the alleged that shifting Story led Nifong to drop the rape charges in de but the other charges re Aaron wont celebrate if Bonds Breaks record Atlanta Hank Aaron Doest plan to be at the Ballpark if and when Barry Bonds Breaks his Home run in not going to be Aaron was quoted As saying in tuesdays editions of the Atlanta sports briefs Bonds has 735 20 Short of Aarons career while Aaron has declined most inter View requests in recent he spoke with  Tion columnist Terence Aaron said he  attend if Bonds were within reach of the record when the san Francisco giants play at Atlanta from id probably Fly to West Palm Beach to play Aaron was quoted As saying in Moores col it has nothing to do with other than i had enough of i dont want to be around that sort of thing any i just want to be at peace with i dont want to answer speaking before monday nights game in san Bonds said he want bothered by Aarons he has every right to do what he wants to i respect Bonds theres no reason for me to be heats Payton out 23 weeks Miami heat guard Gary Payton will miss about two weeks with a torn left calf a team spokesman said tues Day that Payton was injured Early in practice the Day he will not need the 38yearold Payton is aver aging Points and assists per Hes started 27 of the 67 games Hes bobcats Morrison fined for obscene gesture Char Lotte bobcats Forward Adam mor Rison was fined by the Aba on tuesday for making an obscene gesture to a fan during a game in Morrison made the gesture while sitting on the Bench late in overtime during Charlottes 111103 Victory Over the heat on Morrison did not play in the game because of a sprained Morrison said he was being heckled throughout the Ive got to learn to take i but i think the Guy went Over the Edge a Little calling me White trash Over and Over said who also sat out tuesdays game against i reacted naturally and i made a i Hurt the organization and the in sorry about it and it will never happen packers la Barnett agrees to Extension Green the Green Bay packers signed Nick Barnett to a contract Extension assuring the Middle line Backer will not become a free agent after next the Extension replaces the final year of Barnetts five year Rookie contract and runs through terms were not the 232pound bar Nett has led Green Bay in tackles three of the past four he finished with 105 two sacks and two interceptions last despite missing a game with a broken hand and playing the final month of the season wearing a Bulky Canada wins women world hockey title Manitoba Canada reclaimed the women world hockey championship with a 51 Victory Over the United states on tuesday winners of the olym Pic Gold medal last lost the last world championship two years ago to the in a shoot Sweden beat Finland 10 earlier for the Bronze Groin injury forces Williams to withdraw from family Circle Serena Williams retired from her match at the family Circle cup against Chan Yungman on tuesday with a Groin Chan was up 53 in the first set when Williams apologizing to the crowd before she left stadium the third said she strained the muscle in Mon Days practice and a Trainer said it didst seem like it would affect her play in future but it could potentially get worse if i dont take care of Williams dodgers put of Kemp on do los Angeles the Dodg ers placed outfielder Matt Kemp on the 15day disabled list tues Day because of an injured right and recalled reliever Chinhui Tsao from triple Las Kemp was injured in the fourth inning of a 63 loss to the Colo Rado Rockies on monday when he banged into the auxiliary score Board in right Field trying to catch Jeff Bakers rib its a Grade one manager Grady Little said tues Day night before the game against the its going to be be tween seven Days and two its the right thing for us to do right a lot can be told the Day after something like that Hap Kurt bus chs Crew chief on leave Kurt bus chs Crew chief has taken a leave of absence to be with his wife As she Battles Troy Raker was named interim Crew chief tuesday for Busch at Penske hell take Over for Roy Mccauley while he cares for his who was diag nosed with leukaemia in Gebru Ross nil commissioner Roger Goodell will hold teams accountable for the actions of their including conduct crackdown has unions support from Back Page while we regret the Circum stances that called for its Good for both Chris and the bengals to have the matter Lewis our team will move for and now it is up to Chris to acquire a More mature under standing of his responsibilities As a player for the bengals and a representative of the Goodell and Gene executive director of the nil play ers met with a group of players in february and again last week and agreed the league needed a stronger disciplinary the nil players association and the player advisory Council believe that these Are Steps that the commissioner needs to and we support the up Shaw it is important that players in violation of the policy will have the Opportunity and the support to change their conduct and earn Way that includes the sixth Overall pick in the 2005 draft has had nothing but trouble off the Field during two seasons with the he could be reinstated before seasons end if he adheres to conditions set by the nil that in clude no further involvement with Law enforcement counsel education and treatment under league and court ordered programs follows restrictions on his activities agreed to with the titans and a Community service program submitted to the league for review and we respect this decision and Are confident this is in the Best in Terest of the league and the titans owner Bud Adams we Are hopeful that it will achieve the goals of disciplining the player and eventually enabling him to return to the Field of but Jones still has those cases in Las vegas and Georgia with which to As Well As a Tough it is a privilege to represent the not a Goodell these players and All Mem Bers of our league have to make the right choices and decisions in their conduct on a consistent pats Colts in week 9 among highlights of nil schedule the associated press new York the new England patriots and Indianapolis who have developed one of the fiercest rivalries in the will meet in Indianapolis on 4 in what should be one of the highlights of the 2007 nil sea that game will be a rematch of january acc title won by the Colts 3834 after they fell be Hind Indianapolis and Pey ton who went on to beat Chicago in the super now have beaten Tom Brady and the patriots three straight including the title game and a Victory in Foxborough during the 2006 the highlights of the first week of the season were announced last including what now has become the traditional opener on when the Colts play Host to new the new York giants will be at Dallas in the sunday night game that week and there will be two monday night contests Balti More at starting at 7 not and Arizona at san starting at the full nil schedule was re leased another highlight occurs the last sunday of the when new Orleans is at Chicago in a rematch of last seasons pfc title the Colts Are at san Diego on 11 in a sunday night meeting of the super bowl champs and the team that had the Nils Best regular season record at this will be the second season of flexible which Al lows the league to schedule Sun Day night games 12 Days ahead in weeks 11 to this the league tentatively has scheduled games in that