Brazilian investment firm 3G Capital Partners, which is led by former tennis player JORGE PAULO LEMANN and counts ROGER FEDERER as a major investor, is “setting its sights on potential new targets that could give it control of even more of the world’s best-known consumer brands.” Sources said that 3G Capital execs are “discussing the possibility of trying to buy a food or beverage company” such as Campbell Soup, worth about $14B, or even PepsiCo, which “has a stock-market value” of $140B. Sources said that “no decisions have been made.” Sources added that 3G “might pursue only pieces of PepsiCo or try to join forces” with A-B InBev (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 1/7). ... Moroccan KING MOHAMMED IV has relieved Sports Minister OUZZINE of his duties "due to the poor state of a stadium" during a recent int'l football competition. The FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal match in Rabat's Moulay Abdellah stadium "was disrupted when a heavy downpour left the field soggy." The field had recently been renovated for $25M, yet it still had poor drainage, "raising accusations of corruption in the ministry" (AP, 1/7). ... A "glittering but controversial career punctuated by one of Hong Kong racing's greatest scandals will draw to a close on Saturday" when Australian jockey CHRIS MUNCE "chases a fairy-tale finish in retiring from riding."
The 45-year-old announced the rich Magic Millions race day at Gold Coast in his home state of Queensland "would be his last day in the saddle before he begins a training career" (SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, 1/7). ... Polish motorcyclist MICHAL HERNIK, competing in the Dakar Rally for the first time, "was found dead on stage three in Argentina." He was 39.
Hernik was discovered 300 meters (1,000 feet) from the race route between San Juan and Chilecito. A doctor "couldn’t immediately determine the cause of death." He is the fifth motorcyclist "to die since the rally was moved to South America in 2009" (BLOOMBERG, 1/7).
ALL THIS PAPERWORK: Former rugby league player JARRYD HAYNE's long-term manager WAYNE BEAVIS said that "the ball is in the Detroit Lions' court after the former Parramatta Eels star's name did not appear among the NFL franchise's first batch of 12 players signed to reserve or futures contracts." Hayne "rejected a contract that would've been the most lucrative in rugby league history to try to break into the American game." The Detroit Free Press reported that the Lions "were waiting to resolve Hayne's paperwork problems before they finalised their deal" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 1/7).
CADDIE GOAT: Former caddie WILLIE AITCHISON, "arguably the greatest caddie ever born in the home of golf, has died peacefully aged 85."
The Scot guided LEE TREVINO to back-to-back Open titles in '71 and '72 and helped ROBERTO DI VICENZO win the Claret Jug aged 44 at Hoylake in '67.
Glaswegian Aitchison "became a caddie in 1951 and stayed at the top for nearly half a century." Injury forced him to retire in '95. He "will be best remembered for the Open partnership with Trevino that began in 1968 and lasted four decades."
He once said of his old boss and friend, "I thought he was some sort of crazy man when we met, but we clicked from day one" (Scotland DAILY RECORD, 1/7).
