Tepper said state-owned trains should operate high-speed services for added convenience for fansERIK SPANBERG
NFL Panthers Owner DAVID TEPPER while speaking at Carnegie Mellon Univ. yesterday discussed a way he would "like to expand the team's geographic reach: A high-speed train connecting Charlotte with Winston-Salem and the Raleigh-Durham area." Tepper said that the state-owned trains, which Amtrak runs, "ought to operate high-speed services that would allow, for instance, fans in Raleigh to get to Charlotte in under two hours." It is "unclear whether a high-speed rail is under serious consideration by N.C. lawmakers" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 6/13).
SYSTEM FAILURE: An investigation into allegations of sexual assault made against former Univ. of Washington Senior Associate AD/External Affairs ROY SHICK by a former UW athlete were found "to be credible," but by the end of the investigation in March '18, Shick had "resigned and was working as vice president of a Seattle startup." Less than a year later in November, Shick was hired as VP/Enhancement at Grand Canyon Univ. Administrators at the private college in Arizona "didn't know about the UW's findings" until Friday, when it put Shick on administrative leave, then "fired him Sunday" (SEATTLETIMES.com, 6/12).
NAMES: Chicago Sports & Entertainment Partners has signed wheelchair track and marathon athlete DANIEL ROMANCHUK for exclusive representation heading into the '20 Tokyo Paralympics. Romanchuk is the current title holder for the Chicago, N.Y., Boston and London Marathons, and also holds world records in the 5000m and 8000m wheelchair races (Ben Fischer, THE DAILY)....Hillsborough County (Fla.) "set new records for tourism in April, with an assist" from the Women's Final Four, which was held this year at Amelie Arena. Visitors in April brought in $3.3M in "tourist taxes," which is up nearly 6% from the same month last year. The 21,000 visitors in town for the Final Four brought in $16M in economic impact (TAMPABAY.com, 6/12)....Patriots WR JULIAN EDELMAN and Gold Medal-winning U.S. gymnast ALY RAISMAN were “spotted wearing” DAVID ORTIZ jerseys in TD Garden ahead of Blues-Bruins Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final (MLB.com, 6/12)....The Titans will retire late former NFLer STEVE MCNAIR’s No. 9 and former NFLer EDDIE GEORGE’s No. 27 jerseys. Their numbers will be “officially retired during the Titans' home opener against the Colts on Sept. 15” (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 6/13)....SHAQUILLE O'NEAL's "career as DJ DIESEL reaches a new height this weekend when he tips off a new residency" at Encore Beach Club in Las Vegas, where he will be “spinning at Nightswim Saturday and returning for two more parties next month” (LASVEGASWEEKLY.com, 6/13).
IN MEMORY: Former Daily Racing Form Midwest editor JOHN MCEVOY died Monday at 83. For more than a decade, McEvoy “worked his way up from reporter before serving as editor” from ’79 to ’94 (CHICAGO.SUNTIMES.com, 6/12).
