TIGER WOODS and ERNIE ELS will be "unveiled as opposing team captains" for the 2019 Presidents Cup in Melbourne. Woods "could become the first playing captain in the history of the biennial teams event," which will be held at Royal Melbourne Golf Club next year (AAP, 3/14). ... Australian NFL player ADAM GOTSIS will "fight for his innocence" against "shocking accusations" he raped a woman five years ago while he was a student-athlete at Georgia Tech. Melbourne-born Gotsis, 25, turned himself in to the Fulton Country Jail in Atlanta last week "on a charge of strong-arm rape." He was released on a $50,000 bond (AAP, 3/13). ... DAVE CALLAGHAN, the man "widely regarded" as the voice of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, died, aged 63, following a heart attack. Callaghan worked for BBC Radio Leeds and Look North (BBC, 3/13). ... TV and radio presenters from the BBC and ITV will be joined by two Olympic Gold Medalists in a "special rowing race for Sport Relief." JAMES CRACKNELL will captain the BBC team against an ITV crew led by his fellow two-time Olympic champion HELEN GLOVER (BBC, 3/13).
'AUDACIOUS BID': Alibaba Exec Vice-Chair JOE TSAI is part of an "audacious bid" being put together by Fanatics Founder & Exec Chair MICHAEL RUBIN to buy the NFL Carolina Panthers. Tsai is on board to "join an impressive ownership consortium, which they hope could yet include sports figures" such as NBA player STEPHEN CURRY and music mogul DIDDY (N.Y. POST, 3/12).
