*The number: 8,000. That’s how many tickets were sold within 24 hours for the Oct. 22 EXHIBITION game at the St. Pete Times Forum between the Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat. That’s the local impact of LeBron James taking his NBA act to Miami. Reportedly, there are still a few tickets left. They range from $19.40 to $266.35. What recession?
*Add the name of Lance Armstrong, a disappointing also-ran in this year’s Tour de France, to the list of uber successful, ultra prominent athletes who couldn’t quit on top. He joins the ranks of Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Ken Griffey Jr. and others who couldn’t resist overstaying their stardom–or unsuccessfully attempting a comeback. And it wasn’t always the lure of more fat pay checks. As Leonard once opined: “It’s tough to leave center stage.”