FOR THE SPORTS INDUSTRIALIST IN US ALL: AN $8,000 NBA VASE

          SI's "Scorecard" looks at the opening of the NBA Store
     in Manhattan and states, "You can entice a zealous fan to
     buy almost anything, but we're not sure who's clamoring for
     apparel bearing league logos."  SI notes the store's $1,200
     cuff links: "We haven't heard too many cuff link discussions
     over the last, oh, 40 years, so we're not sure who's going
     to spring for the $1,200 Los Angeles Laker links."  On an
     $8,000 vase that shows Larry Bird dunking: "If we were going
     to make the Larry Bird Exception and pay eight grand for a
     Bird vase, we'd rather have him shooting his classic three-
     pointer or releasing one of his funky little post-up shots. 
     Perhaps those moves don't look as good in crystal as a dunk,
     but -- we've gotta tell you -- the dunk doesn't look that
     good either" (SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, 10/26 issue).