In Tampa, Caitlin Johnston notes the St. Petersburg City Council on Thursday "quickly approved the reauthorization" of USL club Tampa Bay Rowdies' lease at Al Lang Stadium, a "necessary step to complete the Rays' purchase of the soccer team" (TAMPABAY.com, 10/12).
EVERYONE GETS A TROPHY: In Nashville, Jonathan Garcia noted the Predators on Tuesday raised a Western Conference regular-season championship banner, which caused them to be "eviscerated across the hockey-sphere for raising a superfluous non-achievement." Garcia: "Let's be more clear: Nashville isn't the only hockey team to have or have had a banner to celebrate being a regular season conference champion. But doing something dumb isn't justified just because other people have done it before" (TENNESSEAN.com, 10/11).
SUNRISE & SHINE? In Miami, Greg Cote notes the NHL Panthers' crowd for their home opening Thursday at BB&T Center at "no time was full, with hundreds of empty seats scattered throughout." The Panthers "must win back some of their own fans as well as South Florida at large" (MIAMI HERALD, 10/12).
