Hotels certainly coveting Ronaldo

The last time soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo hit Las Vegas, the Palms won bragging rights, landing him for a weeklong stay that was worth millions in international publicity.

Safe to say there has been hot competition between local nightclubs who want to see the Real Madrid star walk through their doors after Sunday's game between Real Madrid and Mexican powerhouse Santos Laguna.

Promoter Daren Libonati, whose Justice Entertainment Group put together the 8 p.m. matchup at Sam Boyd Stadium , isn't saying where the teams are staying because "they'd be absolutely mobbed."

But he hinted the players are being given "an opportunity for some free time."

In Las Vegas, "free time" is code for "play time."

Ronaldo's visit three years ago came a day or so after his nightclub outing with Paris Hilton made headlines. He was celebrating his move to Real Madrid after the club paid a world record $131 million to pry him away from Manchester United.

He was spotted gambling at the Palms, photographed with a mystery lady at Rain nightclub and checking out XS nightclub at Encore.

The Portuguese megastar scored 46 goals last season, four behind Barcelona's Lionel Messi, who won world player of the year honors for the third year in a row.

Ticket information for Sunday's game: www.UNLVtickets.com or call 855-2LV-KICK, 855-258-5425 (out of state) or 702-739-3267 (local).

WADDELL'S FAREWELL

Gary Waddell's last telecast ended with a toast.

"To Mr. Newsman," said Paula Francis, lofting a champagne flute filled with sparkling cider in the direction of Waddell, her longtime co-anchor at KLAS-TV, Channel 8.

With that, Waddell ended his 32-year tenure as an anchor at the CBS affiliate. He was an anchor in Las Vegas for 34 years, thought to be a record run.

During an early break in the 6 p.m. telecast, Waddell requested that his longtime friend Tom Vannozzi step in as an honorary cameraman. Vannozzi was a cameraman when Waddell began his anchor career in 1971 at Channel 3. They later became roommates.

Near the end of the newscast, Waddell asked his first co-anchor, Gail Westrup, to take a chair next to him.

Westrup had surprised him during the noon telecast, after flying in from Sacramento, Calif.

Also on the anchor desk with Waddell for the final signoff was longtime colleague George Knapp, who said it felt like they had been together "since the dawn of history."

"It's been a lot of fun," said Waddell, in the final moments.

Waddell's last day wasn't without emotional moments but the broadcasters kept it together their during the finale, other than on a video featuring Francis interviewing Waddell. Both choked up at times.

THE PUNCH LINE

"Maybe I'm being too harsh on clowns because it's a tough gig. Imagine putting on a ridiculous wig and squeezing into a suit every day. It's like being William Shatner." - Craig Ferguson

Norm Clarke can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke.