The November issue of Runner’s World will feature Tour De France winner and rubber bracelet manufacturer Lance Armstrong on its cover. Armstrong, who, in the spirit of Diddy and Oprah before him, is prepping to run his first New York City marathon November 5, gives an “exclusive interview” to magazine about his forthcoming five-borough devirgining, including his defiance of Nike’s outfit proposal:

The Nike guys came down and were like, “Here’s what you’re going to wear in the marathon.” And they brought these little short things. I said, “No, I’m not.” I’m running in, like, basketball shorts. That’s what I run in every day.

Armstrong’s ex-wife, Kristin, is a contributing editor to Runner’s World, who took up running shortly after their split.

Runner’s World

That’s what some gossip-tinged media insiders in New York are wondering, after Maer Roshan‘s third incarnation of Radar spent the past couple days pounding Page Six.

As Eat The Press’ Rachel Sklar deftly explains:

Both items mentioned Jared Paul Stern, the former Page Sixer who this spring was alleged to have attempted to blackmail supermarket magnate Ron Burkle. That’s the same Ron Burkle who has been alleged to be a part-owner of — wait for it — Radar. In March, before the Page Six scandal broke, the rumor surfaced on Women’s Wear Daily that Ron Burkle and Yusef Jackson were in talks to fund the then-defunct magazine (broken, in a poetic twist, by then-WWDers Sara James and Jeff Bercovici, the now-Radar staffer who wrote both the above-linked items). Jackson did indeed go on to fund Radar, and has specifically not confirmed (but not denied) that Burkle is involved (“I don’t discuss my investor group,” he told the Chicago Tribune, even though everyone else does: both the Trib and the NYT mentioned Burkle and Yousef’s partnership in making a play for the Chicago Sun-Times in 2004). Radar editor Maer Roshan would not so confirm, either, saying “To my knowledge, Yusef has not publically named any other investors in this venture, but your question about Ron Burkle’s involvement is best addressed to him.”

EARLIER:

Multiple sources tell FishbowlNY that Jason Binn [left, with Lizzie Grubman] is exploring a sale of his luxe publishing company, Niche Media, to Jerry Powers‘s SoBe News, who co-founded Ocean Drive with Binn, and Nevada-based Greenspun Media, which co-publishes Vegas magazine with Powers.

Binn is a shareholder in SoBe News.

Binn, who founded Niche Media in 1998, did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment.

Binn’s ability to reach high-end advertisers through his oversized titles, including Aspen Peak, Gotham, Hamptons, Los Angeles Confidential, led to his induction into the advertising hall of fame.

Ex-Gawker co-editor Jesse Oxfeld with Jessica Coen in May

Gawker co-editor Jessica Coen is leaving Nick Denton‘s Gawker Media — the so-called Condé Nast of the blogosphere — for the real thing. Coen today announced she’s taken a gig as Vanity Fair‘s deputy online editor:

These are my last two weeks at Gawker, and I’d rather not get reflective and emotional just yet (and seriously, why the hell am I so emotional?! I’m exhausted — move on, lady!), as I still have to get up at some ungodly hour and help you procrastinate for a little while longer. After I’m done here, I’ll be heading over to Vanity Fair, where I’ll be their deputy online editor. While it’s actually quite hard to say goodbye to this job (crap, am I being sincere already?), I can’t pass up the opportunity to do all sorts of inappropriate things to the Conde Nast salad bar when no one’s looking.

Coen’s departure comes less than three months after her longtime co-editor, Jesse Oxfeld, was let go in a companywide shakeup and replaced by a co-editor, Alex Balk, and managing editor Chris Mohney.

FishbowlNY’s Gawker Coverage:

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Before naming NBC president Jeff Zucker successor for CEO Bob Wright, the network has “launched an informal formal search for outsiders that could take over Wright’s post,” the New York Post reports.

On the list of casual candidates? Ousted Viacom CEO Tom Freston.

The network, however, says there “is no search.” And Wright has not indicated when he would step down, all of which would seem to indicate a non-story here. But the lure of a “Zucker Punch” headline is too hard to resist.

An edgier than usual Top Ten about gay ex-New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey, via last night’s Late Show With David Letterman broadcast on CBS:

THE “LATE SHOW” TOP TEN: “Chapter Titles in Jim McGreevey’s Book”

10. “The Day I Got Caught Governing Myself”
9. “How to Pretend to Like Girls for 47 Years”
8. “From Schwarzenegger to Pataki: Governors I’d Like to Oil Up”
7. “Another Confession: I Can’t Resist Entenmann’s Pound Cake”
6. “At First I Just Thought I Was Bipartisan”
5. “The New Jersey Budget Crisis: What Would Judy Garland Do?”
4. “A Look at the Governor’s Balls”
3. “Politicians Who Left a Bad Taste in My Mouth”
2. “How to Push Through a Bill — Or a Steve or a Larry”
1. “Why I Don’t Like Bush”

EARLIER:

On Tuesday, cops were summoned to Keith Olbermann‘s Central Park South home after the Countdown host opened envelope with a white substance was found. On Wednesday, the New York Post ran a Page Six story about the incident entitled “Powder Puff Spooks Keith.” Yesterday, Olbermann responded to the Post:

The Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper, The New York Post, may have just impeded an FBI investigation into terroristic threats. I know this because I was a recipient.

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