Confusing enough?

Recall those movies with the swinging pendulum blades ratcheting slowly down... closer and closer to slice into the victims chest. That's sort of what the NHL and Balsillie battle takes. At one minute things look grim, then on an instant the momentum shifts the opposite way.

Last week, Balsillie's team effort appeared dead in the water when the owner of Dell computers, Michael Dell, a major creditor of the Phoenix Coyotes approved the Jerry Reinsdorf group bid. Despite the setback, Balsillie simply restated the bid.

In subsequent developments, Jerry Reinsdorf pulled out of the deal making a ton of excuse, none of which was his fault. Consequently, the NHL submits a bid for the team. This heaving to and fro will piss of any judge worth his salt.

From the beginning, Jim Balsillie's bid was consistently the highest, the best, the clearest and the most consistent. The NHL consistently resists the obvious. It is a business deeply in trouble.

The NHL committed to a TV deal with Versus proudly. Now Versus will be dropped from Direct TV, which cuts out a lot of viewers in the United States. There weren't that many to begin with. That was very bad news for GB (Gary Bettman).

Now Reinsdorf pulls out of the deal. He isn't like the rest of the NHL ownership group. He's smart.

Now with the NHL coming in with a late bid with eggs smeared all over it. It appears such a shallow aim. After attempting to cause so much harm to Balsillie it appears that the NHL is losing even the low reputation it had before.

The smart thing to do would be to have a rapprochment with Balsillie. Things many untrue things were said. Whether they like it or not Balsillie is now in the driver's seat.

To win the fight the Judge might decide for a full auction. It will cost the NHL at least $300 M to win this auction, since there is now nothing stopping Balsillie from upping the anti if necessary.