ONCE BITTEN, TWICE SHY

Whatever you hear, whatever you read, whatever goes down with the Can-Am League and Ottawa in the next 24-48 hours, keep in mind that it's the municipal government who, it says here, effectively bargained in rather dubious faith.

It negotiated with Miles Wolff's Can-Am League while the Lynx were still playing the International League season. Then it dragged its feet and became infatuated with David Butler's harebrained vision of a multipurpose Xanadu — while saying the Lynx had to say they were leaving, which hadn't been an issue at first.

This might have been solid on legal grounds, but it was bad for bargaining. The Lynx are understandably disinclined to take anything from the city on faith and probably wanted just to try and make a clean break, not have to wait and wait and wait.

There was finally some movement last week, but here it is, after business hours on Nov. 19 — seven weeks after Wolff wanted something firm — and there's nothing that would indicate that the Lynx have received any formal offer that would allow them to move to Allentown, Pa., and user in a new baseball era in this city. Baseball is played without a clock, but this is ridiculous.

Judging from the post Carl has up at Ottawa Lynx Blog, it's going to come to a head in the next 24-48 hours (probably less than 24, actually). Can-Am commish Wolff has seven existing franchises he has to be accountable too. He's very close to having to cut bait here, which is a rotten shame for the city and for baseball at the grass roots in Canada. Hey, it's not like we're a world capital here or something.

If the City of Ottawa wanted baseball instead of an empty stadium, it has a funny way of showing it. This has also hurt Wolff's plans of putting a team in Montreal and revving up a regional rivalry. But hey, the people at City Hall who can't see the city for all their bailiwicks apparently couldn't care less. They have pathetic fallacies to fulfill.

Time to put up or shut up (Ottawa Lynx Blog)