Mediation now?

Why not in late October?

Tonight my heart is doing the thinking for me and yes, it can lead to huge disappointment if wrong.

The BOG which meets I believe on December 5th in NYC, wanted it now. For the simple reason they can have as many facts as possible in front of them to help decide which direction these talks will go.

Word is the next CBA meeting could be in New York on Wednesday and at that time it will be conducted under the "auspices" of the mediation team.

Chances are they will meet at least 3-5 times before the BOG meeting and the reports from the mediators will become very important to all concerned.

Have some of the "big marker owners" spoken up or put some pressure on Bettman to approve mediation at this point in time?

Make no mistake, none of these owners are sitting back, smoking big cigars while their feet are propped on the board room table. Those days are long gone and in order to get where they are today, they have weighed both the pros and cons when every a major decision needs to made.

This may be the time for them to decide, do they really want to lose another season and experience what that would bring their way?