Now the question is, how can the media (they) say that Jim Balsillie's hopes are being dashed? How quickly even the National Post reports that although they see Jim Balsillie with an outside chance, it's not looking good. Well, it wasn't even looking good that he would still be in court, but he still is. He has defied the odds, that would be the media. He is still there. In fact, if it wasn't for the NHL placing their own bid in opposition, Balsillie would already be the last man standing. Oh, what would the media say then? He is in a  hearing today, all but brief, to request mediation with the NHL.  That could be looked at like it was a good thing -- the judge wanting the sides to come to terms because it is obvious Jim Balsillie is the favored bid. But, no, we have to look at it like a desperate attempt to salvage this thing: And so whenever one party or the other proposes mediation, as Moyes and Balsillie's company, PSE, did this week, it feels like weakness. Yes, Judge Baum has been dropping hints all along that he would like the two sides to mediate their way out of this mess, and it could be argued that attempts at mediation are just shows of good faith. But again, this is like WWI -- both sides are entrenched, and the end will be imposed by the tip of the spear. The odds makers in the