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First the PY quote

That they won't be in Minneapolis for the meeting doesn't mean they won't be represented. NoL owners have "called in" to those meetings.

On the other hand, given how he handled the travel subsidy, I think the intent of his comment means what we all think it means.

A fuller story

From the Calgary Herald: Vipers eye Golden horizons

Note: This article is from Gidney, not PY.

Big quotes (emphasis added):

Gidney has to make a decision, in conjunction with Edmonton Cracker-Cats owner Dan Orlich, about where his team will play baseball next season.

Meaning... the Vipers and C-Cats are a "package deal." They pretty much have to go together or travel costs go nut for both clubs (and leagues). (And crazi will you forget Toon Town already --it's a dead even if only ONE club left)

Stop dreaming

The AA clubs are never coming back to the NoL, period. Nothing has changed in the NoL to make any of them want to come back. Why would anyone in their right mind want to buy into the NoL these days? All of this press and activity is doing some real damage to the league.

The NoL clubs are the ones who would try to get into the AA and most of the league --especially the southern division clubs-- aren't all that interested. The AA is expanding and/or improving with a new ballpark in Grand Prairie and getting Wichita. The AA has little or no need for the NoL clubs.

The NoL's "go it alone/we know best" approach and general disdain for the departed clubs and other leagues has done little to help. If they haven't started making overtures to the AA, they may run out of time. The AA owners meeting is the same weekend and they have to make their own plans for 2008 and can't/won't wait (long) for the NoL to figure its own problems out.

Brinksmanship ...again... this time with Gidney.

The rest of the article is covers the same topics... "bad 2008 schedule, travel subsidies must die." They also finally make public the GBL option:

So unless he sees something better prior to a league meeting on Oct. 5 in Minneapolis, Gidney won't rule out the possibility of his team playing in the California-based Golden League next year.

"We haven't changed our position," he said. "We're looking at this point. But we have to look at various options. We're paid-up members of the Northern League, but we need to see that they're willing to work with us."

The last (emphasized) quote is the only sign that the GLB is not "done deal" for the Vipers --but not going to the meeting just makes it clear they want a lot of concessions "or else." Given Sam's last comments (including that the Chicago clubs "wouldn't shed a tear"), it's hard to say which way things will go. It's hard to believe the (remaining) owners would want to cave in to the AB clubs unless forced into the matter.

In all of this GBL itself hasn't made any public comments about expanding to AB. There's been precious little from their end about any of this --and they're the most important part. As with the AA's schedule, this will have to be resolved soon so, if the AB clubs do bolt, the GBL can work out their 2008 plans accordingly.

More defections?

And then there's this bomb in that same article:

The Northern League may be on tenuous ground anyways, as two teams in the Chicago area are rumoured to be looking at a move to the Frontier League.

Hmm... here's the FL rumor again (one, unlike that idiotic and asinine "wet dream" that "Lawless" promotes does not die).

I wonder which Chicago clubs would be involved with this? And... how quickly will Clark, Sam, and/or Bill (Lee) get on the record about either story.


News from Fargo?

I think it should also be noted that this news broke in Fargo, not Winnipeg. WDAY is the radio home of the RedHawks and the IN-Forum is the website for the "The Forum" newspaper --the main newspaper in Fargo.

Isn't curious how there's nothing from Winnipeg --the main source of NoL news-- on this subject (so far)? It suggests that PY & Co. are either specifically bypassing the usual outlets (in "Sam's Town"), the Peg press is not interested in the story or simply missed this morning's press deadline for the print run. Maybe more will break on this story before the meeting --perhaps another comment from "hizzonor."

"Mr. Twain," you've made some excellent points and I fully agree.

At times (some of) the owners have acted, in the words of a recent NoL commissioner, like "Steinbrenner-wannabes." Having recently watched the ESPN-C series The Bronx is Burning, that seems all the more apt when you have different factions/owners arguing their internal issues in the press. We'll have to see if there's (yet) another split (technically shrinking from 18 to 12 to 8 to 6 in the course of six seasons) or they can actually "kiss and make up" to save their collective teams (and investments).

I still (want to) doubt they'll split but can/will they really put all this behind them? We'll have wait two to find out (unless they decide something sooner).