So who goes first -- Roy Halladay or J.P. Ricciardi?
That is the question in the wake of the big-talk, little action Blue Jays trade deadline front.
Does Ricciardi get replaced, as he should be at the conclusion of another season gone nowhere, or will he be around in the winter to attempt to deal Halladay, re-sign the pitcher or make a sales pitch to build around him with his usual bafflegab?
The betting here is that Halladay will outlast Ricciardi as a Jay, that the new president and incoming GM will try to convince the pitcher it is worth staying in Toronto, and if the team isn't any better a year from now, they can go through the entire trade talk process again.
Without the involvement of Ricciardi. We hope.
THIS AND THAT
One less reason to watch the Blue Jays in 2009: The vacuum cleaner named Scott Rolen now is playing in Cincinnati and we're paying for it. Haven't seen a third baseman that smooth since Brooks Robinson ... Amazed that Ricciardi had a conference call interview after the baseball trade deadline passed. Normally, when he wants to make a point, he just picks up the phone and calls ESPN, Sports Illustrated or Fox Sports to get his message out ... Overheard at Yankee Stadium this week: "You think if Halladay gets traded here, they'll make him shave his beard?" ... Pat Gillick's hand-picked successor with the Philadelphia Phillies, Ruben Amaro, outsmarted just about everyone in baseball, picking up Cliff Lee from Cleveland without giving up any of the players the Blue Jays were asking for in the Halladay negotiations. The early real difference between having Lee over Halladay in the National League: Lee can hit. He banged out two singles in his first win in Philadelphia.
HEAR AND THERE
Let us recap for a moment. The NHL has approved the ownership of Boots Del Biagio (going to jail), Bruce McNall (been to jail), Henry Samueli (awaiting sentencing), John Rigas (currently in jail), Sanjay Kumar (in jail), among others, but unanimously rejected Jim Balsillie on issues of "character and integrity." But no, as commissioner Gary Bettman insists, none of this is personal ... Have to feel for a solid guy like Don Maloney, GM of the Phoenix Coyotes, who essentially doesn't have a coach, may not have a job, doesn't know where his team is playing this coming season, and continues to try to keep this mess afloat ... On a Sporting News list of the 50 greatest coaches of all-time, Scotty Bowman was ranked seventh, which is too low.
SCENE AND HEARD
Arland Bruce didn't play much for Hamilton Friday night because he wasn't familiar enough with their plays. Funny, that never stopped him from playing for the Argos ... You have to go back to that crazy my-son-is-the-quarterback ownership scene in Calgary to see a Wally Buono team looking as lost and pathetic as this year's B.C. Lions ... Why do so many people continue refer to Canadians as non-imports in the CFL? It's the Canadian Football League. It's not the Non Import Football League.
AND ANOTHER THING
Don't expect sure-thing Ryan Getzlaf to be much of a participant in Canada's Olympic hockey camp. He's coming off sports hernia surgery. But can't see an Olympic team without him in a prominent role ... I give up, why was Jason Spezza's wedding covered on the national news?
STEVE.SIMMONS@SUNMEDIA.CA
