No question [the lack of ownership] is going to play a role with everybody they have interest in. There's no doubt about that. You're entering into a situation where basically there's no assurances, no certainty to any aspect of it. It's a tough battle for them. It's an unfair battle for them, is what it is.

This (Toronto) was the place he wanted to play in all along.

Look, all I've told people is we have multiple offers. Beyond that it's really difficult to gauge the ebb and flow of negotiations. At no point have we said that there is a timetable. There isn't. Going through all these teams is a complex thing and it just wouldn't make sense to set a timetable. We might wait until after the meetings. We might not.

At the end of the day, I think Karen realized it would be best for her husband to be in a place where his career could flourish.

He made a decision that's probably a bad decision, and he's feeling the repercussions of making the statement when he did.

After everything that has happened, the last thing you expect the team to say is, 'Just go home.' It's almost unprecedented. It's a terrible way to end the relationship as volatile as that relationship has been for some time.