Some quotes from Bettman: ''We're not asking for a rollback,'' Bettman said. ''We have said that our proposal - the one that is time-sensitive - would have a phase-in, and while it contemplates the possible reduction in player share, if you use our estimates it would be under 10 percent. If you use the players' association's estimate on revenue growth, it would actually be seven percent. ''When you factor all of that in, it seems to me that having a work stoppage and damaging (hockey-related revenue) long term really doesn't make a whole lot of sense.'' ''What we would be prepared to do now to make a deal before there is extensive damage is not the same that we will be prepared to do in the event we get to a point where we have suffered the damage,'' Bettman said. ''We looked at their proposal. It was clear that there wasn't very much movement at all - if any. A little bit around the edges. ''We said we have to try something different which is why we tried to simplify the approach and focus on the percentage.'' Am I totally desperate, or is there reason to be guardedly optimistic about this?