As Michael Jordan makes his way around the league, sports writers will all work a bit harder to put his visit in a larger context.

For his Toronto visit, the Globe & Mail's Michael Grange talks about MJ's financial impact on the league.  

"Everything about the NBA product has changed since he left," said David Carter of the Sports Business Group. "His return alone can't overcome a softening ad market, declining television ratings and the fact he's on a bad team."

The interesting part of the article is that the NBA and it's broadcast partners are in an exclusive negotiation period on a new deal to succeed the one that earned the league $2.6-billion over four years.  There are talks that commissioner David Stern is hoping to wrap up the agreement next month.

One sports television executive called the negotiations in the current economic climate the "most interesting and important in the history of sports television, one that will determine the future of professional sports."