Some Thursday afternoon revelations:

• The Columbus Landsharks will either move to Phoenix or suspend operations for one season.
• The Ottawa Rebel will either move to London, Ontario, or go into hibernation.
• The New York Saints will either be sold or shut down.

Under most circumstances, these are hardly worth mentioning. With the Albany Attack long gone for San Jose and the New Jersey Storm freshly out of the swamplands, the Landsharks, Rebel and Saints are the National Lacrosse League's three biggest question marks.

The three teams don't draw well, they've been losing money hand over fist, and neither part is a secret.

What makes the statements newsworthy is the source. They came from NLL commissioner Jim Jennings.

Speaking during today's media conference call to announce the Storm's relocation to Anaheim, Jennings unabashedly discussed the grim situation for the league's three remaining major trouble spots.

"If we're not successful in a city, there's not much sense in continuing in that city," Jennings said.

Not even the appearance that the league is dangerously unstable seems to concern him.

"My goal is not so much quantity of teams but quality," the commissioner said. "We've found a formula that is successful -- partnering with NHL arenas and teams and we're hell-bent on doing that.

"Once we do that, the stability of this league will come and you'll see fewer teams moving. I'm hoping we can get back to an expansion mode next year."

For better or for worse, Jennings has presided over the most active period in the league's seventeen-year history. Since he became commissioner in September 2000, five expansion franchises have been added (one of which has since suspended operations) and an equal number of franchises have relocated.

Within a few days, the NLL could reach four suspensions. If the cards are dealt differently, there could be seven relocations under Jennings' watch instead.

Although nothing is secure at this moment, the Landsharks appear to be in decent shape, at least relative to the other two struggling teams. A deal is in the works to move to Arizona, where the National Hockey League's Phoenix Coyotes would operate the team.

The Landsharks would play at a new arena going up in Glendale, just outside Phoenix. The still-to-be-named, 17,500-seat barn opens in late December, perfect timing for a lacrosse team.

Ottawa, meanwhile, has focused on the 9000-seat John Labatt Centre in London. The arena is smaller than the NLL would like and the city probably is, too, but there's apparently no alternative which would keep the Rebel in the league for 2004.

On Long Island, the concern is with a sale rather than a relocation. Mike Gongas and Charlie Russo (who also own the Landsharks) are looking to unload the Saints, and reportedly found a local buyer.

However, there are fresh rumors that the sale is in trouble, and Jennings' comments today did not mute those claims.

Regardless of how the Landsharks/Rebel/Saints saga shakes out, the league likely will go to a two-division format next season, separating into Eastern and Western groups. The past two seasons, it had three divisions, Eastern, Central, and Northern.

Jennings said that if all the franchise movements are settled by then, the 2004 schedule should be released around mid-August.