Topps: Now What?

So Upper Deck decided Topps wasn't worth the hassle. If you're Topps, what does that mean? And what is your next step? Do you immediately sell to Eisner and Tornante? Or do you count your lucky stars that McWilliam and Upper Deck got sick of your 'I-know-you-are-but-what-am-I' stalling, regroup with what you've got, and say the hell with Eisner? We'll find out next Thursday, August 30th, when Topps shareholders vote.

I have no doubt in my mind that a baseball card market with Topps in the picture as an independent company is a good thing for collectors. But if you're Major League Baseball and the Player's Association, should you consider bringing Donruss (or a newcomer) into the mix? Presumably this won't be the last we'll see of Upper Deck trying its hand at baseball card imperialism. And if you're Topps, what does this mean for your products? Even if Topps does an about-face and rejects Eisner's bid, is now the time when you look at your product lineup and fine-tune? And if not now, when?