I guess it's appropriate that this week has a lot of sports news. However, this item doesn't mention the words "Brett" or "Favre."

Over at the Pioneer Press, sports editor Mike Bass has made a passel of reassignments, although you-know-who's team isn't affected; Sean Jensen and Rick Alonzo will still cover the Vikings, and the columnists (Charley Walters, Tom Powers, Bob Sansevere) remain in place.

Some other shuffles were needed in part because Bass lost his primary Twins writer, Phil Miller, in layoffs earlier this summer. Kelsie Smith will still cover the Twins as the main beat reporter, but John Shipley will move from covering the Wild to be her backup.

Bruce Brothers will become the Wild beat writer, moving from Gophers hockey, copy editing and general assignment.

The Timberwolves won’t have a beat writer per se. Shipley, Ray Richardson and Brian Murphy will tag-team the NBA club. Richardson, who formerly covered high schools, had been a Wolves beat writer earlier in his career. He’ll still do some high school coverage.

Murphy had been a general assignment reporter; in addition to helping out on the Wolves, he’ll do Gophers hockey. (Should be a busy winter for him.)

Don Seeholzer will move from the Wolves beat to the copy desk “while helping with some other initiatives,” Bass says.