Swapping erratic outfielder Carlos Gomez for Brewers shortstop J.J. Hardy solves the team's outfield logjam, means Orlando Cabrera will be gone and holds out the possibility that the newest Twin could become effective hitting in the No. 2 slot.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A key committee chair and top NFL and Major League Baseball officials say yes. Players’ reps and a law professor say no, arguing for other ways to handle the impasse.

Brett Favre has a reputation for embracing the pressures of the Big Moment. No one in big-time professional sports does it with more relish.

Brett Favre returns to Green Bay Sunday to face a bitter crowd of Packer fans. Green Bay's mayor welcomes the national attention but worries about the city's image. So he is taking the role of the amiable healer.

Trees falling in unknown forests make more noise than the Timberwolves are making as they open their 21st season tonight against the New Jersey Nets at Target Center. Be prepared for one-step-forward, one-step-backward maneuvering.

It's not the NFL, but ex-Viking practice squad player Ryan Hoag made the opening-night roster for New York's new United Football League team. And he's not giving up on getting back to the pros.

The Vikings lost for the first time in seven games but that hardly qualifies for heartbreak and baying at the moon. There are still more than three months to go and the crises usually arrive weekly after this — beginning next Sunday when Brett Favre returns to Green Bay.

If even one among the four highly regarded prospects turns into a starting-caliber MLB player, the Twins' $12 million investment will prove to be a bargain.

The accredited superstars had delivered abundantly for both teams, leaving the game's outcome up to a young field goal kicker who seemed miscast in the climactic moment of Sunday's  bizarre football game.

Our mission, should we choose to accept it — and frankly, we have to — is to figure out a thoughtful, progressive, Minnesota-ish, 21st-century way to build a new stadium, or recycle the Metrodome, to accommodate our beloved football team.

It comes down to this: If the team wants to be "world champion," it cannot tolerate or coddle role players who botch bunts, run the bases poorly and miss signs or cutoff men — brainless mistakes that cost you games.

Sure, the team has lots of issues to address, but that was just as true last week, when everyone was giddy about sneaking into the playoffs, as it is this week, when everyone is sad about being swept out.

After playing 12 innings Tuesday night and a late overnight arrival in New York, the Twins surprisingly took a quick two-run lead before succumbing to the Yankee offense and strong pitching from CC Sabathia and a dominant bullpen.

No team can match the Yankees when it comes to lineup depth and offensive firepower, but the Twins were plenty good at scoring runs themselves and have an array of strong hitters, including Mauer, Kubel, Cuddyer and Span.

Should the team accomplish its "other" season goals, we'll look back on this game not only in February but for years to come as the spark, a turning point as much as anything can be in a steady 4-0 start. Unless, of course, it's not.