The Brewers will have an absentee owner from LaLaLand. A guy from Denver is trying to buy the Admirals. Can they be trusted?

Yes. All indications are that Mark Attanasio, the Los Angeles investor who is very likely to be approved as the new Brewers' owner, is sincere about wanting to make the team a winner right here in Milwaukee.

Attanasio appeared at a press conference last week and fielded a question about keeping the team here very early. "The Attanasio family feels it has big shoes to fill here," Attanasio said. "But that being said, we know that we can be the stewards of baseball in Milwaukee for the next 35 years."

That sounds sincere. Attanasio also must still go through an approval process of Major League Baseball owners, and with Bud Selig serving as commissioner of baseball you can bet nothing will be approved if there is any suspicion of intent to move the club.

Bill Stewart, the Denver investor who is trying to buy the Admirals, also seems sincere. This writer was in Colorado last week and heard good things about Stewart, who owned a Central Hockey League team in Loveland. Stewart has expressed nothing but a desire to make the Admirals' future at the box office match their success on the ice.

It also became clear in working the Attanasio and Stewart stories that Milwaukee doesn't always make it easy on investors from outside.

"But, what about the Braves?" is something that inevitably comes up when we talk about owners from out of town. Nobody was crushed more than this writer when the carpetbaggers stole the Braves and moved them to Atlanta. But, that was in the 1960s. It's past time to get over it!!

Attanasio wants to find local investors to serve as minority owners. But, the people with money in Milwaukee have not exactly tripped over each other to join the ownership group. If that had been the case, the Seligs would be selling to somebody with a zip code that started with 532.

Stewart has remained steadfast about buying the Admirals despite the fact that he has not been able to work out a lease for the Bradley Center. Under the Pettits, and later their trust fund, the Admirals always had a handshake arrangement with the BC. After all, the Pettits donated the money to build the place.

But, Stewart understandably wants something in writing. As of Tuesday, he was still waiting.

If Milwaukee is going to enjoy professional sports for the long term, it is going to have to prove it is a legitimate modern pro sports market. That means the power structure should be willing to join with sincere outside owners in investing in local teams, and local sports power brokers should not drag their feet or throw obstacles in the way.

The days of the Selig group, Pettits and Senator Herb Kohl owning franchises as much as community services as businesses are over. This writer believes fans are ready to turn out if local sports teams are entertaining and worth the price of admission.

Attanasio and Stewart seem sincere in their desire to provide teams that fit those descriptions. If I can be permitted to mix my metaphors, now it's the local sports power brokers' turn to step to the plate and take the ice.

Packers' Collapse

It's one of those things we all knew would come, but never wanted to talk about. No, I'm not writing about our funerals. I'm writing about the collapse of the Packers.

We all knew Brett Favre couldn't go on forever, carrying the team on his shoulders. Now, with a defense as porous as a spaghetti strainer, a banged up offensive line, a star running back who is having trouble hanging onto the ball, and some questionable coaching, the Packers can't beat anybody -- even on the once hallowed ground of Lambeau Field.

Favre can do virtually nothing about it. In fact, when he tries, he is as likely to throw an interception as a touchdown. His miracles over the years were aided by folks like Robert Brooks, a young Antonio Freeman, Mark Chmura (pre-sex scandal days), Keith Jackson, Edgar Bennett and an overall fine supporting cast.

Without such support, and at age 35, Favre is almost as helpless in turning the Packers around as you and I are. If he's smart, he will retire after this season and let the Packers start what undoubtedly will be some painful rebuilding years.

Hot Tix

The Packers will try to get back on the winning track Sunday when they travel to Detroit to meet the Lions at noon. The UW Badgers, fresh off their big win over Ohio State, will try to stay on that winning track when they take on powerhouse Purdue on the road Saturday.

Despite the uncertainty about their ownership, the Admirals will open their regular season against the Chicago Wolves at 7 p.m. Friday at the BC. On Saturday, they play Rochester in Nashville, the home of their NHL affiliate Predators. Of course, the game is the only hockey being played in Nashville these days since the NHL is mired in a lockout.

The Wave plays a closed exhibition game against the Chicago Storm this Saturday and opens its regular season Oct. 23 at Chicago.

In small college football, the top game puts UW-Eau Claire, 2-1 in the WIAC, at La Crosse, which is 2-0 in the conference.