The case of the Houston Rockets vs. Tracy McGrady appears to be nearing its end. Read the full story

Tracy McGrady is back.

With his expected return thought to be no sooner than early December, at best, the Rockets swingman told Yahoo! Sports that he will make his return to the court on Nov. 18 against Minnesota.

For the past eight months, McGrady has rehabbed his surgically repaired left knee.

In an email to Yahoo! Sports, McGrady wrote, “Excited to get back and compete at a high level again. For a full year I had to play on one leg against the best and I couldn’t compete with anybody the way I was feeling. It’s gonna be a relief to get out there and play knowing what I went [through] last season and this summer.”

McGrady played in 35 games last season before undergoing microfracture surgery.

He averaged 15.6 points on 38 percent shooting from the field and was clearly hindered because of the knee, relying more and more upon the jump shot.

McGrady was expected to take another MRI on the knee on Nov. 23, but the play of rookie wing Chase Budinger may have led him to move up his return.

Budinger has averaged 10.6 points on 52.5 percent shooting this season and is undoubtedly the Rockets’ swingman of the future due to his athleticism, shooting ability and savvy offensive ability.

The bottom line is, at 4-2 so far, including wins against Utah and Portland, the Rockets have surprised and have played at a high level even without McGrady, a fact that probably doesn’t sit too well with the seven-time All-Star.

With Budinger one of the Rockets’ top bench players, McGrady’s return would likely mean either Trevor Ariza or Shane Battier get sent to the bench.

It would likely be Battier. The Rockets didn’t spend their mid-level exception to have Ariza as a glorified sixth man, plus the professional and team-oriented Battier would not complain about the move.

Either way, it would make sense for the Rockets to see what McGrady can do before February’s trading deadline.

He is in the final year of a contract which reportedly pays around $20 million this season, and would likely play well to showcase for a new suitor and earn one last, big deal.

If he doesn’t play up to par, and he provides no aid at all to the Rockets, the team might consider dealing him, considering it’s a buyer’s market in these hard economic times for NBA teams.

At best, McGrady is a No. 1 offensive option that would allow Brooks and Ariza to assume the complimentary roles that fit them best.

McGrady is a playmaker, and with a Rockets team that struggles in the halfcourt and has no true, legit lead player, he would help immensely in that area as a scorer that could demand a double team and make plays for others.

However, at worst, McGrady is a ball-stopper who settles too often for jump shots, particularly the aggravating kind that are just a step inside the 3-point line.

Yahoo! Sports reported that, while McGrady is awaiting final clearance from team doctors, Rockets sources don’t expect there to be any problems.

- Dennis Silva II/The Katy Capsule

GREEN BAY – Aaron Rodgers brought the Packers back late in the fourth quarter, heaving a 50-yard touchdown pass to Greg Jennings with 1:11 remaining to give Green Bay a 21-15 victory over the Chicago Bears in the season opener Sunday night.

Facing third-and-1 at the 50-yard line, Rodgers faked play action and heaved a rainbow of a throw deep to Jennings, who ran in for the go-ahead score. Rodgers found Jennings again for a 2-point conversion.

Rodgers’ big throw ruined the debut of Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, who threw a career-worst four interceptions.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/

Read the full story

Green Bay — On most days this off-season, Ryan Grant would emerge through the familiar Packers tunnel onto Lambeau Field, turn left and take off, starting at the aisle between Sections 131 and 133.

He sprinted every step – not skipping two at a time – running up and then down each and every aisle. Past the seats where the bikini girls brave the elements, past where the adoring await with open arms for the Lambeau Leap, past the press box and rows of critics, around to the scoreboard that so badly needs him and by the famous retired numbers of Hutson, Starr, Nitschke and White. Read the full story

Brazil retained its top spot in the FIFA world rankings released Wednesday by soccer’s international governing body.

Canada remained at No. 66, sandwiched between Saudi Arabia and Wales.

Brazil ended Spain’s one-year supremacy atop the FIFA rankings in July, taking over the top position after winning the FIFA Confederations Cup the month before in South Africa. Read the full story

NATCHITOCHES – Bradley Dale Peveto has been well received by his Northwestern State football players in his first season as the Demons’ head coach, but his popularity spiked Thursday when he called off practice.

The day after the last of three major preseason scrimmages for Northwestern, Peveto and his staff watched tape of the Wednesday night “Meet the Demons Scrimmage” and decided to give the team a break. It was music to the Demons’ ears. Read the full story

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/peter_king/09/01/favre.vikings.texans/index.html?eref=sihpT1

Favre passes latest preseason test

HOUSTON — “Two weeks ago,” Brett Favre said, walking out of Reliant Stadium late Monday night, “I was weed-eatin.’ I mean, to come out here and move around this way and make a few throws, I’m pretty happy with it.”

Favre should be. But he’ll be sore in the morning. And that’s the crux of this Brett Favre Survival Season for the Minnesota Vikings. Already he has sore ribs, exacerbated by an illegal crackback block he laid on the knee of Houston safety Eugene Wilson in the third quarter of Monday’s 17-10 win over the Texans. He’s playing with a partially torn rotator cuff and chronically sore ankles. He took two sacks against Houston and got rattled around a couple more times.

Right now, 12 days before the Vikings play games that count, Favre’s like the rest of us: He doesn’t know if he can last an 18th full season.

“That’s the question,” he said. “I don’t know.”

For the first time in his life, the odds might be against him lasting 16 games. But if he can, some pretty special things could happen. That was evident in the first quarter against Houston. On the first scrimmage play of the game, Favre turned and handed to the best running back in the league, Adrian Peterson, and Peterson cut right, planted his foot and won a footrace up the right sideline for a 75-yard touchdown. On the ensuing series, the Vikings’ stout run defense stopped Steve Slaton twice, and Jared Allen sacked Matt Schaub. Three and out.

Two Wildcat direct snaps to rookie phenom Percy Harvin … 11 rushes for 117 yards by Peterson … 2.7 yards per opponents’ rush, thanks to Kevin and Pat Williams stuffing anything that ran … and Favre ’s 13-of-18 passing in seven Viking series. That’s what Favre needs to be: a good, complementary player who doesn’t turn it over and who moves the chains, and who, occasionally, make one of the old Favre-type plays.

Now, America, can you see why Brett Favre wanted to play for this Minnesota team so much?

What the Vikings need Favre to do now is get to know his mates. On one pass play, he gave Harvin the kind of look he used to give Donald Driver in Green Bay, the kind of look that said, “I’m coming to you.” But Harvin didn’t know that look and the ball didn’t come his way.

The most rewarding thing for offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, who has been tutoring Favre since his arrival in Minnesota two weeks ago, was a third-down conversion late in the first quarter. The Vikings had the ball third-and-seven at their 26, and Favre set up in the shotgun, with trips left?three receivers to the left. Here came the pressure, and Visanthe Shiancoe, who was supposed to run deep downfield, knew to cut off his route just past the first-down marker. Favre knew he’d cut it off. And Shiancoe, button-hooking at 11 yards with linebacker DeMeco Ryans on his back, turned around to find the line drive, low, right in his hands.

“That’s what I’m talking about,” Bevell said, smiling, after the game. “Some of that is dictated by coverage, some by the pass-rush, and some just by feel, and Brett and Visanthe knew when to make that play. My biggest concern is not Brett knowing the offense. My biggest concern is Brett knowing the players.”

“Exactly,” Favre said. “We run plays I’m very familiar with, but I have to learn these guys. It’s not the plays, it’s the players.”

Monday night was the five-week anniversary of Favre turning down the Vikings and saying he was staying retired. “I passed up the greatest chance I could have had right now, and it hurts,” a downcast Favre said that night. Three weeks later he unretired, and two weeks into his second comeback, Favre showed how well he fit with the Vikings, who clearly — if they stay healthy — are strong Super Bowl contenders.

Favre twice played wide receiver while rookie Percy Harvin took shotgun Wildcat snaps. On the second, he dove into Houston safety Eugene Wilson’s right knee as the play came back to his side; Favre was penalized five yards for a crackback block and appeared to be wincing as he rose from the turf. Favre wasn’t hurt, but Wilson might be. He lay on the turf for several moments before being removed with an injured knee. When the replay was shown on the Reliant Stadium video boards, the crowd booed Favre lustily, thinking it was a dirty play. Asked afterward what he’d say to Favre if he could talk to him about it, Wilson said: “What’s up with that? Seriously, what’s up with that? … I’m just happy to be walking.”

“I’m sorry if he’s injured,” said Favre. “That was not my intent. Percy was running my way, and I was trying to protect my guy. My intent was not to be cheap.”

So it was a successful dress rehearsal for Minnesota’s opener Sept. 13 at Cleveland. The question now is, will Favre be able to make it through another season taking the punishment he’ll have to take to survive? Nothing is guaranteed with a quarterback playing at 40. But for one night, he passed Childress’ acid test.

“How will I play this year?” Favre said. “Time will tell. I’ve got a long way to go. We’re only 12, 13 days into it. But I got better tonight. I know I’m up against the clock, but I took another step forward tonight.”

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=290831034

Favre plays 3 quarters with bad rib as Texans lose Schaub to sprained ankle

HOUSTON — Brett Favre’s ribs appear to be just fine.

He took plenty of hits and even delivered one.Adrian Peterson scored on the game’s first play, Favre played three quarters despite saying he might have an injured rib, and the Minnesota Vikings beat the Houston Texans 17-10 in a preseason game Monday night.

In his second game since unretiring less than two weeks ago, Favre was 13 of 18 for 142 yards. He didn’t move the offense much following Peterson’s touchdown until a 28-yard catch and run by Chester Taylor just before halftime.ESPN reported before the game that Favre said he thinks he has a cracked rib, but the 39-year-old didn’t look to be in pain while getting sacked twice and taking numerous hits.After the game he backed off his comments.”There is nothing you can do about it first of all, secondly, I don’t believe it is [cracked],” he said. “It doesn’t feel great but I think I will be fine. We have not done an X-ray yet. If it is cracked, there is nothing you can do about it.”He drew a penalty for an illegal crackback block to the knee of Houston’s Eugene Wilson when he lined up wide in the wildcat formation in the third quarter. Wilson was injured on the play, but said he’ll be OK.Favre said he wasn’t out to hurt anyone and was simply trying to protect rookie Percy Harvin, who took the snap.”I will be 40 years old in October and [was] weed-eating 13 days ago,” Favre said. “I wasn’t thinking about throwing blocks.”Wilson said he hadn’t spoken to Favre, but if he did he would ask him one thing.”What was up with that?” Wilson said. “Seriously, what was up with that?”Vikings coach Brad Childress said Favre was much better than in his debut, but there’s still work to do.”He did some really good things as far as putting the ball where it needed to be,” Childress said. “He will be the first to tell you that he missed a few reads. He made a couple of nice plays with his feet and he had enough of the pocket presence to move around when he had to and still get the football where it needed to be.”Houston’s Matt Schaub had a tough day. He was called for intentional grounding and threw an interception before spraining his ankle in the second quarter. He returned after the injury, but was limping and was replaced by Dan Orlovsky to start the third quarter.He said he hurt his foot when it caught the rubber on the sideline as he ran out of bounds.”I just felt a little something in my ankle and it kind of progressively got a little sore,” Schaub said. “I was able to stay in there and just came in at the half and figured it was best to just get some treatment on it and proceed that way.”Schaub was 10 of 14 for 108 yards with one interception. He said he expects to play Friday.Peterson scored on a 75-yard run when he sliced through Houston’s defense virtually untouched. He finished with 117 yards rushing, the second straight game the Texans have allowed a 100-yard rusher. Mike Bell had 10 carries for 100 yards in a loss to New Orleans.”Well, you can’t set [the tone] much better than that when you can go yard on the first play,” Childress said. “That really punched a hole in things.”DeMeco Ryans led Houston’s defense with 16 tackles and a sack, and was pleased that the defense bounced back after that run by Peterson.Minnesota’s three drives after Peterson’s touchdown ended with punts, one of them coming when Favre was sacked by Mario Williams.The Vikings got the ball at the Houston 24 early in the second quarter after Schaub’s interception, but had to settle for a field goal after Favre’s pass was deflected on second down and then fell incomplete on third down.Favre led a Vikings drive that took seven minutes in the third quarter, but that too ended with a punt after an incomplete pass and a false start penalty.Houston’s first three drives ended with punts before Schaub’s interception, and the Texans’ only touchdown came on a 4-yard run by Steve Slaton in the second quarter.Orlovsky was intercepted in the third quarter, and finished 7 of 11 for 74 yards.Tarvaris Jackson started the fourth quarter for Minnesota and Sage Rosenfels ended the game in his return to Houston after an offseason trade. Jackson completed both of his passes for 22 yards, and Rosenfels was 2 of 3 for 26 yards.Game notes
Houston’s Andre Johnson played into the fourth quarter and had three receptions for 61 yards. … Minnesota rookie Harvin caught three passes for 31 yards. … Texans receiver Kevin Walter injured his right hamstring in the first half and did not return.

Someone was gracious enough to take a picture of this delicious “mural” of Michael Vick strangling a dog wearing a Dallas Cowboys jersey. It goes to illustrate the point that people either are willing to live with Vick’s past life as dogfighting’s Don King, or they just accept that practice as a whole, and don’t really care. Read the full story

K.I.S.D. has fired the three Morton Ranch High School football coaches that were under investigation.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/katy/news/6588843.html

Katy ISD votes to fire three Morton Ranch coaches

The Katy ISD board of trustees approved separate recommendations for the proposed termination of three Morton Ranch High School coaches, who were accused earlier this month of violating district policies concerning student records, misuse of funds, and athletic eligibility. Read the full story

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/education/090826_katy_isd_coaches_meeting

Trustees to Decide Katy
Coaches’ Fate

Katy ISD trustees are expected to decide Wednesday whether three Morton Ranch High School coaches should be fired amid allegations they were violated district policies regarding student records, misuse of funds, and athletic eligibility surfaced. Read the full story

After scoring the first goal, and then going into halftime tied, the United States soccer team lost 2-1 to Mexico. This loss continued the winless streak the U.S. went into the game with against Mexico.

ESPN.com Recap

Want A Pizza At Cowboys Stadium? That’ll Be $90

One of the first things I did when looking into the Cowboys new stadium was to see what kind of food they have. This makes sense. I am a fat person, so my first inquiry into any new facility will be of a culinary variety. But when you go to the official site for the Double J’s new McMansionrena, you can only get a broad overview of what to expect from the stadium catering. There’s no menu, and there are certainly no prices. Because if you have to ask, of course, then you aren’t a true fan.