Texans quarterback Matt Leinart will miss the rest of the season after fracturing his collarbone in the first half of his first start since the 2009 season. (AP)

Texans quarterback Matt Leinart‘s return to the NFL was cut short on Sunday when he fractured his left collarbone in the first half of Houston’s win over the Jaguars on Sunday. Leinart will be placed on injured reserve.

The 28-year-old quarterback was making his first start since the 2009 season, as he was playing in place of injured starting quarterback Matt Schaub. Leinart had been playing well before the injury, completing 10-of-13 passes for 57 yards and a touchdown. He is set to have surgery within the week, while Schaub will have surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury on Wednesday.

Houston will try out other quarterbacks this week as the Texans prepare to take on the Falcons this Sunday. Brett Favre‘s name has been tossed around as a possible replacement for Leinart. While coach Gary Kubiak would not rule out the 42-year-0ld as a possible signing, Favre’s agent said on Monday that his client has not bee contacted by Houston. Rookie T.J. Yates will start against Atlanta. 

Following are more notable injuries from Week 12.

• Steelers safety Troy Polamalu will play against the Bengals this weekend after leaving Sunday’s game against the Chiefs with concussion-like symptoms, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

• Falcons cornerback Brent Grimes suffered a knee injury against the Vikings on Sunday and may be out when Atlanta takes on the Texans this weekend.

• Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin injured his ribs against the Jets on Sunday, but he is expected to be fine going forward.

• It was a bad weekend for defensive backs, as Bengals corner Leon Hall will miss the rest of the season with a torn Achilles tendon. Hall suffered the injury against the Steelers on Sunday.

• Seahawks wide receiver Sidney Rice suffered a concussion against the Redskins and will miss Thursday’s game against the Eagles.

Welcome to Thursday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

WHAT’S HAPPENING LOCALLY THURSDAY:
NHL: Flyers at Bruins, 7 p.m. (Versus)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ On Tuesday, Brett Favre did a radio interview in Atlanta and said he was surprised that it took his replacement in Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers, three years to win a Super Bowl title considering how talented the Packers have been since Favre’s departure. NBC football analyst Rodney Harrison responded by calling Favre “classless” and “immature.” Added Harrison of Favre: “Everything he’s accomplished in his career is now diminished. … He’s about himself. He’s about nothing else but himself.”

♦ John Calipari and Rick Pitino are coaching neighbors in Kentucky, but Calipari is doing his best to pretend that his old friend doesn’t exist. Among the recent slights is a comment Calipari made this week about how other states have multiple programs that split loyalties, but Kentucky rules the Bluegrass State. Said Calipari: “There’s no other state — none — as connected to their basketball program as this one. Because those other states have other programs. Michigan has Michigan State. California, UCLA has all those. North Carolina has Duke. It’s Kentucky, throughout this whole state, and that’s what makes this unique.”

♦ The case of Leo Nunez, the Marlins closer who was pitching under an assumed name, might just be the first of many. According a sports activist in the Dominican Republic, as many as 30 other Dominican natives now playing in the majors and minors are using assumed names to conceal their true ages, and there are more impostors from Venezuela, Panama and Nicaragua.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Oct. 6, 1906, which Red Sox player homered in his final at-bat, as he committed suicide before the following season, shortly after he was named manager?

Read the rest of this entry »

Colts owner Jim Irsay tweeted Sunday from Hattiesburg, Miss., hometown of the currently retired Brett Favre. The full tweet was:

“Brad, I’m in Hattiesburg…is it right or left at the Firechief?”

Though the AP reported that there’s been no contact between Irsay and Favre, Favre has already come out of retirement twice to continue his career.

The Colts, meanwhile, have almost no depth at quarterback behind Peyton Manning, who has yet to play in the preseason after offseason neck surgery. Despite Favre’s poor 2010-11 season with the Vikings and allegations of sexual harassment while playing for the Jets, Favre would still represent a more experienced backup than Curtis Painter, who is 8-for-16 for 95 yards, no touchdowns and an interception in two preseason games. Painter could not get the Colts past their 29-yard-line on any drive in the first half of Friday’s loss to the Redskins.

Bus Cook, Favre’s agent, said that while he hasn’t talked to Favre in the last few days, Favre seems to have no intention of coming out of retirement.

“Last time I saw him he was on his tractor mowing the back 40,” Cook said.

Brett Favre has seen better days. (AP)

Appearing on WGR in Buffalo Friday, Brett Favre said that he no longer has the “edge that makes the great players great.”

“I could easily talk myself into that chip on my shoulder like, ‘Hey everybody hates you . . . .’ and I could motivate myself,” Favre said.

Favre said his first season with the Vikings was his best ever, throwing for 4,202 yards (third-most in his career) and 33 touchdowns to seven interceptions (fewest ever per 16-game season) while posting a career-best 68.4 completion percentage and career-high 107.2 QB rating.

“I threw six or seven interceptions, I mean, I’ve been known to throw that in a game,” Favre said.  “I threw that the whole season.”

After a Philadelphia radio station over the weekend said that Brett Favre would be a good fit to back up Michael Vick with the Eagles, followed up by Vick tweeting that he would be honored to have Favre on the Eagles, Favre’s agent Bus Cook calls the talk of a possible comeback merely “speculation.”

Cook says that to his knowledge Favre “hasn’t talked to anybody else about a comeback.”

Favre has spent the offseason at his home in in Hattiesburg, MS. He played through an injury-plagued season with the Vikings last year and finished the year throwing for 2,509 yards, 11 touchdowns and 19 interceptions.

Welcome to Monday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

WHAT’S HAPPENING LOCALLY MONDAY:
MLB: Royals at Red Sox, 7:10 p.m. (NESN; WEEI)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ A hot rumor over the weekend was that 41-year-old Brett Favre would join the Eagles as a backup to Michael Vick. Sunday morning, this tweet appeared on Vick’s account but was later removed: I would be honored to have Brett Favre as a backup. That will be amazing learning how to toy with defenses the way he did his whole career. According to The Inquirer of Philadelphia, the move is unlikely to happen, with an Eagles source referring to it as the longest of long shots.

♦ With U.S. women’s soccer goalie Hope Solo on the cover of last week’s Sports Illustrated, the Atlantic has a piece detailing the history of women on the cover of the magazine. The story notes that women grace the cover on average about once per year, not including the swimsuit issue.

♦ Longtime Maine high school sports writer Bob McPhee, who was paralyzed while playing high school football 36 years ago and left unable to speak, recently was honored by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Eric Adelson in Yahoo! Sports’ ThePostGame blog writes about McPhee’s inspirational story.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On July 25, 1941, which Red Sox pitcher won his 300th and final game, pitching a complete game to beat the Indians, 10-6

Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to Tuesday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

WHAT’S HAPPENING LOCALLY TUESDAY:
MLB: Padres at Red Sox, 7:10 p.m. (NESN; WEEI)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ Boston has the most obsessed baseball fans in America, according to a statistical analysis by Bundle.com. The website based its rankings on attendance, team revenue and fantasy baseball participation, along with spending on entertainment and dining out. Following Red Sox Nation are fans of the Giants, Cubs, Cardinals and Yankees.

♦ Could the lockout lead to the return of Brett Favre? At NFL.com, Steve Wyche speculates that some teams might want to give the oft-retired legend another look because young quarterbacks’ development will be slowed due to coaches’ inability to work with them this offseason.

♦ With commissioner Bud Selig rejecting the Dodgers’ proposed television deal with Fox, Frank McCourt appears finished as owner of the team. In The Los Angeles Times, Bill Plaschke writes: “He’s out of money. He’s out of schemes. He’s out of time.”

♦ Jeff Goodman at CBSSports.com is not high on BYU star Jimmer Fredette‘s chances of succeeding in the NBA. Goodman notes that Fredette’s previous experience against NBA-caliber competition did not go well, especially defensively.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On June 21, 1916, which diminutive Red Sox pitcher threw the first no-hitter in Fenway Park history with a 2-0 blanking of the Yankees?

Read the rest of this entry »

Jenn Sterger, the former Jets game hostess who allegedly received inappropriate photos and phone messages from Brett Favre in 2008, says in an interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos that she hasn’t made any money off the scandal and never intended to.

“I haven’t made a dime off anything in this whole situation,” Sterger said in the interview that will air on “Good Morning America” on Tuesday and Wednesday and “Nightline” on Tuesday night. “Not from the pictures. Not from Favre. I never wanted to sue anyone. That was never an intention of mine. I’m not a gold-digger. The only way I wanted to make my money this whole time was to just have a job.”

The NFL fined Favre $50,000 in December for not cooperating with its investigation of the matter, but couldn’t conclude that Favre violated the personal conduct policy based on the evidence available.

“You know, I was trying to go to work. Do my job,” said Sterger, who was co-hosting the show “The Daily Line” on Versus when reports of the scandal first surfaced last October. “But how are you supposed to report on the news when you are the news? It was tough. It was embarrassing. It was humiliating. All I wanted to do was go to work. Do my job. That’s all I wanted.”

Welcome to Tuesday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

WHAT’S HAPPENING LOCALLY TUESDAY:
NHL: Maple Leafs at Bruins, 7 p.m.

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ There was some controversy last month when Reebok announced a shoe deal with ESPN reporter Erin Andrews, as some speculated that her reporting on players who are sponsored by Reebok could be compromised. Now, The New York Times reports that ESPN’s College GameDay broadcasters Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit have had contracts with Nike.

According to an ESPN spokesman, Fowler said he plans to end his “minor association” with Nike “to avoid any potential perception issues.”

Said DePauw University journalism professor and Prindle Institute for Ethic director Bob Steele: “You do have to wonder why a sports journalist, or any journalist, would wander in this kind of ethical minefield without recognizing the consequences.”

♦ The Bobcats routed the Lakers on Monday, their eighth win in the last 10 games between the clubs. At FoxSports.com, Billy Witz looks for clues as to why this matchup has been so oddly lopsided. Said Charlotte guard Stephen Jackson: “I have no clue.” In a story in The Los Angeles Times, Lakers center Andrew Bynum expresses his dissatisfaction with his playing time, insisting he was playing hard and deserved more time.

♦ The relationship between former Packers teammates Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers apparently is at the non-speaking point. At CBSSports.com, Mike Freeman looks at the reasons behind the dispute and has an anonymous member of the Packers saying Favre wants to reach out to Rodgers but is afraid that his gesture won’t appear sincere.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Feb. 15, 1976, the Red Sox signed which former Yankee only to leave him on the bench for a month before releasing him without a single appearance in a game?

Read the rest of this entry »

The saga involving Vikings quarterback Brett Favre continues to grow thicker, as former Vikings massage therapist Stephanie Dusenberry said that Favre sent her text messages that were innuendo-laden, the New York Daily News reports. Dusenberry is no longer a member of the Vikings staff, but as a Minnesota massage therapist, she still treats Vikings players on occasion, and it was one of the players that gave Favre Dusenberry’s number. The story about Dusenberry broke on Deadspin.com, where many of the other stories about Favre first appeared.

Senior editor of Deadspin A.J. Daulerio wrote that Dusenberry got in touch with the site on Jan. 4, and said that she wanted to tell her story in response to the NFL’s light punishment on Favre after the Jenn Sterger case. Favre was fined $50,000 for failure to cooperate with the league.

In one text message that Favre sent to Dusenberry, he reportedly asked her to come by his house because his wife was away. The text message allegedly read: You don’t know what it’s like to not be touched by a woman in three weeks.

Dusenberry reported the text message to the Eden Prairie police in Minnesota, but police told her that there wasn’t much they could do since Favre hadn’t broken any laws.