McNair Expected to Start for Oilers

Steve McNair returned to practice with the Tennessee Oilers on Tuesday and threw the ball well after missing a week of practice because of a sore hip.

McNair injured his hip Sept. 27 in a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The hip was sore enough that he missed all three of the Oilers’ practices last week, but he didn’t miss a game because the Oilers had a bye week.

He threw easily Tuesday as the Oilers went through a short practice without pads. He is expected to start Sunday when the Oilers (1-3) visit the Baltimore Ravens (2-2).

Backup Dave Krieg, who had been hampered because of a sore Achilles’ tendon, also threw.

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A trial has begun in Baltimore involving a $10-million lawsuit filed in May 1997 in which Frederick Bouchat claims his idea for the Ravens’ logo was stolen.

Bouchat claims that while he was working at the Dept. of Labor, Licensing and Regulation in the spring of 1996 he decorated a Cleveland Browns helmet with a logo he designed and placed it on his desk in the building’s lobby.

The helmet caught the attention of then-department Secretary Eugene Conti Jr., who arranged a meeting between Bouchat and John Moag Jr., then head of the Maryland Stadium Authority.

While the helmet did not feature the team’s current logo, Bouchat claims he mentioned other logos he designed and was asked by Moag to fax them to his office.

Bouchat’s attorney, Howard Schulman, told jurors that errors contained in both designs, and 20 design elements found in both “preclude there was any independent creation of the two designs.”

George Beall, an attorney representing the Ravens and the NFL, denied league artists copied Bouchat’s work, saying they never saw his drawing.

Beall acknowledged to jurors that Bouchat met with Moag, but said the Ravens and NFL artists never received drawings Bouchat says he sent to Moag.

Beall told jurors the NFL has a long-standing policy of not accepting submissions from artists to avoid such claims.

NFC / Injuries Added to Monday Night Insult

The Green Bay Packers, humbled by the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field, limp into their open-date week with bruised egos and battered bodies.

The list of casualties from Monday night’s loss includes wide receiver Derrick Mayes, who tore ligaments in his right knee returning a punt late in the game. The team said his status would not be known until the swelling goes down.

The Packers also lost their backup quarterback, Doug Pederson, for six weeks because of a broken jaw, courtesy of cornerback Corey Fuller, who smashed Pederson on the chin with his helmet as the quarterback released a touchdown pass. The Packers expect Fuller to be fined by the NFL.

Linebacker George Koonce suffered a severe hamstring pull, tight end Jeff Thomason got a concussion and safety LeRoy Butler sprained an ankle and was on crutches afterward.

Meanwhile, a General Motors plant in Janesville, Wis., was idled because of workers who called in sick for the night shift, presumably so they could watch the Packer-Viking game.

About 140 second-shift employees phoned in sick in the apparent outbreak of “green-and-gold flu.” Employees who did show up were sent home. The plant also had to send workers home during a Monday night game in October 1996 after about 200 employees called in sick.

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The Washington Redskins, who lost the only fullback on their roster when Larry Bowie broke his leg in Sunday’s game against Dallas, filled the vacancy with Jim Kitts, who played in 10 games for Miami last season and was cut after Week 2 this year.

Coach Norv Turner also indicated that the Redskins probably will make a last-minute decision again this week about activating rookie running back Skip Hicks as an occasional alternative to Terry Allen. Hicks has been on the inactive list for all five games this season.