Brady gives media the big boot
For once, not even the photographers could find Tom Brady.
Or his boot.
They staked out the locker of the New England Patriots quarterback for 45 minutes before the media access period ended Thursday. Then they focused for the 15 minutes they were allowed into practice and found two quarterbacks, Matt Cassel and Matt Gutierrez.
That was quite a change from early in the week when Brady walked through a bunch of videographers and photographers near the New York home of his girlfriend, supermodel Gisele Bundchen.
On Monday, they took pictures of him wearing a protective boot on his right foot. Later in the day, he walked without the boot into a nightspot with Bundchen. Video on Tuesday also captured him without the boot as he headed for and entered a cab.
“I’m going to put on a boot and see if you all follow me around,” New England halfback Heath Evans joked before practice.
Brady, the NFL MVP, reportedly has a minor ankle sprain that shouldn’t keep him out of the Super Bowl on Feb. 3 against the New York Giants.
Alstott takes final bow
Tampa Bay’s A-Train has made his final run. Six-time Pro Bowl fullback Mike Alstott announced his retirement after 12 seasons, saying goodbye to the NFL during a tearful news conference while the Buccaneers played a highlight film of some of his most memorable plays.
The Bucs’ all-time touchdown leader spent the 2007 season on injured reserve with a neck problem.
Around the league
Eric Price, who was on Herm Edwards’ staff for two years with the New York Jets, is rejoining Edwards as wide receivers coach in Kansas City. He also had two stints on the staff of his father, Mike Price, when he was at Washington State. … Former UCLA head coach Karl Dorrell was hired by Miami to coach its wide receivers. … Tampa Bay is expected to hire Rams offensive coordinator Greg Olson as its next quarterback coach, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Olson got his coaching start as a graduate assistant at Washington State and was the QB coach at Idaho.