New England Patriot fans can be happy now, as quarterback Tom Brady returned to practice and field action for the first time since the AFC Championship game. When teams hold practices during Super Bowl week, the media is allowed to send one pool reporter to each practice for a daily report, and the Chicago Tribune's Dan Pompei has that duty for the AFC sessons.

Brady, according to Pompei, had his ankle taped "but he participated in all phases of practice, including jogging the length of the field twice at the end of drills. Brady appeared to have a slight limp."

The team practiced at the Arizona State facility for about one hour and 40 minutes in sunshine with temperatures about 60 degrees.

"We just wanted to get a good crisp practice and work on our timing," Pats head coach Bill Belichick said. "We had a lot of contact last week."

Belichick met with the media on Monday along with six players: Rodney Harrison, Matt Light, Junior Seau, Ty Warren, Wes Welker and Adalius Thomas.

Tomorrow, everyone is available by rule for Media Day at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. Usually a wild and whacky day, the Patriots session will go from 10 to about 11 a.m., with the Giants going from around noon to 1 p.m. MST. Remember, being on Mountain time, Arizona is two hours behind eastern standard time.

Most of the media does its daily work at the Phoenix Convention Center, which is located in downtown Phoenix. Speaking from the experience of Super Bowls past, the way things are set up inside here, you would never know you were in a different spot from the sites in Houston, Jacksonville, and New Orleans.

-- TOM KING