Ah, yes, if you think it's glamorous covering the Super Bowl, at times it can be. The Phoenix Host Committee put on a fabulous party for visiting media on Tuesday night at the Corona Ranch in Laveen, Ariz., just south of Phoenix. The performing group was the Gin Blossoms.

However, here's the grinding part: The Patriots press conferences are at 8 a.m. today and tomorrow, and media busses depart the hotel at the ripe hour of 6:30 a.m. for the Patriots hotel in Scottsdale, which is a resort with a lovely golf course. Here in the desert, it doesn't get light in the morning until around 7:30, 7:45, but on the flip side the sun doesn't set until around 6:15.

As for the weather, yes, beautiful sunny skies with daytime temperatures in the 60s, but the nights are similar to a mid to late October night in New England, lows down near 40 or below.

---- TOM KING

The practice pool report has just come out and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is reportedly looking fine, moving even better than he did on Monday, without a noticeable limp, and did not even have his ankle taped outside his shoe during the two-hour session at Sun Devil Stadium. His ankle isn't even listed on the team's injury report, a full copy of which was not available at this time.

"Everybody practiced, they're fine," head coach Bill Belichick told pool reporter Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune, but the report added that wideout Jabar Gaffney was limited due to a shoulder injury.

Despite Brady not being limited, the passing game Fox TV's Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Curt Menefee, Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer, Pam Oliver, Chris Myers and others. FOX is televising the game.

--- TOM KING

Two significan things did happen during the Media Day madness on Tuesday:

First, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, as expected, said his injured ankle is doing fine.

"It's doing good," he said. "I'm feeling better each day. I'm glad we had the week off and I had the chance to rest a little bit. I really feel that by the game it's going to feel great, and there will be no issues. Not that I can run anyway, but hopefully I'll be able to skirt around some of those (Giants) who are trying to tear my head off."

Second, star wide receiver Randy Moss, who is working on a one-year deal, said he doesn't want to leave the Patriots when his contract is up.

"As a New England Patriot, I would love to finish my career just for the fact that they have everything that you want in a football organization...The team concept is not just on the field, it's outside the locker room. For me to be able to say that I would love to become a New England Patriot and finish my career here, that is something I can really believe in."

Remember those words come contract time in the next month.

-- TOM KING

Ah, there's nothing like the sights and sounds of Super Bowl Media Day, where sports and entertainment collide in a strange sort of way..

How strange? Well, how's a Mexico City television personality walking around in a white wedding dress, proposing marriage to, of course, none other the Patriots quarterback Tom Brady?

Brady was also asked "what's his purpose". Huh?

"Wow, that's a deep question," he responded. "My purpose in life? My God. I play football. I happen to do that good enough to get here and have this platform, but I don't think any of us cure cancer. I don't think any of us, you know, think about the impact you have on people, and if we can perform some type of entertainment for people to change the subject a little bit in life, I think that's a great thing."

Brady then got serious. "People say living a dream, but we truley are living a dream. All of us grew up and you wanted to be a professional athlete. All of us wanted to play in a Super Bowl, and to have this spectacle and to enjoy this and to have this experience, we are going to remember this for the rest of our lives."

 Giants defensive lineman Michael Strahan seemed to use the Media Day platform as a stage for his one-man comedy show. Very few questons -- or at least answers -- were about football.

"This is like walking down Broadway," Strahan said of Media Day. "This is no big deal. Where is the Naked Cowboy? Is he out here strumming his guitar in some tighty white shorts? This is what it is. That's one thing about Media Day the first time (in Super bowl XXXV). ..I don't know if it's because you are in New York, you are used to answering a lot of questions every day. At least they let some nice people in this group."

The roof was open at the University of Phoenix Stadium, but it appears to block out most of the sun, sending a chill through the facility. It was much warmer outside....

Tomorrow all the Patriots will be available to the media, as they were today, at there hotel in Scottsdale at the ripe hour of 8 a.m. MST, and it will be the same for Thursday. The Giants media sessions are at 10 a.m. both mornings at their hotel. Following that, the only other availability is the press conference with the two head coaches on Friday morning.

Meanwhile, Phoenix still appears to be a city that hasn't gripped Super Bowl fever. Scottsdale will likely be the gathering for Patriot fans -- and celebrities. Phoenix is putting in a light rail transportation system, so there is construction everywhere.

--- TOM KING

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

While being invisible as far as the media was concerned at Foxboro last week, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and his possibly sprained right ankle emerged from the shadows at a rally for the team prior to them leaving Gillette Stadium for their charter flight to Phoenix on Sunday morning.

Brady, who appeared to move without a limp, even spoke to the fan gathering tht took up the lower bowl at Gillette, thanking them for their support and adding "We're doing this for one reason and one reason only -- to win and bring a title back to Foxborough. Go Patriots!"

The Patriots are scheduled to arrive in Arizona later today and will have a few players and head coach Bill Belichick available to the media tonight. The Giants don't arrive until Monday afternoon.

-- TOM KING

Charger inactives did not include any notables, despite their injury woes. Out were kicker Dave Rayner, cornerback Cletis Gordon, cornerback Paul Oliver, linebacker Anthony Waters, wideout Malcolm Floyd, tight end Scott Chandler, and defensive tackle Brandon McKinney.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been talked about as the team no one wanted to face in the later rounds of the playoffs. They're fearless (two wins in Pittsburgh in a month), run the ball extremely well, and will leave you battered and bruised. But they don't have what cures all ills: A Tom Brady to Randy Moss connection. It's what separates the Patriots from the rest of the league, and the feeling here is while the Jags may give the Patriots a run for their money, the buck stops with Brady-to-Moss for the win.

RECORD: 16-0

PREDICTION: PATRIOTS 34, JAGUARS 24.

OTHER GAMES:

GREEN BAY 30, Seattle 23 -- The Packers, led by that young emerging quarterback named Favre -- oh, he's an old veteran? -- will not lose at Lambeau in the playoffs.

INDIANAPOLIS 30, SAN DIEGO 17 -- Forget the Colts' regular season meltdown in California, this one's in the Dome. See you in Foxborough next Sunday, guys.

COWBOYS 33, GIANTS 14 - OK, Eli proved himself last week and we were wrong. But there's a reason the Cowboys manhandled the Giants twice in the regular season -- they're the better team by far.

-- TOM KING 

Finally, all the practice terms come into playing status for Saturday night's AFC Divisional Playoff Game between the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars.

 Surprisingly on Friday, the Pats list nine players as questionable, led by defensive backs Ellis Hobbs (groing) and Rodney Harrison (thigh). Both are expected to play; both were limited in practice on Thursday but Hobbs had no injury listed, just a "team decision." But, he has one now.

The others listed as questionable include offensive linemen Stephen Neal (shoulder) and Nick Kaczur (foot), fullback-special teamer Kyle Eckel (stomach), safety Willie Andrews (elbow), tight end Kyle Brady (foot), tight end Stephen Spach (knee) and cornerback-special teamer Antwain Spann. Tom Brady (shoulder) was probable.

For the Jags, they officially listed linebacker Mike Peterson (knee) as out and then only three probables: defensive tackles John Henderson (hamstring) and Grady Jackson (knee), and wideout Reggie Williams (back).

-- TOM KING

There was perfect attendance for the Patiots on Thursday at practice, although 10 players were limited by injury or "team decision." Tight end Kyle Brady, cornerback Ellis Hobbs and receiver Wes Welker were all limited by the latter.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was named today as the National Football League's Most Valuable Player, following a 16-0 regular season where he set the record for most touchdown passes in a season (50) and threw only eight interceptions.

Here is what Brady said in a statement earlier today released by the Patriots media relations department:

    "As I have learned over the course of my time with the Patriots, the most meaningful accomplishments are always the ones I have celebrated with my teammates. I am certainly proud of the success that we have enjoyed so far this season. I consider myself extremely fortunate to play for an organization like the New England Patriots. The Kraft family, Coach Belichick, and all of my teammates and coaches have created a winning tradition that we all are proud to be a part of. For that I am most thankful.

        "I have always been a huge football fan and will always have great respect for the history of this game. I am flattered to join such an esteemed list of players, many of whom I consider the greatest of all-time. I hope that I can set as great of an example for kids around the world as the previous MVP's did for me. I am grateful to all of the voters for any consideration I was given. It is a tremendous honor and I am sure it is one that my family will one day look back on with great pride.

        "There is still plenty of football to be played this season and I look forward getting back on the field with my teammates and preparing for next weekend's game. Thank you.”

-- TOM KING

Here are four picks for this weekend's NFL Wild Card action, just beating kickoff of Game 1:

SEATTLE over Washington, 17-14 -- The Redskins have played well, but midnight comes for Todd Collins. Seattle is just too tough at home, with enough speed to offset that of the 'Skins.

JACKSONVILLE over Pittsburgh, 24-13 -- Did you know the Steelers have not lost to the same team twice at home in a season in some 75 years? But it should happen tonight, because the Jaguars are for real and the Steelers (minus Willie Parker and others) are banged up. Oh, and because Anthony Smith predicted Pittsburgh would be returning to Foxboro, it won't happen. We'll see Jacksonville at Gillette next Saturday night.

TAMPA BAY over the Giants, 23-7 -- The Giants still haven't learned to use their running game to their advantage, putting too much on Eli Manning's plate. The fleet-footed Tampa secondary will be waiting. So will playoff nemesis and Bucs QB Jeff Garcia, who, if he can avoide the Jints' pass rush, should eat New York's secondary alive.

SAN DIEGO 42, Tennessee 7 -- Neither Kerry Collins nor Vince Young are any match for a fired-up Chargers' defense. And every time a Charger makes a play, he'll see a Patriots player instead of a Titan. They've been waiting a year to make somebody pay for their home playoff loss of last January.

-- TOM KING