The book game

By Carol Beggy and Mark Shanahan, Globe Staff  |  January 30, 2008

Talk about hypocrisy. The Boston Herald took a swipe at the Globe yesterday because our book about the Patriots' undefeated season was already available for pre-order on Amazon.com. But what the Herald didn't tell its readers was that it was hawking its own book, "New England Patriots: 2008 Super Bowl Champions." Amazon removed the Globe's book, titled "19-0: The Historic Championship Season of New England's Unbeatable Patriots," after the Herald reported that Amazon was promoting it. Later in the day, Amazon also removed the Herald book. So why didn't the Herald come clean about its own book yesterday? Turns out the paper wasn't entirely forthcoming about its staff's involvement in it. "The distinction between the Herald's book and the Globe's book," Herald spokeswoman Gwen Gage wrote us in an e-mail, "is that we instructed the publisher not to market our book as authored by the Boston Herald until the Patriots win the Super Bowl." Of course, such books are always prepared in advance. As Gage conceded in her e-mail: "The realities of selling 'Championship' books - on the Web and in bookstores - is that they have to be in the market quickly, and by necessity publishers pre-sell them." (Too bad the Herald didn't think to mention that yesterday.) It's also worth noting that the Herald's story speculated that Giants coach Tom Coughlin could use word of the Globe's book as a way to fire up his team. Problem with that is that, as of last night, you could still pre-order a book about the Giants' Super Bowl win on Amazon.

GLENDALE, Ariz. - As deftly as he'll sidestep Michael Strahan, Tom Brady managed to evade inane personal questions - and even a marriage proposal - posed during yesterday's full-contact press conference at University of Phoenix Stadium, site of Sunday's Super Bowl XLII.

Asked, for example, where his world-famous girlfriend, Gisele Bundchen, will be watching the big game, Brady smiled and replied: "I don't know where she's going to be." That's weird, because we do. The globe-trotting supermodel, with whom our football hero has been hot and heavy for more than a year now, flew to her native Brazil on Monday to shoot a spot for Vivara Jewelry but will arrive in Arizona in time to see No. 12 take the field against the Giants.

Don't expect to eyeball Brady's lady, though. As she did during the Pats' first two playoff games, Bundchen will be afforded ample security and stay far from the crowd, at least until the game's over. Word is that, win or lose, Gisele will host a postgame party for Tom Terrific. (In the unlikely event of a loss, we're told, the theme will be "Next Year Is Ours.")

While Brady was the star attraction yesterday, there was no shortage of sideshows. One of our favorites was wacky Telemundo correspondent Joel Bengoa, who was telling fortunes and wearing a swami get-up. Will Brady and Bundchen marry, someone wondered? "Let me see," he said, closing his eyes. "Nah. . . . She's going to marry someone else."

And how about Inez Gomez Mont, the pretty TV Azteca personality whose marriage proposal Brady rebuffed? Spurned by the QB, she approached Bill Belichick. "Am I better than Gisele?" Gomez Mont asked. The coach couldn't help but grin. "I wouldn't go that far," he said.

Linebacker Junior Seau, who was wearing another great lid yesterday, told us he's enjoying the spectacle that is the Super Bowl. But the rugged run-stopper admitted he may think twice before accepting another invitation to appear on Howard Stern's radio show. Apparently unfamiliar with the shock jock's shtick, Seau was stunned this week when Stern asked him about Brady's, um, anatomy. "It was definitely an eye-opener," said Seau. "I didn't need coffee that day, that's for sure."

Towering over everyone was former NBA star John Salley, the 6-foot-11 cohost of "Best Damned Sports Show Period." Salley told us he admires the way Brady has conducted himself on and off the field this season. "I'd go to New York, too, if Gisele was my girlfriend," he said. "Look, football's only a part of Tom's life. . . . Like I say: Don't get played; play."

Among the other familiar faces in the crowd were Maria Menounos of "Access Hollywood," who wore a signed Brady jersey; former QB and "The Bachelor" star Jesse Palmer; "American Idol" also-ran Kellie Pickler; and Miss Nevada USA Veronica Grabowski, whose Las Vegas roots were evident when she told us she's picking the Giants plus the points. "But I like the Patriots, too," she said, looking over her shoulder at Brady.

We've got the lowdown on the traditional Super Bowl wager between the mayors, and it's a mouthful this year. Mayor Tom Menino and Michael Bloomberg, his Medford-born New York counterpart, have come to terms for their big bet. The spoils of either victory will be donated to local charities.

If the Pats win, Bloomberg will send the following:

42 each of Carnegie Deli pastrami and corned beef sandwiches

42 "Big Blue Cheese Eli Mann-Eater Burgers" from Gallagher's Steak House

1 case each of beef and chicken cocktail patties from Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill

5 pizzas from Goodfella's Pizzeria

42 pounds each of rugelach and assorted layer cakes, and 42 black and white cookies from Junior's

1 tub of lemon ice and 1 tub of ice of the flavor of Boston's choice from the Lemon Ice King of Corona

100 servings of Manhattan clam chowder and 1 bushel of Blue Point oysters from the Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant

20 pounds of "Super Steak" and 6 bottles of steak sauce from Peter Luger Restaurant

Should the Giants win, Menino will hand over:

100 cups New England clam chowder from Legal Sea Foods

42 pounds of Dunkin' Donuts coffee

12 dozen each of Boston cream pies and rolls from the Omni Parker House Hotel

100 Kayem franks and 100 al fresco sun-dried tomato chicken sausages

20 pizzas from Sal's

5 cases each of Brigham's "Boston You're My Home" ice cream and "Cherry on the Top" frozen yogurt bars

100 servings of Stonyfield Farm organic yogurt

Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253.

Scared, Kenny?

"He's a great guy, and I wouldn't want to fight him." - Saxophonist Kenny G, asked by Billboard who would win in a fight between him and Josh Groban