Brady doesn't throw too much into coverage

By Mark Shanahan and Paysha Rhone  |  August 7, 2008

Patriots QB Tom Brady will grace the cover of Esquire next Tuesday for the first time. "The Brady," as writer Tom Chiarella dubs him, looks great in those tailored suits, but an accompanying profile is downright claustrophobic. The two sat down for interviews during two chauffeured rides, and we get the strong sense they didn't exactly hit it off. Brady comes off as guarded, rehearsed, and defensive. And Chiarella gets dissed by the QB, whose agent threatens to roll him onto the highway if he brings up baby John, Bridget, or Gisele. It's a weird, moody piece that leaves us wondering if Chiarella had to get all poetic because Brady refused to say anything interesting. Brady was even robotic when asked whether he's the most boring guy in sports. "When people say that, I can just compartmentalize them," he said. He does reveal that he's living his life according to "The Four Agreements," by Don Miguel Ruiz. And he says, ironically, that people should care less about football. "Look at the attention I get," he said. "It's because I throw a football. But that's what society values. That's not what God values." That's as good as it gets, short of a surprising end-of-story reveal that Brady planned to spend Father's Day with his son in his backyard with Gisele. A must read, nonetheless, to be accompanied by a stiff drink, followed by a shower. (Check it out at www.esquire.com.)

The quiet divorce of Boston Red Sox owner John Henry is wrapping up, reports Jose Lambiet, of PalmBeachPost.com. According to documents filed in a Palm Beach County court last week, the 58-year-old Henry and soon-to-be-ex-wife, Peggy Sue Henry, 46, have reached a marital settlement agreement. Few details have leaked so far, including whether the Sox were included among the marital assets. The net worth of the Boca Raton-based commodities trader is believed to be in the $800 million range. One interesting detail: The Henrys asked Circuit Court Judge Amy Smith to appoint a guardian ad litem to watch over the financial interests of their only child, 11-year-old Sara. The guardian - family law attorney Dale Sanders - will review the couple's agreement. Neither Henry nor attorneys on the case could be reached about the July 29 filing.

Who better to tell Steven Tyler's compelling story than Steven Tyler? Word in the publishing world is that Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins, won an auction to publish the autobiography of Aerosmith's flamboyant frontman. According to Crain's New York, Ecco paid more than $2 million for the rights to Tyler's tale. He's just the latest aging rock 'n' roller to sell his story. Last year, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards signed a $7 million deal with Little, Brown to write an autobiography, and Eric Clapton's autobiography was one of Doubleday Publishing Group's best-selling titles of 2007. In addition to being the lead singer of one of America's baddest rock bands for nearly 40 years, Tyler's been in and out of rehab for everything from heroin to sex. Now, that's what we call a must-read.

Maybe this rivalry could be settled . . . in court? Charles Hillios, a 40-year-old Sox fan from Chicopee, is suing the Yankees, according to the New York Sun. The suit, filed Tuesday in Manhattan Federal Court, alleges the team failed to protect him from two rabid fans during a game at Yankee Stadium in August 2007. According to his complaint, Hillios was cheering on the Sox when two Yankees fans began harassing him; a security guard with the Yanks-contracted firm Burns International Services allegedly noticed the brouhaha and warned the men to stop, or they'd be kicked out. Instead they allegedly followed Hillios to the refreshment stand and attacked him so viciously he later required surgery. Hillios is going after the Yanks, the security company, and the fans for more than $75,000. We couldn't reach Hillios in person yesterday, and the Yanks were mum, too. "We have no comment," said spokesman Michael Margolis.

Maria Menounos was back in Boston this week to receive the Young Alumni Achievement Award from Emerson College. During the ceremony in president Jacqueline Liebergott's office, the NBC entertainment reporter was reunited with two of her faculty mentors - Boston TV legend Rex Trailer and Pete Chavany, the college's post-production manager. We're told Menounos was accompanied by a crew from "Access Hollywood," which taped the award presentation and also Maria's parents in Medford and several of her teachers at Medford High.

Eleven Boston-area teens who filmed a short action flick at Camp Edwards in Bourne this summer will go head-to-head with two other teen film crews in the first round of the Samsung Mobile Fresh Films competition today. Their film, "The Long Way Out," will be posted through Aug. 13 at www.fresh-films.com. (Viewers can vote for their fave.) If the Boston kids beat the action film teams from St. Louis and Portland, Ore., they'll compete against winning drama and comedy teams, starting Aug. 21. They'll also be judged by a jury that includes "Lord of the Rings" star Sean Astin and "Brothers & Sisters" star Tom Skerritt. Grand prize? Samsung gadgets and a trip to the American Film Institute's AFI FEST in November.

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