INDIANAPOLIS – Rob Gronkowski still hasn’t practiced with the New England Patriots for the Super Bowl, sidelined by a high left ankle sprain four days before the game against the New York Giants.
“He’s day to day,” Coach Bill Belichick said after Wednesday’s practice. “He’s getting better, but we’ll just take it day to day.”
Additional Photos
The All-Pro tight end hasn’t worked out with his teammates in Indianapolis. The Patriots practiced Monday and Wednesday, and held meetings and film sessions Tuesday. Gronkowski also missed the last two practices in Foxborough, Mass., on Thursday and Friday.
Gronkowski, who set an NFL single-season record for the position with 17 touchdown receptions, was hurt late in the third quarter of the 23-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC championship game Jan. 22.
He had worn a protective boot for a week until shedding it Monday. He said at Tuesday’s media day his ankle was improving daily. But he wouldn’t say if he would play Sunday.
AHMAD BRADSHAW is playing in pain and loving every second of it.
Bradshaw, the Giants’ running back, has played the last eight games with a broken bone in his right foot, and there is no way the injury is going to keep him out of Sunday’s Super Bowl.
“It’s just the love of the game, man,” he said. “I don’t like missing games for nothing. I have been fighting pain for a long time. No matter what it is I got that niche, man. I like pain.”
Bradshaw hasn’t put up big numbers this season, but statistics aren’t what he brings to the offense.
The fifth-year pro brings a toughness that teammates respect. His foot hurts so much during the week that he practices only one day.
When he shows up on game day, though, he’s a different player. The pain is blocked out and he bites his lip and runs at, around and through defenses.
“The guy has an unbelievable threshold of pain,” running backs coach Jerald Ingram said. “I’ve had a few guys that were very resilient but that guy has played with broken bones, cracked this, cracked that. His game is football. That’s what he has been doing all his life. When he gets on the field, he is mean. He takes that pain.”
Bradshaw broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot against the Dolphins in late October.
He was X-rayed during the game and returned despite the presence of a fracture.
Bradshaw missed four games after being hurt and returned against the Green Bay Packers on Dec. 4. He rushed for 38 yards and caught two passes for 9 yards, but his return seemed to rekindle a running game that had struggled most of the season.
Since his return, the running game has gained at least 100 yards in five games and had no fewer than 85 in the other three.
TOM BRADY certainly didn’t make any friends in Buffalo with his comments about the city’s hotels during Wednesday’s media session.
While explaining that his father has often traveled to see him play over the years, he dropped an unexpected zinger on the AFC East rival team’s city.
“I don’t know if you’ve ever been to the hotels in Buffalo, but they’re not the nicest places in the world,” Brady said, drawing some laughter.
After he left the podium, he was asked if Buffalo’s hotels were the worst.
“It’s a joke,” he said, laughing. “Don’t you go writing that and get me in trouble.”
JOHN PARRY is back at the Super Bowl, this time as the referee.
A 12-year veteran official in his fifth season as a referee, Parry worked the 2007 championship game as a side judge.
Joining him on Sunday’s crew are umpire Carl Paganelli, head linesman Tom Stabile, line judge Gary Arthur, field judge Gary Cavaletto, side judge Laird Hayes, and back judge Tony Steratore.
OSI UMENYIORA was fined $20,000 by the NFL, a few hours after he missed a mandatory morning media session.
“I misunderstood the schedule,” Umenyiora said in a statement released by the team. “It won’t happen again, and I will be at tomorrow’s media session and available after the game.
“I apologize for any inconvenience my absence this morning may have caused.”
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.