Tom! Tom! Tom! How's your ankle?

Stop the presses! Tom Brady has a high right ankle sprain.

That’s according to one Associated Press source.

No, another source told the AP it’s only a mild sprain.

Sprain? What sprain?

The New England Patriots quarterback was spotted Monday in New York’s East Village dinning with girlfriend Gisele Bundchen wearing what one observer reported as “cowboy boots.” But a photographer snapped a shot of Brady wearing something out of coach Bill Belichick’s closet and sporting an open-toed foot brace as he carried a few things from Bundchen’s apartment.

This is why I hate the extra week between the conference title games and the Super Bowl. Non-stories grab the headlines.

Brady’s ankle, injured or not, will drive the bus until the teams arrive in Glendale on Jan. 29 for media day, when Brady will be grilled like this:

“How is your ankle?”

“It’s fine.”

“Can you play Sunday?”

“Yes.”

“How is your ankle?”

“It’s fine.”

“Can you play Sunday?”

“Yes.”
“How is your ankle?”

“It’s fine.”

“Can you play Sunday?”

“Yes.”

And on and on …

Kind of makes you long for Tonicca. That’s the Tony Romo-Jessica Simpson affair.

Brady said Tuesday he will play against the New York Giants. That the injury is nothing he ever had before, and the brace is just a precaution.

Hey, if you can slip your dogs into cowboy boots, how bad can the ankle really be?

By the way, did you hear San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers actually had knee surgery the week before the AFC Championship Game? Talk about gut check.

Anyway, back to Brady.

The last time he entered a Super Bowl with an ankle injury was after the 2001 season. Remember? He was injured in the first half against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC title game. Drew Bledsoe came in and saved the day.

Brady was just fine during the Super Bowl as the Pats beat the St. Louis Rams.

In fact, he was the MVP.