By ERNIE PALLADINO
The (Westchester, N.Y.) Journal News

HOUSTON - On the Tuesday before Super Bowl XXXVII last year, Warren Sapp got so mad at a Don King impersonator calling him out that he told the guy to, uh, go away.

Tuesday, Sapp was the one doing the yelling at Media Day. Dressed in a red sweatshirt, and goaded by his producers at the NFL Network, Sapp stood on an aluminum riser and berated an only slightly amused Tom Brady.

One can easily forgive the New England quarterback for not cottoning to Sapp's prepared schtick. Brady had already endured his share of silly questions. No, not the ones coming from the legitimate media, though those do tend to push the limits sometimes. But those from the numerous crazies who get credentials for one of the major NFL marketing devices of the season.

It is the league's way of gaining maximum exposure. Entertainment channels, music channels, comedy outfits, even the occasional religious outlet all convene at the host field, creating a 700-member beehive of activity.

For one day, one hour per team, real journalists mix with wannabes and don't-wannabes, the beautiful and the ugly, and the occasional model or two. "The Wayne Brady Show" showed up, as did Spike TV and Canadian Morning Television. All brought their own brand of silliness.

Only at Media Day, for instance, must Brady follow up a question about the Carolina Panthers' powerful front four of Mike Rucker, Brentson Buckner, Kris Jenkins and Julius Peppers with a query about his hair.

"OK, Tom," said Pick Boy, a masked 20-ish man from Nickelodeon who dresses in a costume more fitting for Batman's partner, Robin. "You're having the best hair day of your life on Super Bowl Sunday, and then you've got to put a helmet over it. What's up with that?"

Pick Boy, whose producers forbade him to give his real name or age under threat of network shunning, later demonstrated his own touchdown dance for the benefit of two Panthers wide receivers. It was not pretty.

Justin Phillips, a 13-year-old star on the Nickelodeon Games and Sports channel, ran a spelling bee with Panthers safety Colin Branch, fullback Casey Moore, tight end Mike Seidman and center Louis Williams. Among the words - Belichick, referee and the name of fellow Panther Muhsin Muhammad. He did not ask them to spell injured reserve, even though Moore's and Seidman's appearance on that list would have made it an appropriate choice.

There was the loud and ugly, as one fellow from "Houston Tonight" asked Patriots safety Rodney Harrison about the strangest place he and his wife "made whoopee." Harrison shooed him away. Undeterred, the questioner later asked Panthers coach John Fox about his favorite of the "drugs men take."

"I'm not familiar with those," Fox replied.

The beautiful was also included. Lauren Bush - 19-year-old niece of the president, fashion model, socialite and Princeton student - grabbed a sound bite from Brady for "Entertainment Tonight."

"I think the poor guy's overwhelmed right now," Bush, a Houston resident, said.

Media Day can get that way. But not every player hates it.

"This is fun," the Panthers' Muhammad said. "And we get the day off from practice."

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