From Minneapolis, A Super Bowl Sunday Extra Ticket: Medford's Maria Menounos Proud To Cheer On Patriots

It's Super Bowl Sunday and we have another "Extra Ticket!" Today, Season Ticket has Medford's own Maria Menounos admitting to "cheering in the press box" for the Patriots. Menounos was in Minneapolis to host the NFL's Women's Summit. Chris Gasper (@CGasper) interviewed her while on Radio Row at the Mall of America outside Minneapolis.

Guest

On finding out Rob Gronkowski would be healthy enough to play:
Chris Gasper: So how excited were you on Thursday when we got the news that Rob Gronkowski had cleared the concussion protocol. He met with the media. He was in front of the bright lights which, normally, if you have a concussion that's very difficult, by the way. He was the full Gronk as usual.

Maria Menounos: He's an important part of our offense, and ... I feel safe knowing Tom has got him. But like you saw in last year's Super Bowl, we had so many superstars rise up and you never know who's going to be the one that's just going to connect energetically with him that day. But knowing we have Gronk is huge. So I feel like we're going to be OK in the end. I hosted and moderated the NFL Women's Summit this morning. (NBC Sports Reporter) Michelle Tafoya - I think she said (New England is) going to be down 10 at the half - and my head spun like The Exorcist had come my way.

On cheering in the presss box (a notorious no-no for sports journalists):
Maria Menounos: I ruined sports journalism when I got in. In 2002, I was in the sports journalist box, and I just started out on TV and I'm wearing my Patriots jersey...

Chris Gasper: In the press box?

Menounos: ... and they wanted to murder me! And then don't you know by the half, I had everyone cheering for the Patriots except for some hardcore ... serious reporter who is just giving me the eyes. And then after that, every media day, everybody would wear their jerseys. So I kind of ruined it.

On her friendship with Tom Brady:
Maria Menounos: I've been interviewing Tom for years, and people used to hiss at media days because he would always pick me first because he knew I was a diehard fan and he's just such a mensch like that, he's so great. And Gisele and Tom invited (husband Keven Undergaro) and I to a game once. And I play at the Best Buddies (charity) game he does. I may or may not have gotten so excited to catch one of his touchdowns that I dove into his arms and wrapped my body around him, and then apologized publicly to Gisele. (Laughs.)

"I've been interviewing Tom for years, and people used to hiss at media days because he would always pick me first speak because he knew I was a diehard fan and he's just such a mensch like that."

Maria Menounos