By David Scott
Boston Sports Media Watch

Embattled Boston Herald sportswriter, John Tomase, remains on the Patriots beat despite working the weekend’s Red Sox-Mariners series, according to Herald sports editor Hank Hryniewicz.

Tomase, who was at the epicenter of the latest chapter of Spygate, had bylines in the paper over the weekend with all of them coming from Fenway. The Patriots held minicamp in Foxborough over the weekend and Karen Guregian was the by-lined reporter for those Herald stories. The Sunday NFL notes column was supplied by wire reports, although an accompanying sidebar had text from Tomase.

“John Tomase is still the Herald’s Patriots Beat columnist. He remains on the
beat,” said Hryniewicz in an email response to Shots. “I have used John ocassionally on the Sox beat since hiring him and will continue to do so when needed. John’s versatility allows me to use him on
various assignments and for various projects. That will not change.”

As to whether Tomase would be put at a disadvantage by not covering the Pats’ camp and thus not getting to know new players, Hryniewicz said, “John attended some of the Pats mini camp this past weekend to speak with some players and to collect notes but did not write because I had him writing
elsewhere.”

Tomase’s versatility will extend to the hardwood this week.

“He will be traveling to LA for Celts stuff this week, too, again due to my staffing needs,” wrote Hryniewicz. “But I plan to keep him on the Pats beat where he has been since coming to the Herald.”

• One other Patriots thought to pass along: Why did the Boston Globe’s Christopher Gasper insist, in his Sunday story, that “(Tom) Brady broke his offseason silence. . .” with Saturday’s talk? Brady had a very well-publicized interview on WEEI 850 AM last month. Just because Gasper, the Globe or any other media outlet wasn’t the chosen entity for that interview doesn’t mean Brady was silent since the Super Bowl meltdown.

Tomase, at least, specified in his Sunday blog that it was the first “en masse” talk with Brady.

In an age when the consumer can get information from radio, TV, computer, newspaper, carrier pigeon and whatever other means, the old rule of “breaking media silence” no longer apply. Gasper - a young ‘un in the game - should know that better than most.

• Did we all catch the return of Jackie MacMullan’s byline in Sunday’s Globe? We had been under the impression that a term of the buyout agreement was that buyout takers could not be by-lined in the Globe for a specified amount of time. Unless the term was a month, it’s probably wasn’t a stipulation in this latest round of buyouts.

So strange to see the “correspondent” tag for Jackie Mack. The paper has missed both her and Peter May for the latter part of the playoffs, there can be no doubt.

David Scott writes from a seaside shanty on the shores of Hull, Mass. and can be reached at shotsATbostonsportsmediaDOTcom.

Scott’s first book, with Memphis Coach John Calipari, is scheduled for release in the Fall of 2009.