Tom Brady thanks Patriots fans during Sunday's pep rally at Gillette Stadium. (AP)

By the way the New York Post is playing it up, Tom Brady must have selected his caterers, picked out his appetizers and entree, and hired a band for the Patriots’ Super Bowl victory party.

On Sunday, Brady gave a speech to fans at a Gillette Stadium pep rally and said, “We’re going down there, and we’re going down there for one reason. We’re going to give it our best and hopefully we’ll have a lot more people at our party next weekend.”

That hit home with the homers at the Post, who responded with a story headlined: “Giants will make Brady pay for planning Patriots victory party.”

Wrote Post staffer Steve Serby: Tom Coughlin just might be inclined to mention Tom’s Terrific invite to, say, Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Chris Canty and Dave Tollefson, for starters.

Meanwhile, Giants punter Steve Weatherford made a similar slip of the tongue Sunday. Referring to a conversation he had with his 4-year-old son the morning after the NFC championship game, Weatherford said, “He’s a big sports fan and obviously he’s a big fan of mine. It’s special. I can’t wait to hold him after we win it all on the field.”

Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes — alongside Weatherford during a meet-and-greet at a New Jersey Dunkin’ Donuts — told reporters not take Weatherford’s words out of context and that they did not constitute a guarantee of victory. But Weatherford didn’t seem to care, adding: “Well, I’m not going there to lose.”

♦ Tynes has been making the rounds after becoming the first kicker to win two conference championship games with overtime field goals. He told the New York Daily News that he was dreaming about kicking a game winner in the Super Bowl to add to his list of big kicks.

“It’s something you think more about as the game gets closer,” Tynes said Sunday. “I’d imagine it would be pretty cool. Adam Vinatieri’s gotten to experience that twice. I think it’s about anything you can do to help the team win at this point … but to have a walk-off, that would be special.”

Tynes was humble throughout the interview, saying he knows he was partially lucky to make the field goal, especially after Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff missed a short field goal only hours before.

“Good things happen, bad things happen. You have to be able to handle it either way,” Tynes said. “It’s black and white, it’s in or out. You didn’t almost make it or almost miss it, you make it or you miss it. That’s it.”

♦ Last week, Eli Manning made news by stepping out of his shell and delivering a speech in front of his entire team that not only motivated the Giants but made them respect their quarterback for the progress he’s made as a leader. The Post revealed that there was more to Manning’s speech than what was reported last week.

Eli used his brother Peyton’s experience from when the Colts lost the Super Bowl to the Saints, telling the Giants they would have a hard time losing a game as big as this one.

“I’ve never lost a Super Bowl,” Manning told the Giants. “I was with my brother when he lost one, and three months after that, that’s all he could talk about. We don’t want that feeling.”

While Eli has never lost a Super Bowl, three of his teammates have: Antrel Rolle (in 2009 with the Cardinals), Rocky Bernard (2006, Seahawks) and Deon Grant (2004, Panthers).