Of course, Josh Brown won't openly admit it.

But sure as Carrie Underwood is comely, the Seahawks' bachelor kicker's sights have been set lately on a target way more elusive than fluorescent goal posts: the blonde, fellow Oklahoman and 2005 American Idol champion-turned-country music princess.

How do we know? Bring up Underwood's name inside the Seahawks' locker room, and you get an "Oh, God!" out of Brown, a sigh and two eyes rolling like 22-inch chrome rims on a Yukon. Then he turns and points to quarterback Matt Hasselbeck's locker.

"You've been talking to him, haven't you?"

Yeah, sorry Josh. We have.

NOT A BAD WINGMAN

Hasselbeck, a married, 31-year-old husband and dad to three kids, played chaperone when he agreed to go with Brown, 27, to one of Underwood's concerts in Spokane, Wash., last summer during Seahawks training camp.

Then Brown dragged Hasselbeck backstage to talk to Underwood, 23. She was born in Muskogee, Okla., and raised on a farm in Checoteh _ about an hour and a half south of Brown's tiny hometown of Foyil, Okla., population 234.

When Brown went home to Foyil during the Seahawks' bye week in October, the entire town buzzed that it was because he was there to hang out with Underwood. All 234 people there were disappointed when Brown showed up with ... just himself.

But that didn't mean Brown's try for points with Underwood was over.

MAYBE SHE WAS DISTRACTED?

In November, the kicker and the teammate who spends the most time with him, punter Ryan Plackemeier, were hanging out in the team's Seattle hotel before a Monday night home game against Oakland. Brown called a florist to deliver good-luck flowers to Underwood, who was backstage in Nashville, Tenn., waiting for that night's Country Music Awards show to begin.

Hasselbeck, who had time to kill because he was injured and out for the game, found out — and spent the next hours prank calling Brown's cell phone from his own, because he knew it would come up as a private number. Each time, Brown thought it was Underwood calling to thank him for the flowers. Each time, it was Hasselbeck, howling at him for his unrequited puppy love.

No doubt inspired by Brown's chivalry, Underwood won female vocalist of the year that night at the CMAs.

Brown scored, too. At about the same time Underwood was accepting her award and performing from her triple-platinum album "Some Hearts," Brown kicked three fields goals in the Seahawks' win over the Raiders.

HOW 'BOUT THAT COWBOY?

Alas, three weeks later Underwood was in Irving, Texas, singing at halftime of the Cowboys' Thanksgiving Day game. Then came the gossip that Underwood was dating Dallas quarterback Tony Romo.

"She's is just a friend," Romo said last week. "I met her that day, so I don't know where this stuff comes from. I honestly don't know where they come up with this stuff sometimes."

Now Romo — who earlier had been linked in the tabloids to Jessica Simpson — is as ripe as overgrown cotton for Underwood's sympathy: Romo flubbed the snap on a game-winning field goal at the end of Saturday's loss to the Seahawks on national television, costing the Cowboys their season.

So while Brown gets bragging rights, he better get to work to win Underwood over. (He may need to send a whole garden this time. Or tape an "I Love You, Carrie!" sign across the front of his helmet during Sunday's game at Chicago.)

Brown's got to do something, unless he wants to be on the business end of Underwood's biggest hit: "Before He Cheats."

asap contributor Gregg Bell is AP's Sports Writer in Seattle.

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