Playing in the heat of Honolulu, Hawaii, the Patriots in the Pro Bowl didn't exactly receive a warm reception from those in attendance last night.
But after getting the cold shoulder from the crowd, CB Asante Samuel brought them to their feet by laying his shoulder into WR Larry Fitzgerald of the NFC squad.
"[QB Matt Hasselbeck] was trying to throw a quick pass on me, and I just put all my 185 pounds into [Fitzgerald]," said Samuel in a* Boston Globe* feature.
"Every now and then he lays the wood, and he did that time," said fellow Patriots Pro Bowler NT Vince Wilfork in the* Boston Herald*.
As everyone who follows the Patriots closely knows, Samuel may or may not have played his last game in New England. As an unrestricted free agent, he could command a contract somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 million on the open market.
Yet, he still isn't ruling out a return to New England.
"Obviously it's my goal to have financial security for me and my family and my kids," Samuel said in an ESPN.com interview. "I definitely want to play on a winning team. But I would love to remain a Patriot."
Would he take less to stay with the only NFL team he's ever played for?
"I can't say no, I can't say yes," Samuel said. "I guess it could be how I'm feeling that day. Hopefully, we can work something out."
While Samuel's status remains unclear, it looks like S Rodney Harrison is leaning toward returning.
"Right now, at this point, I feel like I’m going to honor the last year of my contract," said the 35-year-old Harrison during an autograph session in New Hampshire this weekend.
"Everyone's asking me about retirement. I don't know what to say about it. I haven't said anything publicly about wanting to retire or anything like that. I'm very hungry to get back to working out and be a part of this team, and try to win another championship."
QUICK HITS
A San Diego columnist has written New England's epitaph today, saying the Chargers will likely beat the Pats and the rest of the NFL next season.
Down in Florida, some are reveling in the Pats' misfortunes in Super Bowl XLII.
More info is coming to light, sort of, about the man at the center of the Spygate controversy.
In another story about Spygate, a Buffalo news outlet tells about a similar incident that helped the Dallas Cowboys stifle the Bills during a Super Bowl last decade.
