Sunday, February 5, 2012 @ 8:31pm

Are we all watching the same game?

By Mike Salk

I guess I must see the world in my own weird way.

I guess I'm nuts.

I guess my game narrative was just different from the one seen by many of you and the good folks at NBC.

I saw a game that turned on one play. 2nd and 11. Patriots up two points and driving with just over four minutes to play. Tom Brady looks downfield and finds Wes Welker open. Brady lofts it up, and hits Welker in the hands. If he catches the ball, the Pats have a first down at the New York 22 yard line with 4:00 on the clock, which would have been running. In all likelihood, a field goal forces the Giants to score a touch down with limited time remaining and a touchdown ends the game.

Welker caught 122 balls in the regular season and is generally considered to be one of the surest handed receivers in the league. And yet...

He drops the ball.

Deion Branch drops the third down pass (which also hits his hands) and the Patriots punt. Minutes later, Eli Manning becomes a Super Bowl legend once again.

Pardon me, but every person who made Baltimore receiver Lee Evans a goat just two weeks ago needs to be even harder on Welker. Evans had the ball knocked away by a defender - debatably even his fault! Welker dropped a ball that hit his hands. Was it an easy catch? No. But it needed to be caught.

I've heard all the opposing voices on this. “Brady could have been more accurate...Welker had to turn his body...you don't know what would have happened if he had caught it...” None of those arguments are wrong and yet none of them put the blame where it needs to be: on the player who had the chance to, as Bill Belichick says, “just do his job.”

If we are assigning roles, Welker is my goat.

* * *

Minutes later, we all witnessed one of the greatest clutch catches of all time. Mario Manningham (MANNINGHAM!) has body control for days. That catch he made to set up the final score of the game was immense. And I understand the desire to compare it to another great play in history.

Fortunately, we saw it's equal just three years ago when Santonio Holmes used every millimeter of his 5'11” frame to haul in Ben Roethlisberger's bullet, dragging his toes just inside the boundary to set up the Steelers' win over the Cardinals.

That was a fair comparison. But to compare Manningham's heroics to David Tyree's helmet catch? That is just plain unfair to Manningham! One was amazing skill. The other was amazing luck.

I guess I just don't see the comparison, unless it's as obvious as the same white jersey with red numbers. But we're better than that, right?

* * *

What does this teach us? That while the quarterback is still the most important position in all of sports, the quarterback can't win it alone. If Welker catches a ball he cathauls in “100 out of 100 times” according to Chris Collinsworth, Brady wins and is likely known as the greatest ever. If Manningham doesn't find a way to drag his feet in bounds, Manning isn't surpassing Big Ben and joining the elite ranks in the NFL.

Both quarterbacks put the ball where it had to be when it had to be there. Only one of their receivers made the play that needed to be made.

Maybe the national media narrative will change in the next few days, but right now it's hard to see Eli (and his hangdog look) labeled a hero.

* * *

Finally, I don't understand why people were upset about Madonna and the halftime show. Yes, she lip-synched. No, I don't care.

Last year, everyone complained about the Black Eyed Peas NOT lip-synching. People were shocked that they didn't sound great as they leaped around on stage shouting something akin to the lyrics of their hit songs. Now, the same people are upset that Madonna didn't have that problem?

What am I missing?

The halftime show is an opportunity to appeal to the masses, to throw a bone to non-football obsessed viewers who fill out the party. It tries to appeal to the greatest cross-section of the population so as to make the day an even bigger event.

How do you do that? Easy. Choose pop singers.

Pop is not rock. It isn't about the purity or difficulty or complexity of the music. The goal of a pop concert is to create an amazing spectacle. The music isn't complicated, but the dance and the presentation is just as important as the singing itself. If the best way to get the best sound is for a pop star to lip-synch, that works for me just fine. Good on you, Madonna!

Friday, February 3, 2012 @ 3:23pm

Is Washington's Tony Wroten ready for the NBA?

Tony Wroten's off night in Washington's win over UCLA on Thursday provided more fuel for discussions about the true freshman's NBA readiness.

Wroten, who's talented enough to generate speculation that he could be a "one-and-done" player, had two assists, five turnovers and 13 points on 4 of 11 shooting against the Bruins. He made all five of his free-throw attempts while playing 27 minutes.

Citing his shooting limitations, ESPN college basketball analyst Doug Gottlieb told "Brock and Salk" on Friday that he thinks Wroten's game needs refinement before he's ready to be effective at the next level.

"I've talked to NBA people who don't like him, ... think he can't shoot but think he's a talent," Gottlieb said, adding that a draft weak in point guards would ensure that Wroten would be taken.

Gottlieb added: "It all depends on what's important to you. If you want to be a well-rounded player so that your second contract is a big one, then you wait a year or two. If you just want to go and get paid and hear your name and become a professional, then go because I think somebody will take him."

Brock Huard shares Gottlieb's reservations about Wroten, and he explains why in Friday's Wrapup video.

You can download Friday's podcast here.

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Jay Bilas: Tony Wroten is among nation's top freshmen
Mike Salk: Tony Wroten emerging as Washington's go-to guy

Thursday, February 2, 2012 @ 6:00pm

Checking in with Seahawks wide receiver Mike Williams

Mike Williams' plan for improving upon a disappointing 2011 season includes playing at a lower weight.

"I've got to get better, I've got to get faster, I've got to get more explosive. I won't be playing at 240 [pounds] this year. I'm going to go down and go a lot lower than that just to give myself the best chance," the Seahawks wide receiver told "Brock and Salk" on Wednesday.

Weight issues were part of the reason Williams was out of football for two seasons prior to joining the Seahawks in 2010. The contract extension he signed later that season includes a weight clause.

Williams suggested that he has played at 240 pounds in the past -- he's been listed at 235 the past two seasons -- but added, "I've got to take a different step and really give myself a chance to be the player that I can be and that I know I am."

Williams was that player in 2010. With Matt Hasselbeck at quarterback, Williams was a focal point of the Seahawks' offense, catching 65 passes for 751 yards and two scores in 14 regular-season games. He had just 18 catches last season, dogged by injuries and dropped passes. He missed two games early in the season -- one with a concussion and another with a hamstring injury -- before he was placed on injured reserve following an ankle and leg injury he sustained in a Dec. 18 game against Chicago.

Williams said he is off crutches and rehabbing at the team's headquarters. He indicated that he might not be ready to take part in OTAs and minicamps, which begin in mid-April.

"I'm just really focused on having a great offseason and getting back to form," he said. "This past season I came into camp and [within] a couple of days I had a foot [injury], and then I had a hamstring, then I had a back. I just never really got going. I was always fighting something along the way.

"My focus this year is to come in really healthy and go from there. So whenever I'm ready to go I'm just going to do whatever I can."

Follow Brady Henderson on Twitter @BradyHenderson

Thursday, February 2, 2012 @ 1:10pm

Which Giant or Pat would you like on the Seahawks?

A completely hypothetical question was the basis for Thursday's Wrap Up video.

Excluding quarterbacks Tom Brady and Eli Manning, which player on either Super Bowl team would Brock Huard like to see on the Seahawks?

His answer wasn't all that surprising given the Seahawks' pass-rush issues last season.

You can download Thursday's Wrap Up video here.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012 @ 1:28pm

Steve Sarkisian's recruiting efforts pay off for Huskies

Losing out on some of the top local recruits invited jokes about holes in the fence Steve Sarkisian said he was trying to put around the state.

Despite that, the Huskies' recruiting class appears to be just fine.

In Wednesday's Wrap Up video, Brock and Salk say Sarkisian deserves credit for making the necessary moves to ensure a strong recruiting class.

You can download Wednesday's podcast here.

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Live updates from college football signing day
Analyst: Shaq Thompson is a 'once-in-a-decade' player

Tuesday, January 31, 2012 @ 5:27pm

Analyst: Shaq Thompson is a 'once-in-a-decade' player

Washington may have lost out on Lakes offensive tackle Zach Banner, who is rated by Rivals.com as the 16th-best prospect in the country.

But on the same day, they secured a commitment from what one recruiting analyst thinks is "a once-in-a-decade-type player."

Shaq Thompson

Thompson, who is from Sacramento, Calif., had committed in the spring to Cal, where his brother, Syd'Quan, played football. That changed when Washington hired Tosh Lupoi, the defensive line coach at Cal who had helped recruit Shaq Thompson.

Thompson tweeted Monday night that he was committing to Washington, then confirmed his decision to several media outlets.

"Shaq Thompson going to UW was huge," Biggins told "Brock and Salk" on Tuesday. "I don't like to use too much hyperbole, but in the 15 years I've been watching especially California players, he's probably the best safety I've seen in my 15 years. He's such a tremendous talent.

"Literally, you break his game down and he doesn't really have discernable weakness. His body -- he's 6-2, 220 right now as a high school, 18-year-old kid. He can run. Two years ago, when he was 180, he was a corner, so he's got those corner skills. He hits, he plays in the box, he covers a lot of range. It's a huge pickup."

Thompson and other recruits can begin signing their letters of intent on Wednesday.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012 @ 1:51pm

Don't blame recruits if they spurn your school

Zach Banner, a highly-regarded offensive tackle from Lakes High School in Lakewood, Wash., upset Huskies fans Monday when he announced his decision to play football at USC.

In Tuesday's Wrapup video, Mike Salk says those feelings are misguided.

You can download Tuesday's podcast here.

Monday, January 30, 2012 @ 1:10pm

Tony Wroten emerging as Washington's go-to guy

Tony Wroten has averaged 20 points in Washington's last three games.

Perhaps more importantly, he has made clutch plays down the stretch of the last two, helping the Huskies sweep the Arizona schools on the road.

When Arizona State pulled to within four points in the final two minutes on Thursday, Wroten put back his own missed shot and was fouled, sinking the ensuing free throw for a three-point play and some breathing room in what would be a 60-54 win.

On Saturday against Arizona, Wroten's last-second blocked shot thwarted the Wildcats' comeback attempt and preserved a 69-67 win in front of a sellout crowd and a nationally televised audience.

In Monday's Wrap Up video, Mike Salk says the true freshman is emerging as the go-to guy the Huskies haven't had this season.

You can download Monday's podcast here.