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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Grip on Sports: Blunders abound in Seahawks, Percy Harvin saga

When Percy Harvin was traded by Seattle on Friday, the Seahawks’ brain trust seemed to be admitting they made a mistake bringing in the receiver. (Associated Press)

Saturday: The stunning news Friday afternoon: playmaker Percy Harvin, the guy who was supposed to inject excitement into the Seattle franchise,  was out the door. Booted off to the New York Jets, the Siberia of the modern-day NFL, for a lowly midrange draft pick.

So much for excitement.

In hindsight, though, I guess he did supply it. It just was fleeting. As in his kickoff return in the Super Bowl. And that fly sweep early in the game. And his touchdown run in San Diego a few weeks back. And, lest we forget, yesterday when the Hawks  ran him out of town, his head on a pike. Talk about exciting.

All we heard while Harvin was in a Seattle uniform – mainly a red, no-contact one at practice – was how his problems were behind him, a thing of his Florida and Minnesota past. Pete Carroll’s Fr. Flanigan act had worked once more and Harvin was born again, a teammate who wanted nothing more to be on the field to help his team win. A saint. The old-school variety, not the New Orleans type.

Until he wasn’t. The trade wasn’t even official and the character assassination of Harvin had already reached the Soviet-era nonperson level.

I’m not saying it’s not all true, the punch reportedly delivered to Golden Tate before the Super Bowl, the argument that alleged to have occurred with Russell Wilson this season, the purported nastiness in the wide receivers meeting room. Taking Harvin’s track record into account, it’s more than likely all gospel.

But where were the stories a month ago? A week ago? How come the leaks didn’t spew forth this stuff until after he was traded?

Could it be Carroll and general manager John Schneider are now covering their butts, considering their investment in Harvin, both in money and reputation? Sure it is.

By trading Harvin yesterday, the Seahawks’ brain trust admitted they had made a mistake, that even Carroll, Mr. Fix-It, couldn’t paper over Harvin’s problems anymore.

Friday: Utah running back Devontae Booker is part of the “what-if” game.

What if Booker had been a bit better student in high school? Say what you will about Paul Wulff’s recruiting, but his staff identified some talent. It’s just they couldn’t lure much of it to Pullman.

Booker was the exception. They sold the little out-of-the-way town in Eastern Washington to the Sacramento kid and had him signed, sealed and, well, undeliverable. Wulff raved about Booker, how he was a difference maker, when he signed his letter of intent in 2009. He is. Only problem, he’s a difference maker for Utah after a long, torturous journey through the junior college system.

Booker (then known as Butler-Booker) didn’t qualify academically out of Grant High, so instead of helping Wulff keep his job, he watched from afar as Wulff was let go after the 2011 season – a loss to Utah helping to seal his fate – and Mike Leach hired.

Booker decided to go elsewhere when his JC career was over. But he wasn’t alone in that decision. Also in that 2010 class was junior college defensive lineman Al Lapuaho, who signed a LOI, came to Pullman, decided not to stay, returned to Utah, enrolled at Utah State, ending up starting for the Aggies and has spent some time in NFL camps.

Throw those two players into the mix at WSU – with others of that class including Deone Bucannon, Connor Halliday, Marquess Wilson, Toni Pole, John Fullington and, yes, C.J. Mizell – and there might have been another win or two in those dark years.