In the wake of Percy Harvin finally Percy Harvin-ing his way out of Seattle (see: whining about the game plan and his utilization, constant nagging and possibly/probably fake injuries, body slamming teammates; ya know, the usual), the Seahawks and head coach Pete Carroll have had to endure a serious backlash, compounded exponentially by their having dropped their last two games, the most recent a heartbreaker against the lowly St. Louis Rams.
The latest wave of potential controversy is highlighted in a report by Mike Freeman, the NFL National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report.
Freeman, drawing comparisons to the issues facing the 2006 Philadelphia Eagles, who saw locker room battle lines being drawn between wide receiver Terrell Owens and quarterback Donovan McNabb, writes that "there was a similar dynamic between Wilson and Harvin."
Freeman goes on to note that at least one Seahawks player claimed that Harvin was traded in part because of his "increasing animosity" toward Wilson and painted the picture of a locker room being divided.
The most jarring aspect of Freeman's report though, is the alleged connection he sees between this animosity and a racial issue he says was revealed by his interviews with several players on the team:
There is also an element of race that needs to be discussed. My feeling on this-and it's backed up by several interviews with Seahawks players-is that some of the black players think Wilson isn't black enough.
This, again, was similar to the situation with McNabb. And this, again, will be denied by Seattle people. But there is an element of this.
This is an issue that extends outside of football, into African-American society-though it's gotten better recently. Well-spoken blacks are seen by some other blacks as not completely black. Some of this is at play.
Locker rooms are a volatile place; the egos and personalities of multi-million dollar athletes mix and mingle in a testosterone-fueled fish bowl - finding the right balance between camaraderie and competition is a truly delicate balance. So far - as proven by last season's Super Bowl victory - Carroll and the Seahawks have been able to walk this tight rope with aplomb.
But, as the trade of Harvin denotes, things in the locker room - and in the NFL - can change in the blink of an eye.
