Friday, June 3, 2005

Seahawks send Robinson packing
Receiver runs out of second chances in Seattle

By CLARE FARNSWORTH
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

KIRKLAND -- It didn't take long for expectations to harden into reality as the Seahawks released Koren Robinson yesterday.

The move should have been accompanied by George Harrison's "Isn't It A Pity?"

Not because of the potential that has been wasted by the talented but troubled wide receiver, the ninth pick overall in the 2001 NFL draft.

Not because of the umpteen chances Robinson received from coach Mike Holmgren, only to waste them.

Not because of the impact it could have on the team, which now must find someone -- or even a couple of receivers -- to supply some of the explosiveness and run-after-the-catch ability that departs with Robinson.

No, the real pity with Robinson is that he still doesn't get it.

Robinson hasn't been available for comment since he was arraigned Tuesday in Kirkland Municipal Court on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and reckless driving from an May 6 incident on SR 520.

But one source that had spoken with him said yesterday that Robinson wonders whether he would have been released if his latest transgression had not been made public.

This one incident is not the reason he is unemployed today. It was all the others that came before it -- most noticeably Robinson's four-game suspension last season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, which was sandwiched between missing two more games because he broke team rules.

After president of football operations Tim Ruskell was hired in February, it was made clear to Robinson that he was down to one last chance with the club.

Robinson has no one to blame but himself because Holmgren gave him more second chances than any one player deserves.

Robinson had run-ins with the law while at North Carolina State, where he played only two seasons before making himself eligible for the NFL draft. Since 2003, he also has been implicated in 21 other cases for various infractions -- including driving 105 in a 60 mph zone and negligent driving.

No one associated with the team can publicly discuss Robinson's situation because league policy prohibits commenting on the specifics of an individual case, or the player's standing within the league's various abuse programs. But privately two of his coaches expressed disappointment with his situation, in large part because Robinson is so likable and they were unable to help him despite repeated attempts.

It was the same with two of his teammates, who expressed concern about Robinson as a person and what this latest lapse might mean to his life rather than just his once-promising career.

Robinson supposedly had cleaned up his act.

He entered a 30-day alcohol abuse program in January, fulfilling a promise he made to Holmgren in return for being allowed to play in the Seahawks' playoff game against the St. Louis Rams.

In late April, during the team's minicamp, Robinson told reporters that he had stopped drinking, which had helped him realize just how much the opportunity to play football meant to him and his family.

"I'm just trying to get right, man," he said at the time. "I'm just focusing on helping the team and showing them I'm accountable."

Six days later, Robinson was arrested.

Not surprisingly, the team has moved on, releasing a player due to make $1.35 million this season in the final year of the $8.4 million deal he signed as a rookie.

There are candidates on the roster to fill his starting spot, with the signings this spring of veteran free agents Jerome Pathon and Joe Jurevicius and the return of younger, untested players -- Jerheme Urban, D.J. Hackett, Taco Wallace, Alex Bannister and Jason Willis.

But Holmgren admits he is uncertain if any of them can replace everything that has been lost with the release of Robinson.

Robinson, meanwhile, has concerns other than where his next paycheck might come from -- like a July 18 date in Kirkland Municipal Court. If convicted, Robinson could face additional league penalties. Even if found innocent or able to reach a plea bargain, he has further damaged his already tarnished image.

"My name in the league ... I've got baggage with my name," he said in April. "I never wanted that."

Isn't it a pity?

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