Gene Upshaw DEAD

[general counsel]

Gene Upshaw died today of pancreatic cancer. He was 63 and was diagnosed this past sunday. Our thoughts and prayers to his family.

Should be interesting to see how the void is filled.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

[TheBritishRam]

Hall of Famer, NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw dead at 63
Associated Press


NEW YORK -- Gene Upshaw, the Hall of Fame guard who during a quarter century as union head helped get NFL players free agency and the riches that came with it, has died. He was 63.


Gene Upshaw became executive director of the NFL Players Association in 1983.

Upshaw died Wednesday night at his home in Lake Tahoe, Calif., of pancreatic cancer, which was diagnosed only last Sunday, the NFL Players Association said Thursday. His wife Terri and sons Eugene Jr., Justin and Daniel were by his side.

"Gene Upshaw did everything with great dignity, pride, and conviction," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said.

"He was the rare individual who earned his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame both for his accomplishments on the field and for his leadership of the players off the field. He fought hard for the players and always kept his focus on what was best for the game. His leadership played a crucial role in taking the NFL and its players to new heights."

Upshaw died only two days after the union announced he would hold a briefing on labor negotiations before the Sept. 4 season opener between Washington and the New York Giants.

His outstanding 15-season playing career was entirely with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders and included two Super Bowl wins and seven Pro Bowl appearances.

In 1983, he became executive director of the players' association and guided it through the 1987 strike that led to replacement football. By 1989, the players had a limited form of freedom, called Plan B, and in 1993, free agency and a salary cap were instituted.

Since then, the players have prospered so much that NFL owners recently opted out of the latest labor contract, which was negotiated two years ago by Upshaw and then-commissioner Paul Tagliabue.

Frequently listed as one of the most powerful men in U.S. sports, Upshaw was drafted in the first round by Oakland in 1967 out of Texas A&I -- hardly a football factory. He was an NAIA All-American at center, tackle and end, but was switched to left guard by the Raiders.

And that's where he stayed through a magnificent career that included 10 conference championship games as well as the Super Bowl victories. He was part of one of the NFL's most dominant offensive lines, lining up between fellow Hall of Famers Art Shell at tackle and Jim Otto at center. Upshaw became the first player who was exclusively a guard to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

In a statement on its website, the NFLPA made the following statement: "We are deeply saddened and shocked by the sudden and unexpected death of our leader, Gene Upshaw. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Terri, and their three sons – Eugene, Justin and Daniel. Gene learned he was sick just this past Sunday and he died with his family at his side. We ask that the media respect our need to begin the process of dealing with this unexpected tragedy and to begin the grieving process."

Upshaw was criticized by some for not being tough enough in talks with Tagliabue, a close friend of the union head. He also was blamed by many older veterans for not dealing sufficiently with their health concerns.

But the salary cap for this season is $116 million and the players are making close to 60 percent of the 32 teams' total revenues, as specified in the 2006 agreement. In all, the players will be paid $4.5 billion this year, according to owners.

Upshaw recently became more aggressive in his dealings with the owners and Tagliabue's successor, Roger Goodell. Owners opted out of the collective bargaining agreement, which means a season without a salary cap in 2010. Upshaw declared the cap would disappear for good should there be no new deal by March 2010.

"I'm not going to sell the players on a cap again," Upshaw said. "Once we go through the cap, why should we agree to it again?"

NFL officials claimed players are getting a disproportionate amount of the revenue. Upshaw's supporters said management's viewpoint indicates he did his job well.

The players called a strike in 1987 -- leading to games with replacements -- and it wasn't until 1993 that labor peace was reached with a breakthrough seven-year contract. It included free agency and a salary cap. Almost ever since, player salaries have spiraled up along with revenue from television and marketing deals made by the league.

The NFLPA also has its own marketing arm, Players Inc., established in 1994, that has grown into a multimillion-dollar operation.

Upshaw also negotiated the first-ever union agreement for Arena Football League players.

"He was a tough negotiator but always reasonable and respectful with the ultimate goal of growing the game," said the league's acting commissioner, Ed Policy.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press.

My thoughts are with his family and friends.

[jkramsfan]

sad news,my thoughts are also with his friends and family.

[RealRam]

Originally Posted by JKramsfan

Sad news, my thoughts are also with his friends and family.

Same here. I remember Upshaw from his winning days with the AFL Raiders more than as the President of the NFLPA but either way, he was a highly respected man.