Hall of Fame player and longtime NFL Players Association executive director Gene Upshaw has died, according to a report citing unnamed sources by Clear Channel Online. Upshaw's illness was unreported on and his death was wholly unexpected. http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/26326065/ This will certainly impact the new labor agreement, a potential lockout, salary cap(less) years, etc. All depends on who becomes the new head of the union. Some people were of a mind to try and force Upshaw out anyway.
WOW, this is very interesting. Maybe alumni will get better benefits. I've seen all those HBO real sports about how F-ed up they all are now.
Sad day for me, one of my all time favorites. A kid from a humble background becomes a Hall of Famer and NFLPA union rep, what an amazing guy. And a leader of those great Madden era Raider teams. RIP Gene...
RIP. Very shocking, but then again, not really, given how so many players from that era (especially people in the trenches) are dying at young ages. I don't know if it's the physical wear and tear or something else (PEDs, overuse of painkillers, etc.), but if I was player from the 1970s I would be very worried. Reports are now that it was pancreatic cancer.
Gene Upshaw Dies at 63 Posted Aug 21st 2008 7:30AM by Michael David Smith (author feed) Filed under: Raiders http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/21/...s-at-63/?icid=100214839x1208026835x1200435411 Multiple news outlets are reporting that Gene Upshaw, the Oakland Raiders Hall of Famer who has ruled the NFL players' union for the last quarter century, has died at the age of 63. Upshaw's death was first reported by Jim Riggio of Clear Channel, who reported that Upshaw had pancreatic cancer. Upshaw had never disclosed that he was ill, but other outlets, including NBC Sports and the Post Chronicle, have also reported Upshaw's death. At 8:30 a.m. Eastern, the NFL confirmed Upshaw's death. Upshaw played for the Oakland Raiders from 1967 to 1981. He was active in the players' union and became its executive director shortly after his retirement.
Gene Upshaw Dead??? Im watching Sportscenter right now and they just reported it. Apparently they said he found out he was sick this past Saturday and passed with his family by his side. This is real shocking. RIP
Obviously it's tragic that Upshaw died so young. But I hated the guy. He had a comfortable job and didn't give a shit that his former co-workers did not and were suffering through debilitating injuries and illnesses. Dozens and dozens of former players have died much younger than Upshaw as a result of the NFLPA's reluctance to take care of their retirees. Most of them don't get their own threads.
It was definitely shocking what his stance was on disabled vets. I wonder if we will ever know why that was what it was.
What a surprise ! I knew the guy wasn't looking that good but I attributed it to just getting older. I had no idea that he had cancer. While I'm sad for his family, I was never a big fan of Upshaw. I thought he had a combative personality that made for difficult negotiations. He seemed to never give in on issues that almost everyone supported (more aid to retired vets, rookie salary cap, etc). So I hope his passing will usher in a new era of cooperation in the NFL negotiation process.
I watched ESPN this morning and apparently even Upshaw didn't know until Sunday. Like most pro athletes he hated hospitals, I guess. I'm not as familiar with cancer as a lot of people are, but I would think you have to ignore a lot of warning signs to die from it only a few days after diagnosis.
I don't think that's a fair comment. He dragged that union into the 21st century, and players earning 60 cents on the dollar is impressive no matter how you slice it. He actually did a lot for retired players, probably more than any union leader you can think of. George Martin (ex-Giant player rep) on Upshaw: In truth a lot of the retired players who are not getting benefits are guilty of cashing in pensions years ago. I would agree that Upshaw sometimes sounded callous to theri plight as he was not a man to back down to a challenge. But in reality history will show that Upshaw did amazing work for current players, and made more gains for retired players than he was given credit for.
I was never a fan of Gene Upshaw, he was Raider on a team I despised but at a time like this who cannot show some grace, this is a tragic loss for a man who fought with passion for his principals. I find it difficult not have some humility here, we are all mortal, my thoughts are with his family and NJ Raider you have my condolances.
