Gene Upshaw, Head of NFLPA, Dead at 63
Gene Upshaw, the Hall of Fame football player who during his tenure as players union head, helped bring free agency, has died. Upshaw was 63. Upshaw died Wednesday night at his home in Lake Tahoe, California, of pancreatic cancer, which was diagnosed just this past Sunday.
From the Associated Press:
Upshaw’s death came only two days after the union announced he would hold a briefing on labor negotiations before the September 4 season opener between the Washington Redskins and the New York Giants.
His outstanding 15-season playing career was entirely with the Oakland Raiders and included two Super Bowl wins and seven Pro Bowl appearances. Upshaw’s biography was posted on the front page of the Hall of Fame Web site Thursday along with his enshrinement speech from 1987.
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.
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.
It’s a sad day for the NFL as Upshaw was an all-time great player and did so much for the NFL Players Union. He will surely be missed. Thoughts?
Tags: NFL, ESPN, Gene Upshaw, NFLPA, Union, NFL Union, Upshaw Death, Free Agent, Free Agency, Paul Tagliabue, Owners, NFL Owners, Oakland Raiders, New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, NFL Opener, Lake Tahoe, Hall of Fame, Football Hall of Fame, Labor Dispute, Labor Negotiation
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