Report: NFLPA to oust Upshaw

Any of he NFLSportsJournalists.com contingent care to guess who Upshaw's replacement would/should be?

 

Sorry, KYSW. Someone put it on our site a couple of hours ago, so I knew we had a link handy...

A_QB, Troy Vincent is the name mentioned in that story. Hasn't yet been reached for comment, though.

 

I was just kidding, man.

 

Don't worry, the smiley was duly noted...

 

What will Gene do with his leash? (/bryant gumbel)

 

Troy Vincent was a great president of the NFLPA.

 

That Gary Smith love letter to Upshaw a few weeks back in SI mentioned a successor in waiting, Upshaw could have retired years ago. But who is going to listen to a kicker?

 

Joe DeLamielleure might not be a bad choice...

 

With a broken neck?

 

What about Ditka? He can change the weather with his moods!

 

You could criticize Upshaw but the NFL owners have been a very different collection than the MLB or NBA owners. They have been tougher and more willing to wait out the players. Plus they have been more willing to put out the inferior product and view the players as more ubiquitous than other owners.

Upshaw has done a pretty good job for the players getting excellent benefits and pay (look at rookie scale and free agency benefits). Shaun Alexander is getting tens of millions for being an average player.

The reason that NBA players and MLB players get a higher scale is that in those games, the owners/GMs have believed that a individual player is more likely to have an impact on improving their team thus the large checks for average players. Not so much in the NFL who know that one player (aside from a QB) will not have that large an impact.

The environment has improved for the NFL players, note the extended guaranteed contracts (beyond mere signing bonuses.)

Yes he has failed the retired players but he owes a fiduciary duty to his constituents and no legal (moral maybe) duty to the former players.

Overall, Upshaw has done a pretty nice job for the past 20 years.

 

The union is only as strong as its parts. Yes, the baseball union has had good leadership, but the players have historically been willing to stand strong. Football players -- many of whom have tenuous, short careers -- have lacked that same resolve.