Newsgroup: it.sport.americani
Titolo: R.I.P. Gene

NFLPA head Gene Upshaw dead at 63 of cancer
By DAVE GOLDBERG
AP Football Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- 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.
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."
News of Upshaw's death first came through a Clear Channel Online report 
that appeared on several radio Web sites.
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 
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.
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.
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.

 NFLPA head Gene Upshaw dead at 63 of cancer
Io e Massimo abbiamo "conosciuto" Gene Upshaw alle conferenze stampa
dei World Bowl, presenza fissa la sua, dove ha sempre difeso, per
ragioni corporative ovviamente, la NFLEurope.
Con lui alla guida della Union, i giocatori hanno ottenuto contratti
sempre più ricchi e quindi ha svolto egregiamente il suo lavoro.
Da qualche mese girano voci di schricchiolii politici con altre
persone che si erano fatte avanti per sostituirlo alla guida del
sindacato e probabilmente la sua avventura si sarebbe chiusa a breve,
ma nessuno immaginava in questo modo.
Kudos to Gene

 
Oltre a ricordarsi quello che era in campo e negli spogliatoi.
RIP
M