NFLPA Exec. Director Gene Upshaw dead at 63 of pancreatic cancer, 4 days after diag.

[ScottieC]

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/08/21/report-gene-upshaw-dead-at-63/

No one else is reporting this, so?

 

[BigMike]

Re: Unconfirmed Report from PFW - Upshaw Dead at 63

Tom Curran wrote the article Florio linked to. Its confirmed.

 

[TeamPats]

Re: Unconfirmed Report from PFW - Upshaw Dead at 63

Wow...that is really going to stir things up with the union and the CBA. I can't believe I never heard of this illness considering his position, may he rest in peace

 

[ScottieC]

Re: Unconfirmed Report from PFW - Upshaw Dead at 63

Tom Curran wrote the article Florio linked to. Its confirmed.

Ok, Mods can change the title when they want, but I checked all the news wires and did not find anything about Upshaw on them - Odd.

 

[fgssand]

Re: Unconfirmed Report from PFW - Upshaw Dead at 63

RIP Gene..

Add this to the confirmation:

http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/21/reports-gene-upshaw-dies-at-63/

 

[PAPatsjunkie]

Re: Unconfirmed Report from PFW - Upshaw Dead at 63

Still nothing on ESPN or SI.. very weird. Reminds me of yesterday when some news outlets were reporting that congresswoman had died before she was actually dead.

 

[DaBruinz]

Re: Unconfirmed Report from PFW - Upshaw Dead at 63

ESPN hasn't run it yet and this would be headlines over the other stuff.

I haven't seen it on CNN or any of my locals here in Dallas.

 

[BritPat]

Re: Unconfirmed Report from PFW - Upshaw Dead at 63

It's on NBC:

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/26326065/

 

[theONLYJerseypatsfan]

Re: Unconfirmed Report from PFW - Upshaw Dead at 63

Still nothing on ESPN or SI.. very weird. Reminds me of yesterday when some news outlets were reporting that congresswoman had died before she was actually dead.

There's a glitch in the matrix..............

 

[italian pat patriot]

Re: Unconfirmed Report from PFW - Upshaw Dead at 63

riposa in pace

 

[Pats726]

Re: Unconfirmed Report from PFW - Upshaw Dead at 63

Supposedly NFL.com has it Curran talking about it on the D&C show..although blow hard felger is still talking about the Giants..God is HE a turd....
yes..this is big news...I wonder if the owners had any inkling of his sickness..if that at all entered into their opting out?? For all I disliked about him..he did help keep the NFL stable and the best league..and that in sports is needed...Take a look at the others..owners players have basically destroyed it..the NFL for all its faults is the best!! RIP Gene Upshaw
So where does the power go in the union with no real successor??

 

[pats1]

Re: Reports: NFLPA Director Gene Upshaw dead at 63

ESPNews is now reporting it.

 

[Aldogg]

Re: Unconfirmed Report from PFW - Upshaw Dead at 63

They just mentioned it on ESPN Sportscenter Live right now. It seems like only the family knew he had cancer and nobody else, according to Mort, and this is something that hit suddenly and quickly.

 

[pats1]

Re: Reports: NFLPA Director Gene Upshaw dead at 63

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/08/21/upshaws-death-confirmed/

UPSHAW’S DEATH CONFIRMED
Posted by Mike Florio on August 21, 2008, 9:03 a.m.

After several hours of uncertainty and confusion regarding the condition of Hall of Famer Gene Upshaw, it has been confirmed by NFL.com that Upshaw has died of pancreatic cancer.

He turned 63 just last Friday.

It’s still unknown whether he had been fighting the disease for an extended period, or whether he was diagnosed recently. (Not long ago, I heard of an otherwise healthy man who died only six days after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.)

Regardless of whether Upshaw knew about his condition for days, weeks, or months, his passing creates an immediate power vacuum at the NFL Players Association. With the regular season only two weeks away, a conference call of the players will need to be arranged as soon as possible, and an interim Executive Director will need to be appointed.

Possibilities include NFLPA General Counsel Richard Berthelsen, and NFLPA outside counsel Jeffrey Kessler. Another possibility (albeit, in our view, remote) would be agent Tom Condon, who represented Upshaw and previously served as NFLPA President.

...

 

[fair catch fryar]

Re: NFLPA Exec. Director Gene Upshaw dead at 63 of pancreatic cancer

Rest in peace Gene. You were one tough son of a b!tch.

 

[Rob0729]

Re: NFLPA Exec. Director Gene Upshaw dead at 63 of pancreatic cancer

Rest in Peace, Gene.

Now I guess we know why there was such a strong push by some players for Upshaw to name a successor.

 

[signbabybrady]

Re: NFLPA Exec. Director Gene Upshaw dead at 63 of pancreatic cancer

Rest in Peace, Gene.

Now I guess we know why there was such a strong push by some players for Upshaw to name a successor.

From what I hear he kept this from everyone in the NFL and no one knew and that was part of the confusion this morning. People were calling his assistant to get confirmation and the guy had no idea about the cancer and thus said he could not confirm.

RIP Mr. Upshaw and thank you very much for the hand that you had in shaping the NFL into what it is today, the best sports league in our country. People talk about some of the great things Tags did while he was commisioner but people don't mention that Upshaw was there too and had a huge role in a lot of things that are common to todays NFL.

So again thank you very much.

 

[TrueBeliever]

Re: NFLPA Exec. Director Gene Upshaw dead at 63 of pancreatic cancer

Geez, this is a shock. Like many of you have said, I had no idea he was ill.

Pancreatic cancer is reportedly one of the most difficult to treat, if it's treatable at all. One of my dad's uncles was diagnosed with it and was gone within months, and this was a man who was very health conscious. My dad was dumbfounded, saying his uncle never smoked, drank alcohol only on very special occasions, stayed in shape, etc. Then he went to the doctor one day and it was all over.

As for Upshaw, I wonder how this will affect the upcoming negotiations. Not too long ago there was a player who called for Upshaw to be fired, then back-tracked and said he only wanted the union to have a list of potential replacements ready should Upshaw step down. Wonder if they knew something then? Course info like that would probably have leaked if that many people knew about it.

Hopefully whomever replaces him will be more sympathetic to the older players so we don't have that ongoing fight anymore.

 

[Rob0729]

Re: NFLPA Exec. Director Gene Upshaw dead at 63 of pancreatic cancer

From what I hear he kept this from everyone in the NFL and no one knew and that was part of the confusion this morning. People were calling his assistant to get confirmation and the guy had no idea about the cancer and thus said he could not confirm.

RIP Mr. Upshaw and thank you very much for the hand that you had in shaping the NFL into what it is today, the best sports league in our country. People talk about some of the great things Tags did while he was commisioner but people don't mention that Upshaw was there too and had a huge role in a lot of things that are common to todays NFL.

So again thank you very much.

You may be right, but my guess is that people knew he wasn't well even if they didn't know how serious it was. The could have played in the attempted coupe d'etat.

I also agree that Upshaw doesn't get the credit for building the league that he should. He played a huge role in making the NFL the biggest team sport in the country and keeping labor peace. My only real complaint about the guy is how he treated former players.

 

[Clonamery]

Re: NFLPA Exec. Director Gene Upshaw dead at 63 of pancreatic cancer

You may be right, but my guess is that people knew he wasn't well even if they didn't know how serious it was. The could have played in the attempted coupe d'etat.

Magic 8 Ball says, "Reply hazy, try again."