Matt Birk, what say U now

[Miguel]

Gene Upshaw got the NFLPA a CBA extension that will cause an additional $500,000,000 to be spent on players this year as compared to 2005.

Congrats to Gene Upshaw, who, IMO, took some unfair shots on this board.

 

[Murphys95]

Sorry Miguel, I disagree, they were all losers in my book.

Besides, I'm not big on the end justifying the means.

 

[T-ShirtDynasty]

Tags is the hero here. It got done despite Upshaw's deception and games, thanks to Tags.

Congrats Tagliabue, and thank you, sir.

 

[PatsSteve1]

It got done despite Upshaw's deception and games, thanks to Tags.

* What deception and games?

 

[flutie2phelan]

Congrats to Gene Upshaw, who, IMO, took some unfair shots on this board.

Upshaw definitely won.

The shots here were not unfair.

 

[mikey]

Gene Upshaw got the NFLPA a CBA extension that will cause an additional $500,000,000 to be spent on players this year as compared to 2005.
Congrats to Gene Upshaw, who, IMO, took some unfair shots on this board.

I thought Matt Birk acted like a smart-aleck know-it-all.

He compromised his own union's position with his public criticism of Upshaw's authority.

.

 

[MagicMarker]

Still, Miguel is right that there is a lot of gamesmanship involved -- and maybe Gene knew when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em. So, good for Gene.

Of course, it could have just as easily gone the other way, and if it had, he'd been a villian. To the victors belong the spoils.

 

[mgteich]

I agree. Upshaw stood his ground, and won a great deal for the players. He knew that the percentage was all important, and he won a significant increase over the past week. Remember when the owners wouldn't pay more than 56.5%. He did this within a very weird three sided negotiations. He pushed the owners to the edge and past, and judged well when there was no more room to negotiate.

Congrats to Tags! As I said the other night, he'd come to Dallas, twist some arms and sell the deal. His speech was magnificant.

Congrats to Kraft and Jerry Jones. Only $3M a year to the incompetents and a salary cap of $102M. They couldn't have done better, standing their ground.

And congrats to the pats, steelers, jets and ravens whose managements constructed the final deal.

And we now have two teams to go to the top of my "hate" list: Cinci and Buffalo. Especially Cinci, who while a low revenue team, makes lots of profits and still has the gall to ask for handouts.
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Gene Upshaw got the NFLPA a CBA extension that will cause an additional $500,000,000 to be spent on players this year as compared to 2005.

Congrats to Gene Upshaw, who, IMO, took some unfair shots on this board.

 

[DaBruinz]

Gene Upshaw got the NFLPA a CBA extension that will cause an additional $500,000,000 to be spent on players this year as compared to 2005.

Congrats to Gene Upshaw, who, IMO, took some unfair shots on this board.

Sorry Miguel, but Upshaw deserved every single shot he got. In fact, I don't feel that he took enough shots. We don't know the extent of the deal and we don't know if he actually addressed issies with the pensions health care that retired players had.

 

[Pats726]

Sorry Miguel, but Upshaw deserved every single shot he got. In fact, I don't feel that he took enough shots. We don't know the extent of the deal and we don't know if he actually addressed issies with the pensions health care that retired players had.

I am glad they got the deal done..but I think Upshaw deserved every shot as well...He was the one who always ran out of the meetings..used the media to his advantage with many untruths...and was out of communication with the players who he was supposed to be representing at at least one crucial time...
With regards to pensions and health care for retired players, from what I heard, he has low regard for them...Supposedly his words about the retired players were something like of the effect was that they don't pay his salary...Basically, to Upshaw they don't matter. If this is true, he's far from someone anyone should be cheering about. The one person who got this all together was TBu...who had to deal with many sides to get it all done. There were also owners that stepped up with plans..as well. If one looks at the acrimonious words, the threats and such, they didn't come from Tags or the owners, but from Upshaw himsellf.

 

[smg93]

I'm not a big fan of Upshaw or the Players Union or frankly, Unions in general. One thing that can be said about Upshaw however is that he has an incredibly difficult PR job because he represents a Union of very very wealthy individuals. With an average salary of more than $1m per player and 545k being the Veteran minimum and 200k or so the minimum for first year players, it is a tough task when one of your primary assignments is to cry poverty and proclaim to the world how unfair a salary structure that is already creating millionaires yearly, really is. It's hard to make people believe how an average salary of more than $1 million per year is unfair when the average football fan who in many ways pays for that salary structure barely makes let's say $50k a year. There is a strong disconnect with most people and the NFLPA because an average player makes $20 for every dollar an average joe does.

The negotiating games he played is part and parcel of his job. If he didn't press for the highest revenue share and benefits package he could for his members, he wouldn't be doing his job. The job of a Union leader is to know when to push and when to back off Union demands. MagicMarker put it perfectly when he says about Gene Upshaw

Of course, it could have just as easily gone the other way, and if it had, he'd been a villian. To the victors belong the spoils.

This could have blown up in Gene Upshaw's face, but it didn't. So in the end, all you can really say is Good Job Gene Upshaw. I'm just glad we don't have to go through this process again until 2010 or so.

 

[mikey]

As a Harvard graduate, Matt Birk probably will have a lucrative career after NFL.

But for most others, their playing years in the NFL represent their only opportunitiy to earn good money for their themselves and their family.

I thought it was therefore Upshaw's job to secure the best contract for these players.

And that is what Upshaw just accomplished.

As for Matt Birk, he has been exposed as a parochial-minded selfish loudmouth who only think of himself.

.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

As a Harvard graduate, Matt Birk probably will have a lucrative career after NFL.

But for most others, their playing years in the NFL represent their only opportunitiy to earn good money for their themselves and their family.

I thought it was therefore Upshaw's job to secure the best contract for these players.

And that is what Upshaw just accomplished.

As for Matt Birk, he has been exposed as a parochial-minded selfish loudmouth who only think of himself.

.

With that strong endorsement Mikey, I can't wait to get him on the NE roster. :rocker: