Upshaw on the way out the door?

[Gunzlingr]

An effort to oust Gene Upshaw as the NFL Players Association Executive Director became evident Monday, when veteran Baltimore Ravens (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=bal) kicker Matt Stover (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=1078) e-mailed a plan to fellow player representatives to have a new union boss in place by March 2009.

In his e-mail, a copy of which has been obtained by ESPN, Stover revealed a conference call among player reps on Friday in which he said, "I was on that conference call and I am not the only rep who listened and felt that it is time for a change."
Upshaw said Tuesday morning that he was aware of Stover's e-mail but read it for the first time when ESPN forwarded him a copy. Upshaw's contract runs through 2010, but he said Tuesday he told player representatives at their annual meeting in Maui in March that with a looming labor confrontation with NFL owners, "I would never leave until this deal is done."
Tuesday, Upshaw said, "Obviously, there's a group that feels we need to have a change now."
As for Stover's e-mail, Upshaw said Tuesday: "Matt Stover has no clue. Whoever is pulling his chain is doing a disservice to the union. I could understand the idea that they need to get rid of me if I wasn't doing a good job but, shoot, the owners are mad because they think I've done too good of a job."
Upshaw confirmed that hints of a movement ultimately to change the union leadership were in play at the March meetings in Maui. An effort by one coalition of players to get Philadelphia Eagles (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=phi) safety Brian Dawkins (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=3558) elected as the new NFL Players Association president fell short when Tennessee Titans (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=ten) center Kevin Mawae (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=2826) was voted as its new active-players leader, according to player sources. Mawae is believed to be a supporter of Upshaw.
Dawkins had the backing of former NFLPA president Troy Vincent, who was no longer eligible for the position because he was not an active player. Several player sources have said Vincent is regarded as a political force within the ranks of the players and desires to replace Upshaw one day.
There has been no specific reason cited for the latest move to oust Upshaw, and Vincent has yet to be reached for comment.
Stover also could not be reached for immediate comment.



http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3336017&campaign=rss&source=NFLHeadlines

[Bulldog]

This whole labor dispute is going to get real ugly.

[Michael82]

This whole labor dispute is going to get real ugly.
yeah it is. I think it might approach the NHL ugliness. :ill:

[gr8slayer]

Thank god, you all think that the owners are the *******s? It's the players.

[YardRat]

Thank god, you all think that the owners are the *******s? It's the players.

It's both.

It takes two sides to negotiate and come to an agreement on a deal.

[gr8slayer]

It's both.

It takes two sides to negotiate and come to an agreement on a deal.
No doubt about it but wouldn't you agree that the players are getting far too much? The only thing that would change my view on that is if I could see how much of the money the owners are putting in their own personal bank account, but since that isn't available to us I have to go by what the players are doing.

The fact that Gene Upshaw is the head of the Union doesn't make it any better for me. He just rubs the the wrong way and I don't like the way he treats former players at all.

[YardRat]

No doubt about it but wouldn't you agree that the players are getting far too much? The only thing that would change my view on that is if I could see how much of the money the owners are putting in their own personal bank account, but since that isn't available to us I have to go by what the players are doing.

The fact that Gene Upshaw is the head of the Union doesn't make it any better for me. He just rubs the the wrong way and I don't like the way he treats former players at all.

Yes, I would agree but part of the responsiblity lies with the owners that lobbied to push the agreement through. I don't like Upshaw, either...haven't for years. If he had really been doing his job, there would have never needed to be a movement by former players to get better benefits.

[OpIv37]

Upshaw, Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder are ruining the NFL.

Upshaw's just a thug in a suit- he knows he's got a commodity and he uses it to push the owners around. But in typical union fashion, he doesn't realize that the short term gains for the players are bad for the long term viability of the league.

I fully expect a strike or lockout after 2010, but if the union can get rid of Upshaw, that increases the possibility of a deal. Props to Stover and the other guys that refuse to be intimidated by him.