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Union Chief Upshaw Fighting To Save Legacy

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By IRA KAUFMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 13, 2008

TAMPA - Gene Upshaw experienced many a long day tangling with Hall of Fame defensive tackle Buck Buchanan.

Four decades later, those epic battles appear positively uplifting compared to the fight Upshaw is currently waging.

This brawl is for his legacy.

The executive director of the NFL Players Association finds himself in a test of wills against some union members calling for a change at the top.

Keeping Buchanan off of Raiders quarterbacks Daryle Lamonica and Ken Stabler was a challenge Upshaw took personally as a left guard who earned his own place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.

By then, Upshaw had already headed the NFLPA for four years.

That fall, the NFL used replacement players in an effort to bust the union. America's Game has enjoyed uninterrupted labor peace since.

Upshaw, who turns 63 in August, prides himself on being a realist.

He knows his long tenure is coming to a close, but he is not ready to step aside for the young lions until another labor agreement is hammered out in the next few years.

Some members want Upshaw out now.

Ravens player representative Matt Stover, a kicker for goodness' sake, made headlines last week with the suggestion it was time for a change.

Upshaw's supporters aren't bashful.

"You look at Gene's track record, see the benefits and salaries players are receiving today, and you have to applaud the man," Bucs player rep Ryan Nece said Friday. "It's not an easy job to be in charge of making these important decisions that represent the past, the present and the future. There's a lot of facets to the position, and he's done a great job."

Under Upshaw's leadership, the average player salary has jumped from $90,000 in 1983 to $1.4 million in 2006. Upshaw's wages have also soared, approaching the $7 million range.

Some retired players, noting those skyrocketing benefits, portray Upshaw as a rich ingrate, insensitive to their needs.

Much of the public dialogue has gotten personal, with Upshaw singled out as callous toward the men who helped build the league into a $7 billion industry.

But if the Players Association intends to stay resolute through the upcoming labor storm, the union would be wise to reinforce its support for Upshaw.

"The owners' attitude has been the players have too good of a deal," Upshaw said. "I can't convince the players that they should take less so the owners can make more. I can't sell that. We're not going to agree to a deal that rolls back the economics."

For years, Upshaw was ripped for being too chummy with former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue instead of maintaining an antagonist's distance.

But since the sides agreed on a CBA two years ago, several owners have stated their distaste for the deal, arguing it is weighted heavily in favor of the players.

Even Upshaw's fiercest critics can't say he rolled over for management and capitulated.

"Matt Stover's letter does not reflect the view of the entire executive committee or the board of representatives," new NFLPA president Kevin Mawae said. "The board is in the process of preparing for the possibility of a work stoppage and understands the importance of having Gene, with his experience and history, lead the direction of the NFLPA."

You don't play 15 seasons for the Raiders without absorbing some of the key principles of Al Davis, who believes in no retreat, no surrender.

Upshaw can be stubborn, and he'd surely like to have some of his ill-advised remarks back, but he's been an aggressive advocate for his constituents.

He's tried to remain dignified while under attack from former peers who claim Upshaw is no longer interested in competing in the trenches for their rights.

"This is the time we need to be a very strong union," Nece said. "There are plenty of retired players that say the union is giving back to them. The Gene Upshaw I know is constantly moving forward in a positive direction."

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