Gene Upshaw has died..

[Virginia Dare]

He was a formidable leader and leaves a tough act to follow, but of late he was squiring Condi Rice around for some odd reason.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080821/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_obit_upshaw

NEW YORK - Gene Upshaw, a towering lineman on the football field who went on to win untold millions of dollars for NFL players as their union leader, has died at age 63. Upshaw had a Hall of Fame career as a guard for the Oakland Raiders — a team that won two of the three Super Bowls it reached during his 15 years in a black and silver jersey.

But his work as executive director of the NFL Players Association over a quarter-century was even more important. It changed the business side of the league.

[Bill McBlueState]

1. interesting

that the untimely deaths of former offensive linemen is one of the union's major complaints lately.

RIP, Gene.

[Virginia Dare]

2. Seems like cancer has taken a lot of the old Raiders...

at fairly young ages.

[DainBramaged]

3. A true HERO for the Labor movement. Rest in Peace Gene

[Virginia Dare]

4. Amazing that he was able to get 60% gross profit..

from all those rich assholes in the NFL. He was a tough SOB that's for sure.

[DarthDem]

5. RIP

He was an outstanding OG and did a very good job for the NFLPA.

[wilt the stilt]

6. No offense but Upshaw

was a horrible union leader. The NFL has the worst contracts of all the pro teams. They have no guarantees. A 4 year contracts is actually 4 one year contracts. If the team wants to cut you at anytime they are only liable for either 2 or 4 games of pay. The contract doesn't even pay them through the year. Compare the NFL contracts vs. baseball or basketball and it is a joke.