What Does Upshaw's Death Mean for the NFLPA and CBA Discussions

Terrible loss for the Upshaw family as well as the NFL family on a personal level. Apart from that though, it has potentially huge implications for the future of the NFLPA as well as upcoming labor talks between the NFLPA and the owners.

Discuss here

I think the NFLPA has lost a respected leader and spokesmen, but I don't think this terribly alters the dynamics of the CBA bargaining. Those dynamics are largely determined by the economic interests of the two sides are not likely to change based on personalities.

However, if the players were to choose as their leader someone like baseball's Donald Fehr, who has no regard for the long term health and well being of the game, then the owners and the players will be perpetually at war.

That's a good question...if you recall (I think it was) Matt Stover was talking about replacing him. So new blood will bring new results.

I think it all depends on what kind of new leader they appoint. If the new guy is someone who is a hard liner, i.e. Donald Fehr, then potential hell could happen in the upcoming negotiations. If the new guy is someone who wants what's best for the players but at the same time recognizes the owners' needs things might work out for the better.

Well I got the distinct feeling from Upshaw that he had had enough of the "dog leash" comments and was going to really start being more hard line with negotiations and I think that is what was prompting some players to take pause. If any group of players has benefitted from Free Agency it has been football players. Sure the upper tier don't make what basketball players make or even baseball players but longevity affects market value and players in those two sports last a heck of a lot longer than football players. Plus most low tier guys in those sports make crapola compared to the biggies while football players seem to me to make a more than fair salary in relative terms.

The prudence of a carefully crafted labor peace and CBA has allowed for the rapid expansion of football in this country and letting that ground work get torn up is a foolish notion for owners and players alike. I think the smarter players realize that. Upshaw seemed bound and determined to reinvent his own image as the expense of that labor peace. The question now is whether Mawae (an Upshawite) and Vincent gets the nod. We'll see once they choose a new Director. I suppose Berthelson is in the mix too. I have no idea where he stands on anything.

In any case avoiding an uncapped year is paramount. First though the owners need to get their sh*t in order. A fair agreement of revenue sharing is needed and obstructive owners, out to make money only for themselves, need to be held down. The likes of Ralph Wilson are going to ruin this league with the whining and moaning. If teams put effort into making money half as much as the Patriots, Cowboys and Skins then EVERYONE would be making more money. Nobody who sells out their stadium on a regular basis (Bills) should be hruting so bad for money.

Sure seems as if Troy Vincent wants the job Gene Upshaw had.

Here is the deal for the new NFLPA leader and the NFL management representative:


DO NOT KILL THE GOOSE THAT LAYS THE GOLDEN EGGS


If those guys get into an ego battle and make the NFL schedule a hostage to their ego wars, it will be VERY bad for everyone concerned. The NFL is a multi-billion dollar industry where most of the "key employees" (players) get paid a lot of money to do what they do. It behooves everyone here to make this work into the future...