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Earlier this week, we posted a simple question on the PFT Planet poll: “Should the NFLPA dump Gene Upshaw?”
More than 4,600 of you voted, and nearly 60 percent said, “Yes.”
Only seven percent voted against a change. Nearly 30 percent didn’t care. The remaining five percent or so had no opinion.
We’re not sure what any of it means for Upshaw, or for the NFLPA. But to the extent that public opinion means anything, Upshaw’s long-term tenure could be in real jeopardy, for the first time.
That said, it’s not in the union’s interests to change Executive Directors until a long-term extension of the Collective Bargaining Agreement is finalized. And, unfortunately, that means that it’s also not in Upshaw’s interests to get an extension done quickly, since he reward likely will be forced retirement.
April 13th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Can you really call the 60% of readers of a (wonderful) site that has been consistently critical of Upshaw “public opinion?” Most fans outside of PFT planet are likely vaguely aware of what position Upshaw holds.
Gee, I wonder if feedback a PFT poll on “Lord Favre’s” retirement or Pacman’s reinstatement might also be in majority agreement with Florio’s consistent stance on these issues.
IMHO, the majority of NFL fans at large only care (and only marginally at best) about labor relations and the somewhat compromised work of Gene Upshaw’s during the off-season.
Their favorite team’s rookie hold-outs and lost free agents might stir them to scream about how the passion and the fire of the 60’s and 70’s are gone, but the threat, or event of a strike/lockout will be met with “compromise! I want my NFL now!!!”
Repost the poll with the caveat “Upshaw should retire now, so that a proper and conflict of interest free candidate can take a stand against the owners causing a work stoppage that might wipe out an entire season and a cancel a Superbowl”.
Ask this question to a broader base of fans who aren’t like the rest of us Florio-fed-ditto-heads and my guess is that the “public opinion” might be slightly different.
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April 13th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
That obvious conflict of person vs professiona interest should be reason enough for him to step down volountarily. The fact that he has done the opposite should be more than enough reason to remove him now before the current deal has expired.
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April 13th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Wow, what an unbelievably unscientific and worthless poll. Call the New York Times!
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April 13th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
for a man making upwards of six million a year,i think he’s detached from the rank and file.under his aegis,the middle of the roster players are truly getting shortchanged because of his special relationships with agents.a sick amount of money is going to people with no track record in the nfl.the preponderance of first round busts is too great for the investment demanded by the union.
why does mr. upshaw have to be union head,when there are,i’m sure,far better labor law attorneys out there.marvin miller,the baseball attorney probably never played baseball in his life,but god did he put the club owners on the carpet.he made them pay and pay,but the whole rank and file benefited from his negotiations.
what i’m basically saying is,you don’t need an ex-football player without any negotiating skills formulating a new contract.
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April 13th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
They must have too many concussions. Why would you want a player representing the union instead of an agent or lawyer with a proven track record of doing more than just busting heads and breaking necks. Those guys cost a lot less than 6 mil per yr.
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