Wow! Shocking. First Tim Russert and now Bernie Mac, Isaac Hayes and now Gene Upshaw. Everybody is going out.

The players owe a lot to Upshaw. It is rare when the workers (players) make more than the owners. In the "footballspeak" of the league, Upshaw was a "players director". May he rest in peace.

Gene was an awesome player, whatever one thinks of his tenure as director of the NFLPA he was amazing to watch on the field, my thoughts are with his family.

dcwizard wrote: Wow! Shocking. First Tim Russert and now Bernie Mac, Isaac Hayes and now Gene Upshaw. Everybody is going out.

Dude, these people have NOTHING in common but the fact they died. Hate to sound harsh, but it happens. All.The.Time.

Wow! Shocking. First Tim Russert and now Bernie Mac, Isaac Hayes and now Gene Upshaw. Everybody is going out.

Don't forget Estelle Getty from the 'Goldedn Girls'.

I'm no fan of union leaders, and I really despise all Raiders (no matter when they played, how good they were, and how decent they might have been as people, they were still Raiders - the 2nd lowest form of life on the planet).

Anyway, that doesn't mean I wish them dead, and by all accounts, Upshaw was a good guy. May he rest in peace.

To the anonymous poster who slandered Gene, who is the real coward? If you knew anything about Upshaw in the first place you wouldn't have written that. And if he didn't secure such a large share of the revenues for today's "bums", how do you think they would fare 20 years from now in their retirement? RIP Gene, you were a hell of a person.

Wow. Anonymous - the bigoted poster - must have been a disgruntled player for the now-defunct Ku Klux Klan Kooks. That could be the only explanation for such vitriolic hate-speech in the 21st century. I assume you have your bags packed should Mr. Obama win in November. You won't be missed. On the other hand many will miss Mr. Upshaw.

The 9:30 anonymous comment is disgusting and should be removed.

The only Raider I ever liked. Thanks, Gene.

WP ADIMIN: Please remove Anonymous' comments; they are disrespectful and vaguely racist.

Upshaw's death is not more significant than that of Rep. Tubbs Jones. Please get your priorities in order.

he was a great offensive lineman,but as an executive he was the pits.he did nothing for the current and retired players.of the three major sports baseball,basketball and football,the nfl had the wrost union of the three.he did nothing to strenghten the players pensions and medical benefits.when players are suffering and causing their families to suffer along with them financially, GOD has a way of interceding and correcting them.mr.upshaw has been removed.

I feel sorry for "Anonymous." His comments
made at 9:30 reveal a very bitter and lonely
person. May God bless him for he certainly will need Gods blessing for now and in the future. Gene Upshaw was, from all I have ever read, a good man and a great football player.

this article isn't about tubbs jones. Hail to the Redskins!

Don't you have a censor who screens these comments?! I cannot believe the Washington Post would allow a hateful, racist opinion like "Anonymous" posted. Disgusting.

You REALLY need to move the 9:30 comment, not only is it offensive, it is harsh and I know that the Washington Post would NOT allow such harshness to be posted or printed in their newspaper or website. We should have respect for the decease and also for the living before posting these comments.
Thankyou.

i agree....anonymous' post should be deleted.

And God, while you're in there helping Anonymous and his stupid comment, toss him a dictionary too.

RIP Gene.

Mr. Upshaw was an incredible offensive lineman and did, overall, a wonderful job as head of the player's union. I had the honor of interviewing him during the 1987 strike and he was honest and forthright with his answers. The football world will miss him and the one who takes his place in the NFLPA will have huge shoes to fill.

If this is true:

"User reviews and comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site."

Then why is the hateful, attacking and inappropriate comment from 8:30 still there?

Idiots like this are going to lead to either the closing of comments, or everything being held in moderation.

"Toss him a dictionary too" -- now THAT was funny! (and appropriate)

Anonymous...Didn't your mother tell you that if you couldn't say something nice about someone, don't say ANYTHING!

I didn't agree with GU on the retired players, but I think the situation is more complex than we suspect. The proof will be in how hard he will be to replace. It is not an easy job.

That aside, he was one helluva player!

No to mention Julius Carry, who played Sho Nuff in The Last Dragon..

I grew up in the Bay Area, loving to hate the Raiders. Guys like Upshaw and Otto were the glue, but it was fun watching Ben Davidson. Those were the days. Yep, everyone dies but it's not a bad thing to take a minute and pay homage.

As a Raiders fan for more than 30 years, I know of the greatness of Raiders, our up and down, Gene was always there. As one of the greatest guard in the NFL history of the game, you will be missed. You brought greatness to our team... all of those complaining about his union activities, tell which industry give 60% of its income to workers, none.. it was done during his time...
God Bless you Gene, may you rest in Peace..
Raiders all the way!!!

Yesterday it was Stephanie Tubbs and this morning it was Gene Upshaw, two relatively young individuals. The lesson learned here people is that you shouldn't be too frugal with your money and live life to the fullest; tomorrow is not promised to you.

i agree with the comments of allowing hate comments and racial slurs. that's hate mail and should be prosecuted shame on you Washington post

comments made by the 9:30 is a true sign of ignorance and lack of respect. You sir
and I use that term lightly, are a disgrace to your kind. Remember what goes around come back around.

excuse my spelling - Why AREN'T the sick people removed!!!! 9:30 comment

Racists don't feel comfortable in their own skin. So busy learning how to hate, need to learn how to love. I don't care what color you are where you are from at the end of the day we are the HUMAN RACE. ONE NATION

I'm shocked,

Upshaw was a stand up guy, and tougher than a $2.00 steak.

I remember him as a player, he was outstanding on the field of play, he just stood out and that's saying something for a guard.

R.I.P Gene, God bless you.

I think that Anonymous is probably Bryant Gumble...remember his tirade against the NFL and Mr. Upshaw a few years back? Anyone check to see if Bryant is dancing in the streets this morning?

I grew up watching Upshaw and Art Schell protect Ken Stabler in the pocket, sad to hear of his passing.

If there is a moderator on this site... PLEASE pay closer attention to these posts. Some should be removed immediately.

- Please remove 9:30 AM comment by anonymous

- Please remove 9:52 AM comment by ron

- Please remove 10:07 AM comment by Jerry Kramer

I am shocked but not surprised by his death. I saw how much in pain Gene was (in his facial expressions) in the last picture I saw of him on the web.

Whether you loved, liked, disliked, or hated Gene you as an individual are best served by wishing him well.

So I wish Gene well and hope he reigns with Christ in heaven for all eternity - regardless of his personal failings.

"Gene Upshaw couldn't plan a picnic"...I forget who said it.

Seemed like a good guy...too bad the former retired players never were recognized by Gene....Mike Webster's final years were a tragedy.

Mr. Upshaw (RIP) would agree that it is better to hear everything, than to pretend it does not exist.
It is not nice for the Upshaw family and friends to see that while grieving but all men have thier detractors and more influencial men are likely to have more spirited nay sayers.

this article isn't about tubbs jones. Hail to the Redskins!

Anonymous posters are cowards.

As to pre-union NFL retirees, as usual, most people don't understand how labor laws work. Unions are barred by law from bargaining over retired workers. Unions can represent retired workers only when management agrees to negotiate on the issue, and few employers want to bargain for retirees. The criticism should be leveled at NFL management for refusing to bargain for pre-union retired players and our nation's labor laws which must be changed. Upshaw and the union are doing everything the law allows them to do. Gene Upshaw helped change football and the economic dynamics of a multi-billion dollar industry where the entertainers---players-- should be paid what they are worth just like any other entertainer.

Wow. Just wow. You've all given attention to someone (i.e. the offensive poster) that deserves none of it. Way to go guys.

Wasn't Gene Upshaw a special friend of Condi Rice? I seem to remember a few pictures of him squiring her to big galas several years ago.

Censorship...sorry for the typo.

In response to DeeDee'S question about a former NFl player dating Condi Rice, I think you're confusing Upshaw with Gene Washington, the former wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers.

Please delete the NASTY and HEARTLESS comments of the 9:30 posting this shows disrespect for the fans who appreciated him and the family that loves him.

Both 10:22am postings are on spot.

Censorship is not the answer-simply ignore...

Anonymous posters are just sad, small cowards and deserve our sympathy for the pathetic lives they must live...

There will always be, no matter how many years go by those types of people. They don't go away until they die. The remarks that were given by Mr. Noname should not have been posted. Gene was a great person first then a great football player. The things that he accomplished with the union for the players will not be duplicated. If he wasn't doing a great job why was he there for 20+ years? Rest in peace my brother.

The excitement of the NFL has been missing since the early 1990s, in largest part due to the work of Gene Upshaw, the union boss. But, behind the scenes he was a man with a family. Whatever ruin he might have added to a sport, the fact is that life is a lot more precious and this is a sad day, like all days on this Earth. Hopefully it will all end soon.

A great man from Texas A&I from back in the day when other universities in Texas didn't want differently-colored folks. We got a lot of good guys because of white stupidity--so many I don't want to start to type--I've got to go to work.

God Bless Gene,

Russ Huebel,
Kingsville

Responding to DeeDee, Condoleeza Rice has said on a couple of occasions that her dream job is NFL Commissioner, so it would not surprise me if she has socialized with current and former players.

Bill,

Upshaw's passing is just as important as Tubbs-Jones. Anyone passing is important because someone has ended their journey here on earth. We all have opinions of people and showing respect, honor, and dignity is something some who are posting comments lack. You do have the freedom to say how you feel but let it sound intelligent and mot ignorant.

There's a fan tribute site for folks to post comments and prayers:

http://www.MosaicOfHope.org/goto/GeneUpshaw

Gene was a stand up guy. I heard of his death on my headphones running beside the river. He would have liked the view of our lady of the harbor, he would have liked the glorious early fall day...too bad he couldn't leave us on a grim and rainy day.

Condi better show at the funeral or we'll know it was all an act.

Never liked the Raiders. But they had a lot of great players, and Gene Upshaw was one of the best. Wish he had been a Bolt.

My prayers and condolences go out to all of Gene's family and friends. He will be truly missed by all his family, friends and true football fans.

And I didn't see the anon post from 9:30. Thanks to the Post for removing what was obviously ignorance at its worst.

I believe, Carlos, you are confusing Gene Upshaw with Gene Washington.

Gene & his family used to live in Great Falls, and occasionally, I would work out with him. He was always a very nice, dignified man, much like Art Monk. It's a loss for the NFL and a bigger loss for humanity.

gene upshaw led the players walkout of 1987.
that throwaway season educated him and gave
him vision that a true hard salary cap makes
professional football an equal oppurtunity
competition.equality among the teams enables
high revenues and lucrative television contracts,
which will alway's give the players a highly lucrative
salary because of their popularity and the
league's.eugene upshaw will alway's be remembered
for his contributions to this.
anthonysantora08@comcast.net

There are many retired NFL players who are horribly afflicted from their playing days and do not get the medical attention they need. Upshaw's response to them was that they don't employ me...well, I'm sorry but the sick and the helpless need help. I don't respect Mr. Upshaw because he fought to keep from helping the helpless.

I don't think it's rare to pay out 60% of your gross profits in labor.

Before all the righteous get out their flamethrowers (and no, I am not Anonymous), please read and think about my comment before getting all indignant.

First, Upshaw has been in charge of union that has totally dragged its feet on providing assistance to older players, uh, like players from Upshaw's era. That's like John McCain not supporting veteran's legislation.

Second, and I'm not accusing, I'm just wondering aloud: dead at 63. That seems pretty young, but many players from that era seem to have serious internal health problems unrelated to injuries suffered on the field.

So the circumstantial evidence is there, but I guess nobody is going to have the guts to ask: do you think his premature death might in any way be related to steroids or other drugs/chemicals he might have used during his playing days?

Sho' Nuff died Tuesday of Pancreatic cancer too. The last dragon is still my all-time favorite movie. RIP Julius Carry. RIP Gene.

"Upshaw's death is not more significant than that of Rep. Tubbs Jones. Please get your priorities in order.

Posted by: Bill | August 21, 2008 9:52 AM"

*******************************************

All deaths are significant. It shouldn't matter whether it's a retired football player/union leader, a congresswoman, a doorman, a cleaning woman, a homeless person, etc. When one takes their last breath, they all meet the same fate (death) and their occupation or socioeconomic status is irrelevant.

Mr. Upshaw's death was significant to his family, friends, fans, those he represented in the union, etc. Congresswoman Tubbs-Jones' death was significant to her family, friends, constituents, admirers, other politicians, etc.

Priorities are in the eyes of the beholder. In my opinion, anyone's death leaves a void in the lives of others.

Sorry to hear of the man's death. However he seemed to careless about retired players health and welfare. Karma is a b---

Posted by: Wade C | August 21, 2008 12:56 PM

Can't people wait a few weeks before the S*** starts flying again? Seriously.

While Wade C's comments were a bit harsh and insensitive, I don't think its disrespectful to say that whatever his merits as husband,father or player, he was somewhat negligent in his post as NFLPA Executive Director. Hw was notoriously cozy with NFL management, and yet it was nearly impossible it was for seriously injured players to receive compensation from the union/league. Then, compund that with the fact the the NFL is the only one of the 4 major leagues without guaranteed contracts. Whatever we as fans think of guaranteed deals is irrelevant. As union ED, it was Upshaw's job to get the best deal for the players, and he wasn't completely successful in that effort. This is not to say that his death is no less sad, and that his familyt doesn't deserve our prayers. But Upshaw's indifference/inaction as an executive left a lot of people hurting. If you're going to take an honest measure of the man, that has to be said.

He only received his diagnosis SUNDAY?? Good Lord. I guess he did not exhibit symptoms beforehand. . .

I THINKS IT'S UNANIMOUS. OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE UPSHAW FAMILY, THE RAIDERS FANS, AND MANKIND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, PLEASE REMOVE THE SELFISH,NEFARIOUS AND DIABOLICAL COMMENTS OF THE ANONYMOUS FOOL "J" WHOSE COMMENTS POSTED AT 9:39AM

HEY GENE, WE LOVE YOU AND WILL MISS YOU!GREAT JOB!!!! WE'LL SEE YOU IN HEAVEN.

Whether you are a Raider fan or not, the passing of Gene Upshaw has to give every NFL fan pause. Here was a man who accomplished a great deal in his life and touched so many others with his caring and leadership skills.

He is a link to the past and a man who showed foresight into the future with his union work. He will be sadly missed.

If we were all perfect, Jesus would not have had to die on the cross to forgive us of our sins....
I was saddened to hear of Gene Upshaws death and even more saddened by the complaints by those of different opinions from Genes....I beleave that we should all celebrate the man and mourn his loss.

Upshaw's death is not more significant than that of Rep. Tubbs Jones. Please get your priorities in order.

Posted by: Bill | August 21, 2008 9:52 AM

Bill,
Relax; the bloggers were commenting on the death of a hall of fame football player after viewing an article (in the sport's section) regarding his death. That's it!

Hey Jay Jay, It is obviously not worth repeating.

Sad...

Well I too would like to know what was posted at 9:30, because obviously, it must have been very alienating. If it is too offensive to print verbatim, could someone out there at least tell me something to the effect of what this guy posted?

RIP Gene, I never knew you were sick, you did a lot of wonderful things for your NFL brethren, and you were one of the greatest linemen of all time! God Bless!

"Upshaw's death is not more significant than that of Rep. Tubbs Jones. Please get your priorities in order."

Posted by: Bill | August 21, 2008 9:52 AM

Yo Bill, we're talking Football here. Gene Upshaw's death is very important and is a priority. Everyone's sorry to hear about Jones passing; but ... Gene Upshaw dieing is something altogether different. RIP Gene, you did a GREAT job!

God bless Gene Upshaw and his family. He was a great representative of football players but an even better player himself. When Upshaw played with the Raiders, Snake Stabler was the quarterback and it was always run left with Shell and Upshaw. Every team knew the Raiders were going to do that and few teams could stop them.

I can't believe some of the comments here. The death of one person is just as important as the death of another.

My condolences to the family. I remember during the players' strike in '87, I was standing in line at a crowded bar in Georgetown patiently waiting my turn when I was shoved into the patrons standing in front of me. I turned around to see who shoved me out of their way and there was Gene Upshaw leading a few other NFLPA staff to a private table. Guess it wasn't a good day at the bargaining table.

I think it was always unfair how many people, such as Mike Ditka, always portrayed Gene Upshaw as "the bad guy" for not coming to the rescue of the older, retired NFL players who have endured hardship, both financially and health-related, in their post-NFL lives.

You have to bear in mind that every football player who ever played in this league did so by choice and assumed the risk of physical injury, both temporary or permanent when they played this sport. At what point did the NFL stipulate that they would take care of these players after their playing days ended?

I know some will say that the older players are entitled to more from the NFL because of what they did for the league in making it the multi-billion entity it is today. But if you worked for some company for several years and made contributions that were integral to the organization's success, would they take care of you once you reached the elderly stage of your life? I think not.

For those of you who think he got what was coming by dying so young and not taking care of the retirees, you're as bad as the anonymous racist poster.

As NFLPA Executive Director, sure he had a lot of power and influence, but the players are the ones who cast the votes in the end, and you don't always get everything you want in a contract. You negotiate and give and take until both sides are satisfied, then the players have to ratify the contract. So to put ALL or MOST of the blame for the retirees' situation on one person isn't fair.

I've also heard it said that some retirees had the choice to take lump-sum payments earlier or annual payments starting at a specific age, and that some of the people now complaining took their lump-sum payments early on, knowing full well that they would be better off waiting and allowing that $ to gain interest. 2 sides to every story, and sometimes we only get one side.

RIP Gene

Everyone seems to agree that modern players are well-compensated.

Perhaps the league and the players could agree to set aside some revenue for previous generations of players, such as those who are hardship cases or for those who came before the modern pension system.

When can we expect an article detailing the injury settlement system and the IR process in the NFL?

I suspect that many fans are unaware that a large percent of the players on opening day rosters don't finish the year.

Please remove everyone's comments that I disagree with.

The comments about what Gene Upshaw didn't do for the older players are somewhat off mark. What did those players do when they were active? Did they have the cajones to strike or fight for a better deal? It took the NFLPA under Upshaw to get what they have now.

I grew up in the East Bay, went to church with Jim Otto's family. There was no offensive line like the one anchored by Upshaw, Shell and Otto. When I turned 21, the first thing I did was head to Oakland to have a drink at Uppie's, the bar he owned at Jack London Square. Thanks for the memories, Uppie.

My interaction w/Mr. Upshaw was as a former NFL agent. I became an agent after the NFLPA instituted their agent certification and required insurance regulations. These regulations made it damn near impossible for new agents to enter the business and for small companies to stay afloat, even after they signed players. And, although I have no love for Gumble, I agree with his comments regarding Mr. Upshaw. With that said, I find Mr. Upshaw's death very untimely and my prayers go out to his family. For we are all flawed in some way, and we will all be called home at some point.

Anybody who thinks that Gene Upshaw did great things for the NFLPA members has been reading only NFL press releases.

He may have been a great player. He may truly have been a great human being. I hope so. But he was the absolute worse thing for the NFLPA. Pete Rozelle, Paul Tagliabue and Roger Goodell must have thanked God every day that Gene Upshaw represented the players. Central Casting couldn't have provided them with a more perfect foil from their perspective.

The MLBPA got it right when they decided to hire a Labor-Management expert as their Director, instead of a former player. Over the past 25 - 30 years, all you had to do was watch and compare the representation of the MLBPA with that of the NFLPA, and you could see that Gene Upshaw came close to being a 'company man.'

The owners will say all the right things honoring him and then do their best to see that his replacement is a former player, who they can con and manipulate as well.

I'd like to think that Gene Upshaw did as well as anybody could have for the players, and maybe he did. It could be that the NFL owners have the deck so stacked in their favor, that nobody could have done better than Upshaw. But compared to the MLBPA, the NFLPA may as well have been a Division-III NCAA program.

Prayers go out to the family.

I met him and worked for him once .. He was a friendly and smart guy ..

freedom of speech

My prayers go out to the family. I don't know anything about the players union. Would someone explain why if he was such a terrible leader, the players didn't just vote him out of office? Was he sort of like a Supreme Court Justice whose appointment was for life?