Ravens kicker Matt Stover said he never intended to call for the removal of Gene Upshaw, the NFL Players Association executive director, but was concernedwith who would be his replacement.
Stover, the Ravens? NFLPA representative, is trying to clarify an e-mail he sent to player representatives across the league that was made public on Monday. The e-mail insinuated he was trying to get Upshaw sacked two years before his contract expires.
Stover, in an e-mail to ESPN, wrote: “It is not, and has never been, my intention to ?oust? Gene Upshaw. Gene has done a remarkable job in leading the players for over 2 decades. My goal is to be prudent and have a process intact to allow the Executive Committee the ability and confidence to offer various options to the Board of Reps as a whole… This suggested process was originally supposed to aid in dealing with those issues by taking some of the pride, emotion and ego out of all parties involved, and empowers the Executive Committee to follow guidelines with benchmarks and aid in producing a majority backed consensus…This topic of succession within the NFLPA has been discussed for the past 2 years, at the minimum. I have been witness to other Reps. broach this subject with Gene and past Executive Committee members, and the issue garnered zero traction toward a satisfactory answer.”
Former Baltimore Colt safety Bruce Laird has been one of Upshaw?s biggest critics for what he believes is his mistreatment of retired players, especially when it comes their lack ofmedical benefits provided by the NFL. Laird, however, said he believes Stover?s latest e-mail to be sincere as the players and owners prepare for what could be difficult labor negotiations as the Collective Bargaining Agreement is set to expire in 2010.
But Laird points out Upshaw tried to discredit Stover when the Hall of Famer told ESPN that Stover “has no clue” after reading the e-mail. Upshaw recently said he was willing to defy the mandated age for retirement of 65 until there was a qualified successor.
“The upcoming NFL negotiations are going to be the biggest in professional sports history,” Laird said. “All Matt is doing is trying to look into the future and help the players prepare for the inevitability of Gene Upshaw?s retirement. What is unsettling is that Gene Upshaw doesn?t think Matt Stover has a clue. If a 17-year veteran and player representative doesn?t have a clue, then who does?”
Former Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Joe DeLamielleure went a step further than Laird on Upshaw, who has headed the NFLPA since 1983. DeLamielleure, a Hall of Famer, also is one of the leading advocates for retired players.
“The union is all-powerful,” he said. “The NFL needs a change and Gene Upshaw is part of the problem. He has done nothing but turn his back on people like Johnny Unitas and [retired offensive lineman] Conrad Dobler, who paved the way for people like Matt Stover to become very rich by kicking a football.”
