Gene Upshaw

Gene Upshaw
Eugene Thurman Upshaw, Jr., also known as "Uptown Gene", was an American football player for the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League and later the NFL. He later served as the executive director of the National Football League Players' Association. In 1987, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is also the only player in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl in three different decades with the same team...
ProfessionFootball Player
Date of Birth15 August 1945
CityRobstown, TX
owners players
I won't come down. The players know that. Only the owners can make a proposal.
agreed deadline either move owe people promises
We jointly agreed to move the deadline because we owe it to the people we represent. There are no promises from either side.
both pleased proud
Wellington Mara would be both pleased and proud today.
clubs economic football history integrity league national paved pioneer share took true understood
Wellington Mara was a true pioneer who understood what it took to make the National Football League great. History will show that his vision, integrity and willingness to share with small-market clubs paved the way for economic success.
avoid happening market order seats sold sustained
But it's still early. Look at what's happening in Jacksonville. The market was there early. They sold a lot of tickets. But they haven't sustained it. Now they're roping off seats in order to avoid blackouts.
across general manager players recommend sitting table thousands
I wouldn't want to see that. I wouldn't recommend players doing their own deals. You're sitting across the table from a general manager that's negotiated thousands of contracts.
If we go to an uncapped year, we won't come back.
cut players
Many of those players would have been cut anyway.
best committed ensuring field football game hard players remains worked
The players have worked very hard to make this game the best in the world. The players are committed to ensuring that the game of football remains on the field and not in the courtroom.
head might position taking
We're taking the position it will not get resolved. We're just not there yet. Today, we might as well head to an uncapped year.
atmosphere growth revenue teams
We're not negotiating this in the atmosphere the NHL was in, with teams going out of business. We know what the revenue growth is.
afraid available laws understand
We've demonstrated we are not afraid to decertify. We understand the laws and what's available to us.
hell leave none position revenue sharing taken
We don't want to leave it with them, ... They've taken the position that revenue sharing is none of our business. The hell it isn't.
agent agreed approval break caused complete deadline earlier evening extend free indicate midnight nfl order owners package previous proposal provide rejection talks therefore time tonight until vote wednesday
The NFL negotiators called us tonight to indicate that they will take our complete package to the owners for an approval vote on Tuesday. We have therefore agreed to extend the free agent deadline until midnight Wednesday in order to provide time for that vote to be accomplished. It was the NFL's previous rejection of our proposal earlier this evening that caused the talks to break down.