R.I.P. Gene Upshaw 1945-2008

For those that do not know, the Director of the Players' Union for the NFL has passed away at age 63 of Pancreatic Cancer. He was also a Hall of Famer who played for the Oakland Raiders and won two Super Bowls. According to ESPN, he found out he was sick this past Sunday. While this is a huge shock to his family and the rest of the NFL, his passing also makes the NFL fan wonder about the state of the NFL from here on out. This is not good for the Collective Bargaining Agreement. As much trouble as there was with Upshaw, at least there was a leader and figurehead. Now, there will be Matt Stover who was expected to oust Gene Upshaw and it will take lots of time to get a new union head - and the candidate that they select will set the tenor for how negotiations go. In 2010, it is expected to be an uncapped year and well don't be surprised if there ends up being a strike in the near future once that happens.