Gene Upshaw Has Gone Too Far

Well, I am sitting here watching ESPN Sportscenter and I hear this story about how Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFL Players Association, is quoted as saying he is going to "break some guy's .... damn neck."

The guy he is referring to is Joe DeLamielleure, a Hall of Fame Offensive lineman for the Buffalo Bills.

Upshaw's threat apparently was in response to DeLamielleure's comments about how he considers the NFLPA to be not acting in the interest of the retired players. The NFLPA has been accused by many people of not acting in a fair manner regarding the health of former players, including injuries and concussions.

DeLamielleure joins a chorus of people criticizing Gene Upshaw that includes former player and coach Mike Ditka, and Lem Barney.

I am kind of in shock as to Upshaw's threat to break Joe's neck. You have to be smarter than that. He has had his elected job for 24 years now. Evidently he considers himself above criticism. If that is the case, then he must step aside. There is no other option.

So, I join Mike Ditka in asking for Gene Upshaw to resign. Let someone else lead the NFLPA.

The NFL Drops the Hammer

So, the new National Football League commissioner, Roger Goodell, has brought the hammer down on “bad behavior”. He has suspended Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones for the entire 2007 season and Chris Henry for the first 8 games of the season.

Both have been involved in multiple instances of suspect behavior. Adam Jones, himself, has been involved/implicated in about 10 different cases. While he may have never been indicted on anything, just the fact that you have been in the wrong place at the wrong time 10 different times means bad things.

This is a list of all the incidents that Adam Jones has been involved in. Like the article says, and I tried to say above, there is only one charge against Jones. Like the ancient Chinese proverb says, "Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me".

I for one believe that the new commissioner is taking the appropriate and correct steps in dealing with unnecessary off the field behavior. It appears that the player’s union, the NFL Player’s Association, is in support of the new policy.

Added NFL Players Association executive director Gene Upshaw: "The NFL Players Association and the Player Advisory Council have been discussing this issue for several months. We believe that these are steps that the commissioner needs to take and we support the policy. It is important that players in violation of the policy will have the opportunity and the support to change their conduct and earn their way back."

The new player conduct policy of the NFL also will hold any NFL employee to the high standards of the league.

Now, some people are going to say that this policy goes too far. How can you be punished if you have not been convicted of anything yet in the US legal system? This may sound like a legitimate argument. However, I believe that the NFL is a private entity that can enforce its own rules. If you were working in the business world and had been involved in as many incidents as Adam Jones, you could probably expect to be fired. But, as with anything else I say, that is my opinion.

Well, let me know what you think. Do you agree with the new conduct policy from the NFL?

One of the Hardest Hits I Have Ever Seen

In the NFL playoffs that concluded a couple of months ago, The New Orleans Saints were hosting the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2nd round of the NFC playoffs. Reggie Bush caught a pass from Drew Brees in the flat.
Sheldon Brown from the Eagles spied him and laid what is undoubtedly the biggest hit of the year.

I would say enjoy, but that would be a lie based on the video.