Gene Upshaw, Dead!?

[Kiwon]

Geez, there's been more deaths the last two weeks........

It's time for a physical.

[oregonpackfan]

Upshaw was a phenomenal player.

To achieve status as the head of the players union is quite an achievement. When he played in the 60's, racism was still very common in our country. For an African-American to be the president of a professional players union was unthinkable for that era.

Some of his decisions and stances were certainly controversial but he made great achievements in his life.

[Badgerinmaine]

The news was just on Fox Sports Radio's national broadcast. He was a tremendous player and worked hard for his union, though I hope the union will now work things out with its older retirees who were so frustrated with what they saw as lack of help from the union. Pancreatic cancer is both fast-moving and very painful; the mothers of two of my childhood friends died relatively young because of it. God bless the Upshaw family.

[Badgerinmaine]

Pancreatic cancer is almost invariably fatal and in a very short time. That's what Walter Payton had.

I thought Peyton's liver dried up? Is that a cause from Pancreatic cancer?

I remembered his liver being the problem as well, but it was apparently bile duct cancer (though there were related problems with his liver):

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=10910

Walter Payton died so young. Damn shame.

[KYPack]

Get tested for all the cancers you can.

'Cause pancreatic cancer is one of those that has no test.

Upshaw first learned he had it Sunday. By Thursday night he was gone.

It's a swift killer, leaves you no time to put things together.

[Badgerinmaine]

But then why isn't ESPN reporting it? or SI? or Sporting News? Seems rather odd that a story that would be "Major Breaking News" is ony being reported by MSNBC.com. This is beyond bizarre.

here it is on CBS:

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10941702

[HarveyWallbangers]

He was a tremendous player and worked hard for his union, though I hope the union will now work things out with its older retirees who were so frustrated with what they saw as lack of help from the union.

The NFLPA works for the current players. Losing him won't change the landscape much. He just did what the current players wanted. He was going to get paid the same no matter what the current players wanted. Now, the bad press they've gotten might change things a little. Then again, all of the insults from the retirees might make the current players want to do less for them.

[SMACKTALKIE]

Wow, how very sad.

Unreal how quickly this happened.

[motife]

I remembered his liver being the problem as well, but it was apparently bile duct cancer (though there were related problems with his liver):

the bile duct is part of the pancreatic system. My mother was at Mayo the same time as Walter Payton with the same illness. They do what is called a "Whipple procedure", which involves the bile duct. But it's normally a lost cause.

[Him8123]

that is young. I guess though when its your time to meet the big man upstairs its your time. RIP

[BallHawk]

Damn, what a shame. Whatever your opinion is on Upshaw, he worked his ass off in that job. Seemed like a good dude, as well.

RIP.

[Rastak]

He was a helluva player. He and Art Shell. Hellacious offensive lineman. Very sorry to see the guy go in such a manner. Can you imagine? You feel sick on weekend, get a cancer diagnosis out of the blue and you die THAT WEEK!

Man, that's sad.

[KYPack]

He was a helluva player. He and Art Shell. Hellacious offensive lineman. Very sorry to see the guy go in such a manner. Can you imagine? You feel sick on weekend, get a cancer diagnosis out of the blue and you die THAT WEEK!

Man, that's sad.

Absolutely.

You feel so bad and are in so much pain on a Sunday, you go to see the doc. The guy works you up and says, " you've got cancer of the pancreas and you have little time to live".

On Thursday, you die?

That's a real bad weekend.

Gene was a great player and did a good job for the players. Made many of 'em millionaires, guys that would have never made that kind of dough. I was pissed at him for his treatment of the older players, 'cause he was one of 'em. But that's all in the past now.

He was a man's man and a guy who held to his convictions. He faced down some of the smartest guys in business and cut his players the best deal in pro sports in the world.

RIP, big man.

You probably never backed down to anybody in your life.

Few guys can say that.