Gene Upshaw RIP

Re: Gene Upshaw dead?

I don't expect he/she is.

I just want to wait up until someone else confirms it so I can post it on my paper's website. Then I can go to bed with a clear journalistic conscience.

All that said, this is terrible news if it's true. I might not have always liked the guy, but pancreatic cancer is an absolutely dreadful disease that moves quickly and painfully. No one should have to suffer from it.

 

Re: Gene Upshaw dead?

I had to dig for a link reporting that he's dead. The only thing I found was on Clear Channel's Web site.

Yahoo! and ESPN are not reporting Upshaw as having died. The ESPN wire feed has nothing, either. I had to do a Web search to find the Clear Channel story.

If this report's true, what a terrible loss. I don't much care for the guy, but pancreatic cancer is a terrible way to go.

 

Re: Gene Upshaw dead?

http://www.postchronicle.com/news/original/article_212166564.shtml

Gene Upshaw Dead: Hall of Famer, NFLPA Exec Dies From Cancer At 63
by Mike Baron
Gene Upshaw's death has been confirmed. Gene Upshaw, the longtime NFLPA executive director and a Hall of Fame NFL football player,
has died of complications from Pancreatic Cancer.

Upshaw, a former 11-time All-Pro offensive lineman, had been fighting the disease and has now succumbed to it, according to recent reports


Someone is reporting it.

Do a google news search for "gene upshaw" and sort by date.

 

Re: Gene Upshaw dead?

It's out now.

Damn, pancreatic cancer. Nobody knew.

 

Re: Gene Upshaw dead?

Does it make anyone nervous that this is essentially all based around one Fox Sports Radio news report that FoxSports.com hasn't even picked up on at this point?

 

Re: Gene Upshaw dead?

Got to admire Gene. Even in death he kept sportswriters clueless. RIP to a good guy.

 

Re: Gene Upshaw dead?

Joe Delamalure can now rest easy.

 

Re: Gene Upshaw dead?

Adam Schefter and Peter King are on Sirius NFL Radio talking about it. Sadly, this seems real.

 

Re: Gene Upshaw dead?

The attribution on this is terrible. Confirmed by who? If you're not going to name the source, at least do your best to describe how they would know the information. Family member? Friend? NFL official? NFLPA official? Janitor?

It's anonymous sourcing 101.

 

Re: Gene Upshaw dead?

I wonder how his enemies in the ranks of the retired players are feeling right now.

 

Re: Gene Upshaw dead?

I certainly don't think they wished death on the guy and I imagine they're hoping he'll be replaced by someone who is more willing to share the wealth.

NFL.com now confirming with a headline.

 

Re: Gene Upshaw dead?

This one will make your head spin. Sporting News is attributing it to Clear Channel and using analyst and NFL network employee Adam Schefter's comments on the radio as its second-source.

Yet NFL Radio is saying an NFLPA rep knows nothing about it and cannot confirm the report.

Verdict: Let's run it anyway!