Kevin Carter: Union down, not out

Defensive lineman Kevin Carter is one of 11 members on the players union executive committee, so today's news of director Gene Upshaw's death hit especially close to home for the veteran.

But even after Upshaw's shocking death Wednesday night, Carter vowed the union will continue to be fueled by the Upshaw's principles as the NFL moves toward a period of potential labor unrest.

"We're not going to miss a beat in terms of business," Carter said. "We'll only take a minute to mourn the loss. . . There are a lot of things that are pressing and there are a lot of issues to address. Gene was the one who brought us together. If anyone thinks we're not going to be as strong now because Gene isn't there, they're sadly mistaken. Gene gave us our strength and he still continues even though he's not here with us in body. He gives us the strength to go on."

It's no secret there are going to be some battles waged against owners, who earlier this year voted to opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement after the 2010 season. The sides will try to negotiate an extension before then, but talks could be acrimonious.

At those times, Carter said, Upshaw's leadership will be missed.

"Our union, from where it's come before his involvement to now, is an astronomical transformation," he caid. "And I don't care what you say. Those transformations don't just happen because time passes on and things change. There had to be a process by which things got better in the NFL. And that process was headed up by none other than Gene Upshaw."

Comments

[Malcom Glazer]

Unions are for panzy's. You do not see the millions of Chinese slave laborers unionizing do you?

[Greg]

Kevin - focus on team unity, not players union!

[Brandon]

Wow, you'd think with all that money and education that Malcolm Glazer would have learned how to spell a word as simple as "pansies". What a maroon!

[Malcom Glazier]

Brandon is a daisy picker.

[Jay]

Look, I don't want to speak ill of the recently departed, but Gene Upshaw was the one thing standing between health benefits and retired players who are suffering from years of abuse. While is passing is unfortunate, it will hopefully bring forward the idea that the league should take care of it's own instead of casting them out. There is no shortage of money being made, so why not take care of those who helped build the NFL into what it is today?

[Brandon]

That is not true Jay, there a lot of guilty parties. The NFL, our health care system, Upshaw, the actual players whom all vote.

I am sick and tired of everyone blaming one man on this, there is a lot of work that still needs to be done. Ditka even tried to start his on fund and that completely failed and that was his own fault!

Like that jerk Diaz on the radio whom said he was ecstatic that Upshaw was dead, just sad and pathetic.

[Malcom Glazer]

Brandon is an angry daisy picker.

[DR]

Let the man rest in peace. He wasn't the man to blame in any of this. You can sit there and trust a guy who posed with his first round pick in a wedding dress or you can look into yourself and come up with your own opinion. Upshaw represented the players and did what the players wanted. The players weren't donating any of their millions of dollars to the hurting vets so Upshaw represented them the way they wanted to be represented. You haven't heard any active player saying anything about starting a fund. All you hear is retired players talking about how the active players should donate money. The fact is, even back in the day, the players were getting payed generously to play a game. They didn't invest in their own health care;instead, they bought all the glamour crap and want us to feel sorry for them because they are hurt now. Just like those idiots who go bankrupt with 18 cars in their garage and want sympathy. Tough sh**!

[Malcom Glazer]

DR is an angry nose picker.

[Ron Diaz]

This is the best news I've heard in the last 6 months!
I'm glad that he is DEAD .... can't wait to tapdance on his grave next week!

[Kurt]

That was unnecessary and base Ron. Hold the phones but I actually agree with DR on this one. I'm sick of everything being socialized these days. Pay for your own healthcare and retirement. Why should it be any different from a construction worker who destroys his body over a career also. I don't see any movements for their well-being. Woe is me is for losers!

[Jay]

Kurt, that may be the case with modern day players (thanks to the collective bargaining agreements by Gene Upshaw), but prior to that, say, back in the AFL days, there wasn't this sort of safety net. The NFL hasn't always been the NFL, nor has it always been insanely profitable for the players. These are the people who can barely walk, or are suffering from other physical impairments as a result of their play. They're in the minority, for sure, but that doesn't mean that the NFL should turn their back on them.

[DR]

Jay, let's not go crazy. Like Kurt said, construction workers have a tough job too. Let's not go overboard and think these players were slaves living on pennies. These players chose to play football and didn't think about the future when they were spending their money on nonsense rather then investing their money into meaningful things like health care.

[keith]

Malcom, DR and Brandon are idiots!!!!

[Malcom Glazer]

Keith is a nut scrubber.

[Greg]

I work hard (except when I am reading this madhouse blog), so who is going to pay for my retirement? Is someone going to pay for a pretty nurse to wipe my butt when I am farting dust? No, I am going to have to pay for it myself. And she will be hot!

[Jay]

Greg, you're kinda missing the point. I'm sure whatever you do isn't a pioneer sport requiring personal and physical sacrifice the likes of which have never been documented or realized. I think you're still viewing all retired players as if they played in the modern era, that is obviously not the case.

Did you know that the greatest Cleveland player, Otto Graham died back in 2003? In his last year of play in 1954, he earned a whopping $25,000. In today's dollars, that's $162.5k a year, which is pretty good. But that was the highest salary in the league. There were no tv revenues, sponsorship deals, or appearance fees that modern players can take advantage of to supplement their income. So how much do you think the average player in the NFL made back in 1954? What if he left due to injury? There were no settlements back then, you were just cut. Could you live out another 30 years, not being able to work, on the remains of that salary? There are no busts in Canton for these guys.

These are the guys I'm talking about, not the modern era players. They sacrificed their bodies building the sport before it was the national pastime and juggernaut that it is today. For that, they deserve to be recognized by a league that raked in over 6 billion dollars last year. Otherwise it seems a bit hypocritical of a league that promotes the "team" mentality, but doesn't take care of their own.

[Brandon]

Jay,

I am not disagreeing with you, but I am just saying it is a shared blame: the owners, NFL, players, system, US Insurance companies etc.

...AND I am still pissed at Ron Diaz for saying that Upshaw, and I'm quoting here " should rot in hell".

Not that this is an excuse, but the players in the 80's and Upshaw should have been looking at this and this the current players are going to run into the same problem. It is a problem all over, hell, look at the Army.

[Ron Diaz]

I hope that the hounds of hell disembowel Upshaw after Satan cornholes him for the same amount of time that he screwed up the league!

[Greg]

Ron Diaz,

You may well be the one Satan cornholes.

Jay,

It's not that I do not think the league makes enough money that they should not take care of the people that got them to whee they are. They should but they are a bunch of greedy bastards and they do not. Kurt has criticized me for saying that NFL owners are greedy bastards before, so I am on the record for that.

I just do not but into the entitlement mentality, especially for people making millions of dollars, but entitlements in general. I understand the clarification you are making, but still do not see that they are entitled to health care and such by the league.

My grandfather was a coal miner. His dad was a tunnel digger. They helped build this country and quite frankly got no sponsored health care for their contributions. They probably should have but they did not. They did what they needed to do to feed their families. The problem is when you entitle one in a union, you entitle them all.

Hope you see my point.

[Greg]

Ron Diaz,

Just got off the phone with Satan and he says your cornhole has his name on it.

[Malcom Glazer]

Ron is sphincter spelunker.

[Brett Favre]

Well, now I can look forward to running the players union after this season with the Jets! I can get us some health care for retired NFL vets... and finally I'll be able to have a way to get endless buckets of vicodin without havin' to pay through the nose, which is really the only reason I un-retired.

[S@tan]

Ron Diaz!

I have your spot in hades ready for you. It is in our Revenge Room. You will be roommates with a room full of 7,643 Al Queada suicide bombers. You will love it! They are honry and p!ssed off because they expected a room full of 17 beautiful virgins, but you will have to do. Many of them will be missing body parts and faces but I have ensured they will have ample package to use while they enjoy your cornhole. There is a nice little twist that when they go boom - they go boom!

We will leave the light on for you.