There's a skirmish going on among player reps to the NFL Players Assocation, and the end result could be executive director Gene Upshaw's ouster.
ESPN's Chris Mortensen is reporting that Ravens player rep Matt Stover, the veteran kicker, has sent an e-mail to other player reps demanding that Upshaw be replaced by March, 2009.
Upshaw has been at times a lightning rod for criticism, especially from former NFL players who believe he hasn't done enough to champion their cause. But if there's a big enough schism in the ranks of active players, it could spell trouble for the long-time union boss.
Then again, Upshaw's authority has been challenged before, and he'd fended off other attempts at his ouster.
It's a critical time for the NFLPA, because the collective bargaining agreement is at stake. The player or owners can opt out of the current deal by November, in which case 2010 would be an uncapped year.
The league has stated its desire to continue the salary cap, and even if there's an opt-out by November, there is still time to negotiate an extension to the CBA. The league has managed to keep the current salary structure in place since 1993.
Comments (2)
Stover didn't demand anything. Can you say hyperbole?
kris:
I think we're parsing words here. Stover was very strong in his letter. Maybe using the word "urged" instead of "demanded" would have been better.