Upshaw looks to fortify position by adding Armstrong/ Smith to mix

By Robert Rousseau | Sunday, April 13, 2008 | ( 0 )

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NFL Players Association Executive Director Gene Upshaw has contacted former union members Trace Armstrong and Robert Smith in the hopes of having them join up with him in an advisory capacity.

Commentary: With the players unhappy, particularly in regard to the fact that nothing seems to have been done in order to secure a successor to Upshaw; plus the fact that a fight with the NFL owners seems to be on the way, Upshaw is trying to fortify his position with this move. Armstrong, a past NFLPA president, seems warm to the idea of acting in an advisory capacity.

That said, this attempt doesn’t appear as if it’s going to get the players off of his back entirely. When asked about the move, Baltimore Ravens representative Matt Stover said, "I'm not here to oust Gene and I can't emphasize that enough. I simply want to have some urgency to get a process going, plan for a successor and create stable leadership for the union long past the time I'll be playing."

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	About Robert Rousseau Robert Rousseau is a sports writer that has been published in a variety of print and online venues. He’s been writing for RealFootball365.com for almost three years now. When Rousseau isn’t writing about college football he tends to be penning mixed martial arts pieces for MMAFighting.com or...
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