An estimated 1,400 people gathered yesterday at the Kennedy Center in DC for a memorial service honoring the late NFLPA Exec Dir
GENE UPSHAW, according to Mark Maske of the WASHINGTON POST. Those in attendance included NFL Commissioner
ROGER GOODELL, former NFL Commissioner
PAUL TAGLIABUE, NFLPA Interim Exec Dir
RICHARD BERTHELSEN, NBC’s
JOHN MADDEN (Upshaw's coach with the Raiders) and former NFLPA Presidents
TRACE ARMSTRONG and
MIKE KENN. Upshaw’s former teammate
ART SHELL said at the service, “When I looked out here and saw all the people who came in -- owners, general managers, teammates, players all around the league, ex-players, referees -- that tells you how many lives he touched” (
WASHINGTON POST, 9/3). NFL Network's Adam Schefter noted Tagliabue "delivered one of the best speeches I ever heard" during the near-three-hour service. Schefter: "Art Shell spoke, John Madden spoke, very poignant moments with Gene Upshaw’s sons speaking. (It was) just a memorable day, something that Gene Upshaw would have loved” (“
NFL Total Access,” NFL Network, 9/2). Former NFLer
ROBERT SMITH and former NFLPA President
TROY VINCENT, both of whom are believed to be candidates for the Exec Dir position, attended the ceremony. Tagliabue said, “In a crazy way, it might be good to have someone starting off with a clean slate rather than trying to measure up to the past” (
WASHINGTON TIMES, 9/3).
PAYING TRIBUTE: The WASHINGTON POST's Maske reported NFL players "will wear patches on their jerseys this season honoring" Upshaw. The patch will feature Upshaw's "initials and the number 63," his Raiders jersey number. Upshaw's widow Terri and sons Eugene Jr., Daniel and Justin "will participate in the pregame coin toss" at Thursday's Redskins-Giants season opener. The Raiders will show a video tribute prior to Monday's home game against the Broncos, and a replica of the uniform patch will be painted on the field for the Redskins-Giants and Broncos-Raiders games (WASHINGTON POST, 9/2).
