Sports Sense

The sports world lost a true giant this week with the death of Gene Upshaw. The 63 year old Upshaw died suddenly from pancreatic cancer. He only learned he had one of the most devastating forms of cancer this past Sunday. Gene Upshaw helped shape the current NFL both as a Hall of Fame offensive guard for the Oakland Raiders and later as the long time executive director of the NFL Players Association.

Under Upshaw’s leadership NFL players salaries skyrocketed and the league became more successful and profitable than ever. His dignified manner and tough negotiating posture made him formidable at the bargaining table but also allowed him the perspective to understand that the players and the owners were indeed partners in the success of the NFL.

Upshaw will be hard to replace, he helmed the NFLPA for 25 years. He was hailed during his life as a trailblazer for players and the league in general. Was he universally popular? Not always. But he was respected across the board.

Gene Upshaw, the Hall of Fame player, was every bit a Hall of Fame executive. He made a difference. He will be missed.

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Having earned eight gold medals in Beijing and 14 total golds over two Games, we are asking whether super swimmer Michael Phelps is the greatest Olympian of all-time. Some are answering that question with a resounding yes! But I say – what difference does it make? Why do we have to say he’s the best? Why do we have to say anyone is the best?

The fact is Michael Phelps gave America and the world an unforgettable series of races and experiences, shouldn’t that be enough? We don’t need to ask whether Michael Phelps is really better than Jesse Owens or whether he is better than Carl Lewis or any other great Olympian.

But we ask because we are a nation obsessed with ultimate achievement and winner-take- all. The cost though is that we fail to give due credit to both past and present achievements.

We need to simply appreciate what we are seeing, feeling and experiencing. Sports and the athletes that entertain us are a joy to behold.

But we also need to maintain room for the sports joys of our pasts and the legends we watched years ago.

So remember there is a place for all of our heroes and their accomplishments past and present. Michael Phelps join the crowd.

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The 100 meters. It used to be the signature event at the Olympics. This is the event that Jesse Owens raced in 1936 in Berlin in front of Hitler. There was even a title for the men who won the race: “World’s Fastest Human”. But much of the allure of the Olympic 100 meter dash was tarnished 20 years ago when the explosive Canadian Ben Johnson tested positive for steroids.

Fast forward to Beijing, China 2008 – I am now ready to offer redemption to the 100 and crown a new king. The king’s name is Usain Bolt. The 21 year old from Jamaica, blazed the fastest 100 meters in history. And he did it easily. He slowed down, raised his arms in victory yards from the finish and still destroyed the world record. At least for now the new record is timed out at 9.69 – it will remain an Olympic record for another four years. But Usain Bolt may come back to the next Olympic Games having pushed the world record to an unheard of 9.5 or lower. Some believe that is what he could have run in the final had he not prematurely celebrated. His lead and his speed was just that amazing!

Still, Bolt’s victory was beyond stunning. He knocked off countryman and former world record holder Asafa Powell and the rest of the field so convincingly that it would be hard to see anyone beating him – ever. Usain Bolt is big, and tall and fast. He is truly the world’s fastest human.

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Well Brett Favre found a home. And it didn’t take long. He will conclude his career with the New York Jets. How that works out only time will tell. History says that there is probably less than a 50 percent chance that he will be successful. Still no matter how it goes it doesn’t change the fact that if Brett Favre has nothing else – he has “it”. And that’s all that matters.

Despite the fact that Green Bay wanted to move on without him after he “retired” – Brett Favre gets another chance with another team. That’s because he is a superstar. Quarterback is the “star” position in football. It always has been and it always will be. The NFL has virtually been defined by the heroics of the superstar quarterback. Johnny Unitas quarterbacked the Colts to a victory over the Giants in what is generally considered the most important game in NFL history 50 years ago. Joe Namath led the AFL Jets to a defining victory over the Colts in Super Bowl III. And supercool Joe Montana smoothly led the 49ers to multiple Super Bowl championships.

Each of those quarterbacks had the “it” factor that is so highly prized and rewarded. That “it” factor is a commodity that can be traded on again and again. You can be the biggest ass in the world but if you have “it” your excesses are usually tolerated and almost always excessively compensated.

Brett Favre who in recent years has proved to be a spoiled and petulant superstar has the elusive “it” factor found a new home. The New York Jets believe that Favre’s “it” factor is indeed worth millions.

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For most professional athletes the end never comes easy. This is most certainly the case for Brett Favre who will likely leave Green Bay bitter and angry. This is in stark contrast to the scene just a few months ago when Favre “retired” with tears in his eyes after 16 mostly spectacular years with the Packers.

But as big of a star as Brett Favre was and is – he is the NFL’s only three-time MVP and the league’s all-time passing yardage and touchdown passes leader – he is no different than other superstar players at the end of their careers. Let’s look back at a couple of former star quarterbacks who were as big if not bigger in their times as Favre is today.

Thirty-five years ago it didn’t end gracefully for Johnny Unitas, the Baltimore Colts icon, who at the time was considered football’s greatest ever quarterback. In the end, Unitas played, if that’s the word for it, his last games in a San Diego Chargers uniform. Unitas a Charger? How unseemly. But the Baltimore Colts judged rightly that Unitas was no longer a star and at nearly 40 was not close to the player he once was. The time had come for the team to move in a different direction. But Unitas wanted to play on. So he was forced to go to San Diego where sadly he played just like Baltimore thought he would – poorly. The end came for the great Johnny Unitas and it was not pretty.

The end was not nearly as undignified for Joe Montana, but still Montana was forced out of San Francisco in order to make way for Steve Young. Rather than sit the bench behind Young, Montana went on to play several pretty good years in Kansas City. But damn, Joe Montana, the epitome of cool and money, was nonetheless forced to live out his NFL years with the Chiefs. It didn’t seem right that one of the best players of all-time had to play somewhere other than with the team that made his career. But the point is it happens to every great player.

Now the end has come for Brett Favre. It could be said that he brought this on himself. And that would be true – he did in fact announce his retirement – which caused Green Bay to start looking at life without him. And yes he truly was great, and truly was loved in Green Bay. But what Brett Favre, the fans and everyone else need to realize is: eventually someone else gets the love. Like death – getting shuffled out – is inevitable. Sad but we do move on – all of us.

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