NFLPA Seeks New Boss by Early '09

Leaders of the NFL Players Association are discussing plans to launch a search for an executive director to replace the late Gene Upshaw early next year, several players said yesterday.

Players on the union's ruling 10-member executive committee said they hope to speak via conference call in the coming days to discuss the possibility of beginning the search.

"I don't think we're in too much of a rush," said free agent wide receiver Keenan McCardell, a member of the executive committee. "We're still grieving. But we know there's business at hand. We put Richard Berthelsen in charge because he's so close to everything that's going on. But that process will start."

Upshaw, the union's executive director for 25 years, died Wednesday night at a home he owned in California near Lake Tahoe, three days after going to a nearby hospital for tests that led to a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. The union announced yesterday that a memorial service for Upshaw will be held at 11 a.m. Sept. 2 in the Concert Hall at the Kennedy Center.

On Thursday, the executive committee chose Berthelsen, the union's general counsel, to serve as interim executive director. One player familiar with the deliberations said the conference call about launching the search process could take place today. McCardell said arrangements for the call hadn't been completed.

"We haven't made a definite date," McCardell said by telephone. "We're waiting on a couple people to get free."

Berthelsen said by phone yesterday: "For the time being, we want to get past the initial grieving period. We'll be having a conference call within the next few days."

It's not clear if Berthelsen will be a candidate for the job.

"I'm making it clear to the guys I'm here for the duration of the current bargaining [with the NFL's franchise owners] in whatever capacity they want me," Berthelsen said. "I can't really say anything more beyond that at this time."

In the months preceding his death, Upshaw had spoken to members of the executive committee about the process they should follow to choose his successor after his planned retirement. Upshaw advised the players to form a search committee consisting of several members of the executive committee.

Upshaw told the players the search committee should hire an outside search firm to identify candidates from both inside and outside the sport, and then the search committee should conduct interviews to trim the list of candidates to a few finalists to be presented to the full executive committee.

The debate prior to Upshaw's death was over when the process should begin. Some players were pushing to replace Upshaw in March, when the union holds its annual meetings, or at least to have his eventual successor identified by then. Upshaw had vowed to remain as executive director until the current set of labor negotiations with the owners was completed. He also did not want his successor identified until after he retired.

Now the process probably will begin soon with a search firm being hired and a search committee being formed in hopes of electing an executive director in March. One player said it's possible the choice could be made sooner, perhaps around Jan. 1, and ratified at the March vote. Several players have said they expect former NFL players Troy Vincent, Trace Armstrong and Robert Smith to be top candidates.

"I would say it's Trace and Troy, and then we'll see if someone else emerges during the process," said one player who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the deliberations.