Bryant Gumbel Calls Gene Upshaw 'The League's Biggest Embarrassment'

Bryant Gumbel is at it again. For the second time, Gumbel has used the HBO show Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel to attack Gene Upshaw, the head of the NFL players' union.

On the edition of Real Sports that aired tonight, Gumbel said of Upshaw, "The players' union boss has become the league's biggest embarrassment." Gumbel then suggested that the union's membership would be wise to get rid of Upshaw, adding, "It is, after all, their union. it would be nice to see them reclaim it before they become ex-players and find out the hard way why so many are so outraged."

Ordinarily, a TV commentator criticizing a union head wouldn't be particularly noteworthy. But Gumbel is also an NFL employee in his capacity as the play-by-play man for games on NFL Network. When Gumbel last year said the previous NFL commissioner, Paul Tagliabue, had Upshaw on a leash, there was talk that NFL Network might dump Gumbel. Upshaw would no doubt support such a move, but the league would be foolish to send the message that NFL Network only welcomes employees who toe the company line. Gumbel will continue to rip Upshaw, and there's nothing Upshaw can do about it.

UPDATE: After the jump, the full text of Gumbel's comments.
Bryant Gumbel's statement on Gene Upshaw:

"Finally tonight a few words about that popular new game: all pile on the Upshaw. The Upshaw is of course, Gene Upshaw, the titular head of the NFL Players Association who has become, with good reason, the sports world's most popular piñata.

"Rarely a day goes by now when you can't find Upshaw's name in your local newspaper, generally being verbally assailed by folks with legitimate grievances. A number of ex-NFL players find him cruel and callous, a variety of folks are taking exception to his definition of disability, medical people are questioning his seeming lack of regard for player safety, some veterans have filed suit claiming he's denied them millions in licensing fees. Congress, too, wants some answers up on Capitol Hill.

"Now instead of being professional, Upshaw, in response to all this has adopted the turtle defense, choosing to explain himself to no one. At a time when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is rightly using an iron fist to upgrade the image of active players, the players' union boss has become the league's biggest embarrassment, even stooping to physical threats against one of his critics.

"As one whose low opinion of Gene Upshaw is a matter of record, I can't say I'm surprised. History suggests you can only deceive so many for so long. One can only wonder when the active players will join the growing chorus of those crying out for new leadership. It is, after all, their union. It'd be nice to see them reclaim it before they become ex-players, and find out the hard way why so many are so outraged."