I turned on my computer this morning and discovered NFL players union head Gene Upshaw died at age 63 of pancreatic cancer.

One’s first instinct might be to wonder what’s going to happen to the union and player-owner negotations now that Upshaw has passed (particularly after there was an effort among the players to remove him). I wondered that, too, but for now, we should just honor the man — the All-Pro offensive lineman, the wearer of a few Super Bowl Rings, the Hall of Famer, the union chief who helped bring prosperity to the players and ultimately to the league. No matter what you think of him, Upshaw will be missed.