Gene Upshaw Owners Quotations

I won't come down. The players know that. Only the owners can make a proposal.

We are pleased that this process has finally concluded with an agreement. This agreement is not about one side winning and losing. Ultimately, it is about what is best for the players, the owners and the fans.

This agreement is not about one side winning or losing. Ultimately, it is about what is best for the players, the owners and the fans of the National Football League . . . This new agreement gives us the opportunity to continue our unprecedented success and growth.

The NFL negotiators called us tonight to indicate that they will take our complete package to the owners for an approval vote on Tuesday. We have therefore agreed to extend the free agent deadline until midnight Wednesday in order to provide time for that vote to be accomplished. It was the NFL's previous rejection of our proposal earlier this evening that caused the talks to break down.

It's beginning to sound like that movie 'Groundhog Day.' They give us the same thing over and over and over. Their last proposal to us was totally unacceptable. You see what happened to hockey. Now basketball is moving in the same direction. I don't see us as being too far off the pace from those two. For some reason, the owners have not moved the ball at all.

On behalf of the players, the NFLPA staff and the negotiating team, we are pleased that this process has finally concluded with an agreement. This agreement is not about one side winning or losing. Ultimately, it is about what is best for the players, the owners and the fans of the National Football League.