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This week’s edition of the Perfect Football Weekend&#153 begins on a sad note.

We note (and mourn) the passing of NFL Players Association leader and Hall of Famer Gene Upshaw at his home in California from pancreatic cancer.&#160 Gene Upshaw was 63.

Upshaw’s outstanding 15-season playing career was entirely with the Oakland Raiders and included two Super Bowl wins and seven Pro Bowl appearances. Upshaw’s biography was posted on the front page of the Hall of Fame Web site Thursday along with his enshrinement speech from 1987.

In 1983, he became executive director of the players’ association and guided it through the 1987 strike that led to replacement football. By 1989, while the union was pressing in court for a settlement, the league implemented a limited form of freedom, called Plan B. In 1993, when a new contract was finally hammered out, free agency and a salary cap were instituted.

Since then, the players have prospered so much that NFL owners recently opted out of the latest labor contract, which was negotiated two years ago by Upshaw and Tagliabue.

Despite all that Upshaw brought the players, he was roundly criticized for supposedly being “too soft” in negotiations:

Upshaw was criticized by some for not being tough enough in talks with [former NFL commisioner Paul] Tagliabue, a close friend. He also was blamed by many older veterans for not dealing sufficiently with their health concerns.

He never took criticism lightly and often said what he thought – without weighing the consequences from a public relations standpoint. Once, when he came under fire for the problems of retired players from Joe DeLamielleure, also a Hall of Fame guard, Upshaw retorted: “I’d like to break his neck.”

Upshaw was tough enough to have the players sit out half a season one year, so I wonder how tough he had to be.

The Realm&#153’s thoughts are with the Upshaw family this evening.&#160 Gene will be missed tremendously.

On to the PFW.&#160 Tonight, the Fairy Whiners of San Transexual visit Soldier Field to take on the Chicago Bears (the game’s on Fox).&#160 Shame they couldn’t put San Transexual’s mayor, Gavin Newsom, on the roster and in the game for this one night.&#160 I’d pay real money to see Brian Urlacher get a shot at His Weenieness.

Friday night will have Phuckadelphia visting the NE Pansies in a rematch of Super Bowl 30-something, Tennessee will travel down to Hotlanta to take on the Falcons (once upon a time this would have been a great game – Vince Young v. Michael Vick.&#160 Pity, now), and Green Bay will travel to Denver to (hopefully) shove the ball back up the Broncos’ piehole.

Then there’s my&#160 game of choice this weekend, also on Friday night, as the Outer Rim Houston Tex-annes come to Dallas to take on the C’boys.

The ‘Boys are starting to look really banged up a bit, which isn’t good.&#160 Starting CB Terrence Newman’s already out a couple more weeks with that groin problem; WR Miles Austin’s got a partially-torn MCL, and now LB Anthony Spencer has just had his&#160 knee scoped and will miss about a month.&#160 Not a good way to approach Opening Day.

But for the game, here’s the deal:&#160 It will not be enough to see the ‘Boys win.&#160 They’re going to have to win and make Tex-anne cornerback (and former C’boy) Jacques Reeves look like blackened cajun cornerback whenever he’s in the game.&#160 Do those two things, and this PFW will count towards the yearly stats.&#160

Saturday’s games include the Battle of New York as the NY B-R-E-T-T-S-BrettsBrettsBretts!!! “host” the NY Football Douchebags (well, I guess someone&#160 has to take the visitors’ lockerroom), Cleveland-Detroit, KC-Miami, Jacksonville-Tampa Bay, Washington-Carolina, N’awlins-Cincy, Steel-ViQueens, Ray Lewis & His Band of Fellow Thugs (Baltimore) at St. Louis, and Da Raiiiduhs&#160 hosting Arisona.

Sunday night will have Buffalo at the Colts (will Peyton finally show up?), and Monday has the Seahags traveling south to play the Bolts.

We’re back Tuesday for the recap.&#160 In the meantime, I’ll be seeing if I can find some way to get out to New Mexico next weekend for TCU’s opener…