Posts by: League of Fans
By Ken Reed
I watched the entire Japan vs. USA World Baseball Classic (WBC) championship game and it was one of the best baseball games I’ve seen in terms of intensity, drama and pure fun. Shohei Ohtani vs. Mike Trout was the perfect way to end what was a very successful WBC, on and off […]
‘How we can save sports: A gameplan’ provides a fair and honest discussion of contemporary issues in sports
By Gerry Chidiac
Originally published by Troy Media
There is a great dichotomy in the world of sports. Sports can motivate us to live a healthy lifestyle and achieve things we never thought possible, or […]
Consumer advocate Ralph Nader and Ken Reed, sports policy director of League of Fans, today called on Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert Manfred to ban ads broadcast during baseball radio broadcasts.
See the Survey, Press Release and Letter in pdf, as well as the letter to MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred below.
March […]
By Ken Reed
Carron J. Phillips wrote a powerful column for Deadspin the other day. The column highlighted the unequal treatment that Black coaches get in college basketball compared to their white peers.
In particular, the column noted that Chris Beard and Will Wade have both landed new jobs after being involved in […]
By Ken Reed
Spurred by the patronage of Nelson Mandela, Laureus Sport for Good is a non-political sport-based organization founded in 2000 that uses sport as a powerful and cost-effective tool to help children and young people overcome violence, discrimination and disadvantage in their lives.
The organization has created the Laureus Sport for […]
By Ken Reed
If you move your body, you’ll feel better — physically and emotionally. The research is undeniable.
According to a comprehensive new review of scientific research, physical activity is 1.5 times more effective than leading medications, or counseling efforts like psychotherapy, for reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. The benefits were found […]
By Ken Reed
The gulf between the economic haves and have-nots continues to grow in youth sports world.
Parents of youth sports athletes are now spending between $30 billion and $40 billion annually on youth sports activities, according to research by the Aspen Institute.
However, kids in impoverished areas are often being left on the […]
League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast
[Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Anchor and others]
In this episode we talk with Mano Watsa, President of PGC Basketball, the largest education basketball camp in the world, with over 150 camps in 30+ U.S. states and Canada. Mano leads a unique organization […]
By Ken Reed
The NCAA won’t let go.
In their minds, NCAA executives view the grossly outdated amateur model (one that that Olympics dropped ages ago) as the only way to conduct college athletics.
It seems the NCAA’s only strategy at this point is to beg Congress for an antitrust exemption so they can continue […]
By Ken Reed
I attended two youth basketball games this week and the behavior of a significant percentage of the fans (mostly parents and other relatives of the players) was embarrassing.
They were so intent on having the bigger number on the scoreboard when the final horn sounded that their behavior became despicable.
Yelling at […]
Sports Forum Podcast
Episode #33 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Ken Reed Announces His Retirement and Chats With League of Fans Founder Ralph Nader – Ken and Ralph talk about the history of League of Fans and the reasons it was created. They then move into a discussion of a variety of contemporary sports issues that League of Fans has been working on in recent years. Ken and Ralph end by talking about the need for sports fans, athletes, and other sports stakeholders to get involved in the sports reform movement and be activists and change agents on issues important to them, whether that be at the local, state, or national level.
Listen on Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and others.
Follow on Facebook: @SportsForumPodcast
More Episodes on Apple Podcasts; Spotify and others.
Episode #32 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Prolific Author Joe Posnanski Joins the Show – Posnanski is one of America’s best sportswriters and has twice been named the best sports columnist in America by the Associated Press Sports Editors. We chat about his new book, “Why We Love Baseball,” his new Substack newsletter called Joe Blogs.
Episode #31 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Foul Ball Safety Is Still an Important Issue at Ballparks – Our guests are Jordan Skopp, founder of FoulBallSafety.com and Greg Wilkowski, a Chicago based attorney. We discuss the historical problem of foul balls injuring fans and why some teams are still hesitant to put up protective netting in some minor league and college baseball parks.
Episode #30 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: The State of College Athletics with Dr. David Ridpath: Problems and Potential Solutions – Ridpath is a sports administration professor at Ohio University and a member of The Drake Group, a college sports reform think tank.
Episode #29 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: The Honorable Tom McMillen Visits League of Fans’ Sports Forum – McMillen is a former All-American basketball player, Olympian, Rhodes Scholar and U.S. Congressman. We discuss the state of college athletics today.
Episode #28 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: A Chat With Mano Watsa, a Leading Basketball and Life Educator – Watsa is President of PGC Basketball, the largest education basketball camp in the world. We discuss problems in youth sports today.
Media
"How We Can Save Sports" author Ken Reed appears on Fox & Friends to explain how there's "too much adult in youth sports."
Ken Reed appears on Mornings with Gail from KFKA Radio in Colorado to discuss bad parenting in youth athletics.
“Should College Athletes Be Paid?” Ken Reed on The Morning Show from Wisconsin Public Radio
Ken Reed appears on KGNU Community Radio in Colorado (at 02:30) to discuss equality in sports and Title IX.
Ken Reed appears on the Ralph Nader Radio Hour (at 38:35) to discuss his book The Sports Reformers: Working to Make the World of Sports a Better Place, and to talk about some current sports issues.
- Reed Appears on Ralph Nader Radio Hour League of Fans’ sports policy director, Ken Reed, Ralph Nader and the New York Times’ Tyler Kepner discussed a variety of sports issues on Nader’s radio show as well as Reed’s updated book, How We Can Save Sports: A Game Plan. Reed's book was released in paperback in February, and has a new introduction and several updated sections.
League of Fans is a sports reform project founded by Ralph Nader to fight for the higher principles of justice, fair play, equal opportunity and civil rights in sports; and to encourage safety and civic responsibility in sports industry and culture.
Vanderbilt Sport & Society - On The Ball with Andrew Maraniss with guest Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director for League of Fans and author of How We Can Save Sports: A Game Plan
Sports & Torts – Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans – at the American Museum of Tort Law
Books
