By Ken Reed
Over-the-top “adults” — parents and coaches — are driving game officials/referees to quit at unprecedented rates at the youth and high school levels due to the verbal and physical abuse they are increasingly receiving from parents and coaches.
As a result, many states are now having trouble finding enough qualified officials […]
By Ken Reed
I often say there’s too much “adult” in youth sports.
It’s parents and coaches that push kids to specialize in a single sport at age 9 or 10, which too often leads to overuse injuries and emotional burnout. It’s parents and coaches that bring win-at-all-cost (WAAC) attitudes to youth sports fields, courts […]
By Ken Reed
I’m an old guy. I remember when Title IX became law in 1972, opening the door — even if it was just cracked a little at the time — to more sports opportunities for girls and women.
Valerie Bonnette, a Title IX consultant, once pointed out, “Women aren’t born less interested in […]
By Ken Reed
The NFL salary cap is $224.8 million per team in 2023. That’s a pretty big investment for owners. Yet, for some reason, half of the NFL’s owners continue to use artificial turf fields that have proven to be more dangerous for players than natural grass fields.
Aaron Rodgers’ recent season-ending achilles injury […]
Spanish Players Were an Inspiration Despite the Despicable Actions of the President of Spain’s Soccer Federation
Guest Column
By Gerry Chidiac
Why do so many people enjoy sports? Perhaps it is because they challenge us to be better, and nothing is more thrilling than achieving what seemed to be impossible. Of course, life is […]
By Ken Reed
The number of pitchers getting Tommy John surgery continues to increase, from youth leagues to the Major Leagues.
According to USA Today research, of the top 64 hardest throwers this year in Major League Baseball (MLB), 30 have undergone reconstructive Tommy John surgery on their pitching elbows, or are expected to […]
While League of Fans’ sports policy director Ken Reed’s book, How We Can Save Sports: A Game Plan, was written primarily as a manifesto for sports reform in the United States, various sports reformers across the globe have also found value in Reed’s issue analysis and recommendations for change in recent years.
Malcolm MacLean, a […]
By Ken Reed
A few years ago, I wrote a book called “Ego vs. Soul in Sports: Essays on Sport At Its Best and Worst”. The stories about sport at its best (when Soul-driven) are inspiring. The stories about sport at its worst (when ego-driven) are depressing.
This week, we were given another depressing […]
By Ken Reed
The disturbing situation of multi-billionaire pro sports owners demanding that local taxpayers fund — or at least partially fund — new sparkling sport palaces in which the team’s value can appreciate and owners can become even wealthier continues unabated.
The new owner of the Washington Commanders, Josh Harris, a multibillionaire worth $7.69 […]
By Ken Reed
I like golf. I like playing it and watching it, especially the major tournaments.
As such, I’ll occasionally watch the Golf Channel. Brandal Chamblee is one of the biggest personalities on the Golf Channel. He is very opinionated. Sometimes I agree with him and sometimes I don’t. But he’s smart, and […]
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.
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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
