Francesa New King of the Sexists
By Ken Reed
Long-time sports talk host Mike Francesa said on his radio show Wednesday that it would be “impossible” for a woman to coach a team of men.
“Do you know how impossible that would be? … It wouldn’t be tough. It would be impossible,” said Francesa in response to a caller’s question about whether his young daughter might have the chance to coach a men’s team one day.
“For her to coach the men is not a realistic destination,” continued Francesa. “It’s not realistic. I don’t think you understand how difficult that would be.”
What a Neanderthal! Back in the day, Francesa probably would’ve been the guy that said females shouldn’t be playing full-court basketball because their bodies are too fragile. He likely would’ve pushed for maintaining Iowa’s girls’ basketball rules of six on a team, three on each half of the court. Under the six-on-six rules (commonly called “Iowa Rules”), girls weren’t allowed to cross the mid-court line to the other half of the court.
Real basketball was viewed as too strenuous for girls. With the six-on-six rules, girls wouldn’t have to overdo it physically. They could simply “glisten” instead of, God forbid, actually sweating.
Later in the conversation, Francesa’s caller brought up Becky Hammon, the San Antonio Spurs’ female assistant coach. Hammon won an NBA summer league title coaching the Spurs’ summer team.
Francesa responded by saying Hammon has “no shot” to become an NBA head coach.
Hey Mike, it appears you have “no shot” at ever becoming enlightened.
— Ken Reed, sports policy director, League of Fans
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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.
Episode #27 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Kids’ Sports: How We Can Take Back the Game and Restore Quality Family Time In the Process – Linda Flanagan is author of “Take Back the Game: How Money and Mania Are Ruining Kids’ Sports and Why It Matters.” We discuss how commercialized and professionalized youth sports are hurting kids and their families.
Episode #26 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: How Can We Fix Youth Sports? – John O’Sullivan is Founder and CEO of Changing the Game Project and author of “Changing the Game: The Parents Guide to Raising Happy, High Performing Athletes and Giving Youth Sports Back to Our Kids.”
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"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
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