Latest “Stick to Sports” Commentary is Misguided and Un-American
By Ken Reed
Fox News’s Laura Ingraham is the latest talking head to tell athletes, coaches and sports journalists to “stick to sports.”
Ingraham was upset with NBA stars LeBron James and Kevin Durant for speaking out against Donald Trump and his “leadership” style.
“Must they run their mouths like that?” asked Ingraham on her Fox News show.
“Unfortunately, a lot of kids — and some adults — take these ignorant comments seriously … Millions elected Trump to be their coach. So, keep the political commentary to yourself or, as someone once said, shut up and dribble.”
What is wrong with people like Ingraham? Do they think only talk-show hosts have the right to criticize elected officials or speak out on the issues of the day?
Do these “stick to sports” people not understand the rights and civic duties of American citizens? Is this not supposed to be a free country, home to the First Amendment, the greatest piece of government work the world has ever seen? Have these “stick to sports” folks not heard of the marketplace of ideas?
I guess not. Either Ingraham doesn’t understand any of these concepts or she doesn’t believe in them.
We need more citizens speaking out about the state of the country, and the issues and challenges of the day, not fewer.
Maybe Ingraham is just against athletes or celebrities publicly sharing viewpoints that differ from hers. Maybe she thinks all non-conservative athletes and entertainers should just go away and be quiet.
The Philadelphia Eagles’ Chris Long fired back at Ingraham by pointing out all the athletes and celebrities that have been on Fox News spouting their far right views, e.g., Bobby Knight, Curt Schilling, Chuck Norris, Jon Voight, Ted Nugent and Kid Rock.
“So, Fox News folks who agree with Laura … you okay with these segments?” asked Long.
“And if you reply, ‘stick to sports,’ you should probably tune out of Fox News because they’ve got karate guys talking climate change on there. (Which I’m cool with … it’s his right.)”
Ingraham alluded to James and Durant by saying, “You’re great players but no one voted for you.”
Well, dear Laura, nobody voted for you either. It might be a blow to your ego but LeBron James and Kevin Durant have a lot more clout and influence in this country than you do.
Most importantly, they are contributing to the marketplace of ideas, just like you do every day.
The more Americans that do that and get involved as active citizens, the better this country will be.
So, keep spewing your opinions Laura. But maybe, just maybe, the millions of Americans who value the First Amendment and civic involvement will drown you out with their opinions.
A guy can hope, can’t he?
— Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans
Sports Forum Podcast
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, and has a long involvement with the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sport (now called the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition). We discuss the state of college athletics today, given the pressures of NIL, the transfer portal, sports gambling and huge media contracts. McMillen then provides great perspective on the poor state of physical fitness our young people are experiencing today.
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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.”
Episode #25 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Physical Education Should Be a Critical Component of K-12 School Design – Michael Horn is co-founder of the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation.
Episode #24 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Mental Health and Athletes: Ending the Stigma – Nathan Braaten and Taylor Ricci are the founders of Dam Worth It, a non-profit created to end the stigma around mental health at colleges and universities through sport, storytelling, and community creation.
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
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