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By Ken Reed

I agree with John Wooden’s position that sport doesn’t build character it reveals it. Sometimes what’s revealed is pretty and sometimes it’s downright ugly.

Basketball’s March Madness recently gave us an example of the former.

Desert Chapel High School lost their sectional final basketball game — on the scoreboard anyway — but […]

By Ken Reed

A recent Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) study found that youth sports participation rates continue to drop. Five-year trends for all the sports measured in the study showed declines.

For example, over the five-year period from 2008-12, soccer participation dropped by 7.1 percent, baseball participation dropped by 7.2 percent and […]

By Ken Reed

In this era of heightened sensitivity to concussions and brain trauma in sports, the fact fighting can result in concussions should be enough reason to ban the ugly practice. But clearly Gary Bettman and his NHL cronies aren’t moved by that reasoning.

So, it’s time to take apart all the myths that […]

By Ken Reed

In a courtroom last month in Chicago, a National Labor Relations Board panel listened to testimony about whether or not football players should have the right, as de facto employees, to collectively bargain.

The hearing evolved from an effort led by Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter to form what would be in effect […]

By Ken Reed

A lot of people in the sports world — most notably the college football world — view Northwestern football player Kain Colter as an ungrateful rebel. They believe he’s attacking Northwestern specifically and is focusing on money.

The truth is, he’s loved his experience at Northwestern. He is simply focused on protecting […]

By Ken Reed

The way the Miami Marlins — along with some unscrupulous local politicians — abused south Florida taxpayers in order to secure a new sports palace for the Marlins’ owners is despicable. In fact, the Marlins stadium swindle might be the ugliest publicly-financed stadium/arena deal to date.

It’s one thing to take […]

By Ken Reed

It’s long amused me how the NCAA claims that they don’t have the money to pay student-athletes. How ludicrous!

Big-time NCAA football programs fill stadiums that are in many instances bigger than NFL stadiums. Seat prices are nearly similar, and in many cases, college fans are forced to pay seat license […]

By Ken Reed

So, the NFL is likely to make a rule next month at league meetings that will call for referees to penalize players for use of racist and gay slurs like the N-Word or F–got. Isn’t that special.

Of course, the use of those terms should be penalized. Using those words during […]

By Ken Reed

There is no legitimate reason that kids, ages 10-12, need to travel across the country to play in a soccer, basketball, baseball or softball tournament. But it happens all the time in today’s world of youth sports.

Youth sports vultures (aka entrepreneurs) understand that parents — mostly of the middle-class suburban variety […]

By Ken Reed

“The whole event [Olympics] long ago became a corporate spectacle that has more to do with selling TV ads than promoting international friendship.”
— Charles Lane

Middle School Athletes Being Recruited

In the Washington D.C. area, the best 8th grade football players are being recruited by local private schools in […]