By Ken Reed
A few weeks ago, the NFL settled for $765 million with a group of former players who sued the league over brain trauma-related injuries. In some people’s eyes, that ended this annoying “concussion issue” so we could all just go back to watching football.
But the NFL settlement isn’t the end. Not […]
As the World Series unfolds, it seems a fitting time to share this article on the uniquely positive aspects of baseball — from a progressive perspective. The article was written by Andrew Kimball and originally appeared in Tikkun.
–- Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans
In Praise of Baseball
by Andrew […]
By Ken Reed
In the end, this year’s American League East race might be decided by a blown call at first base this past Saturday night.
The New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles have been battling for first place for weeks. The Orioles won Saturday’s game between the two teams when the Yankees’ Mark […]
A League of Fans Special Feature
Jim Bouton
Q’s & A’s with Leading Sports Reformers
Jim Bouton may have the unique status of being the only person to help spur significant reform in both sports and sports journalism.
Bouton was a star pitcher for the New York Yankees. He won 21 games for the Yankees […]
By Ken Reed
Jim Bouton died last week at 80. The plethora of Bouton obituaries and tributes since have focused on his pitching career, including winning a couple World Series games with the New York Yankees, and the blockbuster book Ball Four* he wrote in diary style about his 1969 season. But Jim Bouton was […]
op-ed: Democrat and Chronicle – August 17, 1998; 5A
Let’s run defense vs. Bills’ blackout
by Ralph Nader
Just when fans might have been cheering over the Bills taking the corporate name off the stadium formerly known as Rich, here comes another “foul ball.”
The National Football League told WTVH-TV (Channel 5), […]
League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast
Cleveland Indians Owner/CEO Paul Dolan joins us on this episode of the Sports Forum podcast. We jump right into a hot topic: the use of Native American names and logos by sports teams in general and the Cleveland Indians in particular. Dolan describes the process the team went […]
Guest Column
By Gerry Chidiac
In our age of enormous salaries for professional athletes and overpriced tickets to sporting events, there are many reasons why the Toronto Raptors winning the National Basketball Association championship is worth celebrating.
Behind all of the hype, the team succeeded because they were built on solid principles.
[…]
By Ken Reed
I’m a basketball fan, but I’m not a big NBA fan. I prefer college and high school basketball. I like the passion and intensity levels at the college and high school levels. Plus, in the high school and college games there isn’t the constant complaining and moaning to officials after nearly […]
By Ken Reed
For years, Fred Bowen has written a column for young readers on youth sports topics for The Washington Post. He’s also a successful children’s sports book author. If you have young athletes in your family, or work with them, it’s well worth introducing them to Bowen’s work.
[…]
Sports Forum Podcast
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, and we cover topics including how baseball treats its fans, MLB’s numerous rule changes this past season, how the sport can become more fan-friendly, the greatness of Negro Leagues champion Buck O’Neil, and much more.
Listen on Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Anchor and others.
Follow on Facebook: @SportsForumPodcast
More Episodes on Apple Podcasts; Spotify; Google Podcasts; PocketCasts; & Anchor
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.
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.
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