By Ken Reed
According to a poll conducted by researchers at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, nearly 75% of men and 84% of women say they are opposed to kids playing tackle football before age 14. The poll also found that a majority of Americans — sports fans and non-fans alike — feel the […]
By Ken Reed
Brave New Films, a non-partisan, non-profit documentary film organization has put together a short documentary about the future of college football and how university presidents are avoiding the tough issues associated with sponsoring football on campus: 1) The medical science around brain trauma and concussions; 2) The growing number of lawsuits dealing […]
Continue Reading →: University Presidents, Media Both Negligent When It Comes to Football
By Ken Reed
The Huffington Post
August 5, 2016
What are we to make of the Olympics? Do they represent humanity at its finest? Worst? Or both?
The modern Olympics were established in 1896 by Baron Pierre de Coubertin to bring the world’s nations together in the “spirit of unity, peace, communication […]
Continue Reading →: Despite Ugliness, Olympics Still Deliver Plenty Of Spirit And Joy
By Ken Reed
The Huffington Post
August 2, 2016
What are we to make of Zika, a mosquito-transmitted virus that poses risks to Olympic athletes, spectators and media members in Rio de Janeiro?
Some people claim the U.S. media has completely overblown the risks, while others contend that an international outbreak of […]
By Ken Reed
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman adamantly denied this week a link between fighting and hits to the head in hockey with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the brain disease that experts say is caused by blows to the brain.
In a New York Times piece, John Branch reported that in a letter to […]
Continue Reading →: NHL’s Bettman Still in Denial Mode Regarding CTE
By Ken Reed
I’ve written in the past that what might ultimately take down high school football is insurers’ refusal to take on the risks associated with the sport. The premiums to cover high school football might rise so high after a few concussion-related lawsuits that schools and school districts simply won’t be able to […]
Continue Reading →: Football, Concussions and Insurance Coverage
By Ken Reed
It’s rare when we praise the business practices of the NBA or NFL. Most often, these pro sports leagues develop and implement profit-at-all-costs (PAAC) policies that are repugnant to anyone interested in protecting the best interests of our sports.
But today’s different. Both the NBA and NFL have taken steps in recent […]
By Ken Reed
Think of Tim Duncan and what comes to mind?
Perennial All-Star yes, but also humble, selfless teammate, a player who put the fundamentals over showmanship, and above all, class.
That’s how Duncan retired this month, with class.
He humbly announced his retirement in a San Antonio Spurs’ press release. Not during a […]
Continue Reading →: Tim Duncan Retired the Way He Played: With Class
By Ken Reed
The Huffington Post
July 19, 2016
“Television buys sports … Television tells sports what to do. It is sports and it runs them the way it does most other things; more flamboyantly than honestly.” — Leonard Shecter
The mass media provides the financial foundation that drives commercialized sport. That […]
Continue Reading →: Television Runs Sports, And That’s Not Good
By Ken Reed
The ugly situation that is Baylor University’s handling of sexual assault cases has been made uglier by the fact that the university hasn’t released a full report with details and names.
Instead of a full report, Pepper Hamilton, the law firm hired by Baylor to conduct an investigation into the school’s […]
Continue Reading →: Baylor’s Handling of Sexual Assault Cases Despicable and Evil