NO HOLDS BARRED

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with Ken Reed, the sports policy director for the League of Fans.

League of Fans is a sports reform project started by activist Ralph Nader.

Ken Reed is also the author of the book How We Can Save Sports.

We spoke with him by phone Thursday.

League of Fans, he explained, is "an effort to look at contemporary sports issues." It is "kind of a sports policy think tank. We look at sports issues from youth sports to concussions to financing of professional stadiums, etc." They seek to "look at ways that we can enhance the positive and mitigate the negative. It's certainly not anti-sports."

Sports are hampered by "ego and greed and 'profit at all cost', 'win at all cost', and those types of issues. So those are the kind of things we try to focus on and limit those factors as much as possible."

We focused a lot on the issues of concussions, head trauma, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). These are major problems which have not only endangered the future of sports like NFL football, but, he said, must be considered when deciding whether or not to participate in sports like youth football, both by parents and their children.

We also discussed how we expect the popularity of American football to decline over the next several decades because of these problems, how some sports without intentional head blows need to be modified to minimize the danger of head trauma, what we can do to fight for safe youth sports, and much more.

In addition, we open with a brief summary of some of the major issues about sports corruption which have been covered on No Holds Barred since this show started almost ten years ago, in March 2006.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web, at http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/no-holds-barred-with-eddie-goldman.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player for iOS is available for free on the App Store.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gracie Tournaments, featuring regional, national, and world competitions in submission-only Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. For more information, go to GracieWorlds.com.

The National Registry for Wrestling, whose mission is to increase wrestling's fanbase, to build a registry of all wrestling fans, to serve as a connecting point for all wrestling fans, and to provide TV and Internet listings for wrestling. For more information, go to NR4W.com.
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Defense Soap, an effective, deep penetrating body soap with natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial soap ingredients. Defense Soap is the best cleansing body soap for men and women athletes who are involved in contact sports such as MMA, wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and judo, to help their antifungal, anti-ringworm, anti-jock itch strategy. Check out their web site, at DefenseSoap.com.

Labels: concussions, CTE, Eddie Goldman, football, Ken Reed, League of Fans, NFL, No Holds Barred, sports, youth

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with the new ONE FC welterweight champion, Ben Askren.

He won that title by defeating Nobutatsu Suzuki with a ground-and-pound TKO victory at just 1:24 of the first round at the ONE FC show in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, August 29.

We spoke with Ben Askren by phone Sunday night. He was in California, helping run a youth wrestling camp.

"Youth wrestling is growing all over America," he said. In recent years, he noted, there have been "a lot of high-level coaches going back to the youth level," including himself and his brother Max Askren, also a former NCAA Div. I champion. Both Ben and Max Askren are co-founders of the Wisconsin-based Askren Wrestling Academy.

As for the use of wrestling in sports like MMA, he said, "Wrestling is a sport that, now we've seen at the highest level, works, works in real hand-to-hand combat. It's the most effective martial art."

But Ben Askren has also been a center of controversy in MMA, most recently when he was abruptly cut off during an interview on the "Inside MMA" TV show just when he was getting to an explanation of his criticisms of UFC. As of now, no plans for them to have a follow-up interview have been announced.

He is far from alone in voicing criticisms of how UFC treats fighters. Recently MMA legend Wanderlei Silva released a video both announcing his retirement from MMA and slamming the UFC owners and management.

He has seen that video, and commented, "I think that anyone who really follows the sport closely, all the things that Wanderlei Silva was saying, they're not really a shock to anybody." He added that the way UFC treats fighters, "at most times they don't have the fighters' best interests in mind."

Needless to say, Ben Askren was not cut off in his comments on No Holds Barred, and we discussed more on this issue, why he considers UFC to be a monopoly, and how the "media" have been covering such issues.

While he continued his criticisms of UFC, he said he was quite happy fighting for ONE FC in Asia. We discussed his views on that, when he might fight next, his future plans in wrestling, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at AmericanTopTeam.com.

Defense Soap, an effective, deep penetrating body soap with natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial soap ingredients. Defense Soap is the best cleansing body soap for men and women athletes who are involved in contact sports such as MMA, wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and judo, to help their antifungal, anti-ringworm, anti-jock itch strategy. Check out their web site, at DefenseSoap.com.

Takedown Wrestling Media, America's wrestling TV and radio shows, which are hosted by founder Scott Casber, and have been airing on radio and Internet for over 17 years. Takedown Media produces a weekly TV program seen in 54 million homes in the U.S. on DirecTV, Dish Network, and cable affiliates around the country, called Takedown TV. Takedown Media also produces the weekly USA Wrestling TV show for the governing body of the sport, USA Wrestling. For more information, go to TakedownRadio.com.

Labels: Ben Askren, Eddie Goldman, MMA, No Holds Barred, One FC, UFC, wrestling, youth

Labels: Adisa Banjoko, BJJ, Eddie Goldman, Hip-Hop Chess Federation, jiu-jitsu, No Holds Barred, youth