Nader Group

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USA TODAY  WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2011 7C

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No collegiate sports scholarships, no publicmoney for stadiums, an arm of government de-

votedto monitoring the sportsindustry.Thisis partof thewish listthe Leagueof Fans,asports advocacy organization founded and offi-cially relaunchedin Juneby five-timepresidentialcandidate RalphNader.

Nader, who says the group is in the midst of rollingoutits sportsmanifesto,is workingto forma coalition that will “critique the overwhelmingcorporatization of sports” and to file lawsuitsagainst somesporting institutions.

“We’re in the process now of finding lawyersfora suitwe’re planning tobringagainst theBCS,”Nader says of the Bowl Championship Series,major-college football’s system for determining anational champion. “There are some serious anti-trust issuesin theBCS.”

Bill Hancock, BCS executive director, says he isconfidentthe systemcomplies with thelaw.

“The BCS bowl system benefits all of thoseinvolved,” Hancock says. “It’s the best thing everdevised to match the top two teams in a bowlwhile preserving the importance of the regular

season.”But Nader’s group cites the BCS as an example

of the “win-at-all-costs and a profit-at-all-costsmentality” that drives the U.S. sports experience,says Ken Reed, the League of Fans’ sports policydirector. “Ourgoal is to optimize thesportsexpe-riencefor all.”

As an example of how the group thinks theideals of sports have gotten out of whack, Reedpointsto college sportsscholarships as encourag-ing students to prioritizeperformance in athleticsoveracademicsuccess.

Anotherexampleis what Reed terms“franchiseblackmail”— when an owner demands that tax-payersfund theconstructionof a stadium to keepthe clubfrom relocating.

Reed arguesthat if there were more communi-ty ownership of pro teams, such as the NFL’sGreen Bay Packers’ arrangement, this practicewould be less common. But community owner-shipof NFLteams has been outlawed since 1960;a number of other leagues, such as Major League

Baseball, havepushed forsimilar restrictions.“We don’t have any sports policy tied into

government,”Reed says.“No checksand balances.No oversight.”

WayneMcDonnell, whospecializes in franchiserelocation and stadium construction as a sportsbusiness professor at New York University, backssuch League of Fans’ stances as greater emphasison healthand safety forparticipants.

But he does not foresee fans buying into someof the otherproposals.

“It wouldneverworkforyourmajorcosmopol-

itan cities. There’s too many passionate fans,”McDonnellsays. “I thinkiffans hada stakein theirteams, they would rule more with emotion in-steadof by makingsavvy business decisions.”

On stadium construction, McDonnell says themajority of funding should come from privatesources. But public support is needed for itemssuch as parking andinfrastructure.

“Afterall, it’s thefans whoare goingto be usingthesethings,” McDonnell says.

Sports advocacy groups often arise whenleaguelockoutsthreatento wipe outgames. Reedsays the recent NFL lockout and the ongoing NBAlockout contributedto the group’s rejuvenation.

DavidWeicht, 53, a life-longUniversityof Flori-dafan andnative ofLakeland, Fla., says he doesn’tagreewith some ofthe Leagueof Fans’ stances.

“I enjoy being a spectator, and I think that wehave a prettygood system in place,” Weicht says.“I want what a lot of people want, and that is toseethe best players possible ateverylevel.”

 Jack Bingham, 21, from Bluffton, S.C., says tax-payermoneyshouldn’tbe spent forstadiums.

“I already pay for tickets and merchandise,”Bingham says. “I don’t think I should have to payfora stadium, too.”

Group takes aim at BCS

ByMandelNgan,AFP/GettyImages

Finding lawyers:Ralph Nadersays theBowlChampionshipSeries has “antitrust issues.”

Nader’s League of Fansseeks reforms in sports

By LukeKerr-DineenUSA TODAY