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Why Are Men And Boys Falling Behind?; Sources: Miami Heat Guard Terry Rozier & Portland Trail Blazers Head Coach Chauncey Billups Arrested In Federal Gambling Probe; Two Cleveland Guardians Pitchers Indicted In Betting Probe; How To "Slow Travel" This Year. Aired 9:30- 10a ET

Aired December 24, 2025 - 09:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[09:30:00]

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: -- is that it was one of the most tragic of the year.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Certainly was. Michael Smerconish, as usual, thanks very much for joining us, looking back and looking ahead.

And to our viewers, you can always --

SMERCONISH: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: -- watch Michael every Saturday morning here on CNN, 9:00 a.m. Eastern. It's truly an excellent show.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Up next, social scientist Richard Reeves joins me to investigate why boys and young men are falling behind in the American education system and what can be done about it.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NINA FORD, U.S. ARMY CAPTAIN: Hi, I'm Captain Nina Ford from the 2nd Infantry Division at Camp Humphreys, and I'd like to send my family in Bowie, Maryland, happy holidays.

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[09:35:11]

BROWN: Well, as the mother of two young boys, I'm always thinking about the best ways to raise them in a world where boys and men are falling behind in several areas, according to the data. That includes education, the workforce, and social settings.

So this week, I'm revisiting the series we brought you earlier this year with social scientist Richard Reeves. He has studied these trends extensively as the founding president of the American Institute for Boys and Men. So let's begin with the foundational years of where many boys are shaped into who they become, the classroom.

There is a growing number of cities and school districts banning the practice of redshirting. That's where families delay kindergarten a year to give their child more time to develop academically or emotionally. Well, Reeves's concerned these bans could be particularly harmful for boys. I sat down with him to better understand why.

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BROWN: What are your big issues with education in men and boys?

RICHARD REEVES, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR BOYS AND MEN: The education system has become less boy-friendly over the last few decades. There's a few reasons for that. One is a huge decline in the share of male teachers. And I think that inevitably has an effect on the culture and ethos of the school.

And we do know that when it comes to behavioral issues, et cetera, that having some men around helps. Because whether we like it or not, there are differences in the way that we behave. And so having male teachers around just really helps us not to immediately pathologize the way in which boys are acting.

I think one of the problems is that we have this view about how a student should be. They should sit still for a certain period of time, focus on abstract work, have a certain level of emotional maturity. And probably that student we've got in mind is a girl.

And if boys aren't like that, we treat them like malfunctioning girls. Sort of defective female students in a way. And so they get overdiagnosed with ADD, et cetera, or sometimes behavior just gets treated as requiring, you know, suspension or whatever.

And so it's a good reminder that these things are all on the average. The average 5-year-old girl is older than the average 5-year-old boy. And the average 15-year-old girl is definitely older than the average 15-year-old boy. As every parent will tell you, and as every teacher will tell you, girls hit puberty earlier, their brains develop earlier.

They just -- they become adult or more adult earlier than boys do. And that really translates into academic outcomes because then they do do their homework, they do turn up on time, they've got their acts together a little bit earlier than boys. And so that's why you see some of these huge education gaps that we couldn't see before.

BROWN: So then if you think the, based on the data, that the 5-year- old girl is more ahead than the 5-year-old boy, should 5-year-old boys be held back and red-shirted for kindergarten?

REEVES: I think they should, or at least they should have that option. I think that the fact that boys are known to be developmentally a little bit less mature than girls. So in terms of school readiness around the age of 5, the gender gap is bigger than almost any other gap you can find, class, race, et cetera. And so what you're seeing is just everyone knows this, is just that boys are just a little bit less likely to be ready. So why not give them more time? Give them an extra year of pre-K. Give them a few months more of pre-K. So that then you would actually be levelling the field.

I think at the very least that should be an option that's available to parents and teachers --

BROWN: And it's not always an option like in D.C. where we are right here.

REEVES: Right, in D.C. they just banned this, following the lead of some other cities. And the reason they did that was because they saw more affluent parents doing it. So more affluent parents were actually holding their boys back, especially to give them more chance in the school system, right? To give them more chance to succeed academically.

The irony here is actually it's the lower income boys who would benefit more from a bit of extra time. And so the challenge here is that what the D.C. school board and others see is a class gap. So they see affluent parents doing it, but not lower income parents doing it.

BROWN: What's your advice to parents through this journey of putting their boys through school and trying to get them ready for the world?

REEVES: Well, the key thing is there's much more variation like between individual kids of all genders and races than there is, like, you can't just have one rule. There is no one-size-fits-all rule here. But I would say that if you are concerned that your son in particular, this could apply to your daughter too, is just not ready for school, is not ready for kindergarten, and certainly not ready for first grade, talk to teachers about it. You know, take your own instincts seriously.

There's a sort of industrial quality to the education system too often, which is, like, the conveyor belt starts at this age, and you have to put your kids on, and then they'll fall off the conveyor belt at the other end. And that's just the way the system is and the kids are, like, you know, going onto this conveyor belt, like, in a factory. It's like, well, maybe they're not ready for the conveyor belt. Like, maybe we could be a little bit more human about this.

[09:40:03]

And just ask the question, are they ready, and could they benefit from a bit more time, and talk to the teachers about that. So you should definitely take your instincts seriously about that.

And the other thing I would say to parents as much as to teachers is that there is a danger, I think, even in the home, where we're holding our boys to a different standard, and we're saying to ourselves, and sometimes even to them, why aren't you more like your sister? I used to think about my boys, why aren't you more like your sister? And they didn't have a sister. I made one up. I had an imaginary daughter that I could compare them to always badly, like, and she would be able to remember to put both her shoes on --

BROWN: Right.

REEVES: -- before going to school. When I opened her book bag, it wasn't like a controlled explosion of stuff. When she brought chemistry homework home, it wasn't in a ball, right, it was in a file. It was in a folder, right.

And so even I, without having a daughter, I think I had this kind of imaginary ideal. And I do think that we all need to show a bit more patience, a bit more grace to our boys if they're struggling in the education system.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STAFF SGT. AMAL HALL, U.S. ARMY: Hello, I'm Staff Sergeant Hall with 2ID here at Camp Humphreys, Korea. I just want to give a shout-out to my family back home in New Jersey, New York, and South Carolina.

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[09:45:46]

BLITZER: From a sports betting scandal that rocked the NBA to back-to- back wins for the L.A. Dodgers. What a year it has been in sports.

BROWN: But which story lands in the number one spot on the CNN Top 10 of 2025 countdown? Andy Scholes takes a look.

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ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: 2025 deliberates some of the most unforgettable moments in sports, championships, heartbreak, history, and headlines that shook the entire sports world. Here are the top 10 moments that define the year.

At number 10, we start in college football where Ohio State climbed the mountain winning the first ever 12-team playoff. And the timing of the expanded playoff could not have been better for the Buckeyes. They were the eighth seed and won four games culminating with a victory over Notre Dame to claim the ninth title in school history.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think this is just what a player dreams of. I can't put into words the best feeling.

SCHOLES: And the drama of college football continuing even after the 2025 regular season as Lane Kiffin's coaching decision captivated the entire sporting world. In the end, Kiffin left Ole Miss right before their first trip to the playoffs to take the head job at LSU. LANE KIFFIN, FOOTBALL COACH: Leaving Ole Miss was extremely difficult. Extremely difficult decision. Breaking news of a massive sports gambling investigation.

BLITZER: Breaking news of a massive sports gambling investigation. Miami Heat Guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups have been arrested in connection with that probe.

SCHOLES: At number nine, the sports world continued to grapple with gambling scandals.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: There's another betting scandal that is rocking professional sports and this time it's two major league baseball pitchers who are accused of fixing the outcome of so-called prop bets. Emmanuel Clace and Luis Ortiz of the Cleveland Guardians have been indicted and could face years in prison.

SCHOLES: More athletes faced investigations and leagues partnered with sportsbooks to limit specific wagers, a sign of just how fast the landscape is changing.

At number eight, we have the great eight making hockey history. Alex Ovechkin breaking what many thought was an unbreakable record. In April against the Islanders, Ovechkin scored his 895th goal, breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time record.

ALEX OVECHKIN, ICE HOCKEY PLAYER: Special moment. It's great for hockey.

SCHOLES: That Stanley Cup final in June was a rematch between the Panthers and Oilers and it would be Florida going back-to-back winning the series four to two.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's a champion by the way.

SCHOLES: Number seven, the Florida Gators pulling off one of the best comebacks in national championship game history, rallying from 12 down against the Houston Cougars in the second half to win their third title.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're thrilled, man. It's a heck of a moment, an incredible opportunity to be here and the fact that we finished it up means everything in the world.

SCHOLES: On the women's side, nine years after claiming their last title, the UConn Huskies returning to the mountaintop in our last collegiate game, Paige Bueckers leading UConn to a win over South Carolina. For Geno Auriemma, it was his 12th national title.

GENO AURIEMMA, HEAD COACH OF UCONN HUSKIES: I don't know that any program has meant more to their sport than what UConn has meant to women's basketball.

SCHOLES: At number six, Lionel Messi does it again, this time in America. The Argentinian legend leading Inter Miami to their first ever MLS Cup title. Messi's the most decorated player in the history of soccer, winning 47 team trophies. Will he add another World Cup? Argentina are the defending champions for the World Cup that is set to take place the summer of 2026 in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

At number five, the Chiefs' quest for a historic third straight Super Bowl was thwarted by the Eagles in a rematch from two years ago. Jalen Hurts and company getting the best of Patrick Mahomes, and the Eagles dominating, winning Super Bowl 59-40 to 22.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Feel good, man. You see the smile, you see what family, brother happy, mama happy. Man, this is what it's all about.

SCHOLES: And before the current NFL season, tragedy struck the NFL offices in Manhattan.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: New details on the deadly mass shooting in New York City, a police officer and three others were dead after a man walked into a busy Midtown office building with an assault-style rifle, opening fire.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are no excuses for those census acts. They're hard for all of us to understand.

[09:50:13]

SCHOLES: At number four, 2025 was an incredible year for golf. Rory McIlroy finally having his green jacket moment and getting the fourth major that had always eluded him. Rory winning the Masters with the win, joining an exclusive club, becoming just the sixth golfer ever to complete the career Grand Slam.

RORY MCILROY, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: It's the greatest year of my professional life. I don't know how I'm going to top this.

SCHOLES: A Grand Slam club could soon get a new member, Scottie Scheffler with an incredible 2025, winning the PGA Championship and the Open Championship. Scottie now has won four majors and is only missing the U.S. Open for the career Grand Slam.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: Life out here is pretty cool right now. This is a lot of fun.

SCHOLES: 2025 was also a Ryder Cup year that saw the European team jump out to a huge early lead, despite a raucous and sometimes offensive crowd at Bethpage Black in New York. The U.S. made a run on Sunday, but it would be Rory and the Europeans winning their second straight and first on foreign soil since 2012.

CROWD: (Cheering)

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Five and a half hours, that's how long it took to seal one of the wildest comebacks in French Open history.

SCHOLES: At number three in 2025, we saw one of the greatest tennis matches of all time. Carlos Alcaraz saved three match points and rallied from two sets down to defeat Jannik Sinner in a five-set thriller at the French Open. Alcaraz and Sinner would split the men's Grand Slams this year, setting a foundation for what is now the best rivalry in men's tennis.

CARLOS ALCARAZ, TENNIS PLAYER: It's a better taste when you win a Grand Slam or a tournament when you beat the best player in the world.

SCHOLES: On the women's side, it was a big year for the Americans. Madison Keys won her first Grand Slam at the Australian Open, and Coco Gauff claimed her second at Roland-Garros.

COCO GAUFF, TENNIS PLAYER: I'm just glad to get another title to my resume.

SCHOLES: At number two, we have the trade that rocked the sports world. Dallas fans waking up February 2nd to find out that the Mavericks had traded their hero, their star, Luka Doncic, to the Lakers. The trade was so shocking, it sparked protests outside the Mavs arena.

CROWD: Nico, Nico got to go.

SCHOLES: The Oklahoma City Thunder then finished off a dominant season, beating the Indiana Pacers in seven games to win their first- ever NBA title.

And at number one on our list is the Los Angeles Dodgers edging out the Toronto Blue Jays in one of the most dramatic World Series of all time. The Blue Jays an inch away from winning it all in Game 7, but the Dodgers coming through in the clutch. Thanks to amazing performances from Japanese stars Yoshi Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's kind of amazing, crazy, and I'm just glad we won.

SCHOLES: And the Dodgers will look for the three-peat in 2026, which will be one of the busiest sports calendars in a long time, with the Winter Olympics in February and the World Cup kicking off in June.

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BLITZER: Coming up, I sit down with our own Harry Enten to talk about New York State's only true NFL team, the Buffalo Bills. Win, lose, or draw, why we'll always be part of the Bills mafia. That's next.

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JAKE HAUPERT, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, EXPLORER X & TRANSFORMATIONAL TRAVEL COUNCIL: Slow travel is not so much, you know, what you do outwardly, it's, you know, how you can slow down your experience more inwardly.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you feel exhausted every time you go on vacation, slow travel might be your remedy. It is about immersing yourself in your destination instead of rushing through it.

HAUPERT: It is a privilege and a luxury for many of us to be able to travel, and so we have this tendency of filling up our itineraries, creating bucket lists, trying to do as much as we can, and we come back often more exhausted than we left. To bring slow travel into our travel practice, you have to be pretty intentional about it. You've got to wake up each morning on the road and remind yourself, this is a sacred time, this is a sacred moment. I'm going to slow things down today and make sure I savor every bit of it.

Ask yourself a question. What are your goals? What are your aspirations? And then develop a plan from there, right, which, as I said, means, like, making sure you spend some time in one place. So if you go to Rome, you're going to really seek out the opportunities that are going to deepen connection, right?

So you're going to get away from some of the tourist traps. You're going to go into the neighborhoods, you're going to go into the communities, and you're going to spark up conversations with strangers. You're going to spend more time alone, you're going to be walking the streets, you know, you're going to be looking up, you know, at the sky and the stars and making sure that you're really grounding yourself in those moments.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language)

[09:55:07]

HAUPERT: Seek out those opportunities to break bread with others and really connect in a way that's not artificial and superficial. You know, another opportunity is to make sure that you're journaling, right, or you're drawing. You're having that opportunity to not just be really present in the moment, but also reflecting on it, being introspective.

You know, travel can be a practice, just like meditation, just like a yoga practice, or a walk in nature. Travel can bring us to ourselves and to the people and places that we visit.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN HOST: Good morning, and thank you so much for joining us today. This is a --