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Perspectives on Popularity

January 13, 2015

With the National Football League about to take center stage in this country’s sporting drama this month, some “Down Under” comparisons provide perspective to moderate how popular and venerable the NFL is.

The NFL’s longest waiting list to become a season ticket holder is found in the NFL’s smallest market, Green Bay, where the waiting list to become a Packer season ticket holder is now 30 years. It’s so crazy that my sister, who splits her time between Vermont and Florida, still controls the two season tickets her father first obtained 55 years ago; and the tickets never go unused. The Packers season ticket waiting list is more than 80,000 names long.

However, the waiting list to join the Melbourne Cricket Club in Australia is even more imposing. Currently, more than 236,000 people are waiting to join the more than 100,000 active members, 40 percent of whom have only “restricted” privileges. An average of 10,000 fans join the waiting list each year, and their projected waiting time has now reached more than 40 years.

The Melbourne Cricket Club is the oldest sporting club in Australia, founded in 1838; while the Green Bay Packers is a relative upstart, founded in 1919. Still, it is the oldest NFL franchise in continuous operation with the same name and city ... since 1921 ... 83 years after the Melbourne Cricket Club.

By the way, the Michigan High School Athletic Association has operated under that name since 1920 ... one year longer than the Packers.

A Leading Official

July 29, 2014

For more than a decade, Mark Uyl has been the MHSAA’s leader of service and support to officials. Mark’s calm demeanor and subtle sense of humor have much to do with his successful leadership of what we sometimes call “the complaint department;” but because he has been both, Mark has a good feel for and the respect of both school administrators and officials.

Since joining the MHSAA staff in January of 2004, Mark has continued to referee college football and baseball. Last month Mark worked the NCAA College World Series in Omaha which had been a long-time goal for this still very young man.

This week Mark ascends to chair of the board of directors of the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO).

It’s clear that Mark has as fine a reputation nationwide as he enjoys here in his home state.