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Jerry Markbreit
spent 43 seasons as a football official in high school, Big Ten
college football, and the National Football League (NFL). The 1998
season was his last season of football officiating and his 23rd year
in the NFL. Markbreit refereed eight championship games and a record
four Super Bowls. He worked the NFC Championship games in both 1999
and 2000 as a replay official and is currently head trainer for NFL
referees. Markbreit also stayed active beyond the football field. He
wrote a weekly football column for the “Chicago Sun-Times” for
several years. Markbreit is also the author of three books: “The
Armchair Referee,” published by Doubleday & Company; his
autobiography, “Born to Referee,” published by William Morrow
Company; and most recently, “Last Call,” published by Sports
Masters. In addition, he writes a weekly internet football column
for the “Chicago Tribune” under ChicagoSports.com.
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Rudy Kalis
one of the nation’s premiere sports newscasters, has crossed paths
with some of the greatest names in sports history such as Muhammad
Ali, Michael Jordan, Jack Nicklaus, Wayne Gretzky, Wilma Rudolph,
and Darrell Waltrip. In 2005, Kalis received the prestigious Silver
Circle Award for outstanding achievement in the field of
broadcasting from the National Academy of Television Arts and
Sciences. Rudy has also garnered 15 Associated Press awards for
outstanding sportscast and has been voted the best sportscaster in
Nashville 13 times by the readers of the “Nashville Scene”
newspaper. Kalis’ success comes from humble beginnings—when he was
only 5 years old, he sailed into New York harbor with his parents
and sister as immigrants from Germany, all of their possessions
crammed into one small wooden trunk. Kalis later served four years
in the United States Air Force, after which he earned a degree in
mass communications from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In
1973, he was hired as a news and sports reporter at WFRV-TV in Green
Bay. The following year, he accepted a job as a sports reporter and
anchor at WSMV-TV in Nashville, Tenn., where he has worked ever
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Judge Mark Kennedy
is nationally-recognized for his expertise on issues relating to
families, children, and child abuse prevention. He served on the
Supreme Court of Alabama and as a juvenile and family court
judge. Judge Kennedy has been a strong voice for the prevention
of child abuse and neglect across the nation for more than 25
years. Justice Kennedy has been a tireless advocate, serving on
numerous state and national task forces and advisory groups
dedicated to family and children’s issues.
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