My suspicion is that while Dungy and Tirico and dozens if not hundreds of other NFL leaders may have been surprised by Grudens racist imagery, they arent as unfamiliar with his other boys club stupidity. JFIF K K C RELATED:Georgia Secretary of State calls many election changes 'solid'. But the two subsequent CEOs the gentleman there today, Craig Minear, the CEO and president Ted Decker both live the culture. And part of that is reducing our environmental impact.. Arthur Blank (Atlanta Falcons owner and co-founder of Home Depot) 2020Joe Biden 2016Hillary Clinton 2012Barack Obama Maxine Clark (founder and former CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop) 2016Hillary Clinton Michael Eisner (former CEO of Disney) 2016Marco Rubio, then later Hillary Clinton 2016Kamala Harris Jack M. Greenberg (former CEO of McDonald's) I said, Look, I'm going to be a new owner, tell me what I can do to help. There's no place for looting and stealing and whatever else. Though the 78-year-old who's now the owner of the Atlanta Falcons NFL team was aware of their political differences, he said it never had any bearing on their shared values. Another Home. Blank, who is Jewish, also addressed the administration's failure to recognize the losses suffered by the Jewish people during the Holocaust. You know, he uses the phrase community of chaos, that we move away from chaos and towards community and community in a very broad sense, community with each other. 260 14th St. NW Arthur is committed to changing the narrative around sports stadiums, said Frank Fernandez, the VP of Community Development at The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, to The Daily Beast. He and his brother, Michael, were raised in a one-bedroom apartment. Mercedes-Benz Stadium is located adjacent to the Falcons current home, the Georgia Dome, in Atlantas Westside. Blank credits his mother with giving him his first lesson in entrepreneurship. NFL Owner Political Donations: Who Gave to Obama AND Rubio? - The Big Lead ", It is your duty not to burn your own house down for anger with an enemy We have to be better than this moment. (To his enormous credit, Leibovich burned up all the access his name and the Times brand afforded him to tell a story the average sports writer only dares hint at.) Blank, who is worth about $6.2 billion, per Forbes, is one of the higher donors among Biden's billionaire backers, who outnumber Trump's at 134 to 101, although more of Biden's backers have given the $2,800 personal maximum. The portfolio includes nearly $10 million in grants to 12 nonprofits that represent a diverse set of organizations with a strong presence in Georgia and the Southeast. And so think about the implications of the choices you're making for yourself and for your loved ones, etc. One of the beauties is that when you come to the stadium, it feels like it's the United Nations. I seriously doubt the leagues TV ratings or ad revenue would suffer an iota. About Arthur Blank Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus cofounded Home Depot in 1978 after being fired from their jobs at a regional hardware store. Looting is NOT THE ANSWER!!! Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email. That coming the day before the New York Times dropped the bomb(s) about Gruden calling the NFL commissioner a faggot, ripping the leagues concussion protocols, (in other words, Grudens pro-concussion) and trading nudie pictures of cheerleaders. But my mother would say to me, You know, what you have to say is important. endobj And that's it. Stop feeding fear and anger every day. In recent years Atlantas sports teams have attracted controversies that have highlighted the racial disparities that still largely define the city. I look at my six children, Batch 1, Batch 2, and, you know, they go from age 19 to age 52, if I have it right. I went to a small business school outside of Boston called Babson College I would always sit in the front because I always wanted to pay attention and learn. Arthur Blank releases statement on Georgia voting rights a guy regularly reviled by sportswriters, players and fans as a (very wealthy) toxic idiot. Yet the team continues to unite Atlantans during the ups and downs. Enter your email address to be notified about new posts. Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank responds to Georgia's election reforms In their sixth season of Major League Soccer, the Five Stripes bring some new faces onto the field this year. Georgia Public Radio GPTV, a 2019 Report from the EJI documents more than 4440 racial terror lynchings in the U.S. between 1877 and 1950], National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Political Rewind: Theater critic Jesse Green remembers Mary Rodgers in 'Shy', Longtime nature writer Janisse Ray delivers gripping debut novel, At new season kickoff, Atlanta United looks for fresh start on the field. Mercedes-Benz Stadium will also be home to Atlantas MLS team, Atlanta United FC. It's a beautiful thing. So, we had great confidence in our own abilities. In a time when more than half of Americans are dissatisfied with the state of our democracy, the most powerful way to demonstrate and have our voices heard is through the vote. But the level where this Gruden idiocy touches the countrys perilous moment is where the NFL arguably one of the most popular and therefore influential organizations/corporations in the country could and should use Grudens buffoonish racism and sexism to make unambiguous statements to its fans, which is to say just about everyone in the country. We are better than this We are better than this as a country. The rescue team said the man was buried up to his neck in soil. Thats great. This must happen more than every four years, because theres no offseason for democracy. This can create a steady stream of jobs and revenue for the community. Blank writes about being teased for having a stutter. The couple filed for divorce in 2013. He's done a lot of work in terms of animal rights, which has been great and been appreciated by all of those agencies and all those institutions. Blank donated another $35,500 to the Democratic National Committee, according to Federal Election Commission filings. He had a gun on his lap, sitting on his right thigh. Arthur Blank releases statement after Trump's comments on NFL [Thats] something that I talk about in the book, which most people are not aware of. Kimball previously served as the vice president of network support at Teach for All. Generally speaking they dont do a lot to lift up the communities and neighborhoods around them. United States, Copyright 2023, Georgia Public Broadcasting. The documentary will premiere exclusively Nov. 23, 2020 at 8 p.m.on Georgia Public Broadcasting. Hey, Senate DFLers, Dont Forget The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact! With Enemies Like Scott Jensen, Who Needs Friends? If you would like to customise your choices, click 'Manage privacy settings'. /Filter /DCTDecode When I left [Home Depot] in 2001, [it] was the second largest retailer in the world, second only to Wal-Mart. Arthur Blank is worried that capitalism is getting a bad rap. The Georgia Dome was also built for the Olympics, and construction for Philips Arenathe Hawks home, which sits next door to the Dome and where the previous basketball arena, the Omni Colosseum, once satbegan in 1997. Blank and Marcus put their discounting experiment to the test in their own brand of warehouse stores called Home Depot and opened the first two Atlanta-area stores in 1979. Georgia Politics FOX 5 Atlanta ATLANTA - Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United Owner Arthur Blank said Tuesday afternoon he believes voting should be made "easier, not harder for every eligible. Arthur Blank says Falcons are 'excited' about Desmond Ridder's play Organizations also called to move The Masters, which begins April 8. 03/03/2023. During the 2020 elections, Blank contributed $300,000 to Biden Victory Fund, $35,000 to the Democratic National Convention, and tens of thousands of dollars to state Democratic Party committees. [/Pattern /DeviceRGB] Yeah, It Could Have Been Worse. Bernardo Little . One of the robbers tied me up in the bathroom, the bathtub, and I said a few things to him, which, at 10 years old, I don't think my mother even knew I knew those words. How aerobics changed the life of Arthur Blank long before he bought the After cofounding Home Depot in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1978, Blank and Marcus helped put the do-it-yourself phenomenon on the map by offering the tools for personal home renovations. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. And the Falcons new stadiumscheduled to open this summerwith an estimated cost of $1.5 billion, $200 million coming from Atlanta hotel-motel taxesis definitely big and shinny with tons of gadgets to enhance the fan experience. But this is where the similarities with most other stadiums end. Falcons' Blank excited about building around Ridder at QB 15, Two of Blanks children, Dena Kimball and Kenny Blank, sit on the board of directors of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. We sold out the entire stadium in two-and-a-half hours. And that's all part of his story of redemption and his story of being a changed person. So, that represents that melting-pot philosophy: Were all in this together. During the past year, GALEO staff and volunteers have participated in events at food banks, churches, and schools, where they provide information while assisting with free COVID-19 testing and food distribution. But, you know, I think the word civility is terribly important today in the political world in which we just don't see it the way we need to see it. He also goes public about the pain of learning of Michael Vicks role in an illegal dogfighting ring, along with other ups and downs in a life of unimaginable financial success. Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank is married to Angela Macuga, his third wife. GPB is committedto bringing you comprehensive news coverage from Georgia, across the country and around the world. /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB Over the next two years (2021-2023), we will create an inclusive relationship with and among these grantees to share ideas, best practices, lessons and challenges. Team owner Arthur Blank, who has high expectations for the franchise, sat down with FOX 5 Atlanta one-on-one to talk football, philanthropy, and Kanye West. You can change your choices at any time by clicking on the 'Privacy dashboard' links on our sites and apps. But COVID vaccination, as a consequence of being made political by belligerent partisans, many of whom love football more than life itself, is terrifying territory for the NFL. Arthur Blank - Wikipedia I suspect he had help. But, we really could not have done it without great service, great pricing, and great product knowledge. So we designed our stadium to accommodate not just for the Atlanta Falcons and National Football League football American football but soccer as well. But Still Not Even an Indictment. GPBs Virginia Prescott asked Blank about some of those stories in a conversationpresented in collaboration with Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlantas Book Festival in Your Living Room, the National JCC Literary Consortium and the Atlanta History Center. Now 78, he is largely beloved in Georgia as an entrepreneur, owner of two professional sports teams and a prolific philanthropist. 2023 Cox Media Group. Low Expectations and Dark Hopes for the New Year, Minnesotas Wealthiest Social Security Beneficiaries Shouldnt Be First in Line for Help, Time to Limit HOAs Solar Panel Policing Powers, Pop Quiz: How Many People Actually Know Whats Going On?. But I know that his essence, at his heart and his soul, is a really good person that cares deeply about humanity. American professional sports owners have contributed nearly $47 million in federal elections since 2015, according to research by ESPN in partnership with FiveThirtyEight, including $10 million. It doesn't mean we agree on everything, we don't, but that's healthy," he said. They said it would take an act of courage on your part to go out on the field and and to be recognized. And, you know, people stood up! One reporter asked Fontenot whether he thought the Falcons were getting Watson. I had another NFL player, while [Vick] was in prison, come visit me and say I came from exactly the same neighborhood, but it was in a part of Pittsburgh. So sadly, Michael was raised in an environment where that was kind of normal behavior, if you will. I'm not sure how they're going to receive you. This is chaos. Not about dogfighting. GALEO strives for a better Georgia where the Latino community is engagedcivically, and its contributions and concerns are recognized. The Gruden e-mails were leaked from a (way too) long-running investigation of the toxic (i.e. 10, Following proposed changes to Georgia voting laws in early 2021, Blank released a statement saying, We should be working to make voting easier, not harder for every eligible citizen, and that his businesses and family foundation will support efforts that advance voting access for the citizens of Georgia and across the nation. 11 Blank also participated in an online call with over 100 corporate executives to discuss taking action following changes to state voting laws including the possibility of delaying investments in states that pass allegedly restrictive voting laws. For years, Americans have fallen prey to the con of wealthy businessmen who want to build shiny new sports arenas yet dont want to pay for them. And Blanks role in this project extends beyond the stadium. Lawlessness, vandalism and intentionally upending the peace with any form of violence has never been productive and is not the answer. In 1989, the company opened its 100th store. Arthur Blank, Atlanta Falcons - Sports Illustrated "I know what he cares about and he cares about a lot of the same things that I care about.". We Present You Trumps Deposition, More or Less Verbatim. Its a story about making bad choices and the impact of young people. C q" But it's really not a story about dogfighting. Young you are. And the core values that our forefathers drafted for us they weren't perfect, either, but in their own ways, they strove for those things. Full statement from Arthur Blank: https://t.co/1lU870TGWa pic.twitter.com/0qejiahKKY, Please, please stop this violence!! 2, In the late 1970s, Arthur Blank was an officer at Handy Dan, a regional hardware store chain in Southern California. But go ahead and do it, if that's what you want. So we did it. The Atlanta media thrashed Arthur Smith, Terry Fontenot, and Arthur Blank about their interest level sometime after the news broke. Arthur Blank is worried that capitalism is getting a bad rap. Arthur M. Blank is responsible for the sorry state of the Falcons. Student Loan Forgiveness and The Ghost of John Kline, (Who?). America has long struggled to deliver a fair and equitable democracy to all of its citizens. (Airlines resisting vaccination mandates for passengers are another prime example of failure of true leadership.) The Falcons leadership knows how to play politics. If you go to a Home Depot shareholders meeting, they start out every single meeting for 42 years now with this value wheel that we developed. The Falcons owner, Arthur Blank, the co-founder of Home Depot with a net worth of $3 billion, at first glance certainly fits the bill of your standard billionaire athletic team owner. A company where we already know from law suits the teams executives treated its cheerleaders like Vegas escorts and, yup, traded nudie pictures of them changing outfits. Virginia Prescott is theGracie Award-winning host of On Second Thought for Georgia Public Broadcasting.
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