Two Gruden compadres, ex-Gophers star and former NFL coach Tony Dungy and his ESPN partner Mike Tirico, both black, are in a bad spot for defending Gruden about his michellin [sic] tires description of another black guys lips. (And Im not forgetting Colin Kaepernicks protests against police violence, and how the league effectively blackballed him before paying him off to avoid a certain-to-be-nightmarish public trial.). And I know he considers the blessings that we had coming from Home Depot [and what its done] for all of our philanthropy today and all of our businesses today to be something that we're very thankful for. A Handful of Things I Could Not Care Less About, Matt Birk: Rape Victims Are Playing the Rape Card?, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. 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. The Athletic reported that Blank gave $2,800 to Biden, the Democratic nominee for president, on July 1. When you find common solutions that work for everybody and [are] respectful of everybody to represent the best of you. Owner Arthur Blank of the Atlanta Flacons reacts before a game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on November 10, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. } !1AQa"q2#BR$3br The Athletic's Felipe Crdenas joined Georgia Public Broadcasting's Orlando Montoya tohelp breakdown what fans can expect this year on and off the field. 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. ATLANTA - Atlanta Falcons Owner Arthur Blank released a statement on Saturday following President Donald Trump's comments on Friday about the NFL. << Its a story about making bad choices and the impact of young people. In a statement released on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium Twitter account, attributed to Blank, he said Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation leadership conveyed his sentiment directly to state officials in recent weeks. So I would fight for that and surround myself with people who believe the same thing, because you have to have that brain power in every institution or corporation or nonprofit. But I know that his essence, at his heart and his soul, is a really good person that cares deeply about humanity. Kemp and the law's backers said it provides some common-sense reformsto ensure elections are secure. He's committed to his wife now, his children. But go ahead and do it, if that's what you want. So we did it. /Type /XObject What I Learned Over One Cup of Coffee Yesterday Morning, You Want to Laugh at Liz Truss and The Brits. He released a statement five days after Gov. Show up at the polls on June 9. Were trying to do the exact opposite of that.. But staying in the city and trying to work with the community definitely beats the usual stadium construction scam and unwanted racial division that has become far too common in sports today. We have to be better than burning down our own homes because if we lose Atlanta what else do we have?, I want you to go home. But Id like to say to CNN right now: Karmas a mother. "This grant will help The Center add to its existing . 5 Other Blank family businesses include the nationwide PGA TOUR Superstore as well as a handful of ranches across the country. That should never be tolerated. (Airlines resisting vaccination mandates for passengers are another prime example of failure of true leadership.) Theres a revelation of Blank stumbling dazedly into a parking lot after being abruptly forced out of Home Depot in 2001, and his devastation after the Falcons epic 2017 loss in the Super Bowl. Prior to the construction of the Georgia Dome they played at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium with the Atlanta Braves, and you could see the spot where Hank Aaron surpassed Babe Ruth in home runs. What Would Trump Steal That is So Ultra Top Secret and Why? Come up with real solutions: Atlanta rapper Killer Mike condemns vandalism, >> 'If you care about this city then go home': Atlanta mayor, police chief call protests a disgrace, NCSHP arrest driver accused of nearly hitting 2 students at bus stop in Statesville, Rock band Kiss reveals Charlotte connection to hit song, After Murdaugh trial circus, Walterboro welcomes normality, Bank accidentally left unlocked in Fresno, police say, Charlotte woman celebrates $1 million scratch-off prize, WSOC - TV Public File Contact / Program Director, WAXN - TV Public File Contact / Program Director. However, the Atlanta Falcons new home, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, may foster a new era of stadium construction and community engagement. No, I'm not. He owns the team, after all. It's good to be different, said Blank, but he said it's the intolerance of some that worries him about the future. During the 2020 elections, Blank contributed $300,000 to the Biden Victory Fund, $35,000 to the Democratic National Convention, and tens of thousands of dollars to state Democratic Party committees. << In 1978, they were both fired from Handy Dans by a corporate raider who took over the chains parent company. The pair always strove to create a work environment that put people before politics, said Blank. Georgia businessman Arthur Blank joins with voting groups on Democracy Class Atlanta The Jolt: Arthur Blank teams with voting groups to forge 'Democracy Class Atlanta' Caption Credit:. Owner, Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United FC. So, you know, we understood that our culture had nothing to do with which party you are affiliated with. 1, Arthur Blank was born to Molly and Max Blank in Queens, New York. Blank is a dedicated Democratic supporter, having donated thousands to Hillary Clinton's campaign, the Bullock Victory Fund, which backs the party's 2020 candidate for Montana senator, Gov. Is the Jensen-Birk Campaign Minnesotas WOAT? I mean, everybody's standing for an hour-and-a-half and they just don't sit down. America has long struggled to deliver a fair and equitable democracy to all of its citizens. a guy regularly reviled by sportswriters, players and fans as a (very wealthy) toxic idiot. And myself, if you will, I'm at the very bottom of the pyramid as a servant leader and somebody who is there to provide leadership, but also provide whatever that needs to be done for us to be successful. The latest of Blank's many charitable endeavors is aimed at helping the museum expand its reach. Max died when Arthur was 15, leaving his mother to grow what became a multi-million-dollar business. That Vote for Secretary of State? 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. So that's really what it was about. So there was no disrespect to the military. >> Since then, they have re-organized their focus areas more specifically into four groups: policy advocacy, organizing and civic engagement, impact litigation, and legal services. 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. And if you go to the Museum of Equal Justice in Montgomery, Alabama, [Equal Justice Initiative Director] Bryan Stevenson says the same thing: We need to recognize [that] these 5000 lynchings took place in the United States[a 2019 Report from the EJI documents more than 4440 racial terror lynchings in the U.S. between 1877 and 1950]. It is my hope that we take this terrible moment in our history to elevate that conversation toward productive action and lasting, positive change. He received his MBA from Harvard. 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. C q" Enter your email address to be notified about new posts. The Falcons were the first pro football team in the South, founded during the civil rights era in 1965. "Obviously, it's a tragic time in the history of the. Give them hope. One where guys like the Vikings' Mark and Zygi Wilf and Arthur (Home Depot) Blank of the Atlanta Falcons come off as comparatively rational. Organizations also called to move The Masters, which begins April 8. 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. %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz Additionally in 2014, the Atlanta Braves announced that they were building a new stadium outside the city in the northern suburbs, and leaving Turner Field, which was originally the site of Centennial Olympic Stadium for the 1996 summer games. "This notion of divisiveness has become, in my humble opinion, maybe, post-Civil War, probably one of the most stressful times I've ever seen in our country," he said. And Blanks role in this project extends beyond the stadium. Then I would not be bashful about asking questions. Minnesota Legislature, What Are You Chewing? Stop making people feel so fearful. Brian and Arthur welcomed their daughter Blake into the world via Arthur's sister Aoife, who acted as a surrogate for the couple, back in September -- with Brian previously teasing the documentary before Blake's arrival. For the last two decades, sports have united this largely racially divided city, and partially due to the actions of the Hawks and the Braves, the Falcons could ill-afford to have a stadium plan that was not only racially inclusive, but also worked to incorporate the surrounding community. But what, I ask, would be the effect of a dozen or so top current and former stars, coaches and league executives stepping up to a camera and telling pro footballs millions (and millions) of fans to get vaccinated for the sake of other people like the season ticket holders sitting next to them if not themselves? 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. The NFL could and should be a leader among other giant corporations in taking stark stands against belligerent stupidity like racism (which it is sort of good at in a lipservice/signage kind of way, considering 70% of its players are black) and sexism (where it has a long ways to go, despite promoting Breast Cancer Awareness Month with pink shoes), but also right now for wait for it COVID vaccinations. Continued: https://t.co/yePGJUaGVV, Ive got a lot of love and respect for police officers., We dont want to see Targets burning. And we need to figure out, you know, how do we move past that and how do we learn from that and how do we get connected with our current reality? And that's all part of his story of redemption and his story of being a changed person. They all have a great set of eyes and they're all different. There are nearly one million Latinos in Georgia, with one of the fastest growth rates of the Latino population in the nation. $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ? We had the option of going to a variety of companies, doing a variety of things in a traditional sense of management leadership. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images), WSOC TV facebook feed(Opens a new window), >> Go home. Paul, are you OK? I was going to call his secretary, thinking Paul got a heart attack or something. 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. This is chaos. /AIS false I think back when I lived in a neighborhood, you know, a small neighborhood, when my mother and dad were alive, we all took care of each other. 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. 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. 4 0 obj We believe that voting rights are critically important, and our home state of Georgia is at the center of the struggle. So, we had great confidence in our own abilities. /Width 625 Mercedes-Benz Stadium will also be home to Atlantas MLS team, Atlanta United FC. Here, using insidegov.com's database, are the disclosed political donations* for majority NFL owners dating back to the 2008 election. No. Falcons owner Arthur Blank made a $15 million donation on Tuesday to The Cooper Institute, run by its founder Dr. Kenneth Cooper, a friend of Blank's and a strong proponent of preventive medicine. But really, in my view, it's mostly that talking to young people about, you know, here's somebody who's been there, done it, gotten on T-shirts, lived it, and somebody whose name they respect or the least they know of, I should say, in most cases. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. 13 Diana is a left-of-center philanthropist based in Atlanta and anonymously contributed several high-profile donations in the area including a $4 million gift to the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra as well as a nearly $20 million gift to Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta. So, long story short, I think, is that we should recognize the past, understand the progress we have made. And he had to mop the floors for weeks and months on end. 8 . Hey, Senate DFLers, Dont Forget The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact! The Home Depot co-founder, Arthur Blank, candidly shares details of an impromptu meeting in an airport hangar when he was asked to step down, the company's short-term mistake of replacing him. Today, Blank is the Chairman of AMB Group LLC, parent company of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United. We dont have the answers, but we are committed to listening and responding to the people who have made this their lifes work and to the citizens they serve. Our Family Foundation and the rest of our businesses here in Atlanta and elsewhere remain committed to being part of the solution., Together for Atlanta. 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. And now their story is a page-turning novel. Big Game by New York Times Magazine writer Mark Leibovich, BLM Has Achieved Much More Than Its Critics. Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email. Players and coaches appear giving quick testimonials. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The views expressed here are the authors' alone, not necessarily the views of their clients, employers or families. "His approach obviously is different. He and an associate, Bernie Marcus, began experimenting with product discounts in one Handy Dan outlet and observed positive effects of decreasing costs as a percentage of sales and an increase in customer volume. Proceeds from sales of Good Companygo to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta. Support more understanding and be better listeners trying to see how the other people, you know, try to stand in the footsteps of others. Its also part memoir of how his ethics evolved from watching his father run a neighborhood pharmacy in Queens, New York, to launching multi-billion dollar ventures. "I think one of the things that is wrong with America today that we can work on and become better at is that we need to become better listeners to each other and we need to be better about understanding where people are coming from," Blank said. Not about dogfighting. Blank told Business Insider that despite their differences, running a company is "not a red issue or a blue issue" and is instead about sharing the same values. And at the top of that is who is being served comes first. So I would just cut him some slack. Falcons owner Arthur Blank spoke with reporters during a 10-minute teleconference from the Super Bowl. His is another example of how well powerful systems, in this case, the almighty NFL, can throw a PR cocoon around people and project to the public only the parts of its culture that serve its business interests until they dont. And being a good listener, it's an art form that we all can possess. But Its All Too Familiar. The Atlanta media thrashed Arthur Smith, Terry Fontenot, and Arthur Blank about their interest level sometime after the news broke. We sold out the entire stadium in two-and-a-half hours. Young you are. And if I stop talking now for two minutes, you realize just how long two minutes is. He would say, I don't need to be cut any slack, you know. The problem for the big, powerful, macho NFL, as it is for every other giant public entity, is that racism and cancer are kind of the easy stuff. It doesn't mean we agree on everything, we don't, but that's healthy," he said. Opponents of the bill argue it's too restrictive and targets minority voters. Marcus has been an outspoken Donald Trump devotee throughout both the 2016 and 2020 elections, donating $7 million to Trump's campaign four years ago. All the issues that Colin [Kaepernick] raised at that time [2016-2107] about the social injustice and lack of equality and equity in the criminal system and all those issues, I think they were real then and they're certainly real now. ', We have to be better than this moment. Atlanta rapper, advocate Killer Mike has message for protestors https://t.co/zb3oMHK7sx, "You are disgracing the life of George Floyd and every other person who has been killed in this country. This can create a steady stream of jobs and revenue for the community. He and his brother, Michael, were raised in a one-bedroom apartment. 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. Sadly, sometimes these young men and women get involved in that cycle and they never get out of it. Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank is married to Angela Macuga, his third wife. The public discourse on these and other issues is too divisive, too political. A protest has purpose. . Yet the team continues to unite Atlantans during the ups and downs. Our family foundation seeks to preserve and strengthen our democracy, and weve chosen this as one of our new collective areas of giving. Citizens and municipalities have for far too long believed these baseless claims, paid for the stadium, and watched them lie dormant during the offseason as the new businesses never came. So it really never defined me. How do you help repair the world if we can use that expression? Friday on Political Rewind: Mary Rodgers grew up among some of Broadway's biggest names, from Sondheim to Bernstein. Left to right: Dennis Ross, Arthur Blank, Bernie Marcus, Pat Farrah, Ron Brill. 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. His professional team Atlanta United FC brought professional soccer to Atlanta beginning in 2017. And so from there, since the 2001- 2002 season, we've only had three games that were not sold out during the season. In 1978, they co-founded the home-improvement retailer The Home Depot, with the help of merchandising expert Pat Farrah and New York investment banker Ken Langone who assembled a group of investors. Why Is Doc Jensen Still So Obsessed With His Long-Disproven COVID Claims? It's the fans. When GALEO was established, Georgias Latino community was not well represented, nor was it a viable electoral force; today, there are over 385,000 registered Latino voters in the state. Blank spent 19 years as the company's president before succeeding Marcus as CEO. Pictured is the famous napkin deal that sealed Arthur Blanks agreement with Taylor Smith to purchase the Atlanta Falcons for $545 million in 2001. And so he speaks to people throughout the United States, young people primarily, about that. Its more like cowardly, and meatheaded. And it was early on a Sunday morning. In that way, I don't think my personality, probably, or my patience level probably is not the level it would have to be to sustain myself in this political atmosphere today. Playoffs, playoff championships, etc. 2023 FOX Television Stations, Georgia Secretary of State calls many election changes 'solid', study by ESPN and FiveThirtyEight in October 2020, too restrictive and targets minority voters, Cobb leader says moving MLB All-Star game in protest would hurt business, Democrats dispute police report in Georgia lawmakers arrest, Civil rights groups file new lawsuit over Georgia voting law, Photos show rescue of Woodstock man 'buried up to his neck' in collapsed trench, Frederick, MD tanker explosion leaves 1 dead; Shuts down part of US-15, Sheriff's office continues five-year-long search for missing Carrollton man, Georgia baby girl reported missing with man diagnosed with mental illness, police say, Jesse Wilson: Adoptive mother arrested in boy's death in Arizona, Clayton County twin sisters make history rising the ranks in Georgia UPS facility, Alex Murdaugh killed wife, son to buy time, prosecutor says, UGA football star Jalen Carter facing charges in fatal crash: What we know, Young Thug trial: Judge orders probe of leaked evidence, Families intensify search for two men missing for more than a week. endobj Home Depot cofounder, Arthur Blank, is a longtime Democratic supporter and donated $250,000 to committees supporting Joe Biden between July and September in 2020, Another Home Depot cofounder, Bernie Marcus, is an. 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.