And they love that. I've always believed that the circumstances around me might change, but these core values, which we discuss in the book, they're not mine, they really belong to all of us. OMG, Democrats Are Criminally Bad At Marketing What They Accomplish. So when we started, MLS was ranked like 22nd among all the leagues in the world. But, we really could not have done it without great service, great pricing, and great product knowledge. No, I'm not. By all accounts, those associated with the new stadium and the Westside view their presence as at least a 10-20 year commitment toward revitalizing a downtrodden community and bringing the city together. 9. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images). Arthur Blank enjoys one of his favorite hobbies at Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, one of three guest ranches owned by Blank Family of Businesses. Arthur Blank - InfluenceWatch - InfluenceWatch With Enemies Like Scott Jensen, Who Needs Friends? Can We Please Kill Off the Tipping Mumbo-Jumbo? 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. 12, Blank has been married three times. Big Game by New York Times Magazine writer Mark Leibovich, BLM Has Achieved Much More Than Its Critics. 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. Blank also contributed $28,500 to the Obama Victory Fund in 2008. 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. These are the kinds of people we need in leadership today, not thinking about red, blue, purple. Looting is NOT THE ANSWER!!! This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. His faith is very strong. I listen to what he says and sometimes I'll cringe. We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. And that's an example of the happiness that we're talking about. Now 78, he is largely beloved in Georgia as an entrepreneur, owner of two professional sports teams and a prolific philanthropist. I suspect he had help. 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. It's a beautiful thing. ATLANTA Protests over the death of George Floyd have been gaining national attention. The Falcons were the first pro football team in the South, founded during the civil rights era in 1965. 9, Blank is a strong supporter of the Democratic Party. Expand. endobj Bernard Marcus - Wikipedia [/Pattern /DeviceRGB] Democracy - The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation You need to figure out something else to do for the rest of your life. And after a while, he said, Would you please shut up? And she never did. That origin story is well known in business and retail circles as an example of how bold, disruptive thinking can change the game, but Good Company provides a more personal view. 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. It's the fans. 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. However, peaceful protests really go back and look at the history of our country back to the Boston Tea Party. Blank, who is Jewish, also addressed the administration's failure to recognize the losses suffered by the Jewish people during the Holocaust. . Weve never won a Super Bowl, and this years loss in Super Bowl LI was especially hard to take. So we designed our stadium to accommodate not just for the Atlanta Falcons and National Football League football American football but soccer as well. In Fall 2021, we launched our new Democracy program area with $10 million in grants designed to strengthen key democracy organizations to be resilient for the long haul of this work. More must be done to address systemic racism. Kemp and the law's backers said it provides some common-sense reformsto ensure elections are secure. Falcons owner Arthur Blank is weighing in on Georgia's sweeping overhaul of election laws. He received his MBA from Harvard. That is the change we need in this country.". And so he speaks to people throughout the United States, young people primarily, about that. Marcus handed the CEO reigns to Blank in 1997; Blank held the position until a new president and CEO was hired in 2000. My dad didn't look at who it was. ATLANTA - Falcons team owner Arthur Blank has tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the team's final game of the regular season. We Have Every Reason To Expect a Lot More from the NFL, no promises that it will reveal everything it has found out. 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. But my mother would say to me, You know, what you have to say is important. One of the beauties is that when you come to the stadium, it feels like it's the United Nations. And I told him before, You get in a convertible and drive around the field and Michael, there are 73,000 people in the building. 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. $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ? His daughter Dena is the executive director of the Kendeda Fund, a left-of-center private foundation founded by her mother, Diana Blank. 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. Did the Vikings and NFL Just Blacklist Another Left-Leaning Player? And part of that is reducing our environmental impact.. In total, they anticipate hosting each year 40 to 50 big events and an additional 100 to 200 small events in the neighboring park that will be built where the Georgia Dome currently resides. The Center for Election Innovation & Research (CEIR) mission is to ensure elections are secure, voters have confidence in election outcomes and democracy thrives as civic engagement grows. We expect to learn a great deal from these groups and have that learning inform our strategy on voting access and civic participation in Georgia and beyond. Yeah, It Could Have Been Worse. And so he carries a weight of authority that somebody who's just called a suit and comes in and talks to them and doesn't quite feel the same, same way. Arthur Blank: I was fired from Home Depot - YouTube And he had to mop the floors for weeks and months on end. 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. And my mother was giving him a lecture saying, You realize this is not what your parents would want you to do. /SM 0.02 I've had conversations with a number of senators who made it very clear that some of their best friends, both politically and otherwise, are on the other side of the aisle. Please consider making a gift today to support this vital public service. In 1978, both he and future Home Depot co-founder Arthur Blank were fired during a corporate power struggle at Handy Dan. In 1978, they were both fired from Handy Dans by a corporate raider who took over the chains parent company. The statement reads: "We are at our very best. So that's really what it was about. 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. So, that represents that melting-pot philosophy: Were all in this together. I understand that, but I respect it," said Blank. It's hard to believe. 3 0 obj (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.). Arthur Blank, Atlanta Falcons - Sports Illustrated Please stop the violence!, Im not in Atlanta, but if I were I would have been standing with our Mayor! Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. I want you guys to come up with real solutions. Our frontline associates and all those businesses come next. When I left [Home Depot] in 2001, [it] was the second largest retailer in the world, second only to Wal-Mart. But you want your core values to be the same, ideally. 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. 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. More must be done to address the underlying issues that have led to these incidents across the country. Paul, are you there? 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. Hes a combination of father and brother to me. ", It is your duty not to burn your own house down for anger with an enemy We have to be better than this moment. 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. When you find common solutions that work for everybody and [are] respectful of everybody to represent the best of you. I stayed in touch with him to some degree when he was in prison. Blank told Business Insider that despite their political differences, their different leanings never got in the way of their ability to work together as partners or as friends. 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. Generally speaking they dont do a lot to lift up the communities and neighborhoods around them. j"[p!d~oB?1].drwe GM]/v2q3^u[\ /. So it was good. 7, Blank founded the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation in 1995 and has awarded over $560 million to causes such as education and early childhood development. One where guys like the Vikings Mark and Zygi Wilf and Arthur (Home Depot) Blank of the Atlanta Falcons come off as comparatively rational. They all live life with purpose. GPB is committedto bringing you comprehensive news coverage from Georgia, across the country and around the world. And Blanks role in this project extends beyond the stadium. But it's really not a story about dogfighting. Show up at the polls on June 9. So in this case, we were coming back from a game after the team had played in St. Louis against the old St. Louis Rams theyre now in L.A. and instead of riding in the front of the plane with the coaches and managers, I sat in the back with the players. Thats great. How do you help repair the world if we can use that expression? The perceived linebetween politics and sports further blurred when Major League Baseball's union chief said players are ready to discuss moving the 2021 MLB All-Star Game out of Truist Park. 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. Owner, Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United FC. Now it's ranked like seventh. I'll flip words around, you know, subconsciously and, and make sentences complete. The system has worked well for the multi-billionaire and co-founder of The Home Depot. 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. If you sit in your homes instead of burning your home to the ground, you will have time to properly plot, plan, strategize and organize and mobilize in effective ways., Two of the most effective ways is first taking your butt to the computer and making sure you fill out your census so that people know who you are and where you are. We believe the right to vote is sacred and should be protected, so that we can have an active and engaged citizenry that participates in our democracy year-round, not just during presidential election cycles. Walz Cooperation With Law Enforcement Deserves Praise, Not Punishment, If You Think Republicans Cant Ban Abortion in Minnesota, Look No Further than Iowa, Russia, Ukraine and My Seven Months with YouTube. Is Arthur Blank the Only Good Owner in the NFL? - The Daily Beast Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United owner Arthur M. Blank released a statement Monday on the importance of fair elections and democracy: "Free and fair elections are vital to the health of our. And, you know, living in poverty, we had friends coming by all the time and what have you. I do know it is hard. 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. Our history of voting rights is a constant struggle, a repetitive cycle of expansion followed by restriction. Blank donated another $35,500 to the Democratic National Committee, according to Federal Election Commission filings. 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. And whether, you know, be it Dr. King or, a great friend to America and a great leader, Congressman Lewis, [who] was a great personal friend of mine and served our country beautifully, would say peaceful nonviolent protest is how we that's how we make progress. 17. The 74-year-old Blank, who Forbes estimates has an estimated net worth of $3.1 billion, is the director of Cox. >> Blank's statement did not specify any initiatives or call any elected officials or political parties by name. But tell me what I can do to help? And they said, Well, you know, the reality is about 40% of our stadium is empty. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. C q" How aerobics changed the life of Arthur Blank long before he bought the The ones in Atlanta on Friday started off peaceful but later turned into violent demonstrations and looting of local businesses. Well, I shouldn't say I'm not. /Subtype /Image Find out more about how we use your personal data in our privacy policy and cookie policy. GALEO strives for a better Georgia where the Latino community is engagedcivically, and its contributions and concerns are recognized. Blank also owns Atlantas Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a sports and entertainment facility valued at $1.5 billion that hosted the 2019 Super Bowl. That Vote for Secretary of State? The Gruden e-mails were leaked from a (way too) long-running investigation of the toxic (i.e. /AIS false The Number of White Teachers About to Get Fired is Exactly Zero. 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. There's no place for looting and stealing and whatever else. Martin Luther King Jr. once lived in this part of town, but decades of disinvestment and neglect have resulted in over 40 percent of the community living in poverty with an unemployment rate twice that of the rest of Atlanta. 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. A number of events over the last couple of weeks have reminded us again that the long, worthy quest for equal justice, civility and unity in America is far from over. February 4, 2021 4:12 pm ET. But that was typical of my mother. How best to put it? Michael Vicks published letter, Atlanta, nearly made a whole city cry on the eve of the Super Bowl. This can create a steady stream of jobs and revenue for the community. /BitsPerComponent 8 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. Arthur Blank - Wikipedia 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. The pair always strove to create a work environment that put people before politics, said Blank. And they've worked collectively for the United States, for everybody in this country, 330 million people. The Braves leaving town also represented an end to the multicultural hub in the heart of the city that was forged by those Olympics. 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. They put my mother, my brother and I in the living room with one of them and the other was searching the house, looking for cash that wasn't there. 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? We sold out the entire stadium in two-and-a-half hours. Blank retired as Home Depot's co-chairman in. Arthur Blank responsible for sorry state of Falcons - ajc By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. "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. Scott Jensens Dramatic Fall Shows Ads Still Matter. And they love the camaraderie. PDF Arthur blank politics I know you see my partner, Bernie, on Fox News very often. 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. %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz What Would Trump Steal That is So Ultra Top Secret and Why? Home Depot Co-Founder Donates to Mentorship Program for Teens - The New Kimball previously served as the vice president of network support at Teach for All. Here, using insidegov.com's database, are the disclosed political donations* for majority NFL owners dating back to the 2008 election. As I've said, 95% of my estate is going to be recycled back through our foundations and they will provide their insights and their leadership and their views and values that their father and their mothers would be very proud of. They all have a great set of values. This is chaos. It is my hope that we take this terrible moment in our history to elevate that conversation toward productive action and lasting, positive change. And so from there, since the 2001- 2002 season, we've only had three games that were not sold out during the season. Arthur Blank indicates that 2023 season is a must win for Arthur Smith A co-founder of Home Depot increased his giving for children in the pandemic because, he said, "they don't always have the tools to deal with what's happened to them.". And so think about the implications of the choices you're making for yourself and for your loved ones, etc. But I would keep raising my hand. 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? We need to recognize those truths. I mean, it doesn't make a difference how old you are. 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. And I remember him looking at me saying, If I told your mother what you just said, she would wash your mouth out with soap. But that was the last thing I said. Dueling Visions for Minnesota: Scandinavia or South Dakota? Arthur M. Blank is responsible for the sorry state of the Falcons. So, you know, soccer is on the ascent in the United States dramatically, which is a great thing. So I think that part of that comes out of really being a good listener and responding to what you're hearing and trying to find a way to make things work for the benefit of everybody collaboratively. Arthur Blanks brother, Michael, and his father, Max, are photographed outside the OES Pharmacy family business, in 1940. How do I do my part in it? 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. Arthur Blank, Tyler Perry speak out about protests, riots And the great political leaders in the past, they were civil and they were good listeners. This is not a protest. So, you know, we understood that our culture had nothing to do with which party you are affiliated with. Support more understanding and be better listeners trying to see how the other people, you know, try to stand in the footsteps of others. It's our job is to serve the American people and I think we need to have more focus on that.". 4 0 obj /Type /XObject I love CNN, I love Cartoon Network. People are scared and in pain. We hold all the records. Her father was one half of Rodgers and Hammerstein. They were trying to indicate that what the military had fought for these rights, the civil rights, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, etc. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. But go ahead and do it, if that's what you want. So we did it. 8 In 2012, Blank signed the Giving Pledge and committed to giving more than half of his wealth away to philanthropic efforts in his lifetime. 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. Blank credits his mother with giving him his first lesson in entrepreneurship. Download the FOX 5 Atlanta appfor breaking news and weather alerts.
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