So when we started, MLS was ranked like 22nd among all the leagues in the world. 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. The Arthur M. Blank Foundation announced on Wednesday a new series of grants focusing on mental health and well-being in response to America's growing mental health crisis. 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. His faith is very strong. Falcons owner Arthur Blank spoke with reporters during a 10-minute teleconference from the Super Bowl. 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?. 4, Blank purchased the NFLs Atlanta Falcons for more than $540 million shortly after stepping down as CEO of Home Depot. It's the customers. So it was good. /Title ( A r t h u r b l a n k p o l i t i c s) But there was nothing I could say better than what Mayor @KeishaBottoms said last night! Please consider making a gift today to support this vital public service. 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. And next thing I know, he was sitting on his knees and with a gun to his head. 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.". His professional team Atlanta United FC brought professional soccer to Atlanta beginning in 2017. 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. 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. But he was. "I know what he cares about and he cares about a lot of the same things that I care about.". Which country do you come from? 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. 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. Please stop the violence!, Im not in Atlanta, but if I were I would have been standing with our Mayor! And they found ways to get things done with people who had a little bit a different view but found that commonality that was really important. /CreationDate (D:20210314125741+02'00') I, like almost everyone else, had already started celebrating at halftime. And if I stop talking now for two minutes, you realize just how long two minutes is. Bernie has great values and Bernie cares deeply not only about our faith, but about giving back. You know, better than in the 40s and 50s, but not where we should be. %PDF-1.4 Expand. We are better than this We are better than this as a country. And they love the camaraderie. We believe that voting rights are critically important, and our home state of Georgia is at the center of the struggle. Its more like cowardly, and meatheaded. We Have Every Reason To Expect a Lot More from the NFL, no promises that it will reveal everything it has found out. 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. Give them hope. 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. Did the Vikings and NFL Just Blacklist Another Left-Leaning Player? So I'm happy to see that, you know, he came back to Atlanta and spent time here. On Thursday, Falcons owner Arthur Blank's foundation donated a five-year, $17 million grant to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta. 12, Blank has been married three times. It starts with respect. I mean, it wasn't like, You're Republican or Democrat. The views expressed here are the authors' alone, not necessarily the views of their clients, employers or families. This can create a steady stream of jobs and revenue for the community. Support more understanding and be better listeners trying to see how the other people, you know, try to stand in the footsteps of others. So, long story short, I think, is that we should recognize the past, understand the progress we have made. In 2022, they plan to connect with over 1 million voters/ potential voters through phone banking, text banking, in-person canvassing events, and going door to door. It's an inverted pyramid that speaks to our whole orientation and all of our businesses today. But thus far Blank and those connected to the stadium appear committed to using this opportunity as one to enhance and not exploit this community. GALEO engages in advocacy, creates opportunities for engagement and networking, and develops leadership skills for Latino community members. This is not a good way to make a living. 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. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. /CA 1.0 Here, using insidegov.com's database, are the disclosed political donations* for majority NFL owners dating back to the 2008 election. 6 Blank was the 2003 Chairman of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. So I would just cut him some slack. Opponents of the bill argue it's too restrictive and targets minority voters. So thats Gruden. I think when the president [Donald Trump] in the fall of 2017 commented during his speech in Alabama about I don't want to use the words, you know what they were but he termed the players that were kneeling, in my view, in a very derogatory way. About Arthur Blank Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus cofounded Home Depot in 1978 after being fired from their jobs at a regional hardware store. They want to have a home-field advantage. I do know it is hard. The next thing is making sure you exercise your political bully power and going to local elections and beating up the politicians you dont like., It is time to beat up prosecutors you dont like at the voting booth. 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. In order to put this grinding pandemic behind us once and for all? So, you know, we understood that our culture had nothing to do with which party you are affiliated with. Arthur blank politics The largest donation made to a political party by an Atlanta Falcons employee was by Arthur Blank. That should never be tolerated. Blank writes about being teased for having a stutter. All Rights Reserved. This is not in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. When I left [Home Depot] in 2001, [it] was the second largest retailer in the world, second only to Wal-Mart. my patience level probably is not the level it would have to be to sustain myself in this political atmosphere today. I felt and others felt that we could be successful here. February 4, 2021 4:12 pm ET. Proceeds from sales of Good Companygo to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta. 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. 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. 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? They have no serious public, political advocates. follow. The couple filed for divorce in 2013. %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz Please, please stop this violence!! 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. 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. The largest donor was Falcons owner Arthur Blank. 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? Blank is a strong supporter of the Democratic Party. Were trying to do the exact opposite of that.. 2023 Cox Media Group. /Creator ( w k h t m l t o p d f 0 . 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. I listen to what he says and sometimes I'll cringe. 1 2 . So, we had great confidence in our own abilities. 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. United States, Copyright 2023, Georgia Public Broadcasting. 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. Now, there's no place for violent protest. Another Home. But we both said, you know, if we ever had to compete with Handy Dan that was the most successful conventional chain of home improvement center stores in the country at that time it would be with a large, no frills, downmarket store. Given its footprint, we have good rights to expect a lot more from this monolith. 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. I seriously doubt the leagues TV ratings or ad revenue would suffer an iota. 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. So, I would say it was very successful. One where guys like the Vikings' Mark and Zygi Wilf and Arthur (Home Depot) Blank of the Atlanta Falcons come off as comparatively rational. And the great political leaders in the past, they were civil and they were good listeners. By Bob Bahr October 12, 2021, 5:48 pm. 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. In 1989, the company opened its 100th store. Blank's statement did not specify any initiatives or call any elected officials or political parties by name. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. 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. Where did your parents come from with your grandparents? We all came from someplace else, other than the other Native Americans. "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. Find out more about how we use your personal data in our privacy policy and cookie policy. All of which is, yknow, really classy stuff. Arthur Blanks brother, Michael, and his father, Max, are photographed outside the OES Pharmacy family business, in 1940. I suspect he had help. The Westside also suffers from severe flooding problems, and the stadium has a 1.1 million gallon storm vault underground to trap and reuse their rain water, and help prevent flooding. I mean, you write a book like this, it's really getting into kind of the political arena. 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. 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. And I love him. But I know where his heart is and his heart is really in a good place. And that's all part of his story of redemption and his story of being a changed person. 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. Both John Lewis John, just a month before he passed away and Andy Young have said to me that we do have to recognize that things are better than they used to be. I mean, those fans, they feel like that's the only sport that we're hosting in that stadium. Our history of voting rights is a constant struggle, a repetitive cycle of expansion followed by restriction. Scott Jensens Unanswered $15,000,000,000 Question. 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. 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. It is time to hold mayoral offices accountable, chiefs and deputy chiefs. And now their story is a page-turning novel. 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. 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. A message sent to Arthur Blank from President Obama in 2018, thanking him for his commitment to affordability at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium after Blank cut concession prices by 50%. 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. ATLANTA - Atlanta Falcons Owner Arthur Blank released a statement on Saturday following President Donald Trump's comments on Friday about the NFL. Arthur Blank co-founded the Home Depot in the late 1970s after being fired from a regional hardware store chain in Southern California. She was a woman of great principle, great personal authority. << And to be sure, Atlanta is better than what we saw in the actions of a few last night. 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. 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 being a good listener, it's an art form that we all can possess. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Arthur Blank is worried that capitalism is getting a bad rap. The trouble is that the NFL is not coming clean on that investigation. And I love him. 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. I have many friends who are no longer fervent Braves supporters. It is my hope that we take this terrible moment in our history to elevate that conversation toward productive action and lasting, positive change. Born on September 27, 1942, Blank owns the Atlanta, Georgia sports teams - the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL and Atlanta United of the MLS. 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. /Producer ( Q t 4 . We Present You Trumps Deposition, More or Less Verbatim. I love CNN, I love Cartoon Network. These are not political issues, they are human issues that need serious, earnest attention from leaders and citizens alike who understand that diversity is our strength and fair treatment is everyones right. !, Do not fall for this foolishness!!! He released a statement five days after Gov. The foundation is . What I Learned Over One Cup of Coffee Yesterday Morning, You Want to Laugh at Liz Truss and The Brits. CEIR works to build voter trust and confidence, increase voter participation and improve the efficiency of election administration. >> Blank spent 19 years as the company's president before succeeding Marcus as CEO. 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. Show up at the polls on June 9. Atlanta Falcons employees are most likely to be members of the Republican Party. MATTIE'S CALL: A 9-month-old baby girl was reported missing from the Ellenwood area with a man police say was diagnosed with a mental illness. We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. And I remember he told me, he said, You know, when [I went into] the prison system, they gave me three pair of underwear, three shirts, three pair slacks, three socks and one pair of shoes, and that was it. He said, That was all I was going to have, as opposed to the lifestyle he was leading before. It's good to be different, said Blank, but he said it's the intolerance of some that worries him about the future. So there wasn't a word on the other end of the phone. But my mother would say to me, You know, what you have to say is important. A protest has purpose. It is making no promises that it will reveal everything it has found out about the Redskins and others who had contact with the team. 1 0 obj Marcus handed the CEO reigns to Blank in 1997; Blank held the position until a new president and CEO was hired in 2000. Stay up to date with what you want to know. $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ? 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. Generally speaking they dont do a lot to lift up the communities and neighborhoods around them. /Type /ExtGState So it really never defined me. 7) Yet the team continues to unite Atlantans during the ups and downs. So that's really what it was about. 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. But We Aint Seen Nuthin Yet. 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. And there are two [robbers] and they want to know, "Where's the money, where's the cash?" We sit down with New York Times theater critic Jesse Green to discuss Rodgers' autobiography, Shy. stream Arthur Blank on NFL kneelers: 'Players have no interest in being disrespectful to flag' Political Insider By Jim Galloway, Political Insider Trump is apparently referencing a highly sourced. Arthur Blank enjoys one of his favorite hobbies at Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, one of three guest ranches owned by Blank Family of Businesses. It's the fans. This isnt just a short-cut, this is a long-term play with significant input and investment into the community and its future, said Scott Jenkins, the general manager of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, to The Daily Beast. But Still Not Even an Indictment. "And I'm not 100 years old I'm getting there, but I'm not but the things I see and deal with are just inherently not what's made this country great. And then he came up to my suite afterward and it was like 10, 15 minutes later, his face was just full of tears and he said that he was so moved by it. Home Depot cofounders Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus have long been on separate sides of the fence when it comes to politics. He had a gun on his lap, sitting on his right thigh. His percentage of giving back from his estate will be equal to mine and some of his philosophies don't exactly match mine. 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. 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. 4 0 obj Porn Star Pay Offs, Inciting Insurrection, Sexual Assaults, Bank Fraud, Election Conspiracy and FoxNews v. Dominion. 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. The documentary will premiere exclusively Nov. 23, 2020 at 8 p.m.on Georgia Public Broadcasting. And, you know, living in poverty, we had friends coming by all the time and what have you. How do you help repair the world if we can use that expression? /Length 7 0 R And so think about the implications of the choices you're making for yourself and for your loved ones, etc. The Falcons leadership knows how to play politics. And so he's used that time since he got out of prison and giving back to community, speaking to young people. And we've had a very successful team for the first threeand-a-half years this year. Philanthropist Arthur Blank has thrown his support behind a new voter education initiative aimed at young people. GALEO strives for a better Georgia where the Latino community is engagedcivically, and its contributions and concerns are recognized. 14, He also had three children with his second wife of 16 years, Stephanie Blank. 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. 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. I know you see my partner, Bernie, on Fox News very often. 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. The firing in 1978 was a political situation primarily between my partner Bernie [Marcus] and a gentleman, that has passed away now, who was his boss. It had to do with our set of values.". So we designed our stadium to accommodate not just for the Atlanta Falcons and National Football League football American football but soccer as well. There are people and other countries who are posting things pretending to be US, pretending to stand for peaceful protest, but they are trying to incite us into violence and chaos to try and do more harm! [Thats] something that I talk about in the book, which most people are not aware of. ", CNN -- Ted [Turner] did a great thing. 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. Young you are. One was in pricing. Do it in November. And then he worked in the laundry. We had a different leader [Robert Nardelli ] in place that was eventually replaced. Michael Vicks published letter, Atlanta, nearly made a whole city cry on the eve of the Super Bowl. In our case, the fans, customers, guests or grantees, whatever the case may be, you're going to find out the ultimate truth of what you need to do to build a business response to issues, spot opportunities, deal with problems, whatever it may be. 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. 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. 16 Blanks son, Kenny Blank, also sits on the foundations board and is the executive director of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.
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