/AIS false Blank who grew up in New York City said he believes the US is going through one of the most tumultuous times in its history. 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 Atlanta media thrashed Arthur Smith, Terry Fontenot, and Arthur Blank about their interest level sometime after the news broke. A protest has purpose. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images), WSOC TV facebook feed(Opens a new window), >> Go home. "This grant will help The Center add to its existing . "I know Bernie's heart. 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. There's no place for looting and stealing and whatever else. And thats despite our recent record, which hasn't been, you know, one I'm particularly proud of, but we'll get better. Arthur Blank is worried that capitalism is getting a bad rap. 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. I want you to talk to 10 of your friends. And I love him. 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. Born on September 27, 1942, Blank owns the Atlanta, Georgia sports teams - the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL and Atlanta United of the MLS. Thats great. The system has worked well for the multi-billionaire and co-founder of The Home Depot. 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. Opponents of the bill argue it's too restrictive and targets minority voters. This is chaos. Generally speaking they dont do a lot to lift up the communities and neighborhoods around them. 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. 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. Blank retired as Home Depot's co-chairman in. However, the Atlanta Falcons new home, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, may foster a new era of stadium construction and community engagement. Home Depot cofounders Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus have long been on separate sides of the fence when it comes to politics. . Virginia Prescott is theGracie Award-winning host of On Second Thought for Georgia Public Broadcasting. That was in 1979. We Have Every Reason To Expect a Lot More from the NFL, no promises that it will reveal everything it has found out. Given its footprint, we have good rights to expect a lot more from this monolith. << I worked with him for over 40 years and we shared the same bathroom for over 30 years, which is more than any of our marriages lasted," said Blank, who's currently valued by Forbes at about $6.2 billion. "So, you know, I love him. 3 0 obj We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. "It's not a red issue or a blue issue, it's about how you treat people, whether it be guests, fans, customers, associates, or shareholders in the case with HD," said Blank, whose Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has granted over $800 million to help underserved people across the nation. That is the change we need in this country.". 9. The couple filed for divorce in 2013. It's good to be different, said Blank, but he said it's the intolerance of some that worries him about the future. GALEO strives for a better Georgia where the Latino community is engagedcivically, and its contributions and concerns are recognized. Ticket pricing was higher than it could have been or should have been at that time, and so I brought Dick Sullivan over from Home Depot, the gentleman who now runs our PGA Superstores and we came up with a strategy that we've got to sell season's tickets for $100. 14, He also had three children with his second wife of 16 years, Stephanie Blank. If you would like to customise your choices, click 'Manage privacy settings'. She was a woman of great principle, great personal authority. I mean, people were throwing tea off those boats because they were protesting, you know. And if all goes to plan, its also going to help a depressed community thats heard big talk before. All of us as human beings, I think need to do a much better job of being a good listener. So it really never defined me. My dad didn't look at who it was. 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. Paul, are you OK? I was going to call his secretary, thinking Paul got a heart attack or something. Think about How do I listen to the people that are actually trying to serve and how do we put results in place that would give them the very best chance for equality and for success and for fair treatment? And I think we have to strive more for that. 6 Blank was the 2003 Chairman of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. And so from there, since the 2001- 2002 season, we've only had three games that were not sold out during the season. 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. Find out more about how we use your personal data in our privacy policy and cookie policy. So everything is designed to accommodate the soccer fans so they feel like this is their place as a result of that. Hes a combination of father and brother to me. We were living in a single-bedroom apartment in Queens. %PDF-1.4 So, I think the great political leaders and the great spiritual leaders, in my view, have always, always opened up their arms and included everybody. I do know it is hard. 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. "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. Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank is married to Angela Macuga, his third wife. Now, the last game we had in the Georgia Dome before we moved to Mercedes Benz Stadium in August of 2017, wewere honoring all of our ring of honor members and he was one of them. 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. Steve Bullock, and the Democratic National Committee, to name a few, according to records filed with the Federal Election Commission. There was a six-year period in there, when things went a little south. Arthur Blank co-founded the Home Depot in the late 1970s after being fired from a regional hardware store chain in Southern California. So we had 35, 40 players kneeling before that, after that speech, we had close to 300 players kneeling because they took it personally and their families took it personally and their parents and their siblings and their grandparents and their heritage was being challenged. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images). Nationality: United States Executive summary: Co-Founder of Home Depot. We sold out the entire stadium in two-and-a-half hours. Were usually very happy to talk, very happy to share our opinions and what have you I have enough humility to understand that the people were serving know better. The system has worked well for the multi-billionaire and co-founder of The Home Depot. 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. We hold all the records. And if I stop talking now for two minutes, you realize just how long two minutes is. 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. Blank writes about being teased for having a stutter. And so he's used that time since he got out of prison and giving back to community, speaking to young people. They all understand it's, you know, you have an opportunity to be here on Earth and how do you want to leave it? How? His professional team Atlanta United FC brought professional soccer to Atlanta beginning in 2017. Left to right: Dennis Ross, Arthur Blank, Bernie Marcus, Pat Farrah, Ron Brill. This is not a protest. << Blank is a strong supporter of the Democratic Party. I love CNN, I love Cartoon Network. He shares how he and Bernie Marcus were brusquely fired from executive positions at Handy Dan Home Improvement Stores the humiliating inflection point that led the pair to create The Home Depot. 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. Owner, Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United FC. You can change your choices at any time by clicking on the 'Privacy dashboard' links on our sites and apps. that those rights were not being fully reflected in our society today. Paul, are you there? ATLANTA - Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United Owner Arthur Blank said Tuesday afternoon he believes voting should be made "easier, not harder for every eligible citizen" and his business and non-profit partners plan to support efforts to advance voting access. Atlanta Falcons employees are most likely to be members of the Republican Party. By Bob Bahr October 12, 2021, 5:48 pm. Stay up to date with what you want to know. The stadium boasts roughly 4,000 solar panels and will use 70 percent less energy. 03/03/2023. 1, I think at that time I didn't probably fully appreciate the environment, the communities and neighborhood that Michael was raised in, an area called New Newport News. Now 78, he is largely beloved in Georgia as an entrepreneur, owner of two professional sports teams and a prolific philanthropist. Yeah, It Could Have Been Worse. /Length 7 0 R And Blanks role in this project extends beyond the stadium. Max died when Arthur was 15, leaving his mother to grow what became a multi-million-dollar business. 1 2 . Our history of voting rights is a constant struggle, a repetitive cycle of expansion followed by restriction. 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. And in fact, one of her famous expressions was: You do the right things for the right reasons and live with the consequences of them. And I'm trying to build that into my life as well. Another Home. And so he speaks to people throughout the United States, young people primarily, about that. /Filter /DCTDecode 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. /Height 155 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. 16 Blanks son, Kenny Blank, also sits on the foundations board and is the executive director of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. OMG, Democrats Are Criminally Bad At Marketing What They Accomplish. And I think we got disconnected. 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. 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. I stayed in touch with him to some degree when he was in prison. The trouble is that the NFL is not coming clean on that investigation. 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. In recent years Atlantas sports teams have attracted controversies that have highlighted the racial disparities that still largely define the city. I'll flip words around, you know, subconsciously and, and make sentences complete. GPB intern Eva Rothenberg contributed to this article. . His daughter Dena is the executive director of the Kendeda Fund, a left-of-center private foundation founded by her mother, Diana Blank. I mean, it doesn't make a difference how old you are. 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. Who knows how successful theyll be, and many residents worry that economic growth could facilitate gentrification. The statement came about five days after Gov. I am, in a certain sense. He's committed to his wife now, his children. Together we will rise above this on the strength of what has always made Atlanta great its people, its leaders of past and present and its unique culture that is welcoming to all. 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. When you burn down this city, youre burning down our community., If you want change in America, go and register to vote. Seventy percent of the players in the NFL are African American a disproportionate number. In 1978, they were both fired from Handy Dans by a corporate raider who took over the chains parent company. We've broken every season ticket record per game. Full statement from Arthur Blank: https://t.co/1lU870TGWa pic.twitter.com/0qejiahKKY, Please, please stop this violence!! 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. Liz Cheney Aint Going Nowhere in This Republican Party, Jensens Abortion Ban Promises Come Back to Haunt Him, Thanks to Oppo. I, like almost everyone else, had already started celebrating at halftime. Blank is a strong supporter of the Democratic Party. And that's it. And it's all connected not only to associates, but to the communities in which we live and operate. At the time, Atlanta liked to call itself The City Too Busy to Hate, but as more African Americans moved to the city the moniker shifted to The City Too Busy Moving to Hate, as more white Atlantans escaped the city to the northern suburbs. /SM 0.02 Mercedes-Benz Stadium will also be home to Atlantas MLS team, Atlanta United FC. We sit down with New York Times theater critic Jesse Green to discuss Rodgers' autobiography, Shy. CEIR works to build voter trust and confidence, increase voter participation and improve the efficiency of election administration. RELATED:Georgia Secretary of State calls many election changes 'solid'. j"[p!d~oB?1].drwe GM]/v2q3^u[\ /. 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. This must happen more than every four years, because theres no offseason for democracy. 12, Blank has been married three times. 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. They all have a great set of eyes and they're all different. ATLANTA Protests over the death of George Floyd have been gaining national attention. Bernardo Little . How could Trump possibly have lost re-election? United States, Copyright 2023, Georgia Public Broadcasting. 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. So that's really what it was about. How do I do my part in it? Pictured is the famous napkin deal that sealed Arthur Blanks agreement with Taylor Smith to purchase the Atlanta Falcons for $545 million in 2001. Arthur Blank talks sensible gun reform. Sign up for notifications from Insider! Blank credits his mother with giving him his first lesson in entrepreneurship. 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?. 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. And Ambassador Young, another good friend would say the same thing. 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. 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. It's the customers. 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. Its a story about making bad choices and the impact of young people. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=Arthur%2BBlank&contributor_employer=The%2BArthur&two_year_transaction_period=2016&contributor_state=GA, https://www.ajc.com/news/local/molly-blank-strong-widow-grew-successful-business-sons/JMYrzmcGsGc4nXD58rqltJ/, https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/197614, https://corporate.homedepot.com/sites/default/themes/thd/images/timeline/History-Of-The-Home-Depot.pdf, https://www.forbes.com/profile/arthur-blank/?sh=ae7b330749c3, https://www.atlantafalcons.com/team/front-office-roster/arthur-blank, https://blankfoundation.org/trustee/arthur-m-blank/, https://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/statement-from-arthur-blank-on-georgia-voting-rights, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/04/11/companies-voting-bills-states/, https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/arthur-blank-wife-angela-are-getting-a-divorce/897352464/, https://saportareport.com/a-longtime-anonymous-donor-reveals-her-identity/sections/abcarticles/maria_saporta/, https://blankfoundation.org/trustee/dena-kimball/, https://blankfoundation.org/trustee/kenny-blank/. Kemp and the law's backers said it provides some common-sense reformsto ensure elections are secure. So I would just cut him some slack. So, I would say it was very successful. The Athletic reported that Blank gave $2,800 to Biden, the Democratic nominee for president, on July 1. Home Depot co-founders pictured in 1979, a year after the first store opened. And that's all part of his story of redemption and his story of being a changed person. "I know what he cares about and he cares about a lot of the same things that I care about.". 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. At the end of the day, you can have differences of opinion, which is a great thing to have, and different approaches, which is a great thing to have. We don't have any fans in our building, and this is what we plan on doing: We're going to, you know, promote season tickets for 100 bucks or $10 a ticket. And I remember waiting for, you know, probably two minutes. 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. 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. I have many friends who are no longer fervent Braves supporters. ", CNN -- Ted [Turner] did a great thing. I was gagged. So it was good. Arthur Blank enjoys one of his favorite hobbies at Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, one of three guest ranches owned by Blank Family of Businesses. I mean, everybody's standing for an hour-and-a-half and they just don't sit down. Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email. my patience level probably is not the level it would have to be to sustain myself in this political atmosphere today. Show up at the polls on June 9. 4 0 obj Now, there's no place for violent protest. endobj 2023 Cox Media Group. [Thats] something that I talk about in the book, which most people are not aware of. So thats Gruden. The wealthy propose tax increases on the poor and middle class to pay for their new stadiums, and they claim that new businesses flocking to the area will magically cover the costs. So when we started, MLS was ranked like 22nd among all the leagues in the world. /CA 1.0 We had the option of going to a variety of companies, doing a variety of things in a traditional sense of management leadership. More must be done to address the underlying issues that have led to these incidents across the country. You can do whatever you choose to do. 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. And I love him. And there are two [robbers] and they want to know, "Where's the money, where's the cash?" This is not the legacy of civil rights in America. GPB is committedto bringing you comprehensive news coverage from Georgia, across the country and around the world. >> Among Blanks diverse interests are the nationwide PGA Tour Superstore chain, three guest ranches in Montana, and a family foundation that counts millions in economic development investments on Atlantas beleaguered Westside among its $660-million outlay to date. Sadly, sometimes these young men and women get involved in that cycle and they never get out of it. One of the beauties is that when you come to the stadium, it feels like it's the United Nations. A documentary surrounding Brian Dowling and Arthur Gourounlian's surrogacy journey is set to air on RT on March 13. Founded in 2010 as the Asian American Legal Advocacy Center (AALAC), the organization became part of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliation in 2014. We believe that voting rights are critically important, and our home state of Georgia is at the center of the struggle. I remember I called the commissioner then, who was Paul Tagliabue, and I say, Well, Paul, I have this idea. "His approach obviously is different. Please, please stop this violence!! Stop making people feel so fearful. The latest of Blank's many charitable endeavors is aimed at helping the museum expand its reach. 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. 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. Blank also contributed $28,500 to the Obama Victory Fund in 2008. Give them hope. Looting is NOT THE ANSWER!!!! 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! But Still Not Even an Indictment. It's hard to believe. He fielded multiple quarterback-related questions and spoke glowingly of Ridder, who. The Gruden e-mails were leaked from a (way too) long-running investigation of the toxic (i.e. 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. I mean, you write a book like this, it's really getting into kind of the political arena. In his new book, Good Company, Blank follows his own success to show that purpose and profit can and should coexist. Because It Delivers Comfort, Status and Cash. They have no serious public, political advocates. The NFL owners club is a remarkable collection of avaricious gargoyles. And the great political leaders in the past, they were civil and they were good listeners.
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