And I love him. I understand that, but I respect it," said Blank. /SMask /None>> /AIS false 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. But my mother would say to me, You know, what you have to say is important. Their siblings, their families, you know, may have gone to battle and wore a variety of uniforms for our country over many, many years. 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:. /BitsPerComponent 8 We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. A documentary surrounding Brian Dowling and Arthur Gourounlian's surrogacy journey is set to air on RT on March 13. After stepping down as CEO of Home Depot in the early 2000s, Blank's interests centered on a variety of Atlanta-based sports franchises and the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, a private foundation that has awarded over $560 million. Kirk Cousins Failed His Character Test, But the NFL Gives Him Its Highest Award for Character Anyway, Bidens Junk Fee Fight Should Include Broders Deli as Well as Las Vegas. They all have a great set of eyes and they're all different. And thats despite our recent record, which hasn't been, you know, one I'm particularly proud of, but we'll get better. I mean, everybody's standing for an hour-and-a-half and they just don't sit down. Marcus handed the CEO reigns to Blank in 1997; Blank held the position until a new president and CEO was hired in 2000. 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. Sadly, sometimes these young men and women get involved in that cycle and they never get out of it. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. So it was good. 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. And somebody knocked on the door. /Producer ( Q t 4 . To many Atlantans, myself included, leaving Turner Field was symbolic of the white flight that has defined the city since the 1960s. There are nearly one million Latinos in Georgia, with one of the fastest growth rates of the Latino population in the nation. Because It Delivers Comfort, Status and Cash. 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. 9. . 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. 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.". 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. 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. And they love that. About Arthur Blank Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus cofounded Home Depot in 1978 after being fired from their jobs at a regional hardware store. Arthur Blank talks sensible gun reform. "So, you know, I love him. /ca 1.0 Blank writes about being teased for having a stutter. He details the inception and rapid success of Atlanta United, and responding to the NFL protests that began in 2016. 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. And at the top of that is who is being served comes first. 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. Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank is married to Angela Macuga, his third wife. 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. 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. 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. Falcons owner Arthur Blank spoke with reporters during a 10-minute teleconference from the Super Bowl. His professional team Atlanta United FC brought professional soccer to Atlanta beginning in 2017. 17. Its a story about making bad choices and the impact of young people. my patience level probably is not the level it would have to be to sustain myself in this political atmosphere today. 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. 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. 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. They have no serious public, political advocates. Show up at the polls on June 9. 6 Blank was the 2003 Chairman of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. Arthur Blank greets a crowd of cheering Atlanta United fans in 2017. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images). I suspect he had help. 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? ", It is your duty not to burn your own house down for anger with an enemy We have to be better than this moment. Stop making people feel so fearful. I know you see my partner, Bernie, on Fox News very often. 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. 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. 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. Blank also owns Atlantas Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a sports and entertainment facility valued at $1.5 billion that hosted the 2019 Super Bowl. Given its footprint, we have good rights to expect a lot more from this monolith. So the answer would be yes. Soccer fans don't want to feel like they go into a stadium and they're a second-class citizen citizen. But he was there and he finally said, Listen, you own the franchise, you have the option. But We Aint Seen Nuthin Yet. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. I felt and others felt that we could be successful here. 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. ATLANTA Protests over the death of George Floyd have been gaining national attention. His faith is very strong. 12, Blank has been married three times. Its more like cowardly, and meatheaded. Yeah, It Could Have Been Worse. 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. $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ? 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. Another Home. We believe that voting rights are critically important, and our home state of Georgia is at the center of the struggle. I mean, you write a book like this, it's really getting into kind of the political arena. 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. The statement reads: "We are at our very best. If you don't make good choices, you can end up being in really bad places. Our family foundation seeks to preserve and strengthen our democracy, and weve chosen this as one of our new collective areas of giving. He fielded multiple quarterback-related questions and spoke glowingly of Ridder, who. Now 78, he is largely beloved in Georgia as an entrepreneur, owner of two professional sports teams and a prolific philanthropist. Atlanta Falcons vNew Orleans Saints 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. The system has worked well for the multi-billionaire and co-founder of The Home Depot. We Have Every Reason To Expect a Lot More from the NFL, no promises that it will reveal everything it has found out. Please consider making a gift today to support this vital public service. The latest of Blank's many charitable endeavors is aimed at helping the museum expand its reach. 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 Number of White Teachers About to Get Fired is Exactly Zero. 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. 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. It's our job is to serve the American people and I think we need to have more focus on that.". He and his brother, Michael, were raised in a one-bedroom apartment. 6 0 obj Scott Jensens Dramatic Fall Shows Ads Still Matter. Arthur Blank is worried that capitalism is getting a bad rap.