She was a woman of great principle, great personal authority. I mean, everybody's standing for an hour-and-a-half and they just don't sit down. authenticate users, apply security measures, and prevent spam and abuse, and, display personalised ads and content based on interest profiles, measure the effectiveness of personalised ads and content, and, develop and improve our products and services. 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. And so he speaks to people throughout the United States, young people primarily, about that. So, we had great confidence in our own abilities. 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. 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. The couple filed for divorce in 2013. We sit down with New York Times theater critic Jesse Green to discuss Rodgers' autobiography, Shy. Sign up for notifications from Insider! 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. 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. /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB 5) So it was a great story and is a great story. A documentary surrounding Brian Dowling and Arthur Gourounlian's surrogacy journey is set to air on RT on March 13. Max died when Arthur was 15, leaving his mother to grow what became a multi-million-dollar business. 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. Theres at least one more level to the Jon Gruden disaster that NFL fans should consider about the leagues remarkable influence. Its a story about making bad choices and the impact of young people. 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. Kemp and the law's backers said it provides some common-sense reformsto ensure elections are secure. That Vote for Secretary of State? Continued: https://t.co/yePGJUaGVV, Ive got a lot of love and respect for police officers., We dont want to see Targets burning. Copyright 2023 InfluenceWatch. Support more understanding and be better listeners trying to see how the other people, you know, try to stand in the footsteps of others. Friday on Political Rewind: Mary Rodgers grew up among some of Broadway's biggest names, from Sondheim to Bernstein. 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. If you don't make good choices, you can end up being in really bad places. 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. GALEO has also handed out flyers at city events, supermarkets, and churches that target Latinos. ATLANTA - Falcons team owner Arthur Blank has tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the team's final game of the regular season. Of the other 60% who do come, half are rooting for the other team. So I understood what they were saying: They just wanted support noise. Please stop the violence!, Im not in Atlanta, but if I were I would have been standing with our Mayor! Looting is NOT THE ANSWER!!! The largest donor was Falcons owner Arthur Blank. Arthur Blank, owner of Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United, co-founder of Home Depot . 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. Falcons owner Arthur Blank is weighing in on Georgia's sweeping overhaul of election laws. So that's really what it was about. I understand that, but I respect it," said Blank. The public discourse on these and other issues is too divisive, too political. And they love that. "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. Weve never won a Super Bowl, and this years loss in Super Bowl LI was especially hard to take. 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. 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. The Atlanta media thrashed Arthur Smith, Terry Fontenot, and Arthur Blank about their interest level sometime after the news broke. 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. 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. We've broken every season ticket record per game. 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. Our family foundation seeks to preserve and strengthen our democracy, and weve chosen this as one of our new collective areas of giving. And the Falcons new stadiumscheduled to open this summerwith an estimated cost of $1.5 billion, $200 million coming from Atlanta hotel-motel taxesis definitely big and shinny with tons of gadgets to enhance the fan experience. But this is where the similarities with most other stadiums end. Arthur Blank enjoys one of his favorite hobbies at Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, one of three guest ranches owned by Blank Family of Businesses. follow. It Now Actually Matters, a Lot. This is chaos. This must happen more than every four years, because theres no offseason for democracy. It doesn't mean we agree on everything, we don't, but that's healthy," he said. Also watchRISING UP: A Westside Story,a documentary film by David Lewis Productions that gives viewers a detailed look into the ideation, construction, and impact of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on the city of Atlanta. And thats despite our recent record, which hasn't been, you know, one I'm particularly proud of, but we'll get better. Now 78, he is largely beloved in Georgia as an entrepreneur, owner of two professional sports teams and a prolific philanthropist. And so from there, since the 2001- 2002 season, we've only had three games that were not sold out during the season. Playoffs, playoff championships, etc. They all have a great set of values. >> Post was not sent - check your email addresses! There's no place for looting and stealing and whatever else. I have many friends who are no longer fervent Braves supporters. Now 78, he is largely beloved in Georgia as an entrepreneur, owner of two professional sports teams and a prolific philanthropist. Bernie has great values and Bernie cares deeply not only about our faith, but about giving back. Shrinking from conflict over something as valid, real and life-protecting as a vaccine is not what Id call, manly, brave, courageous or patriotic. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. I'll flip words around, you know, subconsciously and, and make sentences complete. It's the fans. The system has worked well for the multi-billionaire and co-founder of The Home Depot. The Braves leaving town also represented an end to the multicultural hub in the heart of the city that was forged by those Olympics. But he was there and he finally said, Listen, you own the franchise, you have the option. You know, better than in the 40s and 50s, but not where we should be. 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. My dad didn't look at who it was. Home Depot co-founders pictured in 1979, a year after the first store opened. 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. And if I stop talking now for two minutes, you realize just how long two minutes is. This is not in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. I look at my six children, Batch 1, Batch 2, and, you know, they go from age 19 to age 52, if I have it right. But go ahead and do it, if that's what you want. So we did it. Today, Blank is the Chairman of AMB Group LLC, parent company of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United. So, I would say it was very successful. The Atlanta Falcons new stadium is going to be beautiful. It's good to be different, said Blank, but he said it's the intolerance of some that worries him about the future. 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. He details the inception and rapid success of Atlanta United, and responding to the NFL protests that began in 2016. Arthur blank politics The largest donation made to a political party by an Atlanta Falcons employee was by Arthur Blank. Blank credits his mother with giving him his first lesson in entrepreneurship. Good Company is billed as a visionary road-map for creating successful businesses. And that's it. 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?. And the great political leaders in the past, they were civil and they were good listeners. In 1978, both he and future Home Depot co-founder Arthur Blank were fired during a corporate power struggle at Handy Dan. ATLANTA Protests over the death of George Floyd have been gaining national attention. It had to do with our set of values.". So the answer would be yes. A little shaky now. Currently, over 200 Westside residents are working on the stadiums construction and the foundation has funded, among other things, Westside Works to help residents find employment and learn job training skills. Open, honest dialogue is needed on a much greater scale. Blank and Marcus put their discounting experiment to the test in their own brand of warehouse stores called Home Depot and opened the first two Atlanta-area stores in 1979. 7) And then he worked in the laundry. Our democracy is made stronger when we hear from all Americans on the issues of our day whether they be national or local. 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. Arthur Blank is an American entrepreneur and a co-owner of the home improvement retail giant The Home Depot. Arthur Blank (Atlanta Falcons owner and co-founder of Home Depot) 2020Joe Biden 2016Hillary Clinton 2012Barack Obama Maxine Clark (founder and former CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop) 2016Hillary Clinton Michael Eisner (former CEO of Disney) 2016Marco Rubio, then later Hillary Clinton 2016Kamala Harris Jack M. Greenberg (former CEO of McDonald's) 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. 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. A study by ESPN and FiveThirtyEight in October 2020 showed Blank is a bipartisan contributor to political campaignsbut contributed more to Democratic candidates from 2012 to 2020. The 74-year-old Blank, who Forbes estimates has an estimated net worth of $3.1 billion, is the director of Cox. 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. The 79-year-old co-founder of Atlanta-based The Home Depot . 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. "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. 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. Stay up to date with what you want to know. Blank donated another $35,500 to the Democratic National Committee, according to Federal Election Commission filings. 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. That is the change we need in this country.". After cofounding Home Depot in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1978, Blank and Marcus helped put the do-it-yourself phenomenon on the map by offering the tools for personal home renovations. You can do whatever you choose to do. To many Atlantans, myself included, leaving Turner Field was symbolic of the white flight that has defined the city since the 1960s. 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. (To his enormous credit, Leibovich burned up all the access his name and the Times brand afforded him to tell a story the average sports writer only dares hint at.) One where guys like the Vikings Mark and Zygi Wilf and Arthur (Home Depot) Blank of the Atlanta Falcons come off as comparatively rational. 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. "I know what he cares about and he cares about a lot of the same things that I care about.". 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. His daughter Dena is the executive director of the Kendeda Fund, a left-of-center private foundation founded by her mother, Diana Blank. Players and coaches appear giving quick testimonials. 17. America has long struggled to deliver a fair and equitable democracy to all of its citizens. 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. Born on September 27, 1942, Blank owns the Atlanta, Georgia sports teams - the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL and Atlanta United of the MLS. They're a PR's dream because they rarely say the wrong thing. We were living in a single-bedroom apartment in Queens. Blank, speaking with Falcons reporters via phone from the Super Bowl, expressed confidence in the direction of the team following a 7-10 finish under second-year coach Arthur Smith. We need to recognize those truths. 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. In the 1940sGeorgia mountains, eight children were taken into the woods and left to die. Not about dogfighting. 4 0 obj 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. JFIF K K C Their siblings, their families, you know, may have gone to battle and wore a variety of uniforms for our country over many, many years. 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. So, you know, soccer is on the ascent in the United States dramatically, which is a great thing. One reporter asked Fontenot whether he thought the Falcons were getting Watson. Peaceful protests of the past have led to new ways forward. When you burn down this city, youre burning down our community., If you want change in America, go and register to vote. Blank also contributed $28,500 to the Obama Victory Fund in 2008. When he came out, he was on house arrest and I took a meal to him and his family from his favorite restaurant here in Atlanta. /BitsPerComponent 8 And to be sure, Atlanta is better than what we saw in the actions of a few last night. Soon after, Blank met his third wife Angela Macuga whom he married in 2016 and later announced their plans to divorce in 2019. I suspect he had help. RELATED:Georgia Secretary of State calls many election changes 'solid'. 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 retired from the company in 2001 as co-chairman. 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]. 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. /Filter /DCTDecode 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. endobj Well, I shouldn't say I'm not. 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. 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. Resistance to Artificial Intelligence (AI) is Futile. 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. More must be done to bring people together through meaningful change. But in any event, that was part of just being a good listener. And how do I put my shoulder to the wheel and lead by example and take the blessings of all the resources that our family. Can We Please Kill Off the Tipping Mumbo-Jumbo? This is not a protest. Arthur Blank is getting more involved in the political process. 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 Blank regularly speaks on business school campuses, where future leaders and executives tell him they are anxious about the environment, the wealth gap, racial and gender inequities, and a litany of examples of corporate malfeasance. Marcus handed the CEO reigns to Blank in 1997; Blank held the position until a new president and CEO was hired in 2000. No. He's committed to his wife now, his children. 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.