/Width 625 And he had to mop the floors for weeks and months on end. 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. But I know that his essence, at his heart and his soul, is a really good person that cares deeply about humanity. "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. Blank spent 19 years as the company's president before succeeding Marcus as CEO. He just opened the door. I have many friends who are no longer fervent Braves supporters. 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. Blank, who is worth about $6.2 billion, per Forbes, is one of the higher donors among Biden's billionaire backers, who outnumber Trump's at 134 to 101, although more of Biden's backers have given the $2,800 personal maximum. 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. In recent years Atlantas sports teams have attracted controversies that have highlighted the racial disparities that still largely define the city. This is not a protest. 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. 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. /Subtype /Image I seriously doubt the leagues TV ratings or ad revenue would suffer an iota. And it's all connected not only to associates, but to the communities in which we live and operate. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. endobj They all live life with purpose. 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. Its also part memoir of how his ethics evolved from watching his father run a neighborhood pharmacy in Queens, New York, to launching multi-billion dollar ventures. 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. But Its All Too Familiar. The book lays out a set of values that guided him to turn around the struggling Atlanta Falcons NFL team, launch the Atlanta United FC soccer club and build the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. His faith is very strong. /CreationDate (D:20210314125741+02'00') 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. The Atlanta media thrashed Arthur Smith, Terry Fontenot, and Arthur Blank about their interest level sometime after the news broke. Arthur Blank On Michael Vick, Bernie Marcus, And How He'd Run The U.S. "It's healthy to disagree on things, but it's not acceptable to not be kind.". 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. ", It is your duty not to burn your own house down for anger with an enemy We have to be better than this moment. 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? And next thing I know, he was sitting on his knees and with a gun to his head. It is in effect protecting the teams owner, a guy regularly reviled by sportswriters, players and fans as a (very wealthy) toxic idiot. How aerobics changed the life of Arthur Blank long before he bought the 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%. So when we started, MLS was ranked like 22nd among all the leagues in the world. And my mother was giving him a lecture saying, You realize this is not what your parents would want you to do. What Does Hamline Not Understand About Academic Freedom? In 1978, both he and future Home Depot co-founder Arthur Blank were fired during a corporate power struggle at Handy Dan. Brian Kemp signed SB 202 into law. Our history of voting rights is a constant struggle, a repetitive cycle of expansion followed by restriction. But Still Not Even an Indictment. Arthur Blank releases statement on Georgia voting rights And I think we got disconnected. And he should know. 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. In 2014 it emerged that Bruce Levenson, who owned the NBAs Atlanta Hawks, had written an email that amongst other things theorized that the black crowd [at Philips Arena] scared away the whites, adding for good measure: I have even bitched that the kiss cam is too black. Levenson later that year sold his stake in the franchise, and the Hawks have worked hard to win back their black audience. So it was good. 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. Arthur Blank talks sensible gun reform. So the answer would be yes. Georgia businessman Arthur Blank joins with voting groups on - ajc He owns the team, after all. Hopefully we'll get back in the playoffs, but not as well as the first three years. She was a woman of great principle, great personal authority. 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. 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. "This grant will help The Center add to its existing . OMG, Democrats Are Criminally Bad At Marketing What They Accomplish. Good Company is billed as a visionary road-map for creating successful businesses. 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. He released a statement five days after Gov. They have no serious public, political advocates. 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. It's our job is to serve the American people and I think we need to have more focus on that.". 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. 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. This is not a good way to make a living. Copyright 2023 InfluenceWatch. Thats great. The Georgia Dome was also built for the Olympics, and construction for Philips Arenathe Hawks home, which sits next door to the Dome and where the previous basketball arena, the Omni Colosseum, once satbegan in 1997. Arthur Blank enjoys one of his favorite hobbies at Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, one of three guest ranches owned by Blank Family of Businesses. And so he speaks to people throughout the United States, young people primarily, about that. The system has worked well for the multi-billionaire and co-founder of The Home Depot. 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. endobj "So, you know, I love him. Please consider making a gift today to support this vital public service. Arthur M. Blank Foundation donates over $5 million for mental health NFL Owner Political Donations: Who Gave to Obama AND Rubio? - The Big Lead Blank also owns Atlantas Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a sports and entertainment facility valued at $1.5 billion that hosted the 2019 Super Bowl. Its more like cowardly, and meatheaded. [/Pattern /DeviceRGB] 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. 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. The latest of Blank's many charitable endeavors is aimed at helping the museum expand its reach. 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. There are nearly one million Latinos in Georgia, with one of the fastest growth rates of the Latino population in the nation. We sold out the entire stadium in two-and-a-half hours. 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. In 1978, they were both fired from Handy Dans by a corporate raider who took over the chains parent company. Their siblings, their families, you know, may have gone to battle and wore a variety of uniforms for our country over many, many years. Where did your parents come from with your grandparents? We all came from someplace else, other than the other Native Americans. And there are two [robbers] and they want to know, "Where's the money, where's the cash?" And I love him. Big Game by New York Times Magazine writer Mark Leibovich, BLM Has Achieved Much More Than Its Critics. Statement from Arthur Blank on the 2020 election - Atlanta Falcons That was in 1979. 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. So I'm happy to see that, you know, he came back to Atlanta and spent time here. We want to see the system that sets up for systemic racism burned to the ground. 2, In the late 1970s, Arthur Blank was an officer at Handy Dan, a regional hardware store chain in Southern California. /AIS false 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. Despite being widowed at a young age, his mother managed the familys mail-order pharmaceutical business and sold it to a large retail conglomerate. A documentary surrounding Brian Dowling and Arthur Gourounlian's surrogacy journey is set to air on RT on March 13. /Type /ExtGState Blank also contributed $28,500 to the Obama Victory Fund in 2008. 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 I would keep raising my hand. 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. << I said, Look, I'm going to be a new owner, tell me what I can do to help. ATLANTA - Atlanta Falcons Owner Arthur Blank released a statement on Saturday following President Donald Trump's comments on Friday about the NFL. Arthur Blank: I was fired from Home Depot - YouTube 2010-2023 Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. But go ahead and do it, if that's what you want. So we did it. One was in pricing. Continued: https://t.co/yePGJUaGVV, Ive got a lot of love and respect for police officers., We dont want to see Targets burning. 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]. But there was nothing I could say better than what Mayor @KeishaBottoms said last night! 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. Is the Jensen-Birk Campaign Minnesotas WOAT? 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. And then he worked in the laundry. It is my hope that we take this terrible moment in our history to elevate that conversation toward productive action and lasting, positive change. The stadium boasts roughly 4,000 solar panels and will use 70 percent less energy. 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. 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. GALEO has also handed out flyers at city events, supermarkets, and churches that target Latinos. Their frustration is real, and it must be acknowledged and addressed. Tikkun Olam [a Jewish concept of repairing the world through action]. We are better than this We are better than this as a country. When you find common solutions that work for everybody and [are] respectful of everybody to represent the best of you. 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. 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. Dr. Sanjay Gupta speaks with businessman Arthur Blank about gun regulation and philanthropy. Yeah, It Could Have Been Worse. "Obviously, it's a tragic time in the history of the. Organizations also called to move The Masters, which begins April 8. I still remember this as if it was yesterday. Arthur Blank - Forbes 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. 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. So I would just cut him some slack. It's the fans. GPB is committedto bringing you comprehensive news coverage from Georgia, across the country and around the world. Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta is the first nonprofit legal advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the civil rights of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander (AANHPI) and Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (AMEMSA) communities in Georgia and the Southeast. When I left [Home Depot] in 2001, [it] was the second largest retailer in the world, second only to Wal-Mart. 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.

New York Times Obituaries This Week, Articles A