But I know where his heart is and his heart is really in a good place. Is the Jensen-Birk Campaign Minnesotas WOAT? Can We Please Kill Off the Tipping Mumbo-Jumbo? After stepping down as CEO of Home Depot in the early 2000s, Blanks 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. These are not political issues, they are human issues that need serious, earnest attention from leaders and . No, I'm not. A protest has 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. I love CNN, I love Cartoon Network. We Have Every Reason To Expect a Lot More from the NFL, no promises that it will reveal everything it has found out. 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. "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. 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. In recent years Atlantas sports teams have attracted controversies that have highlighted the racial disparities that still largely define the city. 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. We hold all the records. 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. So it really never defined me. Blank, who is Jewish, also addressed the administration's failure to recognize the losses suffered by the Jewish people during the Holocaust. Who knows how successful theyll be, and many residents worry that economic growth could facilitate gentrification. So it was a great story and is a great story. And he should know. GPB is committedto bringing you comprehensive news coverage from Georgia, across the country and around the world. Blank writes about being teased for having a stutter. So thats Gruden. 4 0 obj 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. So I'm happy to see that, you know, he came back to Atlanta and spent time here. 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. C q" He notes pervasive cynicism about corporate leaders and perceptions that the drive for profit comes at the expense of public good. The organization works directly with election officials to maintain accurate and complete voter lists and to secure their election technology infrastructure. a guy regularly reviled by sportswriters, players and fans as a (very wealthy) toxic idiot. If you do not want us and our partners to use cookies and personal data for these additional purposes, click 'Reject all'. I listen to what he says and sometimes I'll cringe. 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. My dad didn't look at who it was. meathead) culture inside the team formerly known as the Washington Redskins. The Gruden e-mails were leaked from a (way too) long-running investigation of the toxic (i.e. 12, Blank has been married three times. 03/03/2023. 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. Through their work, we envision a social movement in which communities of color are fully empowered, active in civic life, and working together to promote equity, fair treatment, and self determination for all. It's not trying influence, but trying to share philosophies of life and stories and thoughts about a certain set of values, which really transcend business, nonprofit, as well as the political arena. And that's one of our core values as well: Include everybody. CEIR works to build voter trust and confidence, increase voter participation and improve the efficiency of election administration. ATLANTA - Falcons team owner Arthur Blank has tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the team's final game of the regular season. With Enemies Like Scott Jensen, Who Needs Friends? You can change your choices at any time by clicking on the 'Privacy dashboard' links on our sites and apps. Where did your parents come from with your grandparents? We all came from someplace else, other than the other Native Americans. More must be done to bring people together through meaningful change. 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. So I think that part of that comes out of really being a good listener and responding to what you're hearing and trying to find a way to make things work for the benefit of everybody collaboratively. %PDF-1.4 /Title ( A r t h u r b l a n k p o l i t i c s) Please consider making a gift today to support this vital public service. Theres at least one more level to the Jon Gruden disaster that NFL fans should consider about the leagues remarkable influence. 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. But, we really could not have done it without great service, great pricing, and great product knowledge. [/Pattern /DeviceRGB] We must not accept or condone violence in any way. Generally speaking they dont do a lot to lift up the communities and neighborhoods around them. And the great political leaders in the past, they were civil and they were good listeners. 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. 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. Blank credits his mother with giving him his first lesson in entrepreneurship. Blank is a strong supporter of the Democratic Party. /Type /ExtGState Please, please stop this violence!! How? Soccer fans don't want to feel like they go into a stadium and they're a second-class citizen citizen. A little shaky now. Hopefully we'll get back in the playoffs, but not as well as the first three years. 16 Blanks son, Kenny Blank, also sits on the foundations board and is the executive director of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. Hey, Senate DFLers, Dont Forget The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact! 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. Sadly, sometimes these young men and women get involved in that cycle and they never get out of it. The league has recently been running in-game PSAs pushing cancer and mental health awareness screenings, etc. "People are coming from different places, which is okay, but it's not okay when they're disrespectful; it's not okay when they're not kind. He owns the team, after all. 2010-2023 Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. Today, Blank is the Chairman of AMB Group LLC, parent company of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United. 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. Please stop the violence!, Im not in Atlanta, but if I were I would have been standing with our Mayor! I mean, it doesn't make a difference how old you are. All Rights Reserved. That was in 1979. 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. It's the customers. They want to have a home-field advantage. If you would like to customise your choices, click 'Manage privacy settings'. << Blank told Business Insider that despite their political differences, their different leanings never got in the way of their ability to work together as partners or as friends. These are the kinds of people we need in leadership today, not thinking about red, blue, purple. 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. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. It's good to be different, said Blank, but he said it's the intolerance of some that worries him about the future. 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. 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. NOW WATCH: We combined Trump and Biden's separate town halls so you can watch an actual debate between the presidential candidates, Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories, according to records filed with the Federal Election Commission. 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. 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! You're going to get a lot of your fellow owners really pissed. 8 . In that way, I don't think my personality, probably, or my patience level probably is not the level it would have to be to sustain myself in this political atmosphere today. So, we had great confidence in our own abilities. 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. Show up at the polls on June 9. 3, By 1981, Home Depots stock went public and raised over $4 million. Well, I shouldn't say I'm not. So I would fight for that and surround myself with people who believe the same thing, because you have to have that brain power in every institution or corporation or nonprofit. I mean, it wasn't like, You're Republican or Democrat. Animals and Pets Anime Art Cars and Motor Vehicles Crafts and DIY Culture, Race, and Ethnicity Ethics and Philosophy Fashion Food and Drink History Hobbies Law Learning and Education Military Movies Music Place Podcasts and Streamers Politics Programming Reading, Writing, and Literature Religion and Spirituality Science Tabletop Games . Arthur Blank is firmly in Joe Biden's corner. What Does Hamline Not Understand About Academic Freedom? However, the Atlanta Falcons new home, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, may foster a new era of stadium construction and community engagement. So there was no disrespect to the military. 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. And there are two [robbers] and they want to know, "Where's the money, where's the cash?" 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. Bernardo Little . So, then we opened up The Home Depot. 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. Friday on Political Rewind: Mary Rodgers grew up among some of Broadway's biggest names, from Sondheim to Bernstein. I have what's called a veil state, or I am a stutterer. This can create a steady stream of jobs and revenue for the community. Kimball previously served as the vice president of network support at Teach for All. 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. 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. 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. But it's really not a story about dogfighting. 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. One reporter asked Fontenot whether he thought the Falcons were getting Watson. So that was a low price a lower price than before Michael Vick the star quarterback was born 22 years before that. 13 Diana is a left-of-center philanthropist based in Atlanta and anonymously contributed several high-profile donations in the area including a $4 million gift to the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra as well as a nearly $20 million gift to Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta. 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. 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. 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. What Would Trump Steal That is So Ultra Top Secret and Why? "So, you know, I love him. 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. 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. "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. He's committed to his wife now, his children. Full statement from Arthur Blank: https://t.co/1lU870TGWa pic.twitter.com/0qejiahKKY, Please, please stop this violence!! To anyone interested in a deeper dive into NFL culture I strongly recommend, Big Game by New York Times Magazine writer Mark Leibovich for an inside-the-suites sense of who says what to who when its more or less just them peer billionaires talking. And that's it. Hes a combination of father and brother to me. So when we started, MLS was ranked like 22nd among all the leagues in the world. 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. But he was. 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. %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz The Athletic reported that Blank gave $2,800 to Biden, the Democratic nominee for president, on July 1. Arthur Blank co-founded the Home Depot in the late 1970s after being fired from a regional hardware store chain in Southern California. Proceeds from sales of Good Companygo to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta. One where guys like the Vikings Mark and Zygi Wilf and Arthur (Home Depot) Blank of the Atlanta Falcons come off as comparatively rational. 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. 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. 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. 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. ATLANTA - Atlanta Falcons Owner Arthur Blank released a statement on Saturday following President Donald Trump's comments on Friday about the NFL. 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. Find out more about how we use your personal data in our privacy policy and cookie policy. Yeah, It Could Have Been Worse. 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. Student Loan Forgiveness and The Ghost of John Kline, (Who?). Mercedes-Benz Stadium aims to be the first stadium to receive LEED Platinum certification. Arthur Blank is an American entrepreneur and a co-owner of the home improvement retail giant The Home Depot. 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. Lawlessness, vandalism and intentionally upending the peace with any form of violence has never been productive and is not the answer. Yet the team continues to unite Atlantans during the ups and downs. And Blanks role in this project extends beyond the stadium. 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. 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. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images). I had another NFL player, while [Vick] was in prison, come visit me and say I came from exactly the same neighborhood, but it was in a part of Pittsburgh. So sadly, Michael was raised in an environment where that was kind of normal behavior, if you will. . Peaceful protests of the past have led to new ways forward. Continued: https://t.co/yePGJUaGVV, Ive got a lot of love and respect for police officers., We dont want to see Targets burning. Mercedes-Benz Stadium is located adjacent to the Falcons current home, the Georgia Dome, in Atlantas Westside. 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. 2, In the late 1970s, Arthur Blank was an officer at Handy Dan, a regional hardware store chain in Southern California. I know you see my partner, Bernie, on Fox News very often. Its more like cowardly, and meatheaded. His daughter Dena is the executive director of the Kendeda Fund, a left-of-center private foundation founded by her mother, Diana Blank. I suspect he had help. I was gagged. . 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:. And I love him. However, many Americans are still being denied access to their vote and their ability to fully participate in our democracy. The public discourse on these and other issues is too divisive, too political. The guest. So you take your time, you get the words out and people will listen to you. So I think that from those days in college where I raised my hand and I know my buddies around the class would think, Oh, boy, here goes another 5-minute answer, you know? Blank donated another $35,500 to the Democratic National Committee, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! my patience level probably is not the level it would have to be to sustain myself in this political atmosphere today. He released a statement five days after Gov. /CA 1.0 But he did. If executed improperly, this stadium could continue a long line of broken promises for this blighted community. His faith is very strong. Seventy-threethousand stood up and clapped, gave him a great hand. Scott Jensens Unanswered $15,000,000,000 Question. When I left [Home Depot] in 2001, [it] was the second largest retailer in the world, second only to Wal-Mart. With Labels, Listen to Affected Populations, Not Activists, As With Alcohol, Mitigation, Not Prohibition, Is the Answer, It Seems Democrats Are Blundering Badly (Again) with Their All-Abortion, All-the-Time Campaign. I felt and others felt that we could be successful here. About Arthur Blank Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus cofounded Home Depot in 1978 after being fired from their jobs at a regional hardware store. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images), WSOC TV facebook feed(Opens a new window), >> Go home. When you burn down this city, youre burning down our community., If you want change in America, go and register to vote. 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. Your support makes this possible. 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? There's no place for looting and stealing and whatever else. 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. Why Is Doc Jensen Still So Obsessed With His Long-Disproven COVID Claims? So, you know, we understood that our culture had nothing to do with which party you are affiliated with. Resistance to Artificial Intelligence (AI) is Futile. I concede, as others who know him personally have, that Im stunned that a guy like Gruden who has been a high-profile media/cultural presence for over 20 years, regularly giving live interviews, chewing up air time as a TV analyst and obliging all the other requests for personal contact that go with being a football celebritry could conceal his essential meat-headedness so long and so well. Arthur Blanks brother, Michael, and his father, Max, are photographed outside the OES Pharmacy family business, in 1940. "His approach obviously is different. It is in effect protecting the teams owner, a guy regularly reviled by sportswriters, players and fans as a (very wealthy) toxic idiot. 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. 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 politics The largest donation made to a political party by an Atlanta Falcons employee was by Arthur Blank. It is time to hold mayoral offices accountable, chiefs and deputy chiefs. For more information about Life Itself, visit the . The foundation is . Home Depot cofounder, Arthur Blank, is a longtime Democratic supporter and donated $250,000 to committees supporting Joe Biden between July and September in 2020, Forbes reported. So that's really what it was about. Blank retired from the company in 2001 as co-chairman. When you find common solutions that work for everybody and [are] respectful of everybody to represent the best of you. ", It is your duty not to burn your own house down for anger with an enemy We have to be better than this moment. I said, Look, I'm going to be a new owner, tell me what I can do to help. 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 professional team Atlanta United FC brought professional soccer to Atlanta beginning in 2017. Like many other enormous corporations the NFL, selling a slick, bristling mix of testosterone and patriotism, ducks away from anything with a whiff of political conflict. Blank is a strong supporter of the Democratic Party. (And Im not forgetting Colin Kaepernicks protests against police violence, and how the league effectively blackballed him before paying him off to avoid a certain-to-be-nightmarish public trial.). And we've had a very successful team for the first threeand-a-half years this year. (Confidentiality, you know.) So it was good. GPBs Virginia Prescott asked Blank about some of those stories in a conversationpresented in collaboration with Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlantas Book Festival in Your Living Room, the National JCC Literary Consortium and the Atlanta History Center. 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. This must happen more than every four years, because theres no offseason for democracy. } !1AQa"q2#BR$3br follow. In 1978, they were both fired from Handy Dans by a corporate raider who took over the chains parent company. Another Home. . I do know it is hard. GALEO has also handed out flyers at city events, supermarkets, and churches that target Latinos. . We were living in a single-bedroom apartment in Queens. GALEO engages in advocacy, creates opportunities for engagement and networking, and develops leadership skills for Latino community members. 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. 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%. We had the option of going to a variety of companies, doing a variety of things in a traditional sense of management leadership. It's an inverted pyramid that speaks to our whole orientation and all of our businesses today. And it's all connected not only to associates, but to the communities in which we live and operate.
Welcome to NRS Logistics!
arthur blank politics