Arthur Blank Reflects On A Long Year

by Dave the Falconer on Jul 16, 2008 11:35 PM EDT in Falcons News Comment 5 comments

If you're Arthur Blank, is money alone enough to help you get through the hardest times?

The answer is obviously no, as the AJC's Mark Bradley found out. On the one year anniversary of Michael Vick's federal indictment, Blank has watched his star QB go to jail, watched his expensive new coach flee the team, and watched the team itself motor its way to one of the worst records in the league. While I'll always argue that it's most depressing for the fans who worship and pay to watch the team, Blank literally owns this mess and had to deal with it 24/7 over the last year. That's a pretty hefty load for anyone:

One year later, the Falcons owner speaks of 2007 as “the season that never ended. Every day there was another twist to the story — there was the Michael Vick story, and then there was the Bobby Petrino story. It was like someone kept adding another stick of wood to the fire.”

Then, after a pause: “But fires do burn out.”

I like to think that Blank is now a year older and wiser. Though I still suspect he was either guiding the Matt Ryan selection or at least very enthusiastic about it, he hired the workmanlike Thomas Dimitroff and allowed the selection of Mike Smith, a bland coach who could do very good things in Atlanta. He also allowed Dimitroff to gut the roster, letting loose stars like Alge Crumpler and DeAngelo Hall. Most importantly, he seems ready to leave last year in the rear-view mirror.

As a writer, I'm drawn inexorably toward the past, because that's where all the material is for me to compile and analyze. When a year like last year happens, though, the fan in me starts to get sick of all the bad things piling up. So with that firmly in mind, I'm glad to see Blank thinking forward, as I know we all are right now. It'll come up again, but for now I'm content to bury the past for a little bit and see what the future brings us. I'm hoping it brings us a franchise that is, from top to bottom, a little less likely to get burned. If the whole Mike Vick experience taught us anything, it's that nothing in the NFL is ever a sure thing.

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Has it only been a year?

Man, it sure does feel a lot longer. What a friggin mess that was. As I have so often mentioned here before, I am TOTALLY looking forward to the new season. It’s most likely going to be a “the more things change, the more they stay the same” scenario win/loss wise but I am really excited to see the new faces/coaches.

If someone told me a little more than a year ago that Vick would be in jail, the Joey Harrington era had come and gone Micheal Turner would be the horse we are hitching our wagon to, Crump & D Hall were history and we would have a rookie head coach no one had heard of (at least most of us) I would have said that you were high.

But here we are. BRING IT ON!

In a way, each of us has an El Guapo to face.

by runningback on Jul 16, 2008 11:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Blank's bad year

Blank had a hand in many of last year’s problems. Provided he learns from his mistakes, so much the better for the Falcons. Still, he’s a very good owner in many ways.

The 50 megaton H-bomb that was last year has had a cleansing effect, IMO. Would anyone really like to have Petrino remaining as coach, knowing what we know? It’s arguable that McKay could still be GM, too. A lot of dead wood is off the roster now. Good riddance! The Falcons are better off with new personnel that (hopefully) know what they’re doing.

Here’s hoping that Arthur keeps advancing on the learning curve, and the Falcons sneak up on a few opponents this year. Time will tell, but I suspect (and pray to Jeebus) we’re on the right track this time.

Camp starts the 26th, a week from Saturday. First game is two weeks later. Psyched!

"There's no such word as 'quit' in swamp buggy racing, Marigold"

by tom slick on Jul 17, 2008 12:56 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The worst year

That had to have been the worst year I have ever witnessed for this franchise. I was extremely pissed about the hiring of Petrino to begin with and his complete lack of understanding of the pro game just fueled my fire about him the whole damn season. The way he ended it was enough to make me break something and personally, I don’t see how another team, collegiate or pro, could possibly think that he will be loyal to them.

The Vick thing was obviously the saddest part of it all. And I think we were all raedy for McKay to be removed from the GM position. I’ve never liked McKay, even when he was with Tampa, although I like him better there than here, haha!

I’ve always liked what Blank has done for this franchise and how he runs things, but he likes to stick his fingers into things too often. Here’s hoping that Blank has learned from last year.

by Jesse28 on Jul 17, 2008 8:11 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Why don't we get Sam Adams????

Sam Adams is a big DT and we could really use that. Plus the position is in need after the departure of Coleman. Now why dont we get Sam Adams? He is in the free agency pool, and this our chance to pick him up and fill that hole.

It gets me how nothing gets me or gets to me, and If you shootin fo the stars then just shoot me. - Lil Wayne

by KillaBMF on Jul 18, 2008 12:44 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm worried about his health

But otherwise definitely in favor of that. If the coaching staff doesn’t think Trey Lewis will be ready to go, we could use someone massive to clog up that hole.

by Dave the Falconer on Jul 18, 2008 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs