Our good friend Jason Kirk tackled this yesterday over at the Atlanta mothership, but I wouldn't be me if I didn't offer up my own take on the situation.
So basically, the Falcons posted a letter from Arthur Blank over at the official site. The gist of his letter is about what you'd expect from an owner, thanking the fans and subtly shifting blame over to the players. He also talks about some of the rule changes in his pleasant, Arthur Blank sort of way. There's nothing offensive about it, yet I come away feeling as though it might've been better if he had spared a sentence for the labor situation and kept going.
At this point, no matter how genuine the sentiment behind it, anything that speaks directly to the fans is beginning to feel like a ploy. I think few fans believe that the owners are genuinely interested in resolving this above all else, or that the players feel the same way. I think the cynic in many of us has to reluctantly come around to the point of view that Blank's letter, like so much else we've been exposed to over the last couple of months, is a public relations move.
That said, at least he's trying to keep your casual fans up to date on what's going on, and I do appreciate that. Hopefully he'll be sharing good news in the near future.
What are your thoughts?