Arthur Blank will forever be immortalized in Atlanta Falcons history.
The NFL franchise’s longtime owner and chairman was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor on Sunday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Falcons fans were treated to free hot dogs, chips and refillable cups as Blank was celebrated at halftime in a special ceremony led by actor Samuel L. Jackson.
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The Home Depot co-founder is the latest NFL owner to be sworn into their team’s Ring of Honor, but the appointment has led many fans and others debating whether a team’s owner should be included. Critics say such honors are self-serving.
One Redditor commented on a post about the induction: “I mean Blank has been a really good owner, but this does give Vince McMahon putting himself in his own Hall of Fame vibes.” Another added: “Do you think he says ‘thank you’ after pouring himself a drink too?”
Others argue that owners like Blank are more than deserving, citing contributions that go beyond the football field.
“He took the organization to the next level,” former Falcons linebacker and 2004 class inductee Jessie Tuggle said in a phone interview. “He made it good not only for the players but for the fans and the city of Atlanta. … He did something that’s unique, making the franchise super popular and more entertaining while also producing Pro Bowlers like me, [not to mention] what he has done for the community.”
Blank, who turns 82 this week, bought the Falcons for $545 million in 2002 and built a franchise that is now worth $5.9 billion, according to Sportico valuations. The entrepreneur has made fans happier at MBS with consistent affordable prices for concessions at games and concerts. He secured a Major League Soccer club and has donated more than a billion dollars for worthy projects and charitable causes.
The Falcons, though, have never won a Super Bowl (notably blowing a 28-3 lead in Super Bowl 51) and have failed to reach the postseason the last six seasons.
“The question is who has been instrumental to the success of the franchise,” former Falcons chief marketing officer Jim Smith, who was once helped with the Ring of Honor selection process, said in an interview. “Everybody puts different stipulations around it, but ultimately, I think Arthur is worthy of going in. Not sure all owners would be, but when you think about the impact he’s made on that franchise, it’s significant.”
The Falcons have an executive committee that meets annually to discuss potential honorees and timing for them to be inducted. Tuggle, who was on the field and part of the halftime ceremony, says that while Blank’s inclusion is justified, he can’t say the same for the other franchises, believing it should not be “automatic just because you own the team.”
Blank joins more than a dozen former and current NFL owners who are inducted in their team’s Ring of Honor or Hall of Fame. That list includes former Jacksonville Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver, who was included with his wife, Delores, in 2012. Deron Cherry, the first Black limited partner in the NFL, was part of the then-new expansion team ownership group that brought big-time football to Jacksonville in 1993.
“Those owners who bring teams to communities and really make a difference, I don’t see an issue why they shouldn’t be in the Ring of Honor,” he said in an interview. “You’re the one that’s made the investment and put in the time and energy in to make a great organization.”
But how much should on-field results weigh into an induction into a team’s Ring of Honor, or better yet the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
ESPN recently reported that New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft was ticked off by Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones getting a gold jacket over him in 2017—citing his team’s lack of wins over the last two decades. Kraft reportedly felt his team’s 20-year dynasty led by Tom Brady did more to grow the league than contributions made by Jones, who is one of 16 owners enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The induction process for the Pro Football Hall of Fame is of course more stringent than any team-centric Ring of Honor, where owners have more influence even if they’re not on the designated selection panels or committees. After all, they sign the checks at the place.
But the debate remains the same regarding what makes an NFL owner worthy of being immortalized. Some may argue on-field resume is most important, while others like Cherry believe wins off the field should be taken into consideration.
“They have gotten a lot, but they’ve also given back a lot, too,” he said of owners. “It’s not just the football team that benefits in the city. … The impact that these franchises have in these communities. You can’t measure it.”
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