Wednesday, December 12, 2007
News / Sports Give Arthur Blank a hug; he sure needs it
Posted by Scott Freeman on Wed, Dec 12, 2007 at 3:35 PM
The Atlanta Falcons lined up for the team's very first kickoff in the National Football League in 1966. And as the kicker ran up to kick, the wind knocked the football off the tee.
It turned out to be a symbolic start to what has become one of the NFL's worst franchises. But as bad as the Falcons have been throughout their history, it's never been as bad as it was this week.
In one 24-hour period, the Falcons:
- Saw their star quarterback sentenced to 23 months in federal prison;
- Lost by 20 points to a 5-7 team on "Monday Night Football";
- Saw their head coach bolt like a rat jumping from a sinking ship, taking a pay cut to go back to a college job less than 24 hours after he had assured team owner Arthur Blank that he was here for the long haul.
Michael Vick's arrest took the rudders off the Falcons franchise and what we're seeing is not only the resulting free fall and crash, but the lowest point of a franchise with a history full of low moments.
It's hard to feel bad for a billionaire, but today I want to find Arthur Blank and give him a hug.
Latest in Fresh Loaf
-
Beautiful photo essay of immigrants in Clarkston
Local photog documents the lives of local Somali refugees
-
Photos: Twenty-four hours (almost) inside Your Dekalb Farmers Market 1
CL photographers alternated shifts touring the massive grocery store
-
A few questions with MondoHomo festival organizer Jesse Morgan
MondoHomo is "sexual, groundbreaking and dancing"
- More »
Comments (0)