Five Questions: Blank on Falcons, White, ticket sales
Arthur Blank feels good about the Falcons this season, especially after acquiring Tony Gonzalez. (Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com).
And now, for something completely different:
I spent quite a bit of time at the opening of Falcons’ training camp in Flowery Branch this weekend, writing a Saturday column on the team’s high expectations and putting together a Digi-Blog (copyright). But I also had a chance to chat with owner Arthur Blank. We mostly spoke about his ranch in Montana for an upcoming feature. But I also managed to sneak in a few football-related questions. What follows is the first edition of, “Five Questions,” an occasional feature that will ask (duh) five questions to a local sports figure. This week’s five-pack includes Blank’s comments on holdout wide receiver Roddy White and off-season ticket sales.
1. What are your general thoughts on the team?
“We’re better. There’s no question the team is better. It doesn’t mean the record’s going to be better. We have a tough schedule. But as I said to Thomas [Dimitroff], everybody in our division has a tough schedule. So I feel good about where we’re at.”
2. Are you concerned about the Roddy White situation?
“We’re in discussions with them. I’m certainly optimistic. I’m disappointed he’s not here this week, but I think we’re making some progress. I know the agent a little bit and I know the player’s a good guy. He wants to be here. He works hard. He’s not a difficult person in that respect. So it’s certainly not a concern from that standpoint.”
3. It seems like you’re staying in the background on this.
“It’s not the type of thing I need to get in the middle of. … The reality of it is, I’ve never [jumped into negotiations with a player] before, anyway, although that may have been the perception. When you do that, you undermine your own people. They keep me abreast of things.”
4. Is it easier for you to relax now after about 18 months of turmoil?
“It is. It’s very relaxing in any business when you have confidence in the people who are running your business. Smitty [Mike Smith] and Thomas have a wonderful relationship and support each other. Rich [McKay] has been fabulous in terms of his support. Rich and [director of football administration] Nick Polk have been a tremendous help to Thomas with their experience with the salary cap and negotiations.”
5. How are ticket sales?
“We’re making progress. It’s going to take us probably a couple of years to fully recover from the year with Michael [Vick] and [Bobby] Petrino. But we’ve made good progress, both in terms of renewing season tickets and selling new ones.”
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Guides
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2011 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
148 comments Add your comment
Reid Adair
August 3rd, 2009
10:37 am
Arthur Blank needs to be pressing Thomas Dimitroff to get the Roddy White contract extension done immediately, if not sooner.
I am glad to hear that things have gotten a bit less hectic for Mr. Blank. What he went through personally as a result of the former #7 and then Bobby Petrino had to be awful.
Big Dan
August 3rd, 2009
10:39 am
The record may not be better this year, but the team is solid.
tupac elliot
August 3rd, 2009
10:45 am
get another reciever, let White sit out and play video games….there are good recievers out there, he is amazingly incredible GOT to Have Make or Break the Team…..let him sit out and pay his fine….AB dont budge….he signed a contract, he needs to obligate himself to the contract! Look around….pick up another receiver and move on….lets get to the Super Bowl and win. We aint got time for chumps holding up the teams goal!
tupac elliot
August 3rd, 2009
10:47 am
He is NOt amazingly incredible got to have, make or break this team…..
White is proveing to have a little hnag over from the vick era I am sad to say…….
FreeMikeVick
August 3rd, 2009
10:53 am
Pfffftttt…..Blank. He turned his back on his best player ever. He will never recover the season ticket holders lost from that horrible act.
mountain_jim
August 3rd, 2009
10:57 am
HaHa to the FMV troll.
Peadawg
August 3rd, 2009
10:59 am
FreeMikeVick, are you kidding? Vick turned his back and lied to Blank and the fans. Best player ever? Not even in the top 200 of all time. Not even close!
ZONE6FALCONSFAN
August 3rd, 2009
11:00 am
obviously so called tupac, does not know the business of football. the guy is in the last year of his contract. it is not uncommon for a guy to holdout in the last year of a contract during contract negotiation. what if the guy gets hurt then what? TE name me a better WR not under contract in the NFL. tere isn’t one. roddy is a big part of what we are trying to do here in atl. relax it is just business. the never missed one day of VOLUNTARY workouts. get the deal done get into camp no hard feelings, and lets kick some ARSE!!!! GO FALCONS
FALCONS SORRY
August 3rd, 2009
11:02 am
AUTHUR BLANK! HERE ARE FIVE MORE QUESTIONS FOR YOU! WHY ARE DID YOU STAB MIKE VICK IN THE BACK! WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO BLAME YOUR REAL QUARTERBACK MIKE VICK FOR ALL YOUR OVER ALL FAILURES AS AN OWNER! WHY DID YOU GET RID OF THE BEST THING AND BIGGEST MONEY MAKER TO EVER HAPPEN TO THIS SORRY FRANCHISE! WHY ARE YOU SO IGNORANT TO THINK YOU WILL EVER WIN A NFL CHAMPIONSHIP WITH MATTY HOPELESS! WHAY ARE YOU HAVING A CONSPIRACY WITH THE ALL OTHER NFL OWNERS TO KEEP MIKE VICK OUT OF WORK AND TO KEEP HIM FROM BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT HIS FAMILY AND FEED HIS KIDS AND MAKE A HONEST LIVING FOR HIMSELF LIKE EVERBODY ELSE! WHY CAN YOU NOT SEE WHY NOBODY IS BUYING YOUR SORRY TICKETS ANYMORE LIKE THEY USED TO BECAUSE THEY SEE HOW YOU USE AND MISTREAT PEOPLE! WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO BE HONEST ABOUT HOW YOU TRUELY FEEL ABOUT THE FANS IN THIS TOWN AND SHOW US YOUR MIDDLE FINGER THE WAY THOMAS DIMITROF DO IN THAT PHOTO JEFF SHULTZ POSTED! DONT LET THIS SORRY INDIVIDUAL KEEP YOUR DOWN OR BREAK YOUR SPIRIT JUST BECAUSE HE GOT BIG MONEY AND POWER MIKE!
Bobbie Thomas | All Days Long
August 3rd, 2009
11:05 am
[...] Five Questions: Blank on Falcons, White, ticket sales Atlanta Journal Constitution But as I said to Thomas [Dimitroff], everybody in our division has a tough schedule. So I feel good about where we're at.” 2. Are you concerned about the … See all stories on this topic [...]
Peadawg
August 3rd, 2009
11:07 am
FALCONS SORRY, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO LEARN PROPER ENGLISH AND STOP SPEAKING IN EBONICS?
And if I remember correctly, didn’t your precious MV7 give the fans the middle finger during a game?
Brian Hunt
August 3rd, 2009
11:08 am
Mike Vick is not a Falcon. Let it go and move on. This is about the current players. White will get his money and right now the other WRs are benefiting from increased reps in practice. White doesn’t need a lot of camp time.
ChillyMutt
August 3rd, 2009
11:09 am
“Arthur Blank needs to be pressing Thomas Dimitroff to get the Roddy White contract extension done immediately, if not sooner.”
Sorry Reid but Roddy is under contract. He needs to get his butt into camp.
Gatorzone
August 3rd, 2009
11:12 am
Wow, talk about delusion. You Vick hangers on are out of your mind.
Personally, I think he deserves another chance since he has served his time. But, in no way in Blank the reason he is not playing. All AB did was sign him to a $130 million contract.
Mac
August 3rd, 2009
11:14 am
FALCONS SORRY- You may be the most ignorant person I’ve ever heard speak. Are you really that stupid? It’s a Rhetorical Question I know.
T-Town Dawg
August 3rd, 2009
11:14 am
I’m with Tupac. Roddy has a contract for this year and he needs to get his a$$ to camp. If not, fine him for the whole season and let him sit out. Maybe Bergeron can step up and be an adequate fill in for this season. I hope Blank doesn’t cave to Roddy. He’s only had one decent season and that doesn’t qualify him for 9 or 10 mil a year. To all you Vick nut huggers, let it go, he will never be a Falcon again.
Ellis St. John
August 3rd, 2009
11:16 am
It’s amazing how so many people get on these blogs and worship the new direction of the franchise, vilify the old regime, bask in the fact that the team has cut ties with all the “thug” players, and heap love upon the new golden franchise quarterback. Seems a very large contingent of Falcon’s Nation got just what they wanted. Yet, Mr. Blank has just admitted that ticket sales are slow …. Interesting.
Jerry
August 3rd, 2009
11:17 am
Get over the vick thing…….not only do the Falcons not want him, but no other team in the NFL wants him either. Maybe you can go to Virginia Beach and see him play in a sandlot somewhere.
unhappy fan
August 3rd, 2009
11:18 am
I drove all the way to Flowery branch yesterday morning so my son could get Matt Ryans autograph, only to find out he was not participating in practice. How dare they treat my son like that. He cried the hole way home. He tell me Matt Rayn is no longer his favorite player and he no longer likes the Flacons. Way to go Mr Blanks. You lost some more fans!
The Original Mac
August 3rd, 2009
11:24 am
Folks, Falcons Sorry is a lily white troll who gets great giggles from posting $#%^ an watching the reaction. Ignore it and it’ll eventually go away. In the meantime, it’s not worth having a stoke over. It’s a cyber Ernest T. Bass with no class.
The Original Mac
August 3rd, 2009
11:26 am
In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if Falcons Sorry and unhappy fan weren’t the same person. If not, they are kindred spirits.
ebdawg
August 3rd, 2009
11:27 am
This Roddy White holdout will turn into the classic case…. Player finally shows up late for camp… tries to catch up… injures hamstring… is not himself for 4-6 weeks… team is not the same without him… bad start to the season. Roddy should be in camp, and let his agent take care of the contract. He knows he will get the big pay day. Don’t be selfish.. the team needs you.
MiltonDawg
August 3rd, 2009
11:27 am
Roddy needs to quit whining and show up..he had 1 great year out of 3!! Looks like Jenkins will be the #1 WR. Keep being a holdout White, just proves how classless you are. I understand you want an extension, fine, the front office will deal with it, while your at practice. This only makes the situation worse for you.
Ryno
August 3rd, 2009
11:28 am
Death, Taxes, and “FalconsSorry” responding to updates.
DMBA11
August 3rd, 2009
11:28 am
Unhappy Fan – did your son write this for you also? Please tell me he did!
Falcons Sorry – Please look into the camera and say it proudly “I’m not smarter than a first grader”!
Falcon Fan
August 3rd, 2009
11:29 am
Jerry, MV can’t play in a sand box. The cat would cover him up.
Jerry
August 3rd, 2009
11:35 am
I don’t know Falcon Fan, don’t you reckon one of his pitbulls would take care of the cat!
Former Season Ticket Holder
August 3rd, 2009
11:36 am
Yeah Ellis, looks like the “virtual” fans are what the Falcons Nation consists of mainly.
unhappy fan
August 3rd, 2009
11:37 am
Dont make fun of me please. This is sirrius. I skipped buying lottery tix last week so we could afford the gas to get there only to find out Ryan was not sighing autographs. Who do I need to call to complain? This is no way to treet fans.
midnite
August 3rd, 2009
11:41 am
Come on to camp Roddy White, you are good but your not great yet, you will get your money. We need you , don’t mess up the chemistry. By the way Roddy what was that on your undershirt on MNF when old Joe Horn pulled it up? The rest of that “crew” is gone thankfully, don’t you mess up and be next.
shanet34
August 3rd, 2009
11:42 am
tha hell with roddy we got harry douglas and piss on vick hes done matty ice is the man we got this with or with out roddy follow threw with ur contract u dont deserve larry fitz money son stay home and pay that fine kid
Falcon Fan
August 3rd, 2009
11:43 am
Feds took MV’s dogs. MV is now raising gerbals.
Steve
August 3rd, 2009
11:44 am
Slow season tickets sales is not a MV7 thing, it’s the economy as well. The same is happening to college football too. Ahhh, the joy of a 52″ hi-def plasma and a little lady that still fetches beer. Life if good. Bring on football !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TBizzle
August 3rd, 2009
11:45 am
MiltonDawg,
Roddy has had 2 great years out of four. It would do you some good to know the FACTS before spouting off. That said, Roddy’s performance is the best of any WR from the 2005 draft class and the best the Falcons have seen from a WR in a very, very, long time.
FreeRoddyWhite
August 3rd, 2009
11:45 am
Falcons are purposely not renegioating Roddys contract. He is the last person that openly supportred Vick. The best way to take care of him is not pay him what he is worth. Again, Blank and his crew want to do all they can to destroy this team. The fact that so many of you still support them is messed up.
midnite
August 3rd, 2009
11:48 am
Va. Beach to honor to honor Vick??? Honor an ex-con, lying, dope smoking, out of work, bankrupt, dog torturing criminal?? Sounds like a classy group of people up there. Now if they would honor returning soldiers, that would be worthwhile.
Falcons Minority Owner
August 3rd, 2009
11:53 am
Steve, the Saints sold out already. Its not the economy. Its that 70,000 people dont care to see the Falcons in person.
unhappy fan
August 3rd, 2009
12:00 pm
And don’t make fun of my kid either….he’s gay you know!
NoleRick
August 3rd, 2009
12:01 pm
I hope this contract situation with White does not turn out like ebdawg predicts, but it happens alot. Player sits out, tries to come back too hard to make up for lost time, and then gets injured for the season.
JSS
August 3rd, 2009
12:09 pm
No MAC, the most unintelligent thing ever expressed in a blog was “Al Wood in a car accident” statement! It is the gift that keeps on giving!!!
Jeff Schultz (back to using your whole name again), Four!!! DING!!!
Is Tony Gonzalez Dick Dastardly’s new Muttley?
ZONE6FALCONSFAN
August 3rd, 2009
12:12 pm
people wake the f*** up. bergeron can not walk a day in roddy shoes on a NFL field. i dare you to mention bergeron to fill in for roddy. 50 apples he don’t make the team. why risk injury before the start of season. he knows the system inside and out. one of the best shape guys on the team. and bettere yet never missed a day of VOLUNTARY OTA’S. its business, mabe a little shrewd but business.
the real unhappy fan
August 3rd, 2009
12:15 pm
My son is not gay. In fact, I teach him how to whup up on gays at his school.
JSS
August 3rd, 2009
12:16 pm
Bet you didn’t utter this while you were with old Dick Dastardly: “Derek V. Smith!”
Oui Garcon, Filet de Bouef… Merci Beaucoup!!! Ah vacation, got to love it… No drunken Athenians or BAMA tags on pick-ups!!! Marvelous!!! The joys of 4G!!!
bali smith
August 3rd, 2009
12:19 pm
how do u teacha dog to fetch beer….. tried to teach my lab but she cannot open the fridge
brave1
August 3rd, 2009
12:20 pm
Blank never met a microphone or camera he didn’t like….and it isn’t about marketing.
Falcon Fanatic
August 3rd, 2009
12:22 pm
Midnite, I agree 100%. As for Roddy, I see where your coming from. You figure if you have a great year you should be paid more money, OK, well if the Falcons do re-negotiate for more money and you have a bad year this year are you going to give some of it back???? I DIDN”T THINK SO!!! Shut your pie hole and get your A$$ in camp, if this drags out any longer AB, cut his rear-end and find another receiver.
Terrell
August 3rd, 2009
12:24 pm
midnite, you have clue of what you’re saying about the people in va beach. it’s actually newport news anways. I went to college up there and the people are wonderful. there were a lot of things vick did in the community that were positive that people don’t know or won’t give him credit for.
Terrell
August 3rd, 2009
12:30 pm
Falcon Fanatic, would you give back your money if you didn’t live up to your contract? No you wouldn’t, and if you say yes I will respect your intergrity but it would be dumb. Stop looking at it from a fan’s perspective and look at it as though you were the one in the final year of a contract. If Roddy does play this year and does well that doesn’t mean he’s going to get a contract. We can assume that, but what if Roddy plays to the caliber of Fitzgerald or Wayne then his price tag goes up, and Thomas D. may decide it’s not in the best interest of the team to resign him at the end of the season.
PMC
August 3rd, 2009
12:32 pm
It’s kind of funny, you can tell he likes the people he mentions by the first name and subconsiously dislikes “Petrino.”
Nice to have a good single owner than makes himself accessable to the public yet trusts his football people to do thier Jobs.
Falcon Fanatic
August 3rd, 2009
12:34 pm
Terrell your right, but he signed a contract to play for THIS season. And if the Falcons decide his price tag is too high next year than that is well within their rights, but he IS UNDER CONTRACT FOR THIS SEASON, again get your A$$ in camp. That is a fan’s perspective!!!