Humanity in Atlanta
It’s often difficult to feel bad for a billionaire.
Even if things in your billionaire life aren’t going billionaire well, you’re still a billionaire.
But it was hard not to feel bad for Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, founder of Home Depot, as he spoke at today’s press conference about the team’s latest crisis.
Blank, visibly hurt by Bobby Petrino’s abrupt resignation, blasted the coach for being a hypocrite who had lied to his face.
“The best way to describe the way we feel is betrayed and let down,” Blank said.
On Monday afternoon — before the Falcons’ big game against New Orleans on Monday Night Football, during which Blank graciously visited the booth to discuss how the Falcons would proceed in the future — the owner had a meeting with Petrino to make sure the two were on the same page. He specifically asked Petrino what he should say if the question comes up about coach’s future with the team.
“He stood up, he shook my hand, and his answer to me was, ‘You have a head coach,’” Blank said.
Twenty-four hours later — after Blank stated on national television that the organization, especially Petrino, is committed to a long-term turnaround that would include drafting and developing a new quarterback — Petrino quit and hopped a plane for Arkansas to do the Woo Pig Suey.
Blank, a self-made man who grew up in Queens, N.Y, from all outward appearances seems like a genuinely good guy — a guy people like and a guy people like working for. And, as someone who is not a billionaire, I could relate to Arthur Blank today.
When it rains, it pours, whether you’re talking about the endless turmoil the Atlanta Falcons have faced this year or personal turmoil most of us face.
Blank’s Falcons, who had hopes of making the playoffs before this season began, instead have seen their superstar quarterback revealed as a psychopath who is now in jail, their shell-shocked team go 3-10 and their new coach jump ship with three games left to play to take a job at Arkansas.
What’s next, locusts?
We’ve all been through crises in our own lives, and many of us have found out about real friends and fair-weather friends, patient friends who could see through the difficult times and friends who were repelled by difficulties. We may have been through such experiences with members of our own families.
As you read this, you may be someone who has been bailed on in the midst of hardship, or you may be someone who has done the bailing.
“I think the timing of Bobby’s decision was wrong,” Blank said.
“Bobby had made a commitment to us, and we made a substantial commitment to him,” he said. “Beyond that, there were commitments that were made to many others — the rest of the coaching staff and their families, our players and their families and their children. Not to mention the culture a new head coach establishes, which affects everybody in this building.
“In my opinion … 13 games … is not a reasonable commitment,” said Blank, who also mentioned that he, general manager Rich McKay and assistant GM Bill Devaney had talked late into Sunday night with Petrino to discuss the coach’s list of concerns.
“We went through everything together … and felt everything on the list were ones we could resolve.”
Perhaps Petrino knew for a long time — regardless of the Michael Vick saga and the Falcons’ on-field problems — that he wanted to go back to the college game, that he’d made a mistake by jumping to the NFL. Any of us who have accepted a job only to find out on the first day that it’s completely awful can understand that. And perhaps coaches, who at one time were disposed of as heartlessly as Vick disposed of dogs, are having their day now.
But it’s hard to believe this year’s unique situation in Atlanta played no role in Petrino’s departure. And why he couldn’t have waited three more weeks (Arkansas would have waited for him, even if it is college recruiting season), why he told Arthur Blank before Blank appeared on the MNF broadcast, “You have a coach” — those things are hard to justify.
I’m not in the habit of coach bashing. Although they get paid a lot of money, the media are brutal on them, and the nature of the profession is cut-throat and cruel. So I’m hesitant to vilify coaches who take better jobs, hoodwink reporters or leverage outside offers to get more money.
But something about Petrino gives me the nauseating sense he’s one of those cheesy, fair-weather guys who’s not really made of much on the inside.
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