PhotoDude.com

Tue. Nov 04, 2003

A Better Man Than I

He’s a better man than I. Richer, too. I’m speaking of Arthur Blank, second year owner of the Atlanta Falcons (which is not unlike having bought the Titanic the day before it sank). A few days back, Terry Bradshaw lambasted Blank in the press, and got parbroiled in return, by the media, and by me as well.

But not Arthur.

Q: What were your thoughts on Fox broadcaster Terry Bradshaw’s criticisms of you last week and again Sunday?

A: I’ve actually tried to reach Terry a few times in the past week. I think it’s sad, to be honest with you, when anybody calls somebody an idiot [as Bradshaw referred to Blank] without talking to them. Everbody’s entitled to their opinion about people, but to say something like that without talking with me, or meeting me is just unfortunate. I certainly would like to meet him, talk to him, not to convince him, but to explain to him what my philosophies are about the organization, and about football and where my strengths are and where they’re not, and answer any questions he has.

Q: If Terry was spotted a ‘C’ and an ‘A’ do you think he could spell cat?

A: I’m sure he can.

A slow nonspinning softball, right over the plate, and Blank checks his swing. The eternal smartass in me would have clawed his way to the surface and knocked that one into the river before my brain could even engage, but Arthur has no inner smartass (or has infinitely more control over his than I do mine). He just provides more evidence of how right I was: “...it’s clear that Arthur Blank is the best thing that’s happened to this team’s overall chances since they joined the NFL in 1966.”