NEW YORK CITY — Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons and co-founder of Atlanta-based Home Depot was honored with a lifetime achievement award by the Sports Business Journal.
The award came during the publication’s Sports Business Awards. Blank was awarded for his long years of work in the sports industry at the New York City event on May 22.
Blank is known for frequent work in charity through the Blank Family Foundation, in addition to his business career and sports contributions.
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At the award ceremony, Blank gave a short speech and shared some of his sports memories, even before owning an NFL or MLS team.
“The beauty of American sports is that you bring people together with a sense of harmony, sense of connection and a sense of oneness,” Blank said while accepting the award. “The country needs a lot of things -- whether you’re red or blue or purple makes no difference. But we need more connectivity, and sports is one of the greatest vehicles to do that.”
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In addition to his ownership of Atlanta’s NFL Team, Blank owns Atlanta United FC, the city’s Major League Soccer team.
Mentioning Blank’s lifetime achievement award, Sports Business Journal said he “rebuilt the Falcons, launched Atlanta United, and created a world-class stadium, all with a relentless focus on the people who matter most — the fans.”
The Falcons also won an award at the SBJ event, taking home the “Best in Sports Social Media” award for their Atlanta Falcons Birds Eye View Series, shot from the roof of Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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