NEW YORK CITY — Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons and co-founder of Atlanta-based Home Depot, has been honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from Sports Business Journal.
The award was presented at the magazine’s Sports Business Awards gala. Blank received the award in recognition of his many years of service in the sports industry at an event held in New York City on May 22.
In addition to his business career and contributions to sports, Blank is also known for his frequent philanthropic efforts through the Blank Family Foundation.
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During the ceremony, Blank gave a short speech, sharing some of his memories of sports before he owned NFL and MLS teams.
“The beauty of sports in America is that it brings people together in harmony, connection and oneness,” Blank said while accepting the award. “We need a lot of things as a country. It doesn’t matter if we’re red or blue or purple. But we need more connection, and sports is one of the best ways to do that.”
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In addition to owning Atlanta’s NFL team, Blank also owns the city’s Major League Soccer team, Atlanta United FC.
“He rebuilt the Falcons, launched Atlanta United and created a world-class stadium, but through it all, he was relentlessly focused on the people who matter most: the fans,” Sports Business Journal said in its Lifetime Achievement Award for Blank.
The Falcons also won an award at the SBJ event, winning the “Best in Sports Social Media” award for their Atlanta Falcons Birdseye View series, filmed from the rooftop of Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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