Falcons

By Patrick

January 10, 2008 12:32 PM | Link to this

After getting so publicly burned so often, I have no issues with Blank running silent on this. While I’m desperate for news, as long as we get the right guy, whoever it my be, I don’t care if he uses tarot cards.

By Bernard

January 10, 2008 12:37 PM | Link to this

Who Cares, the issue is Arthur Blank is going to make another bad hire if he hires Pete Carrol. We need to start to think long term, go after one of these up and coming assistant coaches, get a smart and talented GM who can build a great scouting department. If the Falcons hire Pete, he will only last a couple of years and then we are right back where we started from. Arthur Blank please look at HISTORY, coaches from the college ranks do not win in the NFL. I know Pete has coached in the NFL, but it has been a long time, he will not be able to deal with the players ego’s.

Blank please hire Jim Caldwell and Tom Heckert or Tom Dimitroff. This way we can build our franchise into a respectable organization and not this joke that it is now.

Arthur here is your blue print for success.

By michaelgee

January 10, 2008 12:53 PM | Link to this

good for AB, he has learned that the ajc can’t be trusted.

If I were Blank the ajc would be banned from Flowery Branch period.

Newspapers should not be about attacking Team, Owner, Players and never contributing anything otherwise.

If Blank hired Jesus Christ, ajc would go off on him for doing it.

By Paul G

January 10, 2008 1:02 PM | Link to this

Sounds like Carroll is angling for a higher contract with USC…why not use the Falcons as the bargaining chip??? Something the birds are use to.

By SC

January 10, 2008 1:05 PM | Link to this

I would like to see Blank eliminate some of the glitzy big names from his search. It’s frustrating to see them interview good choices like Caldwell then see them next talk to someone whom everybody else says makes no sense as a hire.

Is Blank afraid to wait until after the playoffs to hire a coach or GM? Does he think that he will always be on the losing end of a competition for the candidate of choice?

By Space Mountain

January 10, 2008 1:05 PM | Link to this

40 + years and never back to back winning seasons. Looks like that is not going to change anytime soon. Same old Falcons.

By Meezy

January 10, 2008 1:08 PM | Link to this

You guys should mind your own business. He’s trying to take a load off and there you go hounding him for news. AJC is the fault of many ill fates that happens with the falcons. Be reporters, stop poking around, and let the news flow to you. Maybe you’ll be less of a tabloid if you worked that way.

By SCBird

January 10, 2008 1:09 PM | Link to this

I agree Bernard, please bring in Jim Caldwell.

By billy g

January 10, 2008 1:10 PM | Link to this

Dimitroff, Heckert, Schneider/McKenzie

That would be my order of preference. And, after that, I would like to hear the name :SPAGNUOLO

The wait is difficult, but my hope is that the rewards will be great.

This is it. This decision will define Arthur Blank as an owner. Make the right choices and he will be a legend, choose poorly (again) and his memory will sink into the deep muck that is Falcon history.

By Bumblebee Tuna!

January 10, 2008 1:12 PM | Link to this

I think Rich McKay’s desire to exert influence over personnel is destroying this franchise. Blank should kick him to the curb and bring in a proven football guy. Anybody else think that McKay/Devaney will only recommend GM candidates that won’t have them fired?

By Brian Piccolo

January 10, 2008 1:16 PM | Link to this

Third one in, not bad…..

By Bernard Brooks

January 10, 2008 1:21 PM | Link to this

NOW HHHHHHHHHHHHHEAR THIS:
H I R E

 D A N  RRRRRRRRRREEVES!!!!!!!!!

 DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!

PPPPPPPPPLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By True Falcon Fan

January 10, 2008 1:21 PM | Link to this

I agree with Tom Heckert. As I have stated before in discussions, look at the job discription of GM and look at what he has done and the team he has put together. Already one of the best GMs in history. The coach should coach, the GM should be GM. One person should not be both. He has turned down many jobs and actually wants to come to Atlanta. Make sure the coach is over 50 and the players look up to him and can consider him a father figure. For Example: (Dan Reeves = Only Super Bowl Ever).Carroll is 56, I’m not dead set against him as a coach yet but Definitely not GM duties. Heckert ALL THE WAY!

By Terry

January 10, 2008 1:22 PM | Link to this

I am convienced that BLANK is the problem in Atlanta. He fired a Hall-of-Fame Coach. Replaced him with two average coaches. He has hired a GM that is a poor evaluator of talent. The proper thing to do after this season was to fire McKay, hire a young up and coming GM and allow the GM to hire the Coach. No quality talen evaluator will come here to work with McKay as his shadow. Blank is beginning to look worse than the Smith’s. If Vick does not come back in 2009, this franchise will be finished for a decade. He should just sell the team.

By True Falcon Fan

January 10, 2008 1:25 PM | Link to this

Oh, I almost forgot. Definitely keep it silent or someone (Ravens, Redskins, ???)will offer the same thing and we lose out again.

By Darrin "The Vent King"

January 10, 2008 1:32 PM | Link to this

I agree with Patrick, we’ve been embarrassed enough. Just get the right people in here. We don’t need another public jilting like we got from Spoiled Tuna. And while we’re at it, I hope Blank puts a “leave us hanging in the middle of the season and we’ll do the same” clause in the next head coaches contract.

By Roy

January 10, 2008 1:40 PM | Link to this

It seems that Mr. Blank has no idea of how to run a NFL team. I would suggets he hire someone to run the origanization and stay out of the day to day operations. remember when Ted Turner finally realized he was not smart in the running of a baseballl team, and hired the right people. The Braves began to show respectablity. The same could be said in a few years about the Falcons, should Blank follow this example.

By Maurice L Zackery

January 10, 2008 1:40 PM | Link to this

Long term yeah we all thought Mora would be long term too, until he got fired. No job in the NFL is secure. You try to hire the right guy for you team and you go from their. They tried to hire a jacka.. to hype up the team. They got it wrong. Now they need a personnel guy. Pete Carroll is great at recruiting for a top tier college team for 5 years in a row. Not a one shot deal or season and it’s done. Those other guys aren’t even head coaches. If Pete is here for a couple of years, lets hope they are productive ones and we can get another coach after he leaves to put us over the top.

By gdg73

January 10, 2008 1:46 PM | Link to this

Is Blank afraid of the possible back-lash he might receive if he hires either Caldwell or Singletary? Many will cry that he is trying to cater to a certain segment of the fan-base if he does hire one of these guys. And heaven forbids if he hires Reggie McKenzie on top of that. When I see Caldwell and Singletary, I see two respected LEADERS of men that deserve a shot. Even Peyton and Dungy have recommended the guy. Two proven winners that know what it takes to win in this league. Blank, stop trying to make a splash with the hiring and let the coach and the players he’s hired to lead make the splash for you.

By John Lovelace

January 10, 2008 1:51 PM | Link to this

There is no reason to comment on this article! Arthur Blank is going to continue to run this franchise into the ground and it can’t go much further, You have to understand that someone with the money that Blank has is not going to listen to anyone. People like him feel that they know it all. You will just have to wait, and I guarantee that he will not get the right people to do anything with this team because they have no class and it would have to start from the ground up. New players, new rules and get rid of the trash that think they are players. This organization sucks and I don’t really think it will ever do anything in Atlanta. Atlanta is the biggest problem that this team has.

By Dr. Warren

January 10, 2008 1:51 PM | Link to this

Blank, it’s clear by now, suffers from a grandiosity complex. His pious “mensch” side seems forever in conflict with his need to impress people. They should just hire a competent hardworking NFL assistant like Caldwell and a solid GM like the guy from the Eagles and build it back up, steadily, surely.

By 14Falcons

January 10, 2008 1:56 PM | Link to this

Heckert and Caldwell

Eagles and Colts

Solid Franchises

Steal from the best with pride!

By Singletary

January 10, 2008 2:03 PM | Link to this

Why NOT hire Reeves as GM? That would show me that AB has come full circle to realize the man is a good evaluator of talent. (The fact that he put Vick in speaking classes and tried to groom him to be the — unimprisoned — face of the franchise speaks volumes to me.)

Pete Carroll is running a feint, but I’m not sure why. Recruiting scandal brewing? I cannot believe AB would hire him to give him total control. If he’s contemplating total control, then he should do that with Shottenheimer or Cowher, not someone fresh from the college ranks. Anybody object to Emmitt Thomas for another year until Cowher is ready? I think Dungy only has one more year… maybe he’d like total control?

I’d darn sure like to see AB hire at least one African American for the upcoming GM, HC and QB slots. More would be better because we are all the sum of our experiences, and he and RMc are clearly not conversant.

By A Falcons fan walks into a bar. . . .

January 10, 2008 2:15 PM | Link to this

I wouldn’t say a single word to the AJC. Why would Blank tell you anything when you constantly throw the team under the bus? He was already made a fool of for being “transparent” with Parcells. Don’t say a word, especially to the AJC.

By Ernest

January 10, 2008 2:23 PM | Link to this

Mr.Blank with all do respect, I think you should ressign your post as head of the owners committee to sign more minority coaches.  If you will not hire one as your coach then how are you going to convince other owners to do so.It's a matter of credibility.

By JOE

January 10, 2008 3:00 PM | Link to this

MAN WHA HAPPEN TO THE PEOPLE WHO RAN THANGS WHEN THE FALCONS WENT TO THE SUPER BOWL?!?!?!?! THEY NEED TO COME BACK!!!!!!!!! THE FALCONS ARE STARTING TO LOOK LIKE THE HAWKS 2 3 YEARS AGO

By UnHappyFan

January 10, 2008 3:02 PM | Link to this

entrepreneur- Finds people and tools to achieve a goal.

CEO- Finds tools and people to prevent goals, internal and external.

Blank is surely a CEO. Blank bought a working business.

But now, he’s having to build a business..

And in a city with lots of style but no substance.

The Falcons sure LOOK successful.

By Great Falconi

January 10, 2008 3:03 PM | Link to this

Nothing about this search has been “radio silent.” I’ve seen all kinds of names speculated about for weeks now. Blank is interviewing coaches without hiring a GM. He’s got numerous people involved in the decision-making process, including THE PREVIOUS GM. That’s a really good idea, isn’t it? “Gee, Rich. Who do you think should replace you?” Rich McKay should be fired. Pete Carroll might be a decent NFL coach (despite some assertions, he wasn’t terrible in his first stint), but ownership throwing a ton of money at a guy and hoping that he’ll be the savior is not the ideal way for a team (or business) to be run. Blank should know that by now, right?

By Call Me Earl

January 10, 2008 3:17 PM | Link to this

The Falcons are like the single women in Atlanta Desperate

By mave2124

January 10, 2008 3:30 PM | Link to this

All I want to know is how many people are at each interview session? Reports of 9 are nuts.

By GreenIce

January 10, 2008 3:41 PM | Link to this

Please let AB do his homework and allow him time to study what’s available! Atlanta needs a good senible GM and Coach which can select mold and blend the type of players which will give their all and compete! If you think you might lose you will! I have followed the Falcons since their inception and we’ve never had a offense and defense which were competitive at the same time. AB needs to select emplyees which put the team first and themselves second! Until they do that the Falcons will not be a sustained winner. So AB take your time and select a GM, Coach and high caliber players to make a team which ATLANTA can be proud of !!!!!!!!!!!

By David Duke

January 10, 2008 3:57 PM | Link to this

Blank is maintaining “radio silence” until he finds the swindler of his dreams and forks over a fortune to have the franchise driven down to middle Earth. look out crust, here we come!

By David Duke

January 10, 2008 4:00 PM | Link to this

Blank is maintaining “radio silence” until he finds the swindler of his dreams and forks over a fortune to have the franchise driven down to middle Earth. Look out crust, here we come!

By Stephen

January 10, 2008 4:48 PM | Link to this

Does Mr. Blank even know what he is looking for?

By Dawgbyte

January 10, 2008 4:51 PM | Link to this

Ignoring the typo “slient”, I think the term everyone is looking for is radio silence. Also, loose-lips-sink-ships will do, as well.

By morris

January 10, 2008 5:05 PM | Link to this

Where in the hell are these retarded fans on here coming up with this hire jim caldwell crap? JIM CALDWELL? Are you kidding me? The same Jim Caldwell who went 24-54 at wake forest in his only head coaching job. Oh I know why we should hire him because peyton manning and tony dungy said so. LOL! Just like when coach K told billy knight he should use the #5 overall draft pick on shelden williams. I swear we have some of the dumbest sports fans in the entire world! Jim Caldwell! hahahahaha! The only reason the falocns interviewed him was to comply with the rooney rule. Thats unfortunate buts it’s the sad truth. And thats exactly why they interviewed mike singletary last season. I can promise anyone that singletary or caldwell will not be getting a job in the NFL this year.