Five years ago, Atlanta Falcons fans would've embraced a comparison with the Los Angeles Dodgers, long viewed as one of the top brand names in professional team sports.
But now, with Friday's announcement that owner Arthur Blank, 68, and his wife Stephanie are separating after 16 years of marriage, followers of the Falcons can't help but wonder if the marital discord that's wreaked havoc on one of baseball's preeminent franchises will repeat with Atlanta's NFL team.
The separation will have "no impact" on the Home Depot founder's business interests, according to a statement released Friday by the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.
Even if a divorce is pursued, a leading family law attorney said he expects a quiet split.
"I don't think it'll be anything like the McCourts," said Randy Kessler, chairman of the American Bar Association's Family Law section. "The reason you're hearing so much about the McCourts' divorce is because it's so rare."
Frank McCourt, a Boston real estate developer, bought the Dodgers in 2004, installing his wife Jamie as the team's CEO. By comparison, Stephanie Blank, 43, has no day-to-day role with the Falcons outside of chairing the Atlanta Falcons Women’s Association.
Jamie McCourt filed for divorce in 2009 and soon after was literally locked out of her office by her husband, who accused her of having an affair with her bodyguard. With Frank McCourt vowing to hold onto the team and a potential settlement mired in court, Major League Baseball appointed an overseer to run the club earlier this summer.
The on-field product has suffered mightily, with attendance tumbling 17 percent. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Dodgers are on pace to lose more than $42 million in annual revenue since 2009.
Much of the blame lies with the McCourts, and their invalidated prenuptial agreement has only exacerbated the situation, Kessler said. The agreement had two versions -- one that would've made the team subject to California community property law and another that excluded that possibility.
"[The Blanks] are smart so I expect they won't let their lawyers ever take this to court," said Kessler, whose clients have included San Francisco 49′ers receiver Braylon Edwards, NeNe Leakes of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" and the spouses of Usher and Evander Holyfield.
In announcing their separation, the Blanks, who have three school-age children, asked the public to respect their privacy and said they would have no comment. A spokesman for the Falcons also declined comment.
The team's previous owners, the Smith family, had to deal with their own highly publicized split in 1990. Then-team president Rankin M. Smith Jr. relinquished his position after separating with his wife of 19 years.
In 2001, the Smiths finalized the sale of the Falcons to Blank, who paid $545 million for the franchise. Since then the Blanks have been among Atlanta's most active philanthropists and vowed in their statement to remain "as committed as ever to their various charitable enterprises."
The Blanks were wed in 1995.
--Staff writer Jennifer Brett contributed to this article.
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