The Falcons announced on Tuesday that the greatest player in the franchise’s history, Matt Ryan, will be the newest member of Atlanta’s Ring of Honor, and his classmate… Arthur Blank?
This marks the first time since 2008 that the Falcons have inducted more than one person in a season, so why in the hell would the organization overshadow Matt Ryan’s induction with the team’s owner?
Let me preface this rant by saying Blank clearly was surprised by the honor, as was Ryan. The Falcons owner was under the impression that he was going to see the team’s new draft pick but was instead met with the surprise of his enshrinement as seen through social media.
.@M_Ryan02 thought he was just coming to speak to the team
But we had a surprise for him … The Falcons Ring of Honor pic.twitter.com/blIU76LJiB
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) June 18, 2024
https://twitter.com/AtlantaFalcons/status/1803129778406363591
With that being said, what in the hell are we doing here, folks?
No disrespect to Tommy Nobis, but Matt Ryan is Mr. Falcon. He’s the greatest player in the franchise’s history, and we decided to overshadow his achievement by inducting the team’s owner during the same season?
Whoever (Rich McKay, Greg Beadles, etc.) was in charge of this probably had good intentions, but that’s not an excuse. Matt Ryan is the club’s all-time leading passer in attempts, completions, yards, touchdowns, passer rating, and 300-yard games.
Ryan is also a four-time Pro-Bowler and league MVP (2016-17) while also leading the NFL in passer rating (2016) and completion percentage (2012). The Boston College product also has Rookie of the Year (2008) and Offensive Player of the Year (2016) awards on his mantle.
He put the franchise on his back in one of the darkest times it’s ever seen following the Michael Vick and Bobby Petrino fiasco. That alone deserves immense praise and congratulations.
What exactly has Arthur Blank done? Blank took over in 2002, and the Falcons are 178-176-1 with eight playoff appearances that include two NFC Championship trips and a Super Bowl berth in that span.
I see a lot of fans criticizing my comments on social media by saying Blank is the best owner in team history, has done a lot for the city of Atlanta, brought Mercedes-Benz Stadium about, owns Atlanta United, etc., but we are missing the biggest point… This is the FALCONS Ring of Honor.
This isn’t a philanthropic honor or whatever else he’s done for Atlanta. This is supposed to honor the greatest individuals in the franchise’s history, and all Arthur Blank has done is oversee an average team that is riding a consecutive losing streak of six seasons.
You’re the owner. You can do what you want. I actually love (and find it hilarious) that someone would think to put their boss in the Ring of Honor, the ultimate brown-noser. However, let’s have a little self-awareness and give Matt Ryan the stage alone.
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Photographer: Todd Kirkland/Icon Sportswire
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