ATLANTA — Owner Arthur Blank fueled perhaps the NFL's biggest story on Tuesday (an 11Alive Sports exclusive), by definitively declaring that receiver Julio Jones would remain with the Falcons "forever," despite skipping this week's Organized Team Activities (OTA) workouts with the club.
However, this wasn't Blank's only contribution to certain hot-button topics in the football realm.
At the NFL owners meetings in Buckhead at the Whitley Hotel, Blank shared a few thoughts on the National Anthem controversy, along with the prospective notion of nationwide legalized sports gambling with 11Alive Sports reporter Alex Glaze.
On the gambling end, Blank offered a diplomatic response, and possible preview, to how the NFL might handle the impending wave of accessible sports-books.
"I'd have to look at all the ramifications of it," Blank told Glaze. "Make sure we preserve the integrity of the sport, the integrity of the league and protect our citizens. We'll do a lot of research and come back (to the issue at subsequent meetings)."
Last week, the U.S. Supreme court rejected the notion that only Nevada should have access to sports-book gambling operations, which permit on-site betting with pro and college sports. Consequently, Congress might soon grant each state the right to determine its own fate with legalized gambling.
Regarding the National Anthem controversy, Blank sounded optimistic about the league endorsing a uniform process for dealing with anthems at every NFL stadium, prior to the opening kickoff.
"Well, I think there needs to be a clearer policy than what we had last year," Blank said.
Two years ago, the NFL was thrown for a public relations loop when former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick opted to kneel, not stand, during the playing of the anthem. This prompted a firestorm of controversy amid players, fans and the media. It also inspired other NFL players to mimic Kaepernick's protest of various inequalities in American society.
Fast forward to the 2017 season: President Donald Trump put this heated debate under a national microscope by strongly recommending that all NFL teams adhere to a strict code of conduct during National Anthem ceremonies.
League officials were also thrown by the timing (and rancor) of President Trump's comments, openly criticizing players who still favored kneeling during The Star-Spangled Banner or America The Beautiful
In the aftermath, the NFL hastily tried to adopt a uniform system for dealing with anthems midway through last season; but upon reflection, the cadre of opinionated owners tabled the issue for this offseason.
