Blank lays down the gauntlet:
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/falcons/stories/2006/11/24/1125blank.htmlWHAT'S WRONG WITH THE FALCONS?
Blank: Missing playoffs 'not good enough'
Owner says entire organization under scrutiny as team struggles
By STEVE WYCHE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 11/24/06
Falcons owner Arthur Blank said the entire organization is under evaluation and that finishing out of the playoffs and with an 8-8 record or worse, "is definitely not good enough, from any perspective," in an exclusive interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Blank did not say coach Jim Mora and his staff are in jeopardy but he also refrained from offering a vote of confidence. Though 5-5 after a three-game losing streak entering Sunday's home game with New Orleans, Atlanta has six more games to right a wobbly ship, Blank said.
Blank did say a playoff berth, regardless of the record, is something he looks forward to.
"Our team, since the middle of last year, has not played with the type of consistency that it needs to," said Blank, referring to the 7-11 record since starting 6-2 in 2005. "There's no question about that. All of our fans know that. Everybody in our building knows that. What we have to do is figure out why and what we can do about that.
"Is it the talent? Is it the coaching? Is it the schemes? Is it leadership? Ownership? What is it? As an owner, what I do is I think about everything. I think about it all. That's what I have to do. I can't think about just one piece of it and say lets just focus on this."
Mora, hired by Blank in 2004, was given an extension through the 2009 season last summer. Mora took Atlanta to the NFC championship game his rookie season and has compiled a 24-18 mark — better than Colts coach Tony Dungy, Patriots coach Bill Belichick and Eagles coach Andy Reid, among others, during their first 42 games.
Blank clearly is more interested in what's going now.
"The theory that you have to look over a body of work, to me, is not a valid one in business and sports," Blank said. "In all due respect, and this is with great affection and love and respect for Dan Reeves, had I done that, Dan Reeves would still be our head coach — forever — because Dan won 200 games and look at his body of work since he was a head coach."
