Blank needs to reverse course on how he runs Falcons

Arthur Blank lost his franchise quarterback and head coach this season and was rebuffed by Bill Parcells, whom Blank wanted to hire to run Atlanta's football operations. David E. Klutho/SI

If Falcons owner Arthur Blank wants to know what's wrong with his struggling franchise, he should look in the nearest mirror.

Blank has made one mistake after another since purchasing the franchise in 2002, from hiring Rich McKay to run his football operations to buddying up to quarterback Michael Vick, who received a 23-month prison sentence earlier this month for participating in a dog-fighting operation.

Blank runs his team with his heart more than his head. Like many first-time owners, he is more fan than businessman. He's blinded by big names and enjoys standing on the sideline and rubbing shoulders with football's elite, which could explain why he failed to see the troubled side of Vick -- and why he nearly made another blunder this week when he offered complete control of his football operations to Bill Parcells, only to be rebuffed at the last minute.

Parcells would have brought instant name recognition and a proven eye for evaluating personnel to the 3-11 Falcons, but he also would have been a mistake because of integrity issues. A former coach with the Giants, Patriots, Jets and Cowboys, Parcells never seems happy unless he's looking for a new job; which he has done at times while still under contract to another team. He claims to despise divas in his locker room, but acts like one himself.

Parcells is not what Blank needs right now. He needs someone who is committed to fighting through the most difficult period of his ownership tenure -- and possibly the nadir of the club's history. Their franchise quarterback is in prison, and their most recent coach, Bobby Petrino, resigned earlier this month -- after less than a year on the job and with three games to play -- to accept a job at the University of Arkansas.

Desperate, Blank did the predictable and turned to a big name for help. Who knows, maybe Parcells would have restored credibility to the Falcons. He definitely left the Giants, Patriots, Jets and Cowboys in better shape than he found them. But it's just as possible he would have departed before the job was complete.

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