This NFL Owner Welcomes Player Protests During Anthem

Home Depot co-founder Arthur Blank, owner of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and MLS's Atlanta United, discusses a number of topics related to the business of sports, including why he won't fine players for protesting during the National Anthem. Blank also talks about why soccer has captivated Atlanta, drawing some 70,000-plus fans to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and what's driving the valuations of MLS teams. He also talks about the stadium's community pricing model, whereby food vendors charge about what the item would cost in the areas surrounding the stadium. Blank also talks about Home Depot's onetime sponsorship of Tony Stewart's Nascar team, and what the sport needs to do to revive itself.

A native of Flushing, New York, Blank attended Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan and competed in football, baseball and track. He co-founded The Home Depot in 1978 and retired from the company as co-chairman in 2001. He bought the Falcons the following year.

Hosts: Scott Soshnick, Michael Barr and Eben Novy-Williams. Producer: Madena Parwana. This is a Bloomberg podcast. To download, watch or listen to this report now, click on the thumbnail/player on the sidebar.

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