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Simply put, the Atlanta Falcons are not a very good football team.
In fact, the Falcons have not been a very good football team in their 2.5 seasons since Arthur Smith took over in 2021.
Smith lead Atlanta to 7-10 records in both 2021 and 2022, and the Falcons are just 4-6 to start the 2023 season.
Despite his brutal 18-26 career record, and despite loud cries from Atlanta fans asking for him to be fired, it sounds like Smith is going nowhere fast.
Falcons Owner Arthur Blank Refuses To Fire Arthur Smith
Jeff Schultz of The Athletic reports that Falcons owner Arthur Blank intends to keep Smith around, at least through the 2024 season.
“There has been no ‘Win now, or else’ mandate from Falcons owner Arthur Blank to coach Arthur Smith in recent days,” Schultz writes. “There won’t be. There shouldn’t be. Smith is not going to get fired this week, or next week, or anytime soon. In fact, the only way Smith isn’t back as the team’s coach in 2024 is if there’s evidence players are tuning him out (hasn’t happened), or the team completely unravels (not there, yet), or Smith suddenly embraces the reality that he could climb the corporate ladder at Federal Express, really, really, really fast.”
The last bit is in reference to Smith being the son of FedEx founder Frederick Smith.
Falcons fans, however, don’t see things the same way.
“It’s high time Arthur Blank considers selling this team. He might be a great owner but he doesn’t give a flying f about the fan. Which is very disappointing and makes us not want to support them,” @Okguruok tweeted.
“It brings me no joy to quote tweet this to all of you. I’m a lifelong fan of whatever team is playing against the Falcons until further notice,” wrote @AlZeidenfeld.
“I know today has been fun and this would be a great clicky article. But I refuse this to be truth and I hope that if it is, Arthur and Arthur are no longer involved with the team come 2025. Otherwise there’s something fishy amiss,” @17Simba17 said.
Arthur Smith isn’t going anywhere. Falcons fans aren’t happy. And what happens next in Atlanta is going to be must-see TV.