The Rich McKay Interview That Has Falcons Fans Talking

The Rich McKay Interview That Has Falcons Fans Talking

This is a Chuck and Chernoff special report. If you don’t listen to this, you could get an STD. A bad one. We shared this herpes. Okay, so I told you this might be the most special of all the special reports we’ve done. I wanted this day to happen. I’ve waited for this day to happen. I’m thrilled this day happened. Rich McCay, the CEO of All Things Arthur Blank, was on this radio station today with Deino and Shellini. They were out at Lake Point Sports and the background here is Arthur was going to be given an award and so was Rich. So, we joked yesterday there’s no way Rich would sit down with Deino and Chelini if he’s paid any attention to what’s being said for years from people like me or on this station or just in general that Rich is very much involved, overly involved, has too much uh sway on Arthur, I think has been as big a hindrance in the success of this franchise. So, I thought there was no way he would come on and I was wrong. Yeah. the the pulse of the city and the fans and the media towards the team in this moment. Drop him in a fishbowl of today right now after what just happened. Yesterday we were talking about the head coach and the OC. Yeah, they’re going to fire him. They don’t have to fire him today and that’s fine, but they’re going to like it’s so matterof fact. That’s where everybody in this city is and Rich was like, “Oh yeah, I’ll sit down.” So Rich sits down with Demino Chelini and I want you guys to go hear the whole interview later. Oh my god, it was wonderfully uncomfortable and awkward and I thought look on Twitter. There’ll be a link on Twitter, on Instagram, on Facebook, all of it. I thought the guys did a marvelous job though of hitting all the things. Nick’s tone, I was here for every bit of it. Like, I just loved it. All right, so let’s get into this. Here is uh Chelini asking Rich the question we’ve all wanted to know about his involvement dayto-day with football operations. I’m going to ask you a question because a lot of people are asking it, myself included. How involved are you in the day-to-day operations of what’s going on? So, I that’s a good Okay, that’s a good question. I I’m the CEO, so that’s that’s my responsibility. Greg is the president and runs the day-to-day. Um I’m probably there one day a week. I would say I go up um I’d say that the operation is Listen, you know, we lost a football game this week and uh and a home game and it’s a really tough one. Hold on. Stop. Yeah, that’s he’s now no longer answering. He started by introducing himself. Hi, I’m Rich. I work in finance. I’m glad you’re the I I have LinkedIn. I can see what you’re doing. I That’s a good Okay, that’s a good question. Great question to start. How involved are you was the question in day-to-day operations? He gave his title and then after about 5 seconds pivoted to what happened on Sunday um for everybody, especially for our fan base. Um, but the season is still got a long ways to go and we’ve got a lot of a lot of games to play. And that’s one thing I I think Raheem I didn’t hear all of his press conference yesterday, but I heard some of it. Um, and I thought he did a good job of of reframing and refocusing, which is an important thing for him to do. Yeah. So, how involved are you, Rich? That was the question. So, I That’s a good Okay, that’s a good question. What? And you know, Raheem, they’re they’re working hard. He answered, “How involved are you?” Within like 10 seconds, he worked it to, you know, Raheem and them. They’re working hard right now to have an improved team. He’s done a million interviews. He was the GM here. He was the GM of the the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He speaks on behalf of the competition committee. And it was it’s a it’s a good question. I am I’m the CEO and Sunday was tough. So, okay. So, he didn’t give his answer there because we all know the answer. Whatever title you want to give him, food and beverage, casino operations, he’s Ace Roststein. He’s running things along with Arthur. He’s Arthur’s Spangelli. So, here is Demino getting into the act, asking about the typical Monday meetings where Arthur rolls into the facility and he sits down to get a once over on what happened in the game and was Rich in the meeting on Monday. Raheem said he did speak to Arthur and they speak on Mondays. Are you part of that as well? I was I was in that meeting. Yeah, he does do that. Um uh he’s great that way. A lot of the coaches have done that, right? They they sit there and they have just kind of a debrief. Um it’s not a long meeting, but it’s a good meeting because questions can get asked. Okay. All right. We’re establishing some things. So Rich was at the football meeting. He was at that meeting. He Well, give me at least you were at the dinner. He was at the dinner. He was at the the football meeting. I got Raheem as with the head coach the day after the game when the head coach meets with the owner and I was there. I got the football coach and the owner doing a football meeting. Okay, we’ve established that much. I’m not really involved. Um no. Now, I would say Nick asked Rich a question, but this is Nick essentially giving his opinion to Rich on how he thinks Rich is way too involved, and this was magnificent. I said this yesterday. I think you have Arthur’s ear too much. I think you’re too involved in it, and others feel the same. What say you? I you’re you’re certainly entitled uh to to say whatever that you know that that’s that’s what you guys do. I would say to you that I I I know the role I’m supposed to play. I’m supposed to help on on the business side. I’m supposed to help when we come to big decisions on the uh football side to give Arthur whatever views it may be. But I don’t I don’t try I haven’t tried for years to be on the football side. That’s not my role. Um my role is to support. My role is when they need something and they want to discuss something, I’m going to be there to discuss it with them. that was a particular amazing job of speaking out of both sides of your mouth within seconds because he said I’m there to help with the big football decisions but I haven’t tried to be involved in the football side of things for many years just the really important ones that matter and the you know I’m at the Monday meeting where they talk football and you know with Arthur and you know Raheem I’m there but I when they need like what the big football decisions are you know like the head coach gets hired the GM gets hired the GM gets fired the head coach gets fired you know I’m involved in those but I’m not I don’t want to be involved in football I you’re you’re certainly entitled uh to to say whatever that you know that that’s that’s what you guys do or rich they’re not going to you to decide do we go sprite or mellow yellow on the gun like we’re not really sure which one that last spot is they don’t go to him for that they go to you for I don’t know the head coaching meetings and the interviews and dossy and everything else like the ones that really matter they’re going to you rich here’s what surprised me and once you guys hear the entire interview the tenor of the interview tells me that Rich did not think any of this was coming and that’s on him that’s not on Nick and this if you’re sitting down for a Puff Piece interview, which a lot of times is the backdrop to when we get guests, right? They’re pushing a product, they’re coming on to talk about a an award, there’s a big event coming up, okay, that’s the backdrop has to know coming off that loss Sunday, seven plus years of not making the playoffs, there have been questions about it. If he doesn’t know that, he can’t read the room. Let’s move on. That shocks me like that he couldn’t read the room and know these things were going to be fired at You hadn’t had a home playoff game for your season ticket holders for your PSL people. You had had a home play and you’ve only had two playoff games otherwise and one of them was not good, but you hadn’t had a home playoff game in seven now eight seasons and and I don’t think you’re going to have a home playoff game this year. Eight seasons in that building. Okay. So, it continued again. Rich Mccay was on with Deino and Chelini today. You can hear the entire interview up at 68thefan.com. You can hear it up at uh our 68thean mobile app. Anywhere you get your interview, socials, links, all of it there. Nick and Chris asked specifically the question that I so wanted to hear because I already know the answer but I wanted to hear how Rich addressed how involved he was with Kai Bashing the Bill Bellichic hire and pushing for Raheem to get the job. How involved were you with the whole Bellichic thing and then Raheem Morris interview the interview process was there was a group of I that’s a that’s another question. So, I would say there was probably eight people maybe that were on that um group that went through that whole process. Um I was certainly one of them. Uh but so it was a big group. It’s this guy. Okay. That’s another question. That was another question. Oh, that’s another question. That’s You’re right, Rich. That was another question. And I don’t believe there were eight people involved. I think the people in that room are the obvious. Arthur’s at the head of the table. Beatles, whatever Beatles does. Beatles was there. Rich was there. The Nepo Blank was there. Maybe Terry because you know Terry’s in the room. Terry Terry is here. Terry’s probably there. Terry actually is here. Terry’s here. That’s your That’s your group. Like are there are some other smaller opinions that maybe Arthur will lean to? Sure. That’s the group. And then he looks over his left shoulder and sees Beatles and says, “Greg, you over there. Rich, what do you think?” And then Rich says, “If Bellich comes in, you know, I’m out of a job. And if Bellich comes in, we’re probably all fired.” So I would tell you Raheem makes more sense. And Arthur’s like, “Yeah, okay. Oh, let’s go with that. Yeah. And and by the way, my hand went up when all this story came out about how everybody been whispering, “Hey, you don’t want that guy.” It’s like, who among us would not do the same thing? Hey, they’re going to hire a new boss at 680, Chuck, and if they hire this guy, you’re going to be fired. I’m going to Hey, you don’t want to hire that guy. We’ve done the same exact thing. So, I understand, but you need to understand it’s human nature and and we believe that you did it. But the problem is I wouldn’t have asked you. That’s where Arthur’s thinking is all wrong on this. I’m not asking Rich at that point because he’s doing self-preservation. What you just said is 100% right. The the flawed thinking on Arthur is Rich is not going to give me a straight answer cuz Rich’s big fat salary goes away the day that Bellich comes in and cleans house. We all know that. So yeah, we would have all done the same thing, but none of us would have been asked. He went to an unreliable avenue to get that opinion. You got the predictable opinion. I’m going I’m going to tell you something that will put me out of work. I I don’t think I’ve ever gone out of my way to do that. Here’s the last one. And this might have been the This is This is something. I want you to hear Nick’s tone cuz it’s it’s perfect. I wouldn’t even say passive. It’s just aggressive because I don’t know what anybody does all day. Like I know what I do. I do a radio show. I don’t know what people do all day. Get to the office at 8:30. You leave at 5:30. How do you fill your day? Well, Chelini wanted to find that out with Rich McKay. I asked the question yesterday. I don’t know what it is that you do on a day-to-day basis. What is it that you do as the CEO of the Falcons? Because sometimes you say you’re involved, then you’re in meetings, you’re not involved. Yeah. So, so I I’m I’m the CEO of AMBSC and the CEO of the Falcons. On the Falcon side, I’m really the support uh there for Greg and the coach and others. Um I still have my league stuff that I’ve got with the competition committee stuff. I’m still in some in those meetings that you describe. Um, but I’m much more at a higher level and I get lunch at about 11:30 and sometimes, you know, I got to get home to get the dog, let him walk in at about 1. In those meetings, but at a higher level some in those meetings that you describe, he said, “But at a higher level.” Okay. That means he’s not meeting with the regional scout about the TCU and SMU and Houston uh draft prospects. At at a higher level, I’m in the office with Arthur when there is a big decision to be made. Whenever the the the head coaching decision has to be made, hiring or firing, the GM coach or the GM hiring or firing, there’s where Rich is involved. Rich, we’re going to get a new caterer in the lunchroom. Do you want to handle this? No, you don’t. That’s below you. But here’s what another question I would tell Arthur, not that he cares what I think or any of us think. It’s such a toxic discussion about Rich McCay. And I’ll be very, none of us know what Rich does on a day-to-day basis. I’m sure he has highlevel executive board things. He’s become almost symbolic. Correct. that when it’s football, the name Rich McKay is just toxic of why haven’t things gone better. Maybe Rich has too much of Arthur’s, as Nick said, ear attention ability to sway him. But Arthur’s never going to, like in some, you know, abusive relationship, never going to break away from Rich. So, he’ll never know what else is out there to hear another opinion. Now, one thing that Rich mentioned a couple of times in these clips that has been their constant line, I don’t think that this is true because it can’t be true, but one thing Rich mentioned a couple of times, which you’ve heard from Raheem, you’ve heard from Terry, you’ve heard from Arthur, everybody makes all decisions. Like, nobody will sign their name, and I have the responsibility, and it was my call. No one will sign their name. We collaborate. Everything is collaborative. Eight people. All decisions are made by all employees. Well, you know the truth though. Arthur is in charge and he should be. It’s his money and I get it. You’re in charge of Arthur. That’s the key, Charles. That yes, Arthur’s the last line, but when Rich has his ear enough to say, I think this is the move you should make. And Arthur, trust Rich. Think about any relationship, business, any of it, and you’re like, I I trust this person’s football acumen. Rich has been in this game for four decades. He comes from a football family with his father as a head coach. So, I think Arthur has such a belief in Rich that I don’t think Arthur can see outside of what Rich believes. Cuz I think Arthur wanted Bill. I have no doubt. Arthur wanted Bill. That was going to be his lasting hire that I finally got the guy that I wanted my white whale and Rich and a few others, but mostly Rich talked him out of it. And there’s a lot of credibility when you get somebody like that. Yeah. Rich McKay, remember, was his dad was the first head coach ever for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His brother was a wide receiver. JK McKay was on the team and then Rich grew up in the team facility. See, kids, nepotism has been going on for decades. It’s not new. Oh, absolutely. And so this is How do you feel if you’re one of the other? Cuz I think Arthur has two older sons with his first wife and then Josh has a brother, doesn’t he? I don’t know the I don’t know the family. How are if you feeling if you’re the brother? Yeah, B part, you got some unfinished business on the blank family tree for us. Yeah. Yeah. I think though that Josh has a football interest. I don’t think the others probably, from what I’ve heard, are as into it. I think they have their other business interests. Okay. Cuz they’re living they’re making the money they’re way off dad. I I know somebody I graduated with somebody actually high school. His dad owned a used car lot in Lawrenville. He said his entire life I don’t want anything to do with that. I don’t know anybody who said dad owns an NFL team. I don’t want anything to do with it. You went to school with Tom Jumper. If you know, you know. That’s [Music] our special report. Man, Falcon lifers, man. It ain’t easy being us. It is just not

Chuck & Chernoff, hosted by Chuck Oliver and Matt Chernoff, delivered a Special Report recapping and breaking down the viral interview conducted by Cellini & Dimino with AMBSE and Falcons CEO Rich McKay. The hosts analyzed McKay’s responses, questioned his leadership, and injected humor throughout as they discussed the growing frustration among Falcons fans who are pointing blame at McKay and owner Arthur Blank for the ongoing dysfunction within the organization.

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