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Barry Sears

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Posts posted by Barry Sears

    Poll: Who do you want to be our next GM?

    in Colts Football

    Posted

    I voted Ballard and stick with that vote based upon what I've read.  It's an impressive list of candidates and as someone mentioned, they have agreed to be interviewed and apparently not put off that Pagano will be the HC in 2017.

     

    But, if Paton gets the job, just imagine some of the marketing opportunities...Colts GM "General" George Paton!!  Remember the last time Indiana had a General?  Just having a little fun after I saw the names and instantly this image came to mind.

     

     

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    No comments from Irsay yet [Merge]

    in Colts Football

    Posted

    Have other teams who are keeping their GM and HC from this year to next made an announcement stating that fact?  Just curious.  But, the fact that Irsay isn't talking and is actually avoiding the press is interesting to me.  I feel like Irsay will keep both or fire both, and will let everyone know when he feels like it.  To me, the bottom line is that the players are ultimately responsible for what happens on the field, and we had a lot of injuries this year without a deep roster to compensate.

     

    If Luck throws an interception, is that on the coach and GM?  If Gore fumbles on a game winning drive, is it Pagano's fault?  There have been lots of successful coaches who have gone to different teams and those teams still stunk (Jeff Fisher, Rex Ryan, etc.)  Conversely, Bill Belichick is with the hapless Browns and then goes to New England, and we all know that story.

     

    Coaches can only do so much, then it's on the players.  GM's can draft blue chip prospects and those prospects never pan out, so it's the GM's fault?

     

    I don't think we change just for the sake of change.  Granted, two 8-8 season's in a row aren't great, but there's a lot of teams who would like to have had 8 wins the past two years to build on.  Many of those teams are a revolving door for coaches to come in and "fix" the team.  We have been spoiled by our past success.  The induction of Bill Polian to the HOF and Ring of Honor really made me appreciate how difficult it is to be successful over a long period of time...it's a very rare thing in professional sports.

     

    I'm fine if Pagano and Grigson are given another year to right the ship.  If we have another draft like the past one, can sign some FA and stay healthier, then with the schedule we have next season, I can see us winning 10+ games and making the playoffs.

    What's THE problem here?

    in Colts Football

    Posted

    I guess we need to ask Browns fans for advice on how to deal with being fed a bunch of optimistic PR during the off season in regard to our draft picks and FA signings, then having that bubble burst during the regular season.  It's been getting worse each year that Grigson has been GM.  Players win games, and you need to get the best 53 man roster possible, which we haven't been able to do with him in charge.

     

    I put some of the blame on the HC and coaching staff, but they don't play the game, although we obviously aren't well prepared each week.

     

    Our play this past Sunday was similar to how the Jets played against us the week before...no fire, no discipline, no plan, no win.

     

    There are a multitude of problems with this team that have been mentioned here already.  We used to have a winning attitude, knowing that every time we took the field we expected to win.  Now, it's hoping we'll win and that's a big difference.

    This is why I don't blame a GM/Coach (Complaints about the players MERGE)

    in Colts Football

    Posted

    I think the blame goes to Grigson, Pagano, coaching staff and the players, too.  This has been a total team effort.  The coaches can only do so much, then it's on the players to perform.  But, if we don't have the talent, we can't expect success, and that goes to Grigson.  And, you can also blame Irsay for keeping Grigson and Pagano.  The injuries haven't helped, either...it's just been a very bad season to date and there's no prospect of it getting better.

     

    I'm guilty of thinking the Colts have talent and I think it's because I'm familiar with the players and since I know who they are, I figure they're good enough.  But, when I sit back and look objectively and watch other teams with guys I've never heard of doing their jobs and playing well enough to win, then maybe it's my rose colored glasses skewing my vision of the Colts.

     

    New England is a collection of a lot of "no names," but they win.  Is that because of the coach, coaching staff, the GM, the system, the handful of star players, or a combination of all that?  I think it's a combination of those, plus a focus on their roles and the execution of their roles at the various positions.  And, I think the players buy into their system, or they're gone.

     

    The Colts need to model their organization after New England and others who are consistently successful.  I also feel like we're spoiled by our past success and expect that to continue year after year.

     

    As the old saying goes, you can't fire the team, so I believe it's time to start at the top and clean house.  We need an EXPERIENCED General Manager and Head Coach with a history of success.  Both Grigson and Pagano were new to their positions when they arrived, but they are clearly not what this team needs.

    Training Camp Advice

    in Colts Football

    Posted

    I decided not to go after all, due to the weather, no shade, no lawn chairs along a fence or roped area and little chance of getting autographs from my son's favorite players.  It's a 2.5 hour drive each way and I didn't want him to be disappointed.  Not to mention the comments about the pushing and shoving to get autographs.  My son is small for his age and I was a bit concerned for his safety.  I'm a big guy, but just didn't want to put up with the hassle.  I wanted it to be a fun experience, and I was doubtful that was going to happen with all the factors mentioned above.  Plus it was my son's last day off before school started today.

     

    Thanks for your input.  Maybe we'll try another year.

    Training Camp Advice

    in Colts Football

    Posted

    19 minutes ago, Valpo2004 said:

     

    Best way to get autographs is to have a kid do it for you.  ;-)

     

    Just joking sort of.  But in all actuality everyone knows that if you try to push to get an autograph before a kid that's next to you then that officially classifies you as a class A jerk.  So there is sort of an unwritten rule about kid's first that as far as I could see everyone seemed to follow.  

     

    That's my 10 year old's job!!!

    Training Camp Advice

    in Colts Football

    Posted

    11 minutes ago, Caleb3502 said:

    There's a good chance of getting autographs if you are patient and have a chance to sit along the fence.  At the nighttime practice, there is a lot of people there, so you have to get there very early.  It's hard to get autographs at the night practice, but the most players sign that night.  I got D'Qwell, Mike Adams, and Freeman that night. I was able to get autographs from Dorsett, Hilton, McAfee, Overton, and Henry Anderson during the day practices.  Definitely bring water, it gets hot quickly sitting in the sun.  Andrew Luck is very hard to get to, unless he walks over to where you are sitting.  The closest I got to him as about 20 feet away.  I did see people taking pictures with players.  The best way IMO to get autographs signed on is a football or a replica helmet that you can buy there.  If I remember correctly the helmets were around $100, so they are a bit pricey, but they look like a good way to get autographs.     

    I see on the website a note about there not being space for people to bring lawn chairs...is that something new??  Also, is the "fence" just a roped off area that I see in some photos and are those areas at both ends of the bleachers, or just on one end?

    Training Camp Advice

    in Colts Football

    Posted

    I plan to attend Training Camp at Anderson University for the first time this summer.  Any advice that you can give me on here?  I found information on parking, etc., but I wonder if anyone can estimate how big the crowds are, what are the chances of getting player autographs, do player pose for photos?  I'm taking my 10 year old son and he would LOVE to meet Andrew Luck (like many other kids would, I'm sure).  We plan to go to the first day of public practice on the 27th.  Thanks in advance and GO COLTS!!

    Pagano agrees to a contract extension, Grigson retained [Mega-merge]

    in Colts Football

    Posted

    I know this morning we are all surprised at the announcement last night that Jim Irsay decided to extend the contract of Coach Pagano and to keep Ryan Grigson.  Only those three men know what was discussed and what was said during the meeting yesterday.  I've read several articles and watched the press conference, and I liked Irsay's decision to keep things as they are for the upcoming season and beyond.  I especially liked his reasoning to keep the continuity of the Coach-GM set-up of Pagano and Grigson.  I believe Chuck Pagano is the right man for the job...he has had success here, there's no question.  Even the 8-8 season was a measure of success considering the injuries, changes in OC, FA signings not panning out and other factors.  Now, I thought Grigson should have been let go, but the man has worked hard and has made several good moves.  I know most focus on the bad moves, but you name one GM in the NFL who has struck gold with every FA signing and draft pick.  You can't hit a home run every time at bat...in fact, players who fail 70% of the time in baseball are in the Hall of Fame.  I know that percentage doesn't work with trades and signings, but the point is that no one is perfect.  And, Grigson is learning and will make mistakes, but he's also trying and making good moves, too.  Better that than someone just sitting on his hands with his fingers crossed.

     

    Anyway, my point is that maintaining continuity is important.  This group went 11-5 three straight years and even an 8-8 finish this year with a chance to make the playoffs going into week 17 (granted it was a slim chance) says a lot about the character of this team and organization.  I believe there is a new focus and a new energy here now...I am convinced that a lot of what we read about feuds and conflict were exaggerated to sell newspapers.  And, I'm am even more wary of believing anything a "source" says from this day forward.  Unless one of the people directly involved addresses an issue, then I'll wait to see what happens instead of speculating or believing a "source" anymore.

     

    Continuity is vital...just ask the folks in Cleveland, Detroit, Tennessee, Miami and other cities where coaching and GM changes are an annual or semi-annual event.  Changing coaches and General Managers every year or two is a knee jerk reaction and you can never build continuity or stability.  You can't always throw money at a situation and get good results, right Washington?  Dallas?  Look at how quickly things can go downhill when you look at the 49ers, Ravens, Eagles and others.

     

    It is so difficult to win consistently in the NFL, and those who do are the ones who build and maintain...not change all the time.  The Patriots, Steelers, Packers, and Colts are model franchises that are the envy of most of the league.

     

    We should be grateful to support an organization like the Colts...every year we have a legitimate chance to have a successful season.  We have enjoyed great success thanks to the organization's focus, drive, determination and stability.  We had to make changes a few years ago that weren't popular, but they were done and we bounced right back into the playoffs.

     

    I may get criticized for looking through rose colored glasses and not being realistic, but I do know that this team has my 100% support, win or lose.  I'm excited about having Andrew Luck healthy, about Coach Pagano being back and about the upcoming free agent period and draft.  Let's keep building toward our ultimate goal and enjoy the ride!

    Bring Manning back home to be GM.

    in Colts Football

    Posted

    I also had the thought of bringing Manning in as the new OC, but hadn't thought about pairing that with the GM position.  Whatever is done, the GM and HC need to be on the same page and work together on personnel decisions...if they are constantly butting heads, then there is no progress.

     

    There are very few franchise type coaches out there, just like there are very few franchise QBs...coaches seem to just move from job to job, with very few staying in one place for a long time with a lot of success.  There are too many factors involved...you have to have an owner that's on board; a GM with vision and good people around him for draft preparation and execution (scouts, etc.); a sound strategy for the coaching staff to maximize the players they have, and to me the most important is to have players who perform.  The best game plan doesn't work if there's no execution on a consistent basis.  You can have a Hall of Fame coach, but if the players don't execute, then there won't be much success.  Likewise, coaches have to make adjustments and try a different approach if the plan isn't working, even if the execution is there.  And, of course, injuries always play a big part during the course of a season.

     

    Whatever happens this offseason, let's hope good decisions are made for the front office, coaching staff, player management and the draft.  We have a very successful franchise and we have become spoiled, in a sense, with our past success.  There are lots of franchises that wish they had the success we have enjoyed over the past 15+ seasons.  I know we should always strive to win the Super Bowl each year, but in the end, only one team does.  We have a class franchise with classy fans...to me that always results in a "successful" season.

     

    Here's to a great 2016!!!

    Colts autographs

    in Colts Football

    Posted

    Andrew Luck (card), Peyton Manning (card), Bert Jones (card), Anthony Castonzo (mini helmet), Coby Fleener (mini helmet), Dwayne Allen (mini helmet), Matt Overton (mini helmet), Adam Vinatieri (mini helmet), Hunter Smith (mini helmet and book), Gary Brackett (with others on a football), Jacob Tamme (with others on a football), Cato June (with others on a football), Casius Vaughn (with others on a football), Kyle DeVan (with others on a football), Tyjuan Hagler (with others on a football), Clint Session (with others on a football), Jerraud Powers (with others on a football), Tom Santi (with others on a football).

     

    Most of mine have been collected at the Colts Fan Fest over the years.  I can never seem to make it to training camp, but maybe this will be my year to go.  The autographs on the cards were purchased with a COA, but I guess even those things can be forged...LOL.

    As the smoke clears

    in Colts Football

    Posted · Edited by 21isSuperman

    Excellent post!!!  I read so much negativity here and all of the second-guessing of the moves our front office makes.  I refrain, because I'm not a GM, coach or owner, so I have no idea what is involved in building a team and maintaining a level of consistency.  I can only imagine what it's like to be a fan of several teams in the NFL that do not have a front office with a plan.  It must be so frustrating to be a fan of teams that over-spend on free agents, draft poorly, etc.  Sure, we whiffed on some FA pick-ups, but all teams do...it's the nature of professional sports.  If anyone had the perfect formula, then they'd win it all every year.  There are so many factors involved.  You can do a great job getting and coaching players, but in the end, it comes down to performance on the field and avoiding injuries.

     

    Obviously, the Colts are one of the organizations that "get it" and have been able to put a winner on the field for several years running.  We've had one down year since Peyton Manning came to town, and that was the year he was hurt.  We now have Andrew Luck and are building a solid team around him that's improved each year.  I'm excited about our FA signings and looking forward to the draft to continue the upgrade team-wide.

     

    My congratulations and thanks to the Colts organization from top to bottom!!!  I echo the thoughts of the original poster when he mentioned how all of our new guys came here because they wanted to win, and some even took less money to do so.  Sure, we've had some guys mess up and make mistakes, but that's also the nature of professional sports.  We have a classy organization with classy players and I'm proud of their accomplishments on and off the field.

     

    GO COLTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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