Chris Ballard press conference 1/30

[LockeDown]

He was smart to call his wife beautiful first and then brag on his kids.  He comes across just like his reputation, which is team oriented and not a "Me" kind of guy.  He will get along with Chuck easily...remember, Garrett is also a back patter, golf clapper, gum smacker, folded paper holder kind of guy like Pagano.   I thought he would be out of the league and here he is with better players and winning now.   We just surround him with great players  

[Fisticuffs111]

One thing I have faith in after watching the press conference, Ballard will become very familiar with the team's problems when he watches all 16 games.

He was mostly just talking about players when mentioning watching the games, but I think he'll catch on quickly to our lack of preparation, lack of consistency from half to half, and some very key coaching blunders.

At the very least I think we have somebody who will figure out the issues with both the players and coaches, and he'll have viable ways to fix them. Not to mention he'll handle it in a much friendlier way than Grigson apparently would.

[Restored]

5 minutes ago, Fisticuffs111 said:

One thing I have faith in after watching the press conference, Ballard will become very familiar with the team's problems when he watches all 16 games.

He was mostly just talking about players when mentioning watching the games, but I think he'll catch on quickly to our lack of preparation, lack of consistency from half to half, and some very key coaching blunders.

At the very least I think we have somebody who will figure out the issues with both the players and coaches, and he'll have viable ways to fix them. Not to mention he'll handle it in a much friendlier way than Grigson apparently would.

 

His level of humility was refreshing for sure. He sold me within the first five minutes of him talking.

[chad hugo]

anybody have the full video by any chance ?

[Superman]

1 minute ago, chad hugo said:

anybody have the full video by any chance ?

 

http://www.colts.com/videos/videos/New-GM-Chris-Ballard-Introductory-Press-Conference/3e273181-a174-4e31-87d4-9e9dbbc41687

[MTC]

After watching his press conference, I'm confident he'll be the right guy for the job. Unlike Grigson, Ballard appears to be very humble and has a team-first attitude/approach. I hope he'll get the best out of coaching staff and players. 

[backshoulderfade]

I could listen to that guy all day.

[Crunked]

1 hour ago, 21isSuperman said:

Cliche?  Me?  This is a team forum.  I'm just trying to improve in all phases of my posts.  I'm not here to cry over spilled milk.  I'm just gonna work hard and get better.

That-a-way Post sharpens post like poster sharpens poster......errrr or something along those lines

[MTC]

6 minutes ago, backshoulderfade said:

I could listen to that guy all day.

 

Same here. 

 

[chad hugo]

12 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

http://www.colts.com/videos/videos/New-GM-Chris-Ballard-Introductory-Press-Conference/3e273181-a174-4e31-87d4-9e9dbbc41687

thaaaaanks! 

[MTC]

If you close your eyes during any interview Chris Ballard is in, you can hear Mike Zimmer.

[Colts_Fan12]

1 hour ago, Chucklez said:

That was your argument.... Something we rarely ever do is false.

That's why my post says turnovers not interceptions cause the whole D in general needs a boost in the TO category Berry imo could be a leader and general for our D 

[RockThatBlue]

I wonder when we get to see Ballards first roster move(s)

 

I know FA isn't here for a little bit longer, but he can churn a few things at the bottom of the roster.

[MTC]

1 minute ago, RockThatBlue said:

I wonder when we get to see Ballards first roster move(s)

 

I know FA isn't here for a little bit longer, but he can churn a few things at the bottom of the roster.

 

Hopefully he'll cut DQ and Arthur Jones soon.

[throwing BBZ]

 The guy had trouble keeping from his goofy giggle. Wassup with that?
  I think he will be a VG talent evaluator and can teach Chuckles a lot.

[aaron11]

2 hours ago, corgi said:

I like him. I think he will do a really good job. What sucks though is that barring a Super Bowl I don't see how you can justify bringing back Pagano. I personally see no way the Colts are a Super Bowl contender next year. I don't understand the logic in bringing back Pagano. Wastes a year of Luck's career and a year of Ballard's contract.

ive been thinking the same thing.  it cant be super bowl or bust, or there is no point in bringing him back at all

 

i think making the playoffs and not losing terribly in the first round might be enough to save chuck

[Jason_]

I am getting a nice little laugh out of the number of people that are praising Ballard for his cliches while at the same time have spent weeks bashing Pagano for his. LOL

 

As the Ballard oh, I am excited to see what he's going to do with the team. He was one of my top two choices. And I did like what I heard from the press conference just like everyone else.

[richard pallo]

First off I think the questions that were asked were pretty lame and ordinary.  Nothing insightful or really probing into his approach to the job at hand.  It was almost over after it started.  At one point he couldn't believe there were no more questions.  He had to ask for more.  I was very disappointed in the Indy media to say the least. He probably couldn't believe it either.   The man himself was impressive and I liked what I saw and heard.  I believe every thing he said about Chuck.  It is hard to win in this league and Pagano's record speaks for itself.  He mentioned two years back to back at 8-8 like yeah sometimes that happens when you are attempting to rebuild a team.  But he stated he thought Chuck was a good NFL coach and I believe he meant it. Hard to keep winning when your GM can't provide you with quality starters let alone players than can even make the team i.e.; 2013. No more power plays , all team work and team building from the get go.  I think he will get us the players that we need and I especially liked it when he mentioned acquiring young players in FA to supplest the draft where he believes the roster needs to be built from.  It was a great first impression for me. 

[southwest1]

I just watched the Chris Ballard Press Conference since the last time I ventured into INDY topic was right after Ryan Grigson was let go. I promise to go back & read each entry BTW. 

 

I need to say this. I know Barry Alvarez personally from my time at graduate school at UW-Madison acquiring my Master's in Library Studies. Barry as an AD is excellent at getting coaches what they need to win & as an HC he was a firm believer in the ground game starting with RB Ron Dayne essentially. Personality wise Barry is not exactly 'warm & fuzzy' meaning if he thinks your not rich or well off financially with a sweet ride or lavish threads he treats you like a 2nd class citizen. 

 

Fortunately, Ballard had Lovie Smith & Andy Reid as mentors so Chris will treat everybody he meets like a human being worthy of dignity regardless of their income level. I was at a car wash once with my stepmother & when she asked Barry inside how he expected the Badgers to do this yr, he looked at her like she was living in a cardboard box. Again, to Barry, it's all about appearances & zeros on a pay stub.

 

I love what Chris said about "when I make a mistake I'll own it & there will be no finger pointing" either. We sink or swim together as a team. Like Nadine said, "I like what I'm hearing." And the resume is impressive & legitimate.  

[TDewar1987]

3 hours ago, CheezyColt said:

#ColtJacked

#JackedColts... let's make this a thing.

[OffensivelyPC]

Good first impression. Pretty lofty comparisons by Irsay, but even if hes talking him up, I dont remember him ever saying anything like that about Grigson. 

 

Bunch of generic comments and questions, but the one that stuck out to me is that hes like, "[paraphrasing] hey, i got a good foundation, went here, figured out the job, went there, figured out the job. I will make mistakes and own them." 

 

It takes a mature confidence to admit those kind of things and it tells me that he wont be rigid when hes making moves or needs to make changes - something Grigson obviously did not have a reputation for.

 

Looking forward to the offseason.

[Horse Shoe Heaven]

2 hours ago, Fisticuffs111 said:

One thing I have faith in after watching the press conference, Ballard will become very familiar with the team's problems when he watches all 16 games.

He was mostly just talking about players when mentioning watching the games, but I think he'll catch on quickly to our lack of preparation, lack of consistency from half to half, and some very key coaching blunders.

At the very least I think we have somebody who will figure out the issues with both the players and coaches, and he'll have viable ways to fix them. Not to mention he'll handle it in a much friendlier way than Grigson apparently would.

REALLY DUDE HE WILL SEE ALMOST NOOOOOO DEFENSIVE TALENT AND A POOR BUT YOUNG OL!!!!!!!!!! Thats what he will see!!!

[superrep1967]

4 hours ago, Horse Shoe Heaven said:

Wow I like the guy. I have a really good feeling about him. I think him and Chuck will work great together!!!

 

He'll make mistakes, so people are going to have to be patient with him and take the good with the bad. 

[Fisticuffs111]

12 minutes ago, Horse Shoe Heaven said:

REALLY DUDE HE WILL SEE ALMOST NOOOOOO DEFENSIVE TALENT AND A POOR BUT YOUNG OL!!!!!!!!!! Thats what he will see!!!

Okay.

[Jason_]

16 minutes ago, Horse Shoe Heaven said:

REALLY DUDE HE WILL SEE ALMOST NOOOOOO DEFENSIVE TALENT AND A POOR BUT YOUNG OL!!!!!!!!!! Thats what he will see!!!

 

 

[csmopar]

Well into free agency and the draft we a go

[southwest1]

6 hours ago, RockThatBlue said:

His first words were "I'm jacked"

 

Seems like a really sharp and nice guy.

The reason I liked Ballard's use of the word 'jacked' is because it confirmed most fans theories on here that if Grigson or Pagano was relieved of their duties; the Colts organization is a well respected franchise with no shortage of candidates knowing we aren't that far away from Championship prosperity & that INDY is a place qualified GMs, HCs, & coordinators wanna work for pronto. 

6 hours ago, Superman said:

'I'm probably not ready to be a GM. I'm gonna screw some things up.'

I respect it when a front office guy says basically I don't have all the answers, but I won't run from my mistakes or deflect them onto someone else. I will give people a wide learning curve when they open with I'm not a draft guru or miracle worker here. 

6 hours ago, braveheartcolt said:

Let's see how he does in the draft and FA, and onwards. A presser is totally un-newsworthy. Time to move onto more important stuff......

I get what you're saying BHC, but Ballard said he knows "talk is cheap" & that he has to prove his value in INDY. I just have a good intuition about the guy probably because he learned under Lovie Smith, a darn good defensive mind who got let go way too early in Chicago with a 10-6 record in his final yr there. 

 

Okay, I'll admit it. I'm biased when it comes to Lovie & I'm still upset Tampa Bay fired him after working with Jameis Winston after only 1 season. I'm fiercely loyal to coaches I like & Lovie got screwed over in Florida. JMO. 

[RockThatBlue]

6 hours ago, MOB said:

I also salivate over the thought of having a top defense surrounding Andrew Luck. That's a dream come true right there if this happens.

Honestly, it doesn't even need to be a top defense. If Luck just had a top 15 defense most years we would be hard to beat.

[southwest1]

I just glanced at Gregg Doyle's article in the INDY Star talking about how the new GM presser sounded great, but it doesn't mean much. I hate lines like this from the article: 

 

"Since 2013, the bio reads, “the Chiefs have won 43 games (fourth-most in the NFL), made three playoff appearances … and have had 15 players named to the Pro Bowl. Wow. That’s great. Only, he wasn’t the GM there. Dorsey was. Ballard was in the room when the biggest decisions were made, but he wasn’t the guy ultimately making them." 

 

My pet peeve here is this. If you're in the room with the decision makers at crucial times during draft preparations & you've done scouting work in the past, that matters. Also, everybody now in a high profile position in life got a break-- an opportunity-- from somebody back in the day right. HOF GM Bill Polian was an unproven evaluator until the Bills organization said what the hades let's give the man a shot right? 

 

Look, all I'm saying is this. Established GMs now were a nobody at sometime in their career & Andy Reid runs an elite football program. Chris Ballard comes from a solid coaching tree pedigree & some of that intelligence & standard operating procedure coupled with success carries considerable weight. 

 

I wish Andy hadn't said he endorsed Grigson & thought he would do well in INDY. Not a ringing endorsement or reassuring assertion now I will admit. However, guys aren't retained by winning coaches if they suck yr after yr so that fact means something as well. 

 

[Goatface Killah]

5 hours ago, Restored said:

 

His level of humility was refreshing for sure. He sold me within the first five minutes of him talking.

I loved when he admitted he isn't ready to be a GM just like he wasn't ready to be a coach or a director of pp, etc

 

Great answer to a really good question

[NorthernBlue]

32 minutes ago, RockThatBlue said:

Honestly, it doesn't even need to be a top defense. If Luck just had a top 15 defense most years we would be hard to beat.

Example....2014

[LockeDown]

He reminds me of a tougher Glen Campbell....who I like btw.

[southwest1]

7 hours ago, presto123 said:

 Much more well spoken than Grigson.

I will say straight up that it's difficult to glean what Ballard's approach with the local reporters will be right now in terms of how directly Chris will answer questions later on, but I can tell that Chris doesn't engage in double speak like Grigson used to all the time. I guess I just like people who either answer the question asked, say no comment/when I know more I will tell you, or just refuse to make up a response to a question that nobody really asked. 

7 hours ago, corgi said:

I like him. I think he will do a really good job. What sucks though is that barring a Super Bowl I don't see how you can justify bringing back Pagano. I personally see no way the Colts are a Super Bowl contender next year. I don't understand the logic in bringing back Pagano. Wastes a year of Luck's career and a year of Ballard's contract.

Honestly, perhaps Jimmy felt he owed Chuck another yr since Cancer treatments deprived him of his 1st yr or a large portion of it. I'm okay with it from the vantage point I described personally. Just conjecture on my part. No evidence to back this theory up whatsoever. 

[Superman]

3 hours ago, OffensivelyPC said:

Good first impression. Pretty lofty comparisons by Irsay, but even if hes talking him up, I dont remember him ever saying anything like that about Grigson. 

 

I don't think he's ever said anything like that about anyone, not right up front. It's easy to dismiss it as fluff for the fans, and that's probably what it amounts to, but it's still attention grabbing. And coming from Irsay, who has worked with a lot of people in the NFL, seen a lot of things, talked to a lot of guys, and hired and signed a lot of HOFers, it's probably something to keep tucked in the back of your mind.

 

The bar is definitely set high. 

[twfish]

4 hours ago, Jason_S said:

I am getting a nice little laugh out of the number of people that are praising Ballard for his cliches while at the same time have spent weeks bashing Pagano for his. LOL

 

As the Ballard oh, I am excited to see what he's going to do with the team. He was one of my top two choices. And I did like what I heard from the press conference just like everyone else.

You misspelled years there by the way  

[southwest1]

21 minutes ago, LockeDown said:

He reminds me of a tougher Glen Campbell....who I like btw.

I'm assuming you didn't mean this guy....

 

 

Late Country singer & co-star with actor John Wayne in the original film 'True Grit." Just messin' around LD. 

 

I know; I know. Keep my day job. Or maybe you did....I know. Quit while you're ahead SW1. 

 

 

 

[twfish]

5 minutes ago, southwest1 said:

I'm assuming you didn't mean this guy....

 

 

Late Country singer & co-star with actor John Wayne in the original film 'True Grit." Just messin' around LD. 

 

I know; I know. Keep my day job. Or maybe you did....I know. Quit while you're ahead SW1. 

 

 

 

What?!?! How dare you bring up Mr Glen Campbell without bringing up rhinestone cowboy or Wichita lineman  

[RockThatBlue]

39 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

I don't think he's ever said anything like that about anyone, not right up front. It's easy to dismiss it as fluff for the fans, and that's probably what it amounts to, but it's still attention grabbing. And coming from Irsay, who has worked with a lot of people in the NFL, seen a lot of things, talked to a lot of guys, and hired and signed a lot of HOFers, it's probably something to keep tucked in the back of your mind.

 

The bar is definitely set high. 

He must see something in Ballard that he hasn't seen in someone since Polian. If Ballard is half as good as Polian was that would be great.

[funktacious2]

10 hours ago, csmopar said:

See my above post.  Im just saying that I can see Irsay changing his mind....

As possible as it might be, I still doubt it. If Grigson and Pagano had such a bad relationship, why didn't Grigs fire Pagano? The answer is that I don't think he had a choice. No difference with Ballard. Maybe he calls the shots in the future, but for now it seems to be Irsay's call?

[southwest1]

1 hour ago, twfish said:

What?!?! How dare you bring up Mr Glen Campbell without bringing up rhinestone cowboy or Wichita lineman  

I ran out of likes TWF. Here are 4 thumbs up instead my man.  

 

Touche. Those are phenomenal songs BTW.

 

To be completely candid with you, the reason why I always think of Glen's 'Phoenix' number is because of actor Al Pacino in "Heat." A great scene & director Michael Mann can do no wrong in my book. His 'Blackhat' picture, a regrettable disappointment to me, is better than most A list directors working today, but I digress.