Just Whose Failure is It? Ballard or Irsay?

[philba101]

Reading the letter from Mr. Irsay makes me wonder who really is responsible for the Colts failures over the last few years? Just a few days ago Chris Ballard stood up before everyone and proclaimed the following: “I failed,” Ballard said. “I’m not going to sit up here and make excuses. “I failed a lot of people. I never take lightly what’s at stake here. It’s not the wins and losses, but people’s lives are on the line — player’s families, coaches’ families, front office people in this building — and I don’t ever take that lightly.”  “I’m disappointed where we’re at,” Ballard continued. “Ultimately, it falls on my shoulders. I won’t walk away from that, I won’t run from it.”

 

Now Jim Irsay is saying the fault is his. It is almost like these two guys don't even talk to each other. 

"So as I've always said, the responsibility for making us better ultimately falls on me, and our offseason work has already begun. That includes our search for our next head coach, preparing for an important draft in April and continuing to bolster the talented core of players already on our roster."

 

Those who were hoping Jim Irsay would fire Chris Ballard because he has clearly failed to improve this team over the last six years are gravely disappointed. Even with Ballard admitting his failures, Irsay decided to double-down on the failures by endorsing him to pick our next coach and QB. How smart is that? If Irsay really believes that the "responsibility for making us better ultimately falls on me," then why double-down on your original GM pick that has admittedly failed for the past six years? It sounds as if those who were hoping that Jim Irsay would get out of the way and let Chris Ballard do his job, are going to be disappointed as well. Does the above statement sound like Irsay is taking a step back from being a meddling owner? 

 

Please, someone make the case for how any of this makes sense?

[KB]

A quality that any leader must possess is to take a fault for failures on themselves and not those under them. Really the team/organization as a whole failed.

[NewColtsFan]

The primary failure is in three parts.  
 

1.  The Owner

 

2.  The GM

 

3.   The Former Head Coach.  
 

They're the top guys.   They set the tone for everyone.  They’re all supposed to work together.   Clearly there were breakdowns along the way.  Irsay, Ballard and Reich all did a poor job these last two years.   Reich last his job.   Ballard may eventually lose his.    And Irsay may have to someday start all over again if he doesn’t get on the same page with Ballard and the next HC. 
 

Not sure what else you want?   This is as basic as it gets.   I think anything else will only lead to badly overthinking this.   

 

[csmopar]

27 minutes ago, KB said:

A quality that any leader must possess is to take a fault for failures on themselves and not those under them. Really the team/organization as a whole failed.

Getting ready to say the same thing

[#12.]

If we get a franchise QB, it won't be a failure.

[Hoose]

5 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

The primary failure is in three parts.  
 

1.  The Owner

 

2.  The GM

 

3.   The Former Head Coach.  
 

They're the top guys.   They set the tone for everyone.  They’re all supposed to work together.   Clearly there were breakdowns along the way.  Irsay, Ballard and Reich all did a poor job these last two years.   Reich last his job.   Ballard may eventually lose his.    And Irsay may have to someday start all over again if he doesn’t get on the same page with Ballard and the next HC. 
 

Not sure what else you want?   This is as basic as it gets.   I think anything else will only lead to badly overthinking this.   

 

Personally, I don’t want to see Ballard fired. There’s been too much turmoil this past season; fire Ballard and the already shaky rep owned by Jim Irsay and the Colts just gets worse. And that makes it much tougher to right the ship.
 

Right now stability and a calm, focused approach is required. Ballard has to step up and hire a top caliber leader to coach the team and then pivot to FA and the draft. If he screws this up he’s done, but I don’t think he will. 

[philba101]

13 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

The primary failure is in three parts.  
 

1.  The Owner

 

2.  The GM

 

3.   The Former Head Coach.  
 

They're the top guys.   They set the tone for everyone.  They’re all supposed to work together.   Clearly there were breakdowns along the way.  Irsay, Ballard and Reich all did a poor job these last two years.   Reich last his job.   Ballard may eventually lose his.    And Irsay may have to someday start all over again if he doesn’t get on the same page with Ballard and the next HC. 
 

Not sure what else you want?   This is as basic as it gets.   I think anything else will only lead to badly overthinking this.   

 

Look, I agree with everything you said. What I don't get is why go right back to the guy that has failed the past six years? This is like saying we all agree we have been failures, let's all go fail more together.

[Blueblood23]

8 minutes ago, #12. said:

If we get a franchise QB, it won't be a failure.

It still could be. Look at Tampa, Los Angeles, Green Bay, Denver, to mention a few. They have a franchise quarterback and things still go wrong. 

[King Colt]

When any team performs the way the Colts have the past two years it takes more than the average Joe to sort it all out. 

[philba101]

15 minutes ago, csmopar said:

Getting ready to say the same thing

Admitting you have a problem is the first step for sure. I have been complimentary of Ballard for admitting he failed, but for Irsay to double-down on his failures makes it feel like we haven't learned our lesson yet.

[philba101]

13 minutes ago, #12. said:

If we get a franchise QB, it won't be a failure.

So if Ballard is strong-armed into selecting a QB this year then we are just going to magically forget about the spiral in the last two years?

[philba101]

2 minutes ago, King Colt said:

When any team performs the way the Colts have the past two years it takes more than the average Joe to sort it all out. 

I agree, this is why we shouldn't hire an inexperienced coach if we can avoid it.

[philba101]

48 minutes ago, KB said:

A quality that any leader must possess is to take a fault for failures on themselves and not those under them. Really the team/organization as a whole failed.

I agree with that, admitting you failed is only half the battle though. When the same people remain in charge I don't trust that we will see change from the past.

[chad72]

3 minutes ago, philba101 said:

I agree, this is why we shouldn't hire an inexperienced coach if we can avoid it.

 

A head coach that has experience developing QBs and calling plays, both, is ideal to me. Position coaches, plenty to choose from in the NFL.

[GoColts8818]

It was everyone.  People want one person to blame but there isn’t.  It all started with Luck retiring and things slowly came apart from there.  This is what people were talking about when they said that would set this franchise back for years to come.  
 

Regarding Irsay’s letter he’s the owner and leader that’s what they do when things go wrong.  They take accountability even if it wasn’t all their fault.

[Nesjan3]

It starts at the top. I think things really began to unravel when Irsay publicly blasted Wentz over the vaccine.

 

Since then things have nosedived into a firebomb faster than any team I can remember.

 

After missing the playoffs, Frank lost the locker room. It was evident to start this season.

 

Ballard deserves blame as well for the poorly constructed roster. Don't confuse drafting talent and roster construction. 2 separate things. One Ballard has proved he is good at the other he has not.

 

So all in all they all deserve the blame. 

[mirobi48]

IRSAY is to blame. Hire coaches and let them do their job instead of always sticking your nose in it. Let the coaches fail then fire them. Successful franchises owners don't get involved, Niners, Chiefs ,Pats, Eagles etc.

[Moe]

Starts at the top then works its way down, the Colts record was a product of their environment.

[PRnum1]

The fish rots from the head down....

[John Hammonds]

3 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

The primary failure is in three parts.  
 

1.  The Owner

 

2.  The GM

 

3.   The Former Head Coach.  
 

They're the top guys.   They set the tone for everyone.  They’re all supposed to work together.   Clearly there were breakdowns along the way.  Irsay, Ballard and Reich all did a poor job these last two years.   Reich last his job.   Ballard may eventually lose his.    And Irsay may have to someday start all over again if he doesn’t get on the same page with Ballard and the next HC. 
 

Not sure what else you want?   This is as basic as it gets.   I think anything else will only lead to badly overthinking this.   

 

I believe that Jim Irsay did Chris Ballard a HUGE favor.

 

In the beginning of the season, our failures were failures of Plan.  We put on the field the team that we intended.  We weren't blindsided with a rash of injuries or other misfortune.  This is what we meant to do.  And it failed.  It was a failure of Plan.  And when the Plan fails, the architect of that Plan should face consequences.

 

However, Jim Irsay overshadowed that failure of Plan with failure of Biblical Proportions.  He chose to hire his Friend as a head coach.  A friend who had no NFL coaching experience.  At all.  While at the same time having not one, but two ex-head coaches on staff.  Both of which had coached in the superbowl.  He passed up on these entirely reasonable and respectable options to place a completely out of his depth Friend at the top.  And it's not just that the team, as a result, experienced monumental, historical game failures that one can easily lay at the feet of a coach completely out of his depth.  This decision set his organization back 30 years.  He made it plain to his players, his coaches, and the rest of the league, that this team makes decisions based upon the day-to-day whim of its owner.  Not by what is reasonable or respectable.  Not by initiatives or ideals.  And now, what prospective coach would consider coming here, but this black cloud doesn't appear to him?  Do you really want to?  Really?  It's gonna follow Irsay for a decade.  Maybe more.

 

And in the face of this failure of Biblical Proportions, the failure of Plan sponsored by Chris Ballard doesn't seem so much.  If anything at all.  Ballard gets a pass.  A pass undeserved.  But he gets it anyway.

 

It's a dangerous thing to ask "What's the worst that could happen?"  You might just get it.

[throwing BBZ]

3 hours ago, philba101 said:

Look, I agree with everything you said. What I don't get is why go right back to the guy that has failed the past six years? This is like saying we all agree we have been failures, let's all go fail more together.

 

  Funny how you say WE have failed but you must lay the blame on Ballard.

  Frank was a better Confidence Man than a HC.

 Irsay, the man that writes the checks, with the final say, saw all he could take and tossed him.

 Now he and Ballard will try again, hopefully nailing the HC and QB position.

 The good news is there seems to be many good HC prospects and good enough QB ones also.

[NewColtsFan]

3 hours ago, philba101 said:

Look, I agree with everything you said. What I don't get is why go right back to the guy that has failed the past six years? This is like saying we all agree we have been failures, let's all go fail more together.

Huh? 

Who said anything about a guy failing for the last six years?    Who?   Ballard?   For six years?    Really?   Seriously?    You think so?     
 

I’m sorry.   I think there is ZERO argument for failing for the last six years.   I think that’s only the view of frustrated fans.  But it is not supported by facts or logic. 

[Never_Quit]

4 hours ago, KB said:

A quality that any leader must possess is to take a fault for failures on themselves and not those under them. Really the team/organization as a whole failed.

 

This. The way you destroy an organization is to come out and throw someone under the bus. Leaders always say it is on them. If Ballard failed, it is because Irsay did not support him correctly or give him the right tools to succeed - or at least he has to pretend that way. I think OP is reading too much into this.

[NewColtsFan]

43 minutes ago, John Hammonds said:

I believe that Jim Irsay did Chris Ballard a HUGE favor.

 

In the beginning of the season, our failures were failures of Plan.  We put on the field the team that we intended.  We weren't blindsided with a rash of injuries or other misfortune.  This is what we meant to do.  And it failed.  It was a failure of Plan.  And when the Plan fails, the architect of that Plan should face consequences.

 

However, Jim Irsay overshadowed that failure of Plan with failure of Biblical Proportions.  He chose to hire his Friend as a head coach.  A friend who had no NFL coaching experience.  At all.  While at the same time having not one, but two ex-head coaches on staff.  Both of which had coached in the superbowl.  He passed up on these entirely reasonable and respectable options to place a completely out of his depth Friend at the top.  And it's not just that the team, as a result, experienced monumental, historical game failures that one can easily lay at the feet of a coach completely out of his depth.  This decision set his organization back 30 years.  He made it plain to his players, his coaches, and the rest of the league, that this team makes decisions based upon the day-to-day whim of its owner.  Not by what is reasonable or respectable.  Not by initiatives or ideals.  And now, what prospective coach would consider coming here, but this black cloud doesn't appear to him?  Do you really want to?  Really?  It's gonna follow Irsay for a decade.  Maybe more.

 

And in the face of this failure of Biblical Proportions, the failure of Plan sponsored by Chris Ballard doesn't seem so much.  If anything at all.  Ballard gets a pass.  A pass undeserved.  But he gets it anyway.

 

It's a dangerous thing to ask "What's the worst that could happen?"  You might just get it.

I was with you line for line right up to about the middle of your post when you wrote this…….   “This decision set the organization back about 30 years.”  
 

Huh?   I don’t know if you were trying to use hyperbole to make a point, but that’s when you lost me.   Feels more like maybe two years.  
 

The Colts problems are not insurmountable.   Just more difficult.   I think making the playoffs next season is close to a zero percent chance.   And the year after I don’t think the odds get much better.   Our new young quarterback will be learning at the School of Hard Knocks. So we’re talking perhaps 2025 before things could likely get interesting.   But that’s not a 30-year setback. 

[CR91]

Not addressing the three biggest need in Football and band-aiding is ultimately what cost this team.

[John Hammonds]

22 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

I was with you line for line right up to about the middle of your post when you wrote this…….   “This decision set the organization back about 30 years.”  
 

Huh?   I don’t know if you were trying to use hyperbole to make a point, but that’s when you lost me.   Feels more like maybe two years.  
 

The Colts problems are not insurmountable.   Just more difficult.   I think making the playoffs next season is close to a zero percent chance.   And the year after I don’t think the odds get much better.   Our new young quarterback will be learning at the School of Hard Knocks. So we’re talking perhaps 2025 before things could likely get interesting.   But that’s not a 30-year setback. 

When I said he set the organization back 30 years, I wasn't talking about the structure of the team.  Or about the roster.

 

I'm talking Bigger Picture.  I'm talking the Image of the franchise.  It's no longer the image of the Peyton years, full of dominance and excellence.  A team that had upwards of a potential seven hall of famers on the field at the same time.  Nor the image of the Luck years, plucky and brilliant.  Of "T - Y" being flashed in the end zone.  Nope.  It's the image of his father Bob.  It's the image of a team lost in the wilderness.  Destitute.  Decisions that are erratic and irrational.  Not a destination for free agent players that hope for greatness.  But rather a place to be avoided.

 

At least, that's what I see, when I watch the coaching interview process.  Hey there, mister Sean Payton.  Which team do you want to go coach?  What's that you say?  Anywhere but Indianapolis?  How about you, mister Harbaugh?  No?

 

That's what I see.  No, it may not be spelled out so plainly in the press.  But I look on Irsay's decision to hire Saturday as catastrophic.  Far beyond just the wins and losses.  Or how often we get to play on Monday Night Football.  This is bad.  Very bad.

[John Hammonds]

2 minutes ago, John Hammonds said:

When I said he set the organization back 30 years, I wasn't talking about the structure of the team.  Or about the roster.

 

I'm talking Bigger Picture.  I'm talking the Image of the franchise.  It's no longer the image of the Peyton years, full of dominance and excellence.  A team that had upwards of a potential seven hall of famers on the field at the same time.  Nor the image of the Luck years, plucky and brilliant.  Of "T - Y" being flashed in the end zone.  Nope.  It's the image of his father Bob.  It's the image of a team lost in the wilderness.  Destitute.  Decisions that are erratic and irrational.  Not a destination for free agent players that hope for greatness.  But rather a place to be avoided.

 

At least, that's what I see, when I watch the coaching interview process.  Hey there, mister Sean Payton.  Which team do you want to go coach?  What's that you say?  Anywhere but Indianapolis?  How about you, mister Harbaugh?  No?

 

That's what I see.  No, it may not be spelled out so plainly in the press.  But I look on Irsay's decision to hire Saturday as catastrophic.  Far beyond just the wins and losses.  Or how often we get to play on Monday Night Football.  This is bad.  Very bad.

I don't mean that it would take 30 years to recover.  But rather, its the image of the team as it was 30 years ago.

[Defjamz26]

The fault is on both. It’s on the organization as a whole. Bad decisions by both the owner and GM. And really not just one bad decision. But multiple bad decisions in succession. The handling of Wentz and the vaccine, trading for Ryan, constant stop gap QBs, QB carousel during the season, rumored forced coaching decisions, The Matt Pryor experiment, lack of a true RG, the Jeff Saturday hiring, etc…

 

The Colts have been on a collision course for disaster for quite some time now, that the FO didn’t seem to see coming, because up until recently there was no acknowledgment of the poor decisions. In regards to Irsay, there still is some room for accountability. And moreso, there was no plan B or restructuring of whatever the strategy is supposed to be. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. Insanity is what got the organization here.

 

Now the people responsible have all talked a big game , but the question is will they really follow through? Will they really re-work the core of what they do as an organization to try and find a long term solution.

[Moosejawcolt]

6 hours ago, philba101 said:

Reading the letter from Mr. Irsay makes me wonder who really is responsible for the Colts failures over the last few years? Just a few days ago Chris Ballard stood up before everyone and proclaimed the following: “I failed,” Ballard said. “I’m not going to sit up here and make excuses. “I failed a lot of people. I never take lightly what’s at stake here. It’s not the wins and losses, but people’s lives are on the line — player’s families, coaches’ families, front office people in this building — and I don’t ever take that lightly.”  “I’m disappointed where we’re at,” Ballard continued. “Ultimately, it falls on my shoulders. I won’t walk away from that, I won’t run from it.”

 

Now Jim Irsay is saying the fault is his. It is almost like these two guys don't even talk to each other. 

"So as I've always said, the responsibility for making us better ultimately falls on me, and our offseason work has already begun. That includes our search for our next head coach, preparing for an important draft in April and continuing to bolster the talented core of players already on our roster."

 

Those who were hoping Jim Irsay would fire Chris Ballard because he has clearly failed to improve this team over the last six years are gravely disappointed. Even with Ballard admitting his failures, Irsay decided to double-down on the failures by endorsing him to pick our next coach and QB. How smart is that? If Irsay really believes that the "responsibility for making us better ultimately falls on me," then why double-down on your original GM pick that has admittedly failed for the past six years? It sounds as if those who were hoping that Jim Irsay would get out of the way and let Chris Ballard do his job, are going to be disappointed as well. Does the above statement sound like Irsay is taking a step back from being a meddling owner? 

 

Please, someone make the case for how any of this makes sense?

One can't get out his way and the other is a very average if not  average of not below average    talent evaluator and team builder. When u put them together what have u got? 6 years of mediocre performance.  It's simple really.

[Moosejawcolt]

6 hours ago, #12. said:

If we get a franchise QB, it won't be a failure.

I think the worst thing this team can do is over reach this year and give up the farm for a qb. Build the Oline and get some weapons and let the young  te wrs develop. Then plop in that guy into a team that can protect t him.

[NewColtsFan]

6 hours ago, philba101 said:

So if Ballard is strong-armed into selecting a QB this year then we are just going to magically forget about the spiral in the last two years?

The spiral if the last two years?    2031 with Wentz the Colts went 9-8 including a stretch of 8-2 where the Colts looked like the team no one wanted to face come the post season.   I appreciate the end was a spectacular mess,  but the season, on balance, was not. 

[Scott Pennock]

Frank wanted those QB’s and plead his case and paid the price for it…..plus he lost the locker room and the proof is the slow starts.

 

However, ultimately the final decision to trust in Frank and his decisions is on both Ballard and Irsay. They have veto power.

 

But if you really want to go down the rabbit hole - Bill Belichek talking Josh McDaniels out of being our head coach put us on the defensive and Frank was the lucky recipient of that muddled situation.

 

Regardless of the interim coach situation look at the wide net being cast for interviews right now - that shows me a genuine interest in catching lightning in a bottle with a new head coach AND the potential staff they could assemble!

 

So the same powers that be have been humbled and will likely choose better this time around!

[indyagent17]

I appreciate Ballard falling on his sword however the dysfunction of this dates back 2017. Luck was on IR and his injuries were piling up, you could see emotion behind eyes that got worse. You could see his was becoming disenchanted as was Oliver. It was obvious to us fans and Irsay and Ballard knew something was up. He also was injured snowboarding which I am pretty sure it went against his contract. It showed he was not concerned about it either. All this in mind the team should have done due process in the draft. Lack of foresight before and after his impromptu retirement in front of me and everyone else at that preseason game. Irsay decided to give Luck a roster bonus over 20million. Irsay was counting on him retuning to team even 2 years later. This mindset put us into a myriad of quarterbacks since then. We had drafts to take a qb but we traded away and went another direction. I hope this year getting a qb to build the future around 

[crazycolt1]

Why start another finger pointing thread? I think we all know the results and the how and why's have been covered enough to cause nauseam. 

[NewColtsFan]

3 hours ago, indyagent17 said:

I appreciate Ballard falling on his sword however the dysfunction of this dates back 2017. Luck was on IR and his injuries were piling up, you could see emotion behind eyes that got worse. You could see his was becoming disenchanted as was Oliver. It was obvious to us fans and Irsay and Ballard knew something was up. He also was injured snowboarding which I am pretty sure it went against his contract. It showed he was not concerned about it either. All this in mind the team should have done due process in the draft. Lack of foresight before and after his impromptu retirement in front of me and everyone else at that preseason game. Irsay decided to give Luck a roster bonus over 20million. Irsay was counting on him retuning to team even 2 years later. This mindset put us into a myriad of quarterbacks since then. We had drafts to take a qb but we traded away and went another direction. I hope this year getting a qb to build the future around 

I hate to break this to you and others….  Luck’s snowboarding accident — as stupid as it was — had nothing to do with his  retirement.   Zero.  
 

The shoulder injury that set his career back was the one against Tennessee in Memphis.   The one where he’s standing on the sidelines and someone pats him on the chest and Luck winces badly.   That’s the injury that forced him to sit out the 2017 season.  That’s not my opinion.  Luck said so in an interview he gave way back when he was playing.   He said his doctors all agreed.   Besides, Luck’s favorite season was 2018. 

 

Also….   Where did you pull that Irsay was “counting” on Luck returning?    Irsay asking Luck if he had any interest in coming back is not the same as “counting” on his return.   Entirely different. 

[Down under wonder]

Irsay, Ballard and Reich all responsible in equal measures. Between the three of them they made the decisions that have led to this point. 
 

Irsay is never going to fire himself and I guess Ballard made the argument that he went out and got the players Frank wanted for his scheme. 
 

Reichs paid the ultimate price and I’d say Ballard has a limited timeframe in which to turn things around otherwise he will be next. 

[CoachLite]

14 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

The primary failure is in three parts.  
 

1.  The Owner

 

2.  The GM

 

3.   The Former Head Coach.  
 

They're the top guys.   They set the tone for everyone.  They’re all supposed to work together.   Clearly there were breakdowns along the way.  Irsay, Ballard and Reich all did a poor job these last two years.   Reich last his job.   Ballard may eventually lose his.    And Irsay may have to someday start all over again if he doesn’t get on the same page with Ballard and the next HC. 
 

Not sure what else you want?   This is as basic as it gets.   I think anything else will only lead to badly overthinking this.   

 

The failure was a team effort. The Colts are a camel -- a race horse designed by committee.

[philba101]

15 hours ago, mirobi48 said:

IRSAY is to blame. Hire coaches and let them do their job instead of always sticking your nose in it. Let the coaches fail then fire them. Successful franchises owners don't get involved, Niners, Chiefs ,Pats, Eagles etc.

I agree, in his letter to the fans, it doesn't sound like Irsay is ready to step back and let the GM and coaches do their jobs.

[philba101]

12 hours ago, John Hammonds said:

I believe that Jim Irsay did Chris Ballard a HUGE favor.

 

In the beginning of the season, our failures were failures of Plan.  We put on the field the team that we intended.  We weren't blindsided with a rash of injuries or other misfortune.  This is what we meant to do.  And it failed.  It was a failure of Plan.  And when the Plan fails, the architect of that Plan should face consequences.

 

However, Jim Irsay overshadowed that failure of Plan with failure of Biblical Proportions.  He chose to hire his Friend as a head coach.  A friend who had no NFL coaching experience.  At all.  While at the same time having not one, but two ex-head coaches on staff.  Both of which had coached in the superbowl.  He passed up on these entirely reasonable and respectable options to place a completely out of his depth Friend at the top.  And it's not just that the team, as a result, experienced monumental, historical game failures that one can easily lay at the feet of a coach completely out of his depth.  This decision set his organization back 30 years.  He made it plain to his players, his coaches, and the rest of the league, that this team makes decisions based upon the day-to-day whim of its owner.  Not by what is reasonable or respectable.  Not by initiatives or ideals.  And now, what prospective coach would consider coming here, but this black cloud doesn't appear to him?  Do you really want to?  Really?  It's gonna follow Irsay for a decade.  Maybe more.

 

And in the face of this failure of Biblical Proportions, the failure of Plan sponsored by Chris Ballard doesn't seem so much.  If anything at all.  Ballard gets a pass.  A pass undeserved.  But he gets it anyway.

 

It's a dangerous thing to ask "What's the worst that could happen?"  You might just get it.

You nailed it right on the head. This story is sad but true.

[philba101]

12 hours ago, throwing BBZ said:

 

  Funny how you say WE have failed but you must lay the blame on Ballard.

  Frank was a better Confidence Man than a HC.

 Irsay, the man that writes the checks, with the final say, saw all he could take and tossed him.

 Now he and Ballard will try again, hopefully nailing the HC and QB position.

 The good news is there seems to be many good HC prospects and good enough QB ones also.

I don't lay the blame just at Ballard's feet. I agree that it was time for Frank to go. Frank never struck me as a strong enough personality to insist that he gets what he wants from Irsay and Ballard, although Wentz was definitely his doing. I appreciate that Ballard and Irsay both want to take blame for the Colts failures, it just seemed like they are not even on the same page doing this. Ballard comes out one day as says that he failed and the blame rests on his shoulders; the next day Irsay is out saying that the ultimate blame really rests with him. This doesn't give me confidence that those two getting back together to do it all again will be successful this time either.