Ballard presser starting in a couple minutes

[csmopar]

3 minutes ago, RollerColt said:

I was okay with tearing the whole thing up and starting over after 2022. But now, if God forbid we are in a position where Ballard is let go, it would mean the entire ship had sunk to the bottom of the White River… and that would mean yet another rebuild and even more years of instability.

 

I am pulling for Ballard and the entire organization to succeed. I want Richardson and Steichen to be here for the long haul, and that means Ballard by extension as well.

This is where I’m at as well. I honestly don’t think we’re as bad as some fear but we also have a young QB. I really think Ballard has at least this season and next before his seat gets even warm. There’s talent on this roster that’s for sure, super stars,  no, but a great QB and that changes everything. We’ve not had a great QB with a solid roster since Peyton’s unfortunate injury. We’ve had some very good ones that carried bad rosters, but when we’ve had good rosters, we have had bad QBs. I think there’s a chance on AR that he becomes the best QB we’ve had since Manning, but theres also the chance he does not. Gonna be wild 

[RollerColt]

2 minutes ago, csmopar said:

This is where I’m at as well. I honestly don’t think we’re as bad as some fear but we also have a young QB. I really think Ballard has at least this season and next before his seat gets even warm. There’s talent on this roster that’s for sure, super stars,  no, but a great QB and that changes everything 

Yes. This season is all about continuing to develop Anthony. There will be some tough lessons and growing pains, some of which will directly result in the outcome of a loss. Chris knows it, Irsay knows it, and Shane knows it. 
 

NCF has mentioned it plenty of times. The target season was always going to be 2025 for being a true threat to the AFC. We just overachieved a bit earlier than expected with last season. 

[Superman]

Mod note: I removed all the LeBron stuff, and some other stuff. 

[csmopar]

1 minute ago, Superman said:

Mod note: I removed all the LeBron stuff, and some other stuff. 

My apologies to you and everyone on the forum for allowing myself to get drug into unnecessary drama. Thanks Supe

[Superman]

22 hours ago, csmopar said:

Yeah taking a paraphrased quote minus the full context and paraphrasing it a second time, doesn’t do much…

 

Without even listening to the original quote... Imagine that.

[Superman]

Just now, csmopar said:

My apologies to you and everyone on the forum for allowing myself to get drug into unnecessary drama. Thanks Supe

 

 

We're here to have pointless, repetitive arguments about Chris Ballard, not LeBron James. 

[csmopar]

4 minutes ago, RollerColt said:

Yes. This season is all about continuing to develop Anthony. There will be some tough lessons and growing pains, some of which will directly result in the outcome of a loss. Chris knows it, Irsay knows it, and Shane knows it. 
 

Agreed. I don’t think we overachieved, I think we played to what we actually are. We are a fringe playoff team that still needs to put it together to be a serious contender. 9-8, 8-9 is honestly right where I think we should be without a star at QB. 

[RollerColt]

15 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

 

We're here to have pointless, repetitive arguments about Chris Ballard, not LeBron James. 

[Happy2BeHere]

I think that AR is going to look shaky more than stable this season..and hopefully it’s starts the season shaky and moves to stable…not the other way around. 

[stitches]

7 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

Not sure what there is to own here?   Really?
 

I just went through your long string of comments you had with Superman.  Here’s what jumped out at me….
 

That Irsay practically had to force Ballard to draft a quarterback last year.   Care to support or explain that?   Because I thought it was the widespread view here that the two good things about the 2022 season was that (1) we’d hire a new head coach and (2) finally draft a quarterback.  When was that ever a question that off-season?   What did Irsay do to make you say he had to order Ballard to draft a QB?   

Are we really going to ignore all the reporting about Irsay having wanted a young QB since Luck retired? All the reporting that Irsay wanted us to start fresh at QB in 2023? Hell as far as I remember people were still discussing how we should trade for Garoppolo or sign Derek Carr before we got Minshew as the obvious high end backup/caretaker QB. I'm not saying Ballard needed a ton of convincing since his previous 3 attempts with vets failed miserably to secure us a franchise QB and ended up costing his HC's job and almost costing his own job ... But come on... You know what I mean. 

7 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

Your complaints that we have the same mediocre TE and DB rooms?   Interesting.  Do you really want to argue that young players DON’T get better?  Because that’s a fact in all sports, not just football.  Ballard and his head coach believe their young players going into the 2nd, 3rd and 4th years will still get better.   Oh, your fear that our lines are mediocre.  Huh?  Other than 2022 the Colts OL’s have been ranked between 1 and 10 since 2018.  How is that mediocre?  
 

Some young players get better. Others don't. Just assuming your young guys will get better(enough) doesn't make them better and it is one of the reasons for Ballard's mediocre record with this team. He does it over and over again. He has done it with the OL and had to say "my bad" at the end of a season, he's done it with the EDGEs and had to say "my bad" at the end of a season, he has done it with the DBs and had to say "my bad" at the end of a season. This is one of the reasons I say he doesn't learn and he's stubborn. He sacrifices performance when he doesn't need to. You can develop your youth and give them chances to improve and at the same time strengthen your roster and give that youth a safety net to fall on in case their development is not going as planned.

 

My apprehension about the lines is more about the DL than the OL. The OL has mostly been solid with some minor exceptions, although you can probably argue it's still underperforming when you consider all the money and draft picks invested there(highest paid OL in the league for most of the last few years, 2 first round picks, high second and high third). I still would like to see them be dominant and more consistent creating a push in short yardage situations(this has been a problem for a few years now).

 

7 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

Your view that Ballard should’ve drafted a quarterback years ago.   I thought this had been put to rest years ago, but apparently not.  The franchise was young but loaded and built to win in 2020, 21 and 22.  They were not going to gut a draft or two to trade up to take a young quarterback that the team was going to have to grow with and tell young players like Nelson, Smith, Kelly, Leonard and others that the Colts were going to have growing pains for years.  Irsay and Ballard felt they had an obligation to try and win those years and tried to band-aid approach at QB.   
 

Well, that went splendidly. Amazing job in not wasting our stars best years with band-aids. This is why I'm process before all. You do the right thing and if you have to wait for a few years for it to materialize - so be it. Because if they did what had to be done and didn't care that we would have growing pains we might have skipped a few more years of actual pain and we might have already had some success. All of the first 5 QBs drafted in 2020 are now on 200+M dollar second contracts and all of them have had better success than the Ballard's Colts.

 

7 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

As Ballard himself said in his final comment of the Jan 24 season recap… the reason we haven’t won more is that we haven’t gotten the quarterback right.  Now, the hope is the Colts HAVE gotten the QB right.   And to remind: the approach the Colts took all those years was approved in real time by Jim Irsay.  
 

Yep... If only there was someone on a football team responsible for getting the QB right. Too bad no such position exists. And Irsay has his own responsibility of course, but his role is much more in picking the right people to make personnel decisions rather than making the personnel decisions himself. We will see if his decision to keep his trust in Ballard after 2022 was good or not in due time. And we will see if we finally got the QB right. As you can see none of my criticism is about us actually getting the new young QB.

7 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

I think there were other things I could point to, but I think you’ve got plenty to respond to.   I look forward to it. 

Cheers, I don't think I've ever refused to discuss stuff about the Colts. Maybe I'm wrong on some of this, or maybe I'm not... At the end of the day the best I can do is be honest with my opinions and try to defend them.

[stitches]

5 hours ago, RollerColt said:

I was okay with tearing the whole thing up and starting over after 2022. But now, if God forbid we are in a position where Ballard is let go, it would mean the entire ship had sunk to the bottom of the White River… and that would mean yet another rebuild and even more years of instability.

 

I am pulling for Ballard and the entire organization to succeed. I want Richardson and Steichen to be here for the long haul, and that means Ballard by extension as well.

Yep, pretty much my opinion. I have my disagreements with Ballard, but once you have given him a vote of confidence to pick a new coach and invest high pick in a new QB, you just have to give him the time to see his vision through. The alternative is MUCH worse IMO. 

 

I don't think I've ever wanted a player to succeed as much as I want Richardson to succeed and if he does, this very likely would mean success for Steichen and Ballard... and the Colts too... which is ultimately what we all want. 

[Solid84]

5 hours ago, stitches said:

You can develop your youth and give them chances to improve and at the same time strengthen your roster and give that youth a safety net to fall on in case their development is not going as planned.

Not that I don’t agree with the rest of what you said (because I do), but this is exactly my thoughts as well. 
 

Young guys need snaps, but they don’t have to play every single snap of the season. You don’t have to sacrifice a season in the name of developing young players. It’s such a bad approach in my opinion. 

[DougDew]

15 hours ago, RollerColt said:

Yeah. I mean he’s always had this viewpoint. He could care less what the fan base wants in terms of roster decisions. Not like it’s groundbreaking how he responded. 

Its not like he's supposed to make them based on what the fans want, but he should make them on what he thinks will win games in 2024 and not really refer to what he did the past 7 years at all.  JMO. 

 

Yeah, the response was typical.  The paraphrase was accurate.    Accurate paraphrasing is a much better way to understand something than being drawn into the idea that you're smarter by patiently listening to the rambling "something for everyone" quote.  Don't buy the elites who will tell you that.  If someone could paraphrase it the way they did, then Ballard obviously did not verbally and clearly discard his methods he took over the past years.  You don't have to parse every word of his answer to know that.

 

But I'm fine with the way the team sits now, and don't agree with the continued complaining about portions of the roster.  Most of the players on the team that I think are important are probably less than 3 years in the NFL, so I expect it to be a while before we are a real contender in the AFC...and that's assuming those young players are really any good.  But at least the resources have been allocated better than in the past, IMO, which is the primary job of the GM, IMO.

[RollerColt]

46 minutes ago, DougDew said:

Yeah, the response was typical.  The paraphrase was accurate.    Accurate paraphrasing is a much better way to understand something than being drawn into the idea that you're smarter by patiently listening to the rambling "something for everyone" quote.  Don't buy the elites who will tell you that.  If someone could paraphrase it the way they did, then Ballard obviously did not verbally and clearly discard his methods he took over the past years.  You don't have to parse every word of his answer to know that.

Paraphrasing is okay, but it can come from inherent bias. Depends on the person writing the paraphrase. 

 

As a social studies teacher, I'm interested in primary sources more than secondary. I like to get my information straight from the source if it's possible.

[DougDew]

15 minutes ago, RollerColt said:

Paraphrasing is okay, but it can come from inherent bias. Depends on the person writing the paraphrase. 

 

As a social studies teacher, I'm interested in primary sources more than secondary. I like to get my information straight from the source if it's possible.

That's fine, but I swear if I hear the word "bias" again, I'm going to puke.  Its the modern trendy word that people use to sound intellectual.  (No, I'm not talking about you, I mean the general use of the word by the masses).  I also think its a word to use to discount another's statement in a way that provides no support for the accusation that the person is actually biased.  Its a pseudo- label.

 

As you are a teacher teaching young people, I think its good that you show them how to dissect information for themselves.  As myself, a 60 year experienced human, I know how the world works and how people tend to be, so I'm pretty confident in my ability to make accurate conclusions quickly without having to go through the same tedious process a student should.

[throwing BBZ]

9 hours ago, stitches said:

Are we really going to ignore all the reporting about Irsay having wanted a young QB since Luck retired? All the reporting that Irsay wanted us to start fresh at QB in 2023? Hell as far as I remember people were still discussing how we should trade for Garoppolo or sign Derek Carr before we got Minshew as the obvious high end backup/caretaker QB. I'm not saying Ballard needed a ton of convincing since his previous 3 attempts with vets failed miserably to secure us a franchise QB and ended up costing his HC's job and almost costing his own job ... But come on... You know what I mean. 

Some young players get better. Others don't. Just assuming your young guys will get better(enough) doesn't make them better and it is one of the reasons for Ballard's mediocre record with this team. He does it over and over again. He has done it with the OL and had to say "my bad" at the end of a season, he's done it with the EDGEs and had to say "my bad" at the end of a season, he has done it with the DBs and had to say "my bad" at the end of a season. This is one of the reasons I say he doesn't learn and he's stubborn. He sacrifices performance when he doesn't need to. You can develop your youth and give them chances to improve and at the same time strengthen your roster and give that youth a safety net to fall on in case their development is not going as planned.

 

My apprehension about the lines is more about the DL than the OL. The OL has mostly been solid with some minor exceptions, although you can probably argue it's still underperforming when you consider all the money and draft picks invested there(highest paid OL in the league for most of the last few years, 2 first round picks, high second and high third). I still would like to see them be dominant and more consistent creating a push in short yardage situations(this has been a problem for a few years now).

 

Well, that went splendidly. Amazing job in not wasting our stars best years with band-aids. This is why I'm process before all. You do the right thing and if you have to wait for a few years for it to materialize - so be it. Because if they did what had to be done and didn't care that we would have growing pains we might have skipped a few more years of actual pain and we might have already had some success. All of the first 5 QBs drafted in 2020 are now on 200+M dollar second contracts and all of them have had better success than the Ballard's Colts.

 

Yep... If only there was someone on a football team responsible for getting the QB right. Too bad no such position exists. And Irsay has his own responsibility of course, but his role is much more in picking the right people to make personnel decisions rather than making the personnel decisions himself. We will see if his decision to keep his trust in Ballard after 2022 was good or not in due time. And we will see if we finally got the QB right. As you can see none of my criticism is about us actually getting the new young QB.

Cheers, I don't think I've ever refused to discuss stuff about the Colts. Maybe I'm wrong on some of this, or maybe I'm not... At the end of the day the best I can do is be honest with my opinions and try to defend them.

 

 Irsay has been explicit, the decision on the way forward at QB must get his approval. It's his $$$.

 It's incredibly unfortunate that we didn't get a great young mind instead of Frank. That period, looking back, was an anchor to a SB build.

People can disagree, maybe just not comprehend it, many are here to whine about the past.

 If one has a decent FB team building IQ, they are excited about the depth and talent Ballard, his staff, Steichen and his coaching staff are putting together.

 My list of knucklehead whiners will only continue to grow.

 I predict we give up 20 points or fewer ohhh 5 times. And we win 4-5 of them.

We are going to be one of the best run defending teams.

Our pass rush in passing situations will be WOW!

 It's a different Team, a New Era.

 

 

[stitches]

1 hour ago, throwing BBZ said:

 

 Irsay has been explicit, the decision on the way forward at QB must get his approval. It's his $$$.

 It's incredibly unfortunate that we didn't get a great young mind instead of Frank. That period, looking back, was an anchor to a SB build.

People can disagree, maybe just not comprehend it, many are here to whine about the past.

 If one has a decent FB team building IQ, they are excited about the depth and talent Ballard, his staff, Steichen and his coaching staff are putting together.

 My list of knucklehead whiners will only continue to grow.

 I predict we give up 20 points or fewer ohhh 5 times. And we win 4-5 of them.

We are going to be one of the best run defending teams.

Our pass rush in passing situations will be WOW!

 It's a different Team, a New Era.

 

 

 here's to hoping you are right  

[RollerColt]

1 hour ago, DougDew said:

That's fine, but I swear if I hear the word "bias" again, I'm going to puke.  Its the modern trendy word that people use to sound intellectual.  (No, I'm not talking about you, I mean the general use of the word by the masses).  I also think its a word to use to discount another's statement in a way that provides no support for the accusation that the person is actually biased.  Its a pseudo- label.

 

As you are a teacher teaching young people, I think its good that you show them how to dissect information for themselves.  As myself, a 60 year experienced human, I know how the world works and how people tend to be, so I'm pretty confident in my ability to make accurate conclusions quickly without having to go through the same tedious process a student should.

I don't find collecting information and making inferences to be a tedious process in the digital age, when knowledge is readily available. But then again, I'm a lifelong learner and don't mind finding things can prove or disprove my presumptions. I like keeping an open mind. 

[DougDew]

36 minutes ago, RollerColt said:

I don't find collecting information and making inferences to be a tedious process in the digital age, when knowledge is readily available. But then again, I'm a lifelong learner and don't mind finding things can prove or disprove my presumptions. I like keeping an open mind. 

I'm speaking about the notion that someone forms an opinion with 17 pages of information gathered right now.. stats, links, etc. is always sold as being less biased than someone who forms their opinion with 3 pages over 10 years.  That process has little to do with assessing things correctly or incorrectly, JMO. 

 

The concept of keeping an open mind is a wonderful thing.  Its a bit age related though, IMO.  There are those who after 60 years of life know what they like and what they don't like and don't want to waste time trying something new in hopes it replaces the way they already know somehow better.  And then others who seem to have to keep exploring things like they are still searching for the right answers or methods...after 60 years of living life.  Goodness. 

 

It takes me 30 seconds to order my Quarter Pounder with cheese.  I don't have to keep reading the menu like I've never been to McDonalds before in hopes it might offer something just a bit better.  I hate being behind those people, LOL.

 

But back to Ballard.  I know that Executives rarely ever say directly that they had a bad process years ago.  Most would spin it positive and say that it important to keep up with the competition as it evolves, but it sounds like Ballard didn't even do that.  But I don't even think he's being honest, because I think he has changed his approach slightly from the past, but typical executive-speak doesn't allow him to say that publicly and he has to keep toeing the line like his process always had few flaws.

[RollerColt]

18 minutes ago, DougDew said:

But back to Ballard.  I know that Executives rarely ever say directly that they had a bad process years ago.  Most would spin it positive and say that it important to keep up with the competition as it evolves, but it sounds like Ballard didn't even do that.  But I don't even think he's being honest, because I think he has changed his approach slightly from the past, but typical executive-speak doesn't allow him to say that publicly and he has to keep toeing the line like his process always had few flaws.

I mean, he's been pretty straight up with Rich Eisen that he never wants to outright lie, but he'll dance around questions when he needs/wants to. 

 

And his response was certainly a dance. All GMs are going to give certain bits of info and then move around tough questions. That said, I personally could care less about the interview. It's all about Shane and Anthony continuing to work and learn together. Ballard's not going anywhere for the foreseeable future.

 

24 minutes ago, DougDew said:

The concept of keeping an open mind is a wonderful thing.  Its a bit age related though, IMO.  There are those who after 60 years of life know what they like and what they don't like and don't want to waste time trying something new in hopes it replaces the way they already know somehow better.  And then others who seem to have to keep exploring things like they are still searching for the right answers or methods...after 60 years of living life.  Goodness

I don't think most people are going through life like that, where they are constantly changing their convictions and "truths". I'm saying that when presented with information in terms of a football team it's not that difficult to do a little bit of research. And honestly, what's wrong with searching and trying new things? 

 

Imagine eating the same thing day in and day out. Doing the same thing day after day with no variation. Sounds boring to me, but hey you do you. 

 

I've successfully derailed this topic, so I'm moving on. I guess I'm too young and naive. 

[compuls1v3]

Not sure if anyone pointed this about Freeland.  But Ballard said he played alot during OTAs at right tackle.  Once they tried him at left tackle, there were some technique issues.  He might fill in well on the right side, as of now, but needs work on the left, as a swing tackle.  I think we have some other promising prospects at Tackle on the team as well.

[DougDew]

22 minutes ago, RollerColt said:

I mean, he's been pretty straight up with Rich Eisen that he never wants to outright lie, but he'll dance around questions when he needs/wants to. 

 

And his response was certainly a dance. All GMs are going to give certain bits of info and then move around tough questions. That said, I personally could care less about the interview. It's all about Shane and Anthony continuing to work and learn together. Ballard's not going anywhere for the foreseeable future.

 

I don't think most people are going through life like that, where they are constantly changing their convictions and "truths". I'm saying that when presented with information in terms of a football team it's not that difficult to do a little bit of research. And honestly, what's wrong with searching and trying new things? 

 

Imagine eating the same thing day in and day out. Doing the same thing day after day with no variation. Sounds boring to me, but hey you do you. 

 

I've successfully derailed this topic, so I'm moving on. I guess I'm too young and naive. 

Yes, the discussion about generalities can wander.  I don't eat the same thing every day, but when I do go to McDonald's, I don't feel smarter by researching the entire menu as if its going to reveal some truth I never knew existed.  In fact, spending time doing that would make me feel the opposite of smart.  I already decided what I want before I even turn into McDonald's, and I can't for the life of me understand how somebody seemingly must read the entire menu before they figure it out.  One of life's pet peeves I guess. 

 

I don't care about Ballard's response either, more directly the paraphrasing of it.  its just a topic for discussion. 

 

Again, I'm interested in seeing what impact the newly resourced players can have in the coming few years.  Its very encouraging at this point. 

[RollerColt]

13 minutes ago, DougDew said:

Yes, the discussion about generalities can wander.  I don't eat the same thing every day, but when I do go to McDonald's, I don't feel smarter by researching the entire menu as if its going to reveal some truth I never knew existed.  In fact, spending time doing that would make me feel the opposite of smart.  I already decided what I want before I even turn into McDonald's, and I can't for the life of me understand how somebody seemingly must read the entire menu before they figure it out.  One of life's pet peeves I guess. 

 

I don't care about Ballard's response either, more directly the paraphrasing of it.  its just a topic for discussion. 

 

Again, I'm interested in seeing what impact the newly resourced players can have in the coming few years.  Its very encouraging at this point. 

Okay, I think I see your viewpoint now. 
 

I can certainly agree that we can’t measure intelligence with how a person makes a decision on something like food. 
 

I worked at McDonalds for years in high school and college, and my own father was a swing manager who would go to various stores and fix them. So yeah, the people who read the entire menu absolutely drove us to the brink of insanity. Especially when we were judged on the amount of time it took from initial contact with the start of the order, to when the food was served out the window. 

And it was almost always on a day when we’d get “mystery shopped” (basically observed and evaluated). That was almost 20 years ago now…

[Dingus McGirt]

19 hours ago, NFLfan said:

Alright, let's move on. Some here like Ballard and some don't. It is what it is.

 

[NFLfan]

Hello there, @stitches  Are you ready for the season?

[AKB]

[ColtStrong2013]

27 minutes ago, AKB said:

[stitches]

9 hours ago, NFLfan said:

Hello there, @stitches  Are you ready for the season?

Yep... excited but also there is a certain level of anxiety that comes with having a team that should be competitive and a QB who is a bit of an unknown. How about you? What are the expectations for the Vikings this year? Is JJ missing the full season? 

[NFLfan]

1 minute ago, stitches said:

Yep... excited but also there is a certain level of anxiety that comes with having a team that should be competitive and a QB who is a bit of an unknown. How about you? What are the expectations for the Vikings this year? Is JJ missing the full season? 

 

Thank you. My expectations are as low as they have been in a long time. We have a very tough schedule and the division is very strong. Maybe we will surprise, but that is doubtful. Yes, JJ McCarthy is out the whole season. Hopefully he comes back strong next year.

 

The AFC South should be strong too. I hope the Colts come out on top. I am rooting for AR.

[2006Coltsbestever]

3 hours ago, NFLfan said:

 

Thank you. My expectations are as low as they have been in a long time. We have a very tough schedule and the division is very strong. Maybe we will surprise, but that is doubtful. Yes, JJ McCarthy is out the whole season. Hopefully he comes back strong next year.

 

The AFC South should be strong too. I hope the Colts come out on top. I am rooting for AR.

No offense and you are my buddy but Sam Darnold stinks 

[shasta519]

On 8/29/2024 at 8:54 PM, Superman said:

Mod note: I removed all the LeBron stuff, and some other stuff. 

So maybe put my “Why MJ is the GOAT” dissertation in its own thread? /s

[Rally5]

On 8/28/2024 at 2:49 PM, Superman said:

 

I think maybe you misheard some of his answer. I don't remember hearing anything about a 4 win season being good. He said the 2021 team was good, and the way the season ended was unfortunate.

 

What I think he was saying -- in response to 'why should people believe you're the right guy for the job' -- is 'we built a good team in the first four years, and we know what happened with the QBs and how it ended, so if you want evidence that we can build a good team, I'll stand on the quality of those rosters.' Then he said they don't like missing the playoffs three years in a row, but they felt like they were right there last year, and they feel good about this year. 

 

And then he made his comment about believing in himself, the people around him, and the way they do things. And he thinks it's important to have strong beliefs, and not waver just because of what other people are saying and how they react. (I happen to completely agree with this concept. I might not share all of his beliefs on roster building, but he's absolutely right that it's important to stick to foundational principles. And I think the biggest critics of team management are highly reactionary and not interested in what actually happens around the league.) So if sticking to his beliefs gets him fired, then it gets him fired. In other words, I'm not going to compromise my beliefs to try to save my job. 

 

To some of you, that translated into 'I will never change my mind about anything because I'm hopelessly stubborn and unyielding.' And if that's what you heard, I think you missed the point.

Agree.  What he isn't saying is he's been a Quarterback away this entire journey...and he may still be.

[lollygagger8]

I think Steichen is the best HC this team has had, and will make Ballard look MUCH better than the last coaches we've had since Ballard has been here.