GM Chris Ballard is as unhappy as you are about team's vaccination rate
 

https://www.indystar.com/story/sport...te/5590831001/


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INDIANAPOLIS – The leaders of the Indianapolis Colts are unhappy with the team’s low vaccination rate. Understand something: By leaders, I mean owner Jim Irsay, general manager Chris Ballard and coach Frank Reich, not any of those me-first dudes in the locker room who have made the “personal” choice to put the Colts’ 2021 NFL season at risk by refusing to get vaccinated.

Ballard made that clear toward the end of his sit-down Wednesday with local media. We used most of our 30 minutes to pepper him – his word, "pepper" – about his team’s vaccination rates. It’s not just that the Colts’ locker room is roughly 75% vaccinated, well below the overall NFL rate of roughly 90%. That’s the what, and the what matters. But what matters more is the who.

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard talks with a Colts staff member during practice Saturday, July 31, 2021.
The team’s best two young players, All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard and All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson. The team’s most important player: Franchise quarterback Carson Wentz. Others who are vitally important, including center Ryan Kelly and left tackle Eric Fisher.

Unvaccinated, all of them.

That’s not just unfortunate. That’s embarrassing. And Chris Ballard let a little of that frustration show Wednesday afternoon when he was asked, essentially, how come he hasn’t been letting his frustration show.


“Look,” Ballard said, taking a swig of water to collect his thoughts. “I can beat my head against a wall. I can go in there and raise all kinds of hell and go off and…”

He pauses. He’s said enough. Time to change directions.

“It’s just not how we roll, man. We believe in our guys, believe in what they stand for,” Ballard said. “We’ll continue to work on vaccinations. It’s not like we’re done.”




Pay attention. Ballard’s about to say something that he knows most of you – near as I can tell, most of this fan base is mortified by the team’s vaccination issue – will not enjoy hearing.

“They know the importance of team,” Ballard said, emphasizing that last word. “I can already see the comments (from fans) after making that statement. But they understand they have to take care of the protocols at hand. They have to live by them.”

Earlier, he’d said this:

“For the guys who have chosen to not get vaccinated, they understand (that) they have to protect the team,” Ballard had said. “We’ve talked a lot about that. Some of them are really good players. They’ve got to do everything they can to protect the team. Them playing helps us win.”


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Earlier this week, and even now in some cases, some of the best and most important players on the team – there’s that four-letter word again – hadn't been practicing. Why? Because they’d been placed on the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list. Why? Not because they were sick. But because they’re unvaccinated:

Carson Wentz. Quenton Nelson. Ryan Kelly. Zach Pascal.

Colts fans, you think you’re mad? You’re not the only ones.

Ballard defends Colts' character

Ballard knows how it looks. All these guys, all these alleged locker-room leaders, refusing to get vaccinated? Fans are angry. They’re swarming on social media, calling for Irsay or Ballard to DO SOMETHING.

Ballard did something Wednesday. He doubled down on the character of his players, character that was unquestioned before the coronavirus came along and smashed open another window into our souls.

“You’ve been in our locker room,” Ballard was telling us, not exactly pleading, but almost. “You know the kind of guys we’re dealing with here. These are good players who are good people, want to win, great in the community, do everything right.”

Almost everything.

More Doyel COVID-19 fire:What did you think would happen, Carson Wentz?

Doyel: Science, anti-vaccine Colts on collision course

Doyel: Please, pretty please, let Jacob Eason steal Wentz's job

Ballard’s right, of course. Refusing to take a vaccine doesn’t take away from the tendency of Darius Leonard, Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly and Zach Pascal to show up on the team’s Community Monday, giving up their off day – their recovery day, after a violent NFL game – to help out around the community. Refusing to take a vaccine doesn’t bounce the $250,000 check Carson Wentz wrote last week for earthquake relief in Haiti. In a story the other day I offered to help pack Wentz’s bags to help him out of town, but it’s important to acknowledge there is more to a man than his vaccination status.

What the hell does he mean by “I offered to help pack Wentz’s bags to help him out of town”?

That’s pretty ridiculous and over the top.

We haven't even played a game.

He wrote a pretty critical piece suggesting the team should cut Wentz and he’d offer to drive him to the airport. I’ve stated several times I see the unvaccinated guys as selfish and / or ignorant and even I think it was a little over the top.

Still, it is getting increasingly hard to be impressed with the supposed character of the team.

Yeah, that’s really dumb. What, does he want them to cut Leonard, Nelson, and Kelly too?

Ridiculous.

Wentz and Leonard talked with the media today about their vaccination status:

https://twitter.com/JoelAErickson/st...93983838318594

https://twitter.com/jimayello/status...93829152296974

https://twitter.com/zkeefer/status/1433503000560119809


https://twitter.com/zkeefer/status/1433495661287194625

https://twitter.com/jimayello/status...98056004149250

Somehow makes me feel better that they are talking about it and none of them are spouting some idiotic theory about why they don't want the vaccine. I disagree with them but don't feel like I'm going to be rooting for morons now. Hope I'm right.

My perception has been they are not comfortable with the shot but are fine with taking all necessary precautions and following the protocols. There is no covid denial or blatant antivax conspiracy theory that I've seen from these guys.

This whole thing is weird and reminds me of how depressing the general population is. The reality is these guys are still kids that get paid exceptional amounts of money to play a children's game. The fact we are even watching the game is luxurious. None of this shit is important, really.

The raw emotional backlash, judgmental attitudes, and blatant nastiness I've witnessed this last week from the fans and the media has served as a nice reminder that unrestrained or excessive emotional investment in this fucking bullshit product (that has very little constructive meaning in our lives) may be more stupid than ignorant.

Brilliant statement Mr Session. Wish I had said it. Thank you

Not only has Doyel been ridiculous with his statements on Wentz but he's also been very bipolar about it as well. One day he'll write that he hopes Eason lights it up in week 1 and replaces Wentz. Next day he'll write about how great it is to see Wentz back and that if he can stay healthy he's a sure fire pro-bowler. Then the next day he'll offer to help Wentz pack his bags b/c he's not vaccinated. He's paid for his opinion, but how about a little consistency there?