Official Ravens suck Game day thread

[apballin]

Originally Posted by ChoppedWood

Brisset and Wentz both played tremendous yesterday in leading their teams to wins.

Chris Ballard swims in a sewer of rotting dicks!

They both should’ve gotten another year, not sure you can blame Ballard for these moves though.

[rm1369]

Originally Posted by Chromeburn

I never said any of that. I never said opinions are infallible. I just don’t dismiss them out of out hand bc I disagree with them. Especially if the person is more knowable in a field. I saw first hand what Mcdaniels did in Denver, how the players reacted to him. It was a toxic environment. But I’ve never talked to the guy. I’ve never had to interactions with him or long conversations. Hear his regrets about the coaching situation there or his side. Don’t see him at the combine and get drinks afterward. There is a whole world I don’t see or interact with so I allow for the fact I don’t know everything. I think this concept is lost on you.

I’m not going to reply to all the rest of your shit. You’ve demonstrated a surface level knowledge of what happens. The fact you are shitting on the opinions of others is laughable. Anything goes wrong blame the GM attitude is a waste of my time. I’m fine holding him accountable for record, at the end of the day you didn’t win enough. That’s the ultimate deciding factor. But some of the moronic made up stuff is eye rolling. I suggest you educate yourself a little and you won’t look so uninformed.

Speaks volumes Chrome.

For the record, here is a couple Ballard quotes of the shit I apparently made up:

“Development of young players—that’s on us, and that’s on the coaching staff. I’ve always believed that coaches coach. You can't rely on a veteran player to coach up a young guy when that veteran is trying to fight for his own career and his own job."

“Young players don’t care what a guy did five years ago. They respect what you do today. They respect what you put on tape. If you bring a veteran in just to sit in the locker room and be a 'mentor' but he can't run or play anymore, the young guys see right through that."

Both said when he was questioned about going so young and not providing vet leadership. This is what I was referring to when I referenced Hankins, because that’s when he spelled out his philosophy. I guess with you not knowing he signed Hankins I shouldn’t have expected you to know his stated belief on the subject.

Now here are a few recent Ballard comments on the culture of his team:

"Instead of really creating competition throughout and throwing new blood into the locker room, new players into the locker room, I said, 'You know what? We're going to run it back.' That was a mistake." He also addressed the resulting entitlement and complacency: "There was an entitlement that, 'You know what, I'm back. I deserve to be back.'"

"Players in that locker room, they can B.S the media, they can B.S. their family, but they cannot B.S. each other. And Pat was on good teams, Pat was a great player, Pat knows what it looks like, so he saw the cracks. The biggest issue and our players know this because I voiced it, how about solving the problem? Like it's easy to voice the problem in public, but how about being part of solving the problem. That's what we need."

“A good culture has some friction in it, because there's some accountability within that challenges each other and never walks by a mistake, and we've got to get there. That was not done this year, and that's probably my biggest disappointment.”

You can obviously agree with Ballard’s philosophy. And you can believe there is no connection between that philosophy and the culture we have seen from the team during his tenure. What you can’t do is say I made it up. Or argue that every GM has that same philosophy. Or claim there has never been a culture issue with the team. For me, when he expressed that philosophy (and a few others) I disagreed with it. Strongly. It doesn’t help that he has tended towards “technical” coaches, not disciplinarian coaches and has never established a strong culture of accountability (his own words allude to it). You don’t have to connect the same dots between those quotes that I do. I really don’t give a fuck.

With that clarified, you can fuck off.

Enjoy the season.

[rm1369]

Originally Posted by apballin

They both should’ve gotten another year, not sure you can blame Ballard for these moves though.

It was pretty obvious what both players were when Ballard moved on. There are several things I believe you can criticize Ballard for, but acquiring and then moving on from these guys aren’t on the list.

[ChoppedWood]

Originally Posted by rm1369

It was pretty obvious what both players were when Ballard moved on. There are several things I believe you can criticize Ballard for, but acquiring and then moving on from these guys aren’t on the list.

I'm not entirely sure I agree; I'm close but there is a part of me that says he is to blame there as well.

We sure do seem to be observing a pattern of guys going elsewhere and doing okay. If that is acknowledged as a trend (I think Brissett had a really solid year last year- I admit to not having looked it up), then one must ask, is the franchise in its current form just incapable of making players better and in turn are the coaches we've had just atrocious at development? Perhaps they aren't that terrible, and would like to develop players, but big dick Ballard is the constant in the whole thing? It certainly seems like he is the one single variable that has not changed, and the output for his entire tenure, regardless of coaches- and that is the full spectrum of coaching positions- regardless of players- we have had and have some really good ones, has been ground hog day. To me, that points to him as the rot in the middle of the basket, everything around him begins to mold and decay because he does nothing but pollute.

Everyone blasted Ebron for what he said- and yeah it was over the top about Luck, but that's smoke. There's so much smoke you cannot help to think that these players walk out the door from the Colts HQ and think "man it feels good to not be around that prick any longer" and in turn, they turn things around under admins that are better at, well at everything.

[Oldcolt]

I think it is pretty simple. Ballard sucks at drafting players, especially players in the first and second round. If we had hit on our last 3 second round picks this is a whole different team. We didn't and haven't for years. It is crippling for an organization. It isn't about missing on one or two QBs, its almost never hitting on any of your top draft choices. Maybe its coaching but Ballard owns that to. It is early but this year looks exactly like what people who wanted Ballard fired (and have left the site because they are sick of this shit) thought it would. I have been here before with this team. All you can do is watch and hope that one or two players make an impression for the future. I feel for Q and those great players who have worked in this shit for years with nothing but a ton on money (that is a nice consolation prize) to show for it. Glad some hard ass fans have decided to see it through here. The feeling will be great when we finally turn this bitch around.

[rm1369]

Originally Posted by Oldcolt

I think it is pretty simple. Ballard sucks at drafting players, especially players in the first and second round. If we had hit on our last 3 second round picks this is a whole different team. We didn't and haven't for years. It is crippling for an organization. It isn't about missing on one or two QBs, its almost never hitting on any of your top draft choices. Maybe its coaching but Ballard owns that to. It is early but this year looks exactly like what people who wanted Ballard fired (and have left the site because they are sick of this shit) thought it would. I have been here before with this team. All you can do is watch and hope that one or two players make an impression for the future. I feel for Q and those great players who have worked in this shit for years with nothing but a ton on money (that is a nice consolation prize) to show for it. Glad some hard ass fans have decided to see it through here. The feeling will be great when we finally turn this bitch around.

One of the more frustrating things for me is realizing the great players Ballard has acquired have given the bulk of their careers to the mediocrity. Leonard, Q, Buckner, Taylor, Stewart. Legitimately great acquisitions whose primes are wasted with damn near no meaningful games or team accomplishments. That has to be frustrating as hell. As a fan and season ticket holder it’s frustrating. I can’t imagine giving up my body and career to this shit. Of course I’d happily trade for the money part I guess, but that was a given for them no matter where they played.

We can argue why. I lean heavily on culture, coaching, lack of accountability, and what I’ve seen as the “next year mentality” (that has admittedly finally lessened some). But you aren’t wrong on draft picks. I think Ballard is a pretty good drafter overall, but he has certainly struggled at certain premium positions - especially DE and CB.

I just get tired of being told he’s great when there is plenty of evidence he’s not. I hope he learns, changes his methods, and shines somewhere else. I have nothing against the guy personally. But he has been a failure as Colts GM and I don’t understand how anyone can say otherwise. Early on when I disagreed with his philosophy and thought it would lead to a consistently mediocre team, I still advocated for him to have the time to prove it out. I understand you can’t switch trains every two years and succeed. But that time has well passed. Nearly any other Franchise would have fired him 2+ seasons ago. We have watched many teams fall and rise again in the time Ballard has had. I’m done.

[rm1369]

Originally Posted by ChoppedWood

I'm not entirely sure I agree; I'm close but there is a part of me that says he is to blame there as well.

We sure do seem to be observing a pattern of guys going elsewhere and doing okay. If that is acknowledged as a trend (I think Brissett had a really solid year last year- I admit to not having looked it up), then one must ask, is the franchise in its current form just incapable of making players better and in turn are the coaches we've had just atrocious at development? Perhaps they aren't that terrible, and would like to develop players, but big dick Ballard is the constant in the whole thing? It certainly seems like he is the one single variable that has not changed, and the output for his entire tenure, regardless of coaches- and that is the full spectrum of coaching positions- regardless of players- we have had and have some really good ones, has been ground hog day. To me, that points to him as the rot in the middle of the basket, everything around him begins to mold and decay because he does nothing but pollute.

Everyone blasted Ebron for what he said- and yeah it was over the top about Luck, but that's smoke. There's so much smoke you cannot help to think that these players walk out the door from the Colts HQ and think "man it feels good to not be around that prick any longer" and in turn, they turn things around under admins that are better at, well at everything.

Ballards teams have always ended up less than the sum of their parts. IMO some of that has been positional value (not all All Pros have the same value), some of it is the huge holes he’s left in areas to fill later, and some is culture. But every teams has players that leave and succeed to some degree elsewhere. Scheme fit, maturity, or support by other positions (pass rush can make corners better and vice versa). I don’t think the Colts would have been better off keeping either, even if they end up performing elsewhere. I do always root for Brissett though.

[Oldcolt]

RM1369 I agree with everything you said. They are all interrelated and his failure at high draft picks are certainly influenced greatly by the issues you have brought up. I wouldnt argue which is most important, they all are. It is why Sherck thinks we need a complete redo (I agree) from top to bottom. I also root for Brissett, like i will for AR when he leaves. Lousy organization right now. I don't see us turning this season around. Hope i am wrong.

[Hoopsdoc]

I was curious so I went and looked up Ballards second round picks.

2017-Quincy Wilson: grade F.
2018-Shaq Leonard A+ Braden Smith A Kemoko Turay F Tyquan Lewis C
2019-Rock Ya Sin F Ben Banogu F- Paris Campbell F
2020- Michael Pittman Jr A+ Jonathon Taylor A+
2021- Dayo Odeyingbo C
2022- Alec Pierce A+
2023- Juju Brents F
2024- AD Mitchell F
2025- JT Tuimoloau incomplete but not looking good.
2026- CJ Allen. Incomplete.

So that’s four home runs, one excellent pick, two decent picks, two unknowns, and seven busts.

I’m not sure what the average is in the 2nd round but that doesn’t strike me as very good.

[Chromeburn]

Originally Posted by rm1369

Speaks volumes Chrome.

For the record, here is a couple Ballard quotes of the shit I apparently made up:

“Development of young players—that’s on us, and that’s on the coaching staff. I’ve always believed that coaches coach. You can't rely on a veteran player to coach up a young guy when that veteran is trying to fight for his own career and his own job."

“Young players don’t care what a guy did five years ago. They respect what you do today. They respect what you put on tape. If you bring a veteran in just to sit in the locker room and be a 'mentor' but he can't run or play anymore, the young guys see right through that."

Both said when he was questioned about going so young and not providing vet leadership. This is what I was referring to when I referenced Hankins, because that’s when he spelled out his philosophy. I guess with you not knowing he signed Hankins I shouldn’t have expected you to know his stated belief on the subject.

Now here are a few recent Ballard comments on the culture of his team:

"Instead of really creating competition throughout and throwing new blood into the locker room, new players into the locker room, I said, 'You know what? We're going to run it back.' That was a mistake." He also addressed the resulting entitlement and complacency: "There was an entitlement that, 'You know what, I'm back. I deserve to be back.'"

"Players in that locker room, they can B.S the media, they can B.S. their family, but they cannot B.S. each other. And Pat was on good teams, Pat was a great player, Pat knows what it looks like, so he saw the cracks. The biggest issue and our players know this because I voiced it, how about solving the problem? Like it's easy to voice the problem in public, but how about being part of solving the problem. That's what we need."

“A good culture has some friction in it, because there's some accountability within that challenges each other and never walks by a mistake, and we've got to get there. That was not done this year, and that's probably my biggest disappointment.”

You can obviously agree with Ballard’s philosophy. And you can believe there is no connection between that philosophy and the culture we have seen from the team during his tenure. What you can’t do is say I made it up. Or argue that every GM has that same philosophy. Or claim there has never been a culture issue with the team. For me, when he expressed that philosophy (and a few others) I disagreed with it. Strongly. It doesn’t help that he has tended towards “technical” coaches, not disciplinarian coaches and has never established a strong culture of accountability (his own words allude to it). You don’t have to connect the same dots between those quotes that I do. I really don’t give a fuck.

With that clarified, you can fuck off.

Enjoy the season.

I have a simple question for you, did you play any football?