Dan Dakich is expressing his frustration not with the Indianapolis Colts’ decision to fire general manager Chris Ballard, but rather, with the fact that it took so long for them to do so.
On Monday, following the Colts’ disappointing loss to the winless Tennessee Titans at home, the team announced that Ballard was no longer in his position as general manager. Carlie Irsay-Gordon, the Colts’ owner and CEO, released a statement explaining why this decision was made now during the regular season.
“As I mentioned at the beginning of the season, the urgency has never been greater. Our goal is to compete for championships, and I believe a change in leadership is essential to achieve that,” Irsay-Gordon stated, adding that making this change during the season was a deliberate choice. “Delaying would only postpone the crucial work that needs to start immediately.”
Dakich, a notable figure in Indiana and host of ‘Don’t @ Me,’ has long maintained that Ballard was not suitable for the role, stating that his firing six games into the season is well-deserved.
“The worst general manager in NFL history just got fired,” Dakich remarked on Monday in response to the news. “Honestly, this is seven years overdue. How is it that I figured this out ages ago, while the Irsays didn’t? How could I watch ‘Hard Knocks’ five years back and see it as a complete mess while no one else did? They’ve held onto a guy who hasn’t led them to the playoffs in five seasons, hasn’t had a noteworthy draft pick since Jonathan Taylor, wasted money, and treated fans poorly, even crying and blaming social issues on white people.”
“This guy was a disaster from day one.”
Later, Dakich highlighted, in a tag directed at Irsay-Gordon on Twitter, his own ability to recognize Ballard’s unsuitability despite the Colts’ management not seeing it.
Ballard began his role with the Colts in January 2017. During his time, the team never won the AFC South, made the playoffs only twice, and won just one postseason game in 2018. He was let go while the team’s record stood at 2-4 this season.
