Chris Ballard thought he heard what his players were telling him. The Indianapolis Colts GM thought he understood what his players were fighting for, why they felt compelled to kneel.
He thought he was listening.
But Ballard knows now that he was wrong. His ears were open, but his heart and mind were not.
“Like everyone, we didn’t listen. I didn’t listen in (20)17,” Ballard said Thursday in a 20-minute outpouring of emotion during an unscheduled chat with local media. “I didn’t listen to (former Colts defensive back) Darius Butler. I love Darius Butler.