“At the beginning of the season, it seemed right to schedule a photo op with the new face of the team,” the source said. “Now, not so much. I think the Mayor became worried that given the current popularity of the Colts, being seen with the least-respected player on the team might actually harm his chances.”
Collins was a pre-season pickup for the Colts to replace the injured Peyton Manning. After playing three games, Collins was injured in the Week 3 loss to the Houston Texans and placed on the inactive list.
When asked for an official comment, Ballard’s Chief-of-Staff Chris Cotterill would not confirm or deny the report.
“Obviously the Mayor is a huge Colts fan, and like all of us he was disappointed by Collins’s performance,” he said. “If there was a planned appearance, obviously the Mayor wouldn’t cancel it just because of his personal feelings or just because Collins had those three fumbles in his three starts. Whether or not Kerry Collins is an absolutely terrible quarterback is not a factor in any of the Mayor’s scheduling considerations.”
However, according to the anonymous source, that is exactly what happened.
“Yeah, he hates Kerry Collins,” she said. “No question. I mean, how can we go from Peyton Manning to that?”
The source went on to say that Ballard will seek to schedule an appearance with a more high-profile player in the coming weeks.
“I think he’s hoping to get a photo op with someone who really captures the spirit of the team and of the city. Maybe someone like Pat McAfee.”
McAfee is the Colts punter and current favorite for team MVP.