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If there was ever a sign that the Detroit Lions have made a significant culture shift since the previous regime, I think prank calling teams on draft day would represent something unimaginable from the Matt Patricia days. But that’s exactly what happened on Thursday night.
Late into the night, the Indianapolis Colts were on the clock with the 21st pick in the draft. That’s when Colts general manager Chris Ballard got a call from his good pal John Dorsey, the senior personnel executive from the Lions. The two are friends after spending four years together as part of the Kansas City Chiefs front office from 2013 to 2016.
But Ballard wasn’t in the mood for catching up with Dorsey at this time and moment.
You see, Dorsey has a history of prank calling Ballard during the most pivotal times in the draft, only for the Colts GM to hang up on him. Here’s that moment from the 2019 NFL Draft:
Draft Day shenanigans with GM Chris Ballard and @Browns GM John Dorsey.
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) May 2, 2019
FULL EPISODE ➡️ https://t.co/LeZhX68dFZ pic.twitter.com/4hT28Zaz3l
Flash forward to Thursday night, Dorsey may have not been in the general manager seat, but that didn’t stop him from making a call to his old pal:
Chris Ballard hanging up on John Dorsey.
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) April 30, 2021
A Draft tradition. pic.twitter.com/4heHdvRMk7
What’s interesting here is that Ballard references an offer from the Lions. Chances are he’s joking, but it’s possible the Lions were thinking about jumping back into the first round.
Either way, it’s a funny moment, and a sign the Lions are finally getting a little looser and more fun. Hell, they even apparently had some cornhole set up in the hallways to decompress on draft night.