Facing New England ‘dream game’ for Atlanta GM
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Thomas Dimitroff’s Super Bowl matchup against Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots is far more than an executive facing his former boss and employer.
Dimitroff, the Atlanta Falcons general manager since 2008, has extremely deep ties with Belichick. Dimitroff’s first NFL job was on the Cleveland Browns’ grounds crew when his father was a scout and Belichick was the coach. Dimitroff climbed the ranks before spending five years as the Patriots’ director of college scouting under Belichick.
Now Belichick and the Patriots stand in the way of the Falcons’ attempt to win their first Super Bowl on Feb. 5. It’s a challenge Dimitroff said he relishes. “This is kind of a dream game that way, to be able to go against the Patriots and against one of my mentors in this league,” Dimitroff said Friday.
Dimitroff’s respect for his former boss is obvious. He says New England is where he learned the most important lessons that prepared him for the opportunity in Atlanta.
“I learned a lot from my father and from different places I was at, of course, but it wasn’t until I got to the Patriots that I truly realized the idea at the core of the team concept,” he said.
“I mean, I grew up hearing it all the time, but actually being put into effect there in New England, I’ll take that with me forever.”
The Falcons retained Dimitroff when hiring coach Dan Quinn in 2015. The two formed a management partnership that produced Atlanta’s second Super Bowl berth, perhaps faster than either could have predicted.
Though Quinn was given ultimate control of player personnel decisions, the two appear comfortable sharing authority with no apparent sign of friction. Dimitroff calls their relationship a “partnership.”
The coach and GM often are seen in warm embraces on the field after games, and Dimitroff says they talk 10 or more times during a day “on so many levels, from policy to acquisitions to how we’re going to replace lights in this (indoor practice) facility.”
Quinn said when he interviewed with Atlanta he was looking for “a general manager who together we could share the whole vision of what a team could be.”
Dimitroff’s vision bears the imprint of his time under Belichick. The Patriots’ influence also comes from Falcons assistant GM Scott Pioli — the former New England GM.
Belichick said he remembers the young Dimitroff in Cleveland “working in the organization when he was coming out of high school and into college.”
“But he’s a football guy, so it’s in the family,” Belichick said. “He works hard. He knows the game. He did a real good job for us with skill players, defensive backs, receivers, linebackers, running backs, things like that.”
Super Bowl ticket prices down
HOUSTON — Looking for a ticket to Super Bowl 51 in Houston on Feb. 5?
The average price for tickets to the matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots is already down nine per cent from last year’s game, according to ticket reseller StubHub. And they are expected to drop even more in the days leading up to the game.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if the average ticket price drops another $500-600 as the week goes,” said Glenn Lehrman StubHub’s global head of communications.
The average price for a ticket at StubHub on Friday was $4,945, with the cheapest ticket going for $2,499 and the most expensive one sold to date going for $15,432.