Patricia's past Patriots connection to GM Bob Quinn helped him land the Lions coaching jobGETTY IMAGES
Lions President Rod Wood yesterday said that fans should "expect a bump" in ticket prices for '18, marking the sixth straight year of increases, according to Kyle Meinke of MLIVE.com. The Lions raised ticket prices by 2.8% last year to an "average of $99 per ticket." That hike came "despite winning zero championships or playoff games along the way." But it "didn't affect gate receipts at all." The club said that 513,100 people "attended games at Ford Field this year, which broke the old Ford Field record of 510,369" set in '13 (MLIVE.com, 2/7).
TEAM BUILDING: The Lions yesterday introduced Matt Patricia as their next coach, and in Detroit, Mitch Albom writes Patricia seemed "intelligent, affable, polite and energized." For 12 years, Lions GM Bob Quinn and Patricia "worked together" for the Patriots under coach Bill Belichick, and "like it or not, the Lions will now be viewed as 'New England West.'” Other Belichick protégés have "left to become head coaches in the NFL, but few have been hired by a fellow Belichick protégé." Albom: "One thing is for sure. This is Quinn’s team now. He has been picking the players for two years" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 2/8). Also in Detroit, Bob Wojnowski writes the cohesion between Quinn and Patricia yesterday was "abundantly apparent," as the new coach "made it clear he’s here because Quinn is here" (DETROIT NEWS, 2/8). The DETROIT FREE PRESS' Carlos Monarrez writes Patricia was "articulate, playful and gracious." He seemed "unpretentious and real" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 2/8).
