Sporting News named Atlanta Falcons’ General Manager, Thomas Dimitroff, the NFL Executive of the Year. This award may seem odd to some since the moves the Falcons made this season weren’t exactly earth-shattering (signing Dunta Robinson, drafting Sean Weatherspoon) but as described in the piece, this is more of a lifetime achievement award and from that aspect there’s no question he deserves the award.

Since Thomas Dimitroff became Atlanta’s general manager in 2008, the Falcons have been to the playoffs twice and won more games than in any three-year stretch in team history. Solid drafts (Matt Ryan), trades (Tony Gonzalez) and free-agent signings (Michael Turner) have the Falcons set to be contenders for the foreseeable future.

It’s a terrific award to win and it shows the Falcons are in arguably the best hands in the league with Dimitroff and Mike Smith and as Jay Adams pointed out the Falcons won Coach of the Year, Coordinator of the Year and Executive of the Year from Sporting News this season. That’s incredible considering just three seasons ago this team was the worst in the NFL.

Dimitroff beat out Kansas City Chiefs GM Scott Pioli and Tampa Bay Buccaneers GM Mark Dominik for this honor and fans of the team have to feel confident with the leadership in place. Now it’s time for it translate into playoff wins and Dimitroff knows the expectations are high.

No question we have some tweaks to make going forward. We need to be more explosive in a number of ways. We were very low in the explosive play category on our offense. . The whole package, I’m very encouraged by where we are after three years. Encouraged but not satisfied. There’s definitely a fire burning in my belly as well as Coach Smith’s and (owner) Arthur Blank’s. We have a lot more to accomplish to live up to our expectations.

This story appears in the February 14 issue of Sporting News magazine. Voting was conducted before the playoffs.

Since Thomas Dimitroff became Atlanta’s general manager in 2008, the Falcons have been to the playoffs twice and won more games than in any three-year stretch in team history. Solid drafts (Matt Ryan), trades (Tony Gonzalez) and free-agent signings (Michael Turner) have the Falcons set to be contenders for the foreseeable future.

General Manager Thomas Dimitroff, left, and team owner Arthur Blank keep their eyes on the field during the Atlanta Falcons’ training camp. (AP photo)

For those reasons, Dimitroff, 44, has been voted Sporting News executive of the year in a poll of NFL G.M.s, assistant G.M.s, owners, personnel men and head coaches. “I am very humbled to be named the executive of the year by my peers,” he says. “It means a lot to receive this award, but there were a number of general managers that were deserving of the honor. Ozzie Newsome and Scott Pioli, in particular, did tremendous jobs this season.”

Dimitroff, whose dad, Tom Sr., played in the AFL, coached in the CFL and scouted in the NFL, comes by his humility the hard way: He has earned it. In addition to jobs with the Lions, the Chiefs, the old Browns, the new Browns and the Patriots before the Falcons, Dimitroff worked in the Canadian Football League, the World League of American Football and a corporate football league in Japan.

Dimitroff wants positive, passionate, persevering people to play, coach and work for the Falcons. He needed those three attributes to get where he is today. “It’s not all about off-the-charts intelligence or unbelievable creativity,” he says.

Dimitroff recounted what he has learned in his football travels for Sporting News.

Saskatchewan Rough Riders, CFL

Canadian scouting coordinator, 1990-91

“I basically did everything from soup to nuts as far as the job goes. I learned a lot on the fly, from training camp coordination to working closely with the league on league issues.”

World League of American Football

Scout, 1992

“I was not only doing personnel but was involved in administration as well as some coaching. Make sure you highlight and underline — limited coaching. I realized scouting was what I wanted to do.”

Japan

Defensive coordinator in a corporate league, 1992

“You’re dealing with these players who are incredibly intelligent engineers. It was very admirable for these players to play on their company team. Though I had thought about working in the business sector — and I had even contemplated going back to law school or the Peace Corps — after I spent my time there, I realized I wanted to get back stateside and focus as much as possible in finding a job in the National Football League.”

Cleveland Browns

Grounds crew, 1993

“I was working on the grounds crew during the day. At night, I would spend time watching film, evaluating players. The other thing that is not widely known: During that time, when Bill Belichick was our head coach (and) my dad was on that staff, I was not only doing the grounds crew during the day — Kansas City hired me. Well, I can’t even say hired me. But I was being used by Kansas City as a very, very part-time scout in the Ohio and Pennsylvania area. Friday and Saturday I’d be out scouting for another team, while during the week I was working on the Browns’ grounds crew. It wouldn’t fly today in our building, I can tell you that. I wouldn’t let someone who was also working for another organization within a mile of our building.”

Detroit Lions

Scout, 1994-1997

“It was nuts and bolts of scouting, 100 percent. I had some adept personnel people to work with — Kevin Colbert (now the Steelers’ director of football operations) and Ron Hughes (the Steelers’ college scouting coordinator).

They were quite demanding. They were very serious and proud of their craft.”

Cleveland Browns

College scout, 1998-2001

“We all know we learn from the good things, but we also learn from the challenging things, the wrong moves. I had an opportunity to see some of that firsthand, respectfully speaking. I don’t want to sound like I’m bashing Cleveland.”

New England Patriots

National scout, 2002

Director of college scouting, 2003-07

“I had an opportunity to take everything I learned as a child through my dad, all of his tutoring over the years about the importance of team and the team concept. I had an opportunity to see Scott (Pioli) and Bill (Belichick) put it into effect and see a team come to life. What I learned in New England was invaluable in that way and set the tone for my career going forward.”

Atlanta Falcons

General manager, 2008-present

“(Coach) Mike Smith and I set out at the very beginning to focus on a three-year plan, to acquire through the draft and free agency, and get to a spot by the third year to be a significant player, air quotes, in the National Football League. … We stay philosophically consistent. We’re very particular about trying not, as much as possible, to be moved by emotional, off-the-cuff decisions.”

What’s next:

“No question we have some tweaks to make going forward. We need to be more explosive in a number of ways. We were very low in the explosive play category on our offense. … The whole package, I’m very encouraged by where we are after three years. Encouraged but not satisfied. There’s definitely a fire burning in my belly as well as Coach Smith’s and (owner) Arthur Blank’s. We have a lot more to accomplish to live up to our expectations.”

About the voting

Sporting News surveyed 47 NFL G.M.s, assistant G.M.s, owners, personnel men and head coaches for the executive of the year. Dimitroff received 13 votes, Chiefs G.M. Scott Pioli came in second with eight, and Buccaneers G.M. Mark Dominik was third with seven.

The Atlanta Falcons have signed head coach Mike Smith to a three-year extension of his contract.

“When we hired Mike Smith in 2008, we believed we had found the total package: a head coach with strong leadership skills and experience and the track record to back it up, and a man of high character and integrity,” Falcons Owner & CEO Arthur Blank said. “In his three seasons with us, Coach Smith has demonstrated all of these characteristics, and then some.”

“We are pleased to extend Smitty’s contract, and we are very proud of the way he represents the Falcons through his coaching of our players, in supporting our club’s business goals, and through his caring for our fans and the community.”

Since being named the 14th head coach in Falcons history in 2008, Smith has recorded three consecutive winning seasons – a first for the club – and a collective 33-15 record, easily the best three-year coaching mark in franchise history.

“I am looking forward to continuing to build upon the solid foundation we have in place within our organization and on our football team,” Smith said. “I’d like to personally thank both Arthur and [General Manager] Thomas Dimitroff for their outstanding support and guidance. We are going to continue to work as hard as we can to bring a championship to Falcons fans and to the city of Atlanta.”

In 2010, Smith led the Falcons to an NFC-best 13-3 record and won a division title for only the fourth time in team history. The Falcons clinched the number one seed in the NFC playoffs for the first time since 1980 and for only the second time in team history. Additionally, Atlanta had a league-high nine players named to the 2010 Pro Bowl.

Smith’s emphasis on being a balanced team also led to the Falcons being the only team in the NFL this past season to rank in the top five in both scoring offense (25.9 ppg) and scoring defense (18.0 ppg).

Following the 2010 season, Smith was named NFL Coach of the Year by The Sporting News and also earned NFC Coach of the Year honors from the prestigious KC 101 Club. Following the 2008 season, Smith earned Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year honors. Smith has been named Coach of the Year by both The Sporting News and the KC 101 club twice over the past three years. Smith first captured both awards at the conclusion of the 2008 season when he took over a 4-12 Falcons team and guided it to an 11-5 regular season record and a trip the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

POSTED: 11:20 am EST February 3, 2011

HONOLULU (AP)—Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith(notes) figures it shouldn’t be too difficult to draw up plays for his NFC stars in the Pro Bowl this Sunday.

Getting the right mix on special teams, that’s more tricky.

“I don’t think there’s going to be a whole lot of differences in terms of playing offense and defense,” Smith said Tuesday.

“I think the biggest challenge is that a lot of these guys have not been involved in special teams. … We have a plan for that,” he said.

The Pro Bowl has returned to its island home, a place where many players thought it should never left.

Despite player complaints about holding the event in a city they visit during the regular season, the NFL shipped the all-star game to Miami last year. It also was scheduled before the Super Bowl, an experiment to draw more attention and viewers.

Hawaii, which started hosting the game in 1980, is paying $4 million per game to hold the Pro Bowl this year and 2012. The site beyond hasn’t been determined.

Ratings were up for the AFC-NFC matchup that was televised on ESPN. It was watched by an average of 12.3 million viewers, the most since 2000. That’s up 40 percent from the 2009 Pro Bowl in Honolulu on NBC, which drew 8.8 million viewers when the event was held after the Super Bowl.

This year, while the game is back in Hawaii, the NFL is sticking with its strategy of keeping the Pro Bowl ahead of the Super Bowl.

“Our fans have clearly responded to the change in the format,” said Ray Anderson, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations. “We think its great for the NFL. We think it’s great for the state of Hawaii.”

The change means the Pro Bowl will feature no Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers on the field or the sidelines. They are getting ready for the Super Bowl in Arlington, Texas, on Feb. 6. There are 10 Pro Bowl selections in the Super Bowl, including six Packers.

Last year, Pro Bowlers who were in the Super Bowl were introduced at the stadium but didn’t play. This year, they’re far from the beaches and umbrella-adorned mai tais that their colleagues will be enjoying this week.

Anderson said the NFL was “delighted to be back here,” and talked about the strong ratings in Miami.

“We had 12.3 million viewers in 2010, we certainly expect to surpass that this year back in beautiful Hawaii,” he said.

In an interview, Smith said not having any Packers does leave his NFC squad short, “but I really do believe the Super Bowl should be the last game of the season and be the climax of the season.”

Smith’s top-seeded Atlanta Falcons lost in the playoffs to the Super Bowl-bound Packers 48-21. The Falcons have the most players on the NFC with nine selections while the New England Patriots lead the AFC with eight.

“It’s a pleasure to be here in Hawaii. I know I speak for our coaching staff, there’s no better place on earth than to be in Honolulu this week,” he said.

Smith, however, would probably would’ve traded his ticket to the Aloha State for one to the Lone Star State.

His AFC counterpart, Patriots coach Bill Belichick, was nowhere to be found at the Pro Bowl’s news conference Tuesday where the NFL showed off its new trophy and a few cheerleaders.

Belichick had trouble flying into Hawaii and was expected to arrive late Tuesday, a day before practices start. He also had a difficult end to the season. The Patriots were 14-2 heading into the playoffs, but lost to the New York Jets 28-21.

Joining Smith and Belichick will be two college coaches from Japan.

The AFC and NFC will each have a Japanese coach as the NFL and Hawaii tries to broaden the game’s appeal in Asia.

Ritsumeikan University coach Akira Yonekura will be on the NFC sideline and Waseda University offensive line coach Hiroyuki Yabe will be on the AFC’s coaching staff.

Football is at played at some colleges in Japan, but lags far behind in popularity to sports like baseball, sumo and soccer.

Yabe was just eager to meet his new boss, Belichick, and learn how to “put together a strong team and win.”

“(When I heard it was Belichick), I started foaming at the mouth. I didn’t know what to say,” Yabe said through a translator. “He is one of the top coaches in the NFL. This is a fantastic opportunity.”

The Pro Bowl has returned to its island home, a place where many players thought it should never left.

Despite player complaints about holding the event in a city they visit during the regular season, the NFL shipped the all-star game to Miami last year. It also was scheduled before the Super Bowl, an experiment to draw more attention and viewers.

Hawaii, which started hosting the game in 1980, is paying $4 million per game to hold the Pro Bowl this year and 2012. The site beyond hasn’t been determined.

Ratings were up for the AFC-NFC matchup that was televised on ESPN. It was watched by an average of 12.3 million viewers, the most since 2000. That’s up 40 percent from the 2009 Pro Bowl in Honolulu on NBC, which drew 8.8 million viewers when the event was held after the Super Bowl.

This year, while the game is back in Hawaii, the NFL is sticking with its strategy of keeping the Pro Bowl ahead of the Super Bowl.

“Our fans have clearly responded to the change in the format,” said Ray Anderson, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations. “We think its great for the NFL. We think it’s great for the state of Hawaii.”

The change means the Pro Bowl will feature no Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers on the field or the sidelines. They are getting ready for the Super Bowl in Arlington, Texas, on Feb. 6. There are 10 Pro Bowl selections in the Super Bowl, including six Packers.

Last year, Pro Bowlers who were in the Super Bowl were introduced at the stadium but didn’t play. This year, they’re far from the beaches and umbrella-adorned mai tais that their colleagues will be enjoying this week.

Anderson said the NFL was “delighted to be back here,” and talked about the strong ratings in Miami.

“We had 12.3 million viewers in 2010, we certainly expect to surpass that this year back in beautiful Hawaii,” he said.

In an interview, Smith said not having any Packers does leave his NFC squad short, “but I really do believe the Super Bowl should be the last game of the season and be the climax of the season.”

Smith’s top-seeded Atlanta Falcons lost in the playoffs to the Super Bowl-bound Packers 48-21. The Falcons have the most players on the NFC with nine selections while the New England Patriots lead the AFC with eight.

His AFC counterpart, Patriots coach Bill Belichick, was nowhere to be found at the Pro Bowl’s news conference Tuesday where the NFL showed off its new trophy and a few cheerleaders.

Belichick had trouble flying into Hawaii and was expected to arrive late Tuesday, a day before practices start. He also had a difficult end to the season. The Patriots were 14-2 heading into the playoffs, but lost to the New York Jets 28-21.

HONOLULU — Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith figures it shouldn’t be too difficult to draw up plays for his NFC stars in the Pro Bowl this Sunday.

Getting the right mix on special teams, that’s more tricky.

“I don’t think there’s going to be a whole lot of differences in terms of playing offense and defense,” Smith said Tuesday.

“I think the biggest challenge is that a lot of these guys have not been involved in special teams. … We have a plan for that,” he said.

The Pro Bowl has returned to its island home, a place where many players thought it should never left.

Despite player complaints about holding the event in a city they visit during the regular season, the NFL shipped the all-star game to Miami last year. It also was scheduled before the Super Bowl, an experiment to draw more attention and viewers. Hawaii, which started hosting the game in 1980, is paying $4 million per game to hold the Pro Bowl this year and 2012. The site beyond hasn’t been determined. Ratings were up for the AFC-NFC matchup that was televised on ESPN. It was watched by an average of 12.3 million viewers, the most since 2000. That’s up 40 percent from the 2009 Pro Bowl in Honolulu on NBC, which drew 8.8 million viewers when the event was held after the Super Bowl.

This year, while the game is back in Hawaii, the NFL is sticking with its strategy of keeping the Pro Bowl ahead of the Super Bowl.

“Our fans have clearly responded to the change in the format,” said Ray Anderson, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations. “We think its great for the NFL. We think it’s great for the state of Hawaii.”

The change means the Pro Bowl will feature no Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers on the field or the sidelines. They are getting ready for the Super Bowl in Arlington, Texas, on Feb. 6. There are 10 Pro Bowl selections in the Super Bowl, including six Packers. Last year, Pro Bowlers who were in the Super Bowl were introduced at the stadium but didn’t play. This year, they’re far from the beaches and umbrella-adorned mai tais that their colleagues will be enjoying this week.

Anderson said the NFL was “delighted to be back here,” and talked about the strong ratings in Miami.

“We had 12.3 million viewers in 2010, we certainly expect to surpass that this year back in beautiful Hawaii,” he said.

In an interview, Smith said not having any Packers does leave his NFC squad short, “but I really do believe the Super Bowl should be the last game of the season and be the climax of the season.”

Smith’s top-seeded Atlanta Falcons lost in the playoffs to the Super Bowl-bound Packers 48-21. The Falcons have the most players on the NFC with nine selections while the New England Patriots lead the AFC with eight.

“It’s a pleasure to be here in Hawaii. I know I speak for our coaching staff, there’s no better place on earth than to be in Honolulu this week,” he said.

Smith, however, would probably would’ve traded his ticket to the Aloha State for one to the Lone Star State.

His AFC counterpart, Patriots coach Bill Belichick, was nowhere to be found at the Pro Bowl’s news conference Tuesday where the NFL showed off its new trophy and a few cheerleaders.

Belichick had trouble flying into Hawaii and was expected to arrive late Tuesday, a day before practices start. He also had a difficult end to the season. The Patriots were 14-2 heading into the playoffs, but lost to the New York Jets 28-21.

Joining Smith and Belichick will be two college coaches from Japan.

The AFC and NFC will each have a Japanese coach as the NFL and Hawaii tries to broaden the game’s appeal in Asia.

Ritsumeikan University coach Akira Yonekura will be on the NFC sideline and Waseda University offensive line coach Hiroyuki Yabe will be on the AFC’s coaching staff.

Football is at played at some colleges in Japan, but lags far behind in popularity to sports like baseball, sumo and soccer.

Yabe was just eager to meet his new boss, Belichick, and learn how to “put together a strong team and win.”

“(When I heard it was Belichick), I started foaming at the mouth. I didn’t know what to say,” Yabe said through a translator. “He is one of the top coaches in the NFL. This is a fantastic opportunity.”

HONOLULU — Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith figures it shouldn’t be too difficult to draw up plays for his NFC stars in Sunday’s Pro Bowl.

Finding the right mix on special teams? That’s more tricky.

“I don’t think there’s going to be a whole lot of differences in terms of playing offense and defense,” Smith said Tuesday. “I think the biggest challenge is that a lot of these guys have not been involved in special teams. … We have a plan for that.”

The Pro Bowl has returned to its island home, a place where many players believed it never should have left.

Despite player complaints about holding the event in a city they visit during the regular season, the NFL shipped the all-star game to Miami last year. It also was scheduled before the Super Bowl, an experiment to draw more media attention and television viewers.

Hawaii, which started staging the game in 1980, is paying $4 million per game to hold the Pro Bowl this year and 2012. The site beyond then hasn’t been determined.

TV ratings were up for last year’s AFC-NFC matchup on ESPN. It was watched by an average of 12.3 million viewers, the most since 2000. That’s up 40 percent from the 2009 Pro Bowl in Honolulu on NBC, which drew 8.8 million viewers when the event was held after the Super Bowl.

The game has returned to Hawaii, but the NFL is sticking with its strategy of keeping the Pro Bowl ahead of the Super Bowl.

“Our fans have clearly responded to the change in the format,” said Ray Anderson, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations. “We think it’s great for the NFL. We think it’s great for the state of Hawaii.”

The change means the Pro Bowl will not feature any Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers on the field or the sidelines. They are preparing for the Feb. 6 Super Bowl in Arlington, Texas. There are 10 Pro Bowl selections in the Super Bowl, including six Packers.

Last year, Pro Bowlers who were in the Super Bowl were introduced at the stadium but didn’t play. This year, they’re far from the beaches and umbrella-adorned mai tais that their colleagues will enjoy this week.

Anderson said the NFL was “delighted to be back here” and talked about the strong TV ratings in Miami.

“We had 12.3 million viewers in 2010, (but) we certainly expect to surpass that this year back in beautiful Hawaii,” he said.

In an interview, Smith said not having any Packers does leave his NFC squad short, “but I really do believe the Super Bowl should be the last game of the season and be the climax of the season.”

Smith’s top-seeded Falcons lost in the playoffs to the Super Bowl-bound Packers, 48-21. The Falcons have the most players on the NFC team with nine selections, and the New England Patriots lead the AFC with eight.

“It’s a pleasure to be here in Hawaii,” Smith said. “I know I speak for our coaching staff: There’s no better place on earth than to be in Honolulu this week.”

Smith probably would have traded his ticket to the Aloha State for one to the Lone Star State.

His AFC counterpart, Patriots coach Bill Belichick, was nowhere to be found at the Pro Bowl’s news conference Tuesday in which the NFL showed off its new trophy and a few cheerleaders.

Belichick had trouble flying into Hawaii and was expected to arrive late Tuesday, one day before practices start. He also had a difficult end to the season. The Patriots were 14-2 heading into the playoffs, but they lost to the New York Jets, 28-21.

Joining Smith and Belichick will be two college coaches from Japan.

Both teams will have Japanese coaches as the NFL and Hawaii tries to broaden the game’s appeal in Asia. Ritsumeikan University coach Akira Yonekura will be on the NFC sideline, and Waseda University offensive line coach Hiroyuki Yabe will be on the AFC’s coaching staff.

Football is played at some colleges in Japan, but it lags far behind in popularity to sports such as baseball, soccer and sumo.

Yabe was just eager to meet his new boss, Belichick, and learn how to “put together a strong team and win.”

“(When I heard it was Belichick) I started foaming at the mouth. I didn’t know what to say,” Yabe said through a translator. “He is one of the top coaches in the NFL. This is a fantastic opportunity.”

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

HONOLULU — Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith figures it shouldn’t be too difficult to draw up plays for his NFC stars in Sunday’s Pro Bowl.

Finding the right mix on special teams? That’s more tricky.

“I don’t think there’s going to be a whole lot of differences in terms of playing offense and defense,” Smith said Tuesday. “I think the biggest challenge is that a lot of these guys have not been involved in special teams. … We have a plan for that.”

The Pro Bowl has returned to its island home, a place where many players believed it never should have left.

Despite player complaints about holding the event in a city they visit during the regular season, the NFL shipped the all-star game to Miami last year. It also was scheduled before the Super Bowl, an experiment to draw more media attention and television viewers.

Hawaii, which started staging the game in 1980, is paying $4 million per game to hold the Pro Bowl this year and 2012. The site beyond then hasn’t been determined.

TV ratings were up for last year’s AFC-NFC matchup on ESPN. It was watched by an average of 12.3 million viewers, the most since 2000. That’s up 40 percent from the 2009 Pro Bowl in Honolulu on NBC, which drew 8.8 million viewers when the event was held after the Super Bowl.

The game has returned to Hawaii, but the NFL is sticking with its strategy of keeping the Pro Bowl ahead of the Super Bowl.

“Our fans have clearly responded to the change in the format,” said Ray Anderson, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations. “We think it’s great for the NFL. We think it’s great for the state of Hawaii.”

The change means the Pro Bowl will not feature any Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers on the field or the sidelines. They are preparing for the Feb. 6 Super Bowl in Arlington, Texas. There are 10 Pro Bowl selections in the Super Bowl, including six Packers.

Last year, Pro Bowlers who were in the Super Bowl were introduced at the stadium but didn’t play. This year, they’re far from the beaches and umbrella-adorned mai tais that their colleagues will enjoy this week.

Anderson said the NFL was “delighted to be back here” and talked about the strong TV ratings in Miami.

“We had 12.3 million viewers in 2010, (but) we certainly expect to surpass that this year back in beautiful Hawaii,” he said.

In an interview, Smith said not having any Packers does leave his NFC squad short, “but I really do believe the Super Bowl should be the last game of the season and be the climax of the season.”

Smith’s top-seeded Falcons lost in the playoffs to the Super Bowl-bound Packers, 48-21. The Falcons have the most players on the NFC team with nine selections, and the New England Patriots lead the AFC with eight.

“It’s a pleasure to be here in Hawaii,” Smith said. “I know I speak for our coaching staff: There’s no better place on earth than to be in Honolulu this week.”

Smith probably would have traded his ticket to the Aloha State for one to the Lone Star State.

His AFC counterpart, Patriots coach Bill Belichick, was nowhere to be found at the Pro Bowl’s news conference Tuesday in which the NFL showed off its new trophy and a few cheerleaders.

Belichick had trouble flying into Hawaii and was expected to arrive late Tuesday, one day before practices start. He also had a difficult end to the season. The Patriots were 14-2 heading into the playoffs, but they lost to the New York Jets, 28-21.

Joining Smith and Belichick will be two college coaches from Japan.

Both teams will have Japanese coaches as the NFL and Hawaii tries to broaden the game’s appeal in Asia. Ritsumeikan University coach Akira Yonekura will be on the NFC sideline, and Waseda University offensive line coach Hiroyuki Yabe will be on the AFC’s coaching staff.

Football is played at some colleges in Japan, but it lags far behind in popularity to sports such as baseball, soccer and sumo.

Yabe was just eager to meet his new boss, Belichick, and learn how to “put together a strong team and win.”

“(When I heard it was Belichick) I started foaming at the mouth. I didn’t know what to say,” Yabe said through a translator. “He is one of the top coaches in the NFL. This is a fantastic opportunity.”

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

HONOLULU – Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith figures it shouldn’t be too difficult to draw up plays for his NFC stars in the Pro Bowl this Sunday.

Getting the right mix on special teams, that’s more tricky.

“I don’t think there’s going to be a whole lot of differences in terms of playing offense and defense,” Smith said Tuesday.

“I think the biggest challenge is that a lot of these guys have not been involved in special teams. … We have a plan for that,” he said.

The Pro Bowl has returned to its island home, a place where many players thought it should never left.

Despite player complaints about holding the event in a city they visit during the regular season, the NFL shipped the all-star game to Miami last year. It also was scheduled before the Super Bowl, an experiment to draw more attention and viewers.

Hawaii, which started hosting the game in 1980, is paying $4 million per game to hold the Pro Bowl this year and 2012. The site beyond hasn’t been determined.

Ratings were up for the AFC-NFC matchup that was televised on ESPN. It was watched by an average of 12.3 million viewers, the most since 2000. That’s up 40 percent from the 2009 Pro Bowl in Honolulu on NBC, which drew 8.8 million viewers when the event was held after the Super Bowl.

This year, while the game is back in Hawaii, the NFL is sticking with its strategy of keeping the Pro Bowl ahead of the Super Bowl.

“Our fans have clearly responded to the change in the format,” said Ray Anderson, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations. “We think its great for the NFL. We think it’s great for the state of Hawaii.”

The change means the Pro Bowl will feature no Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers on the field or the sidelines. They are getting ready for the Super Bowl in Arlington, Texas, on Feb. 6. There are 10 Pro Bowl selections in the Super Bowl, including six Packers.

Last year, Pro Bowlers who were in the Super Bowl were introduced at the stadium but didn’t play. This year, they’re far from the beaches and umbrella-adorned mai tais that their colleagues will be enjoying this week.

Anderson said the NFL was “delighted to be back here,” and talked about the strong ratings in Miami.

“We had 12.3 million viewers in 2010, we certainly expect to surpass that this year back in beautiful Hawaii,” he said.

In an interview, Smith said not having any Packers does leave his NFC squad short, “but I really do believe the Super Bowl should be the last game of the season and be the climax of the season.”

Smith’s top-seeded Atlanta Falcons lost in the playoffs to the Super Bowl-bound Packers 48-21. The Falcons have the most players on the NFC with nine selections while the New England Patriots lead the AFC with eight.

“It’s a pleasure to be here in Hawaii. I know I speak for our coaching staff, there’s no better place on earth than to be in Honolulu this week,” he said.

Smith, however, would probably would’ve traded his ticket to the Aloha State for one to the Lone Star State.

His AFC counterpart, Patriots coach Bill Belichick, was nowhere to be found at the Pro Bowl’s news conference Tuesday where the NFL showed off its new trophy and a few cheerleaders.

Belichick had trouble flying into Hawaii and was expected to arrive late Tuesday, a day before practices start. He also had a difficult end to the season. The Patriots were 14-2 heading into the playoffs, but lost to the New York Jets 28-21.

Joining Smith and Belichick will be two college coaches from Japan.

The AFC and NFC will each have a Japanese coach as the NFL and Hawaii tries to broaden the game’s appeal in Asia.

Ritsumeikan University coach Akira Yonekura will be on the NFC sideline and Waseda University offensive line coach Hiroyuki Yabe will be on the AFC’s coaching staff.

Football is at played at some colleges in Japan, but lags far behind in popularity to sports like baseball, sumo and soccer.

Yabe was just eager to meet his new boss, Belichick, and learn how to “put together a strong team and win.”

“(When I heard it was Belichick), I started foaming at the mouth. I didn’t know what to say,” Yabe said through a translator. “He is one of the top coaches in the NFL. This is a fantastic opportunity.”

HONOLULU – Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith figures it shouldn’t be too difficult to draw up plays for his NFC stars in the Pro Bowl this Sunday.

Getting the right mix on special teams, that’s more tricky.

“I don’t think there’s going to be a whole lot of differences in terms of playing offense and defense,” Smith said Tuesday.

“I think the biggest challenge is that a lot of these guys have not been involved in special teams. … We have a plan for that,” he said.

The Pro Bowl has returned to its island home, a place where many players thought it should never left.

Despite player complaints about holding the event in a city they visit during the regular season, the NFL shipped the all-star game to Miami last year. It also was scheduled before the Super Bowl, an experiment to draw more attention and viewers.

Hawaii, which started hosting the game in 1980, is paying $4 million per game to hold the Pro Bowl this year and 2012. The site beyond hasn’t been determined.

Ratings were up for the AFC-NFC matchup that was televised on ESPN. It was watched by an average of 12.3 million viewers, the most since 2000. That’s up 40 percent from the 2009 Pro Bowl in Honolulu on NBC, which drew 8.8 million viewers when the event was held after the Super Bowl.

This year, while the game is back in Hawaii, the NFL is sticking with its strategy of keeping the Pro Bowl ahead of the Super Bowl.

“Our fans have clearly responded to the change in the format,” said Ray Anderson, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations. “We think its great for the NFL. We think it’s great for the state of Hawaii.”

The change means the Pro Bowl will feature no Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers on the field or the sidelines. They are getting ready for the Super Bowl in Arlington, Texas, on Feb. 6. There are 10 Pro Bowl selections in the Super Bowl, including six Packers.

Last year, Pro Bowlers who were in the Super Bowl were introduced at the stadium but didn’t play. This year, they’re far from the beaches and umbrella-adorned mai tais that their colleagues will be enjoying this week.

Anderson said the NFL was “delighted to be back here,” and talked about the strong ratings in Miami.

“We had 12.3 million viewers in 2010, we certainly expect to surpass that this year back in beautiful Hawaii,” he said.

In an interview, Smith said not having any Packers does leave his NFC squad short, “but I really do believe the Super Bowl should be the last game of the season and be the climax of the season.”

Smith’s top-seeded Atlanta Falcons lost in the playoffs to the Super Bowl-bound Packers 48-21. The Falcons have the most players on the NFC with nine selections while the New England Patriots lead the AFC with eight.

“It’s a pleasure to be here in Hawaii. I know I speak for our coaching staff, there’s no better place on earth than to be in Honolulu this week,” he said.

Smith, however, would probably would’ve traded his ticket to the Aloha State for one to the Lone Star State.

His AFC counterpart, Patriots coach Bill Belichick, was nowhere to be found at the Pro Bowl’s news conference Tuesday where the NFL showed off its new trophy and a few cheerleaders.

Belichick had trouble flying into Hawaii and was expected to arrive late Tuesday, a day before practices start. He also had a difficult end to the season. The Patriots were 14-2 heading into the playoffs, but lost to the New York Jets 28-21.

Joining Smith and Belichick will be two college coaches from Japan.

The AFC and NFC will each have a Japanese coach as the NFL and Hawaii tries to broaden the game’s appeal in Asia.

Ritsumeikan University coach Akira Yonekura will be on the NFC sideline and Waseda University offensive line coach Hiroyuki Yabe will be on the AFC’s coaching staff.

Football is at played at some colleges in Japan, but lags far behind in popularity to sports like baseball, sumo and soccer.

Yabe was just eager to meet his new boss, Belichick, and learn how to “put together a strong team and win.”

“(When I heard it was Belichick), I started foaming at the mouth. I didn’t know what to say,” Yabe said through a translator. “He is one of the top coaches in the NFL. This is a fantastic opportunity.”

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AP Photo/David GoldmanMike Smith led the Falcons to 13 victories this season.

Coach of the Year: Mike Smith, Atlanta Falcons. There was strong temptation to go with Tampa Bay’s Raheem Morris here. He did a fantastic job, but I’m also trying to spread things out. I’ll go with Smith. Forget the debacle in the playoff loss to Green Bay. The Falcons won 13 games, and they did that by playing disciplined, smart football.

General Manager of the Year: Mark Dominik, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the league’s lowest payroll and a slew of injuries, the Bucs managed to win 10 games. Dominik pulled some rabbits out of a hat by finding some impact players late in the draft, off the waiver wire and off the practice squads of other teams.

Rookie of the Year: Mike Williams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Exhibit A of Dominik’s success. Williams was a fourth-round draft pick, but he immediately was Tampa Bay’s No. 1 receiver.

Coordinator of the Year: Greg Olson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Atlanta offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey and New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams are bigger names. But I’ll take Olson just on this season. With Josh Freeman in his first full season as a starting quarterback, a bunch of young guys playing at receiver and running back, and an offensive line that was hit hard by injuries, Olson still made this the most entertaining offense in franchise history.

Defensive Player of the Year: John Abraham, Atlanta Falcons. This was probably the hardest choice on this list. It was not a banner year for defense in the NFC South. I narrowed the list to Abraham and New Orleans’ Jonathan Vilma and Malcolm Jenkins. Vilma might be the most consistent and best overall defensive player in the division, and Jenkins probably has the most upside. But Vilma didn’t make a lot of big plays, and I’m hesitant to give Jenkins this honor in his first full season as a starter. Abraham had 13 sacks and made more big plays than any defensive player in the division.

Offensive Player of the Year: Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons. Yes, Drew Brees, Matt Ryan and Freeman got consideration here. So did Atlanta running back Michael Turner. All those guys are good. But when you look at their production this season only, can you really make a case that they were the best in the league at their position? I think you can do that with White, and that’s why I’m going with him.

Special Teams Player of the Year: Eric Weems, Atlanta Falcons. He did it all for the Falcons, returning kickoffs and punts and also helping out on the coverage units. He became a big-play guy as a return man, and that’s why he’s going to the Pro Bowl.

Breakout Player of the Year: Malcolm Jenkins, New Orleans Saints. He moved from cornerback to free safety, and even made a brief return to cornerback when injuries piled up. He made some huge plays and showed signs he could become a force for the long term.

Equipment Manager of the Year: Jackie Miles, Carolina Panthers. Hey, I had to get the Panthers involved somehow, and there really wasn’t a legitimate case for any of their players, coaches or executives. But the one guy with the Panthers who is the absolute best in the league at what he does is Miles. He might not be an owner, player, coach or general manager, but there are times you watch Miles do his thing and you feel like you are watching Ted Williams (the baseball player, not the guy with the big voice) taking batting practice.

Most Valuable Player: You’ll have to wait a bit. That’s going to be announced in a column that is to appear Friday afternoon.