Steve Dietrich Joins Marty Biron and Brian Duff on Sabres Live After the NLL Championship Victory
this gentleman has one more feather in his cap Marty he is Steve Dietrich general manager of the bandits he’s also a National Lacrosse League Hall of Famer as a goenda three-time general manager of the year and uh Steve welcome to the show congratulations on the latest championship in Bandit land thanks guys it’s uh always a pleasure uh to be able to join you Duffer it’s always nice talking to you Marty it’s always nice watching you on TSN complaining about my leaf so yeah I’m glad I’m glad I’m glad I’m able to join us don’t have to complain about the Leafs anymore they’re done so that’s good we don’t have to talk about them we still talk about them but that’s the way hey chucker let me ask you this um I was in Rochester when you were in Rochester and then I made my way to Buffalo you made your way to Buffalo I remember especially in Roch in the late 90s how crazy it was in that building right the war memorial and then Blue Cross Arena and everything but I think we’ve hit the top like how Bandit land has been the last couple of years since the especially since the pandemic and coming back and supporting the team do you think it’s uh it’s the best atmosphere you’ve ever seen in the National Lacrosse League oh man there’s yeah there’s nothing comparable to Bandit land you know we’re we’re lucky that these guys come they travel there like there was lots of fans in Vegas so it’s just incredible the atmosphere in that building the the people that are just die hard it’s it’s yeah second and N man like it’s it’s I wish that more teams in our League could could actually have the kind of following that we do the dieh hard following but yeah it’s incredible but just uh just to top that next time if you’re going to go somewhere you try and go Florida or something like that if I’m following you to Rochester and then I’m following you to Buffalo maybe go to Florida next and I’ll follow you to Florida Steve Steve I’m not gonna lie when he started phrasing it the way he did I was thinking maybe both of you are headed to Utah next you know to follow the NHL’s next te or something so whatever you do I’m happy if you guys take on this Duo role and uh you know and and and God bless in your journey but I will say this as part of Marty’s talk of Bandit land do you almost feel and there’s only so much you can do but do you almost feel a responsibility as like a flag bearer for the league of like we are Bandit land and we want everybody to be like Bandit land yeah you know Duffer I don’t think anything will ever ever quite be like that um you know like they call them the Cameron crazies I guess in college basketball at Duke and stuff like that I don’t think anything will ever replicate what we have going on here um but you know we and we’ve talked for 15 years this product needs to get out there more people need to see it uh the more people that see it fall in love with it you know JT made a good point that he’s talked to a lot of fans now that have come and they used to come with their parents and then they drifted away for a little while and now they’re back and they’re bringing their kids so we’ve almost gone through the the cyclical stage where you know the dad brought his son well now that son is old enough and now he’s bringing his son so it’s just it’s gone down from generation to generation we’re lucky that way it’s just more more markets need to see this product because this is an incredible product uh we’re doing well now getting in on TSN ESPN ESPN plus TSN plus it’s more available now than ever has been we just need more people to come watch the product live outside of Buffalo you mentioned JT John Taris the head coach um I mean you guys are up by two with 7 seconds left and he’s still intense he’s still up on the barking orders like I feel like his intensity has has really spread to everybody like to Dan Smith for example who’s playing like you know a Madman in in in game two Saturday night but he’s been for years um do you feel like that side of taras the player and now the coach is probably why he has been so successful oh without a doubt uh you know you look at he was such a tremendous player and then he goes behind the bench and now just the fiery atmosphere he brings to the guys and and he is so invested whether it is practice on Wednesday nights shoot around on Saturday mornings you know we we’re supposed to practice for two hours he wants to go for two hours and 20 minutes we’re supposed to have shootter around for an hour he’s trying to go an hour and 10 an hour and 15 he’s just so invested and now it’s bled down to the players Dane Josh priola Matt they want to continue that they want to keep they want to go longer they want to work out harder so the the intensity and the dedication that JT has brought both as a player and now as a coach is definitely bled down to the players and that’s why we’ve been as successful as we’ve been able to be and you’ve won back-to-back titles as general manager but also as an assistant coach and I I mean we can look at this obviously uh multiple ways what did you feel was your biggest impact as general manager this year on this team and based on how much people talked about the defense improving in the final let’s say 12 games of regular season and playoffs combined where you went 11- one what was your biggest impact on the bench well first off Duffer I’m an incredible defensive coach because I have the best golender that’s ever lived it makes my job a heck of a lot easier um but uh yeah no honestly getting Matt back was probably the biggest move we made as as a group you know and I I always like to say as a group because I don’t ever solely make the decisions by myself I’m the one that has to be on the firing line if things don’t work out but um we definitely make decision as a group but you know bringing Matt back was big and then being able to bring in Paul Dawson and Conor frell uh at at basically the trade deadline or right around the trade deadline Paul was just such a big addition that you know he calmed Matt down he calmed Steve priolo down he took a lot of weight off Steve because Steve was taking too much responsibility good and bad upon himself Paul came in and helped him helped him in that regard being a veteran leader and then he he improved our man short just you know we lost a lot when we lost Bryce sweding and and Ethan o Conor because they play the back of the box and the way we play defense they block a lot of shots and we just didn’t have that on that side uh cam wers did a tremendous job on the side that Ethan oconor played but nobody filled the role that that Bryce sweding did Paul came in and solidified that spot and that one little piece made us whole so on top of the man short and then the veteran presence taking the responsibility a little bit off of Steve and then the added you know basically the added responsibility that our young kids continued to develop and get better you know Dylan Robinson cam wire Zack fter just that group we just continued to get better but bringing in the veteran guys at at the deadline Ferell at the at the face off dot certainly helped hope hopefully I answer both those questions I I was just Ram there at the end and just just to clarify you still have three first round picks coming yeah three first round picks and then we have uh the third pick I think in the second round so we have four of the top 20 picks wow sounds like general manager of the year should be in the offing again you’ve already won three times but well and then you look at we have Matt spanger that’s coming back from injury and then we have Bryce sweding that’s going to come back from injury so yeah yeah there’s GNA be lots of pieces and it’s going to make my job and JT’s job a lot more difficult in the offseason because we may have we may have to say goodbye to some guys that we really don’t want to say goodbye to but you know that that’s Sports and and that’s the way it is I’m always uh impressed by numbers and 41 is impressive when you’re mad Vince and you’re still like playing and playing at that level um what were you doing when you were 41 years old because for me it was like I was having a hard time getting out of bed just uh you know five years ago honestly 41 I might have been becoming GM of the bandits to be quite honest with you yeah there there yeah 12 Seasons now right I think yeah it’s kind of scary um you know I always joke that you know my my wife’s lucky enough to come down to the coach’s room sometimes after the game and mat will walk in with his shirt off grabbing a piece of pizza and you know my wife’s basically got to pick a jaw off the ground and I always look at her and say well you know when I played I looked like that and she’s like I don’t think I don’t think you ever you look like that when you were born so uh but but no he’s a physical specimen man like you can’t say more about the guy like he gets in better shape every year it looks like he gets quicker every year and you know mentally he definitely gets better every year because he’s he’s knowing more and more of the shooters more and more Tendencies so it’s kind of scary that it 41 he may be better than he was at 35 um and that’s not taking anything away from him at 35 he’s just a physical Marvel we are showing for the MSG audience just his Bandits resume at this point in time which alone would probably get him into the Hall of Fame like it’s incredible that he’s been playing since ‘ 06 he’s been to the finals nine times he’s won it five times Steve we talk hockey all the time on this show that has been renamed Bandits live today in honor of the championship but on Sab live we’re always talking about these record Breakers we’re talking about contracts things like that the 35 Plus contract is like the scariest thing in the NHL like what’s going to happen to this player Matt Vince started with the bandits when he was 36 is he the greatest 35 Plus contract in the history of sports my goodness this is great and how many contracts have you actually had to sign him to in that time since he turned 36 you know what I think we’re on the third one now I think we signed a three-year deal the first time and then Co got involved and then I think we signed him to another deal uh and he only wanted to go one year at the time and then last year we signed him to a two-year deal which takes him through next season if he wants to play and and I think he only signed a two-year deal last time like last summer because he just didn’t want to be bothered this summer by not only myself but by every other general manager in the league um you know I I hope he comes back the guy the what what can you say like there’s there I I call it the Mount Rushmore of Lacrosse and I always you know you think JT’s there and Paul and Gary are there and John Grant Jr’s there that’s just that’s my Mount Rushmore um like for for JT and for Matt Vince they may have their own Mount Rushmore they may just be on be on a wall themselves but um Matt’s incredible he’s been the backbone of our team uh you know like I say he may I joked he made Mike do a lot easier as a d guy as a d coach he makes JT’s job a lot easier he just brings the guys together and just having him back there is such a calming calming presence because you know you have a chance every time you’re playing so we hope he comes back um while we we’re praying that he comes back um because you know like the guy’s the greatest but and I said this to him last year when do you want to go out because you’re GNA go out as the greatest of all time whether it was last year whether it’s now whether it’s next year you’re going to go out as the greatest of all time it’s when do you want to do it we just hope it’s at least one more year lacrosse is different because uh these guys are going to turn around now and and go into summer leagues right a lot of them are playing the summer and then they come back next year for the next season uh but I’m in East Oro in the South Towns and I know everybody is like excited when they do a clinic at the outdoor rink and Josh and danne are there or any Bandits are there what about the community community side of it that despite the fact that this is a year-long thing where they are playing nlll and then they go summer and then they come back they still find the time to be in the community and help out well the big thing is you know Scotty laugher has done such an amazing job with our youth youth programs and having guys moved to Buffalo we’ve just been so invested and that’s been Scott and Dan rin’s baby that they’re so invested in the m in the miners kids around Buffalo whether it’ be junior Bandits or Dane and Josh with the the Buffalo Beast or whatever they are just it having those guys involved in minor and I think that also helps bringing people to Bandit land right because they’re the face they’re always out there but they’re teaching kids the right way way to play which in essence is going to help these kids get better maybe get scholarships maybe come to the nlll improve Bandit land but those guys do an amazing job like Dane Josh McKay Chase cluch like they’re all selfless when they get out in the community and it’s honestly what helps make us a special place to put a bow on Matt Vince since we’re talking to you a fellow net minder uh Vince is an eight time n finals and winning the five titles incredibly he never won a playoff MVP he’s also never won a regular season MVP of which you Steve are still the only goenda so well you know thing with the tough thing with Matt guys honestly is Matt’s not judged against anybody else anymore he’s judged against himself so you know if he had a better save percentage last year but more wins this year they’re like yeah but his save percentage was worse than it was last year and then next year if he you know has more more better save percentage but not as many wins they’re like well yeah but he didn’t have as many wins he’s judged against himself uh I think that’s why he’s never won those Awards but it’s criminal that Matt Vince has never won moso player award forget the finals because those you know they always go to the highest goal scorers really whoever gets the most points they get those things but uh for him never to have won a most valuable player in in a league is crazy I think a couple years ago I think he had 15 wins he had goals against average under 10 I think yeah and he doesn’t win it it’s it’s it’s criminal but Matt Matt I’ll tell you first off doesn’t care doesn’t care he’s not a stats guy he just wants to put rings on his finger and that’s when we were in the little line on uh on Saturday night I just leaned over to him and I just said hey bud like Bob Bobby Watson has w six so I think you’re one behind him and nobody’s three peated twice so there is things to continue to drive for here right like he’s like Michael Jordan that used to be where he always needs some some kind of Edge to upset himself to drive him to get better so I just tried to plant two seeds in there that he’s only tied with Bob Watson now and he’s never three nobody’s ever repeated twice coming to MSG the Last Dance featuring mad Vince in like four years from now yeah let’s hope it’s not the last dance to the Buffalo Bandits Mar that wouldn’t be good unless you just saying like we gota we gotta promote these people and go behind the scenes and all of that so I’m I’m going to produce it I’m going to be uh well not the actual producer I’m going to be what do they call it like the uh the person that gets everybody team together yeah executive producer I’m going to that’s somebody that doesn’t do anything executive producer I’m gonna be the guy that doesn’t do anything so that’s good uh Steve there’s no question Marty would end up as executive producer host and probably a million of the technical aspects as well much like you Carrie with this Bandits team as a general manager as an assistant coach and most importantly after this weekend A Champion once again thank you great to talk to you congratulations thanks guys it’s always a pleasure I appreciate it [Music]
Buffalo Bandits General Manager, Steve Dietrich, joins Marty Biron and Brian Duff after the Bandits secured the 2024 NLL Championship. Dietrich discusses Game 2 of the NLL Finals, the power of Banditland, and key components of the Bandits roster that contributed to this year’s success.
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1 comment
Wow Steve was exactly right ha. I used to go with my dad all the time. Then I got too cool for school. Now I've been going again these past 4-5 few years. No kids tho 😅