NFL reporter Russini resigns amid ‘self-feeding speculation’ over photos with Patriots’ Vrabel
NFL reporter Dianna Russini has resigned from The Athletic less than a week after photos of her and New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel prompted an internal investigation at The New York Times-owned sports outlet.The New York Post last week published the photos of Vrabel and Russini at an Arizona resort and said they were taken before the NFL owners meetings that began in Phoenix on 29 March.“I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published,” Russini said in a letter sent on Tuesday to The Athletic’s executive editor, Steven Ginsberg.“When the Page Six item first appeared, The Athletic supported me unequivocally, expressed confidence in my work and pride in my journalism.For that I am grateful.
In the days that followed, unfortunately, commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts.“Moreover, this media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete.It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks, and I have no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept.Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now – before my current contract expires on June 30.I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career.
”Vrabel didn’t attend New England’s pre-draft news conference on Monday,In an internal memo to staff at The Athletic, Ginsberg said that the leadership of the publication “has taken this matter seriously from the moment that we learned about it,”The Athletic initially defended Russini,Ginsberg said the images lacked context and depicted public interactions among multiple people,The outlet then expanded its review after additional reporting raised questions about Russini’s coverage of Vrabel and the nature of their relationship.
“When this situation was brought to our attention last week, there were clear concerns, but we received a detailed explanation and it was our instinct to support and defend a colleague while we continued to review the matter,” Ginsberg said in his internal memo,“As additional information emerged, new questions were raised that became part of our investigation,While our investigation into Dianna’s conduct was ongoing, she chose to resign,”Ginsberg said the publication would continue a standards review of Russini’s work,Russini joined The Athletic in 2023 after nearly a decade at ESPN, where she held various roles, including SportsCenter anchor, NFL analyst and insider.
She hosted a podcast for The Athletic and made appearances on their video platform.The photos published by Page Six show Russini and Vrabel together at a luxury hotel in Sedona, including by a pool, in a hot tub and on a rooftop deck.Some appear to show the pair embracing and holding hands.Russini and Vrabel, who are married to other people, have said the interaction was platonic and taken out of context.Russini said the photos did not reflect that they were part of a larger group gathering, while Vrabel called any suggestion of impropriety “laughable”.
Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls as a player with New England, is preparing for his second season as coach of the Patriots,He was the AP NFL Coach of the Year after leading the team to a 14-3 finish last season, which ended with a Super Bowl loss to Seattle,
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The Masters, the Premier League run-in, the National: is there a better sporting month than April? | Sean Ingle
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Azzi Fudd taken first in WNBA draft by Dallas Wings in UConn reunion with Paige Bueckers
Azzi Fudd was selected by the Dallas Wings with the first pick of the WNBA draft on Monday night, capping a 12-month ascent from NCAA champion to the top overall choice and setting up a reunion with former University of Connecticut teammate Paige Bueckers.The 5ft 11in guard, who led UConn to last year’s national title and was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player, is the seventh player from the program to go No 1. Bueckers, the top selection by Dallas in the 2025 draft and the reigning WNBA rookie of the year, watched Fudd’s name called from a sold-out crowd at the Shed, the $500m cultural center at Hudson Yards on Manhattan’s west side.“I’m not really sure I have words to describe the feeling, what that meant,” Fudd said. “I don’t think it’s fully sunk in
WNBA draft: Azzi Fudd goes No 1, UCLA smash record and Flau’jae Johnson traded – as it happened
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