Page Six published a series of pictures last week of The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel spending time together at a hotel in Sedona, Arizona.
This immediately sparked speculation that the reporter and the coach are romantically involved.
Jason Whitlock weighed in on the controversy this week, in a characteristic brash manner, by poking fun at Dianna Russini’s connection with ESPN (she worked at ESPN until 2023). Here’s what he wrote on his X account this Friday afternoon:
“ESPN and Fox Sports are in open relations with the NFL and other sports leagues. There should be no surprise that media employees are in open relations with key NFL and sports personnel. It’s legalized sex work.”
Both Vrabel and Russini have denied any wrongdoing, and The Athletic defended its reporter, saying the images lacked context.
Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel on Controversial Resort Pictures
Dianna Russini spoke about the pictures published by Page Six, saying they didn’t accurately portray what happened.
“The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day.”
Mike Vrabel, who is married and has two kids, waved off the photos as nothing more than tabloid sensationalism.
“These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable,” he said. “This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
The Athletic released a statement in support of Dianna Russini via Executive Editor Steven Ginsberg. The executive said the pictures show only a public interaction among several individuals and raise no cause for concern. He reiterated that they’re proud to have Russini on board and called her a premier NFL journalist.
However, The New York Times, The Athletic’s parent company, is reviewing the incident and considering sidelining the NFL reporter.
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