The leaked hot tub photos were embarrassing, no question about it.
There was NFL reporter Dianna Russini of the New York Times – part of its sports unit The Athletic – getting quite cozy with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel.
Other shots obtained by the New York Post’s Page Six showed the pair, who are both married, locked in an embrace on the roof of a private bungalow, and holding hands at a luxury hotel in Sedona, Ariz.
More details in a moment, but the bottom line is a tale most foul, as familiar as civilization itself.
DIANNA RUSSINI RESIGNS FROM THE ATHLETIC AMID MIKE VRABEL CONTROVERSY
The woman takes the fall, and nothing happens to the guy.
Russini was forced to resign from the Times, and Vrabel, for now, has emerged unscathed.
This is not to suggest that Russini is some innocent victim. She is absolutely tone-deaf about the seriousness of what she has done. She covers the Patriots! That is, along with the league’s other teams. On what planet is this not out of bounds?
PATRIOTS’ MIKE VRABEL WAS NEVER EXPECTED AT TEAM’S PRE-DRAFT PRESS CONFERENCE
Plus, they weren’t exactly being discreet. Russini must have been aware that photos were being taken. Doesn’t everyone know by now that pictures, especially of the salacious variety, always wind up on the interwebs?
And it’s a major embarrassment for the Times, which rushed to defend Russini when the story first broke.
The Athletic, which replaced the Times sports desk so subscribers could be charged an extra fee, and which does a very good job, dismissed the initial accounts.
Steven Ginsberg, The Athletic’s executive editor, backed Russini, telling the New York tabloid that he is “proud” of her. “These photos are misleading and lack essential context. These were public interactions in front of many people.”
But as Front Office Sports later reported, The Athletic decided to investigate Russini’s account, and that the pictures had been shopped to TMZ and other outlets. ESPN confirmed that the Post’s coverage had raised concerns that were being reviewed.
Vrabel, who led the Patriots to the Super Bowl and was named NFL Coach of the Year, could not have been more dismissive. “These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable,” he told the Post. “This doesn’t deserve any further response.” And that was it.
But Russini has had plenty to say since she was allowed to resign. In a letter to Ginsberg on Tuesday, obtained by The AP, she does not offer a shred of regret:
“I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published…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.”
Russini said she’s quitting before her contract expires on June 30 “because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career.”
Sadly, she still doesn’t get it. Journalists are supposed to avoid even the appearance of a conflict.
Now some media outlets are asking the inevitable question.
NBC Sports asked: “Is there a double standard for Mike Vrabel, Dianna Russini?”
But reporter Mike Florio writes that Vrabel has a very different job in Massachusetts. If the coach was leaking non-public information, he says as a hypothetical, that could be a problem.
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And there’s this vague catch-all in league rules for players: “Conduct that undermines or puts at risk the integrity of the NFL, NFL clubs or NFL personnel.”
The Boston Globe has also assailed a “double standard,” saying female journalists’ credibility is more easily challenged and male figures like coaches are less likely to suffer consequences.
Globe columnist Chad Finn says that “accountability falls unevenly.”
Veteran sportswriter Jeff Pearlman said in a TikTok video that if he had a private meeting with Mike Vrabel, there wouldn’t be any headlines, even if they jumped in a hot tub, but when it’s a female reporter, it’s national news.
“It is unfair but a reality for women reporters, it’s unfair, but they really have to be cautious when writing about a particular man…It’s just such a painful double standard.”
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Look, I get it. Journalists are held to a higher ethical bar. Female journalists in particular are held to a higher ethical standard than sources. Particularly if the source is a powerful man. And especially if that man just took his team to the Super Bowl.
But nobody looks good here – not the Times, not Dianna Russini, not the Patriots, not the National Football League, and definitely not its Coach of the
Year.
