The Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini controversy seems to take a brand new turn every day, and The Atlantic’s Jemele Hill doesn’t think that’s about to vary.
“The Patriots are fooling themselves in the event that they think this story is just going to go away,” Hill, 50, wrote via X on Thursday, May 7. “Now that it’s crossed over into tabloid territory, they’re not only going to be digging through the crates, but following his every move from here on out.”
Hill’s comment got here as a quote of a video TMZ Sports posted the identical day, appearing to indicate Vrabel, 50, and Russini, 43, meeting up for an tour on a personal boat in 2021.
Before joining The Atlantic in 2018, Hill spent greater than a decade working for ESPN, including a stint as a SportsCenter anchor.
TMZ first reported that Vrabel and Russini had rented the private boat on Wednesday, May 6, later noting that the 2 took precautions to avoid photos of them together becoming public.
Because the scandal has continued to unfold, dating back to April 7 when Page Six published the primary images of Vrabel and Russini together, the 2 have been hesitant to expose specifics about their relationship. Each are married to other people and Russini was pregnant along with her first son, whom she shares with husband Kevin Goldschmidt, when the boat trip occurred.
Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel Page Six / MEGA
Russini resigned as The Athletic’s senior NFL insider on April 14, while Vrabel issued a public statement before the NFL Draft saying he would miss the ultimate day of the event to attend counseling as he focuses on his family.
“Vrabel has often spoken passionately about accountability being a core principle of his football team, but in providing vague answers about his relationship with Russini, he appears to be dodging what he’s preaching,” Hill wrote in a column published Monday, May 4.
She continued, “Russini’s profession is perhaps over. And maybe that’s appropriate: Her job is different than his, including the skilled ethics and standards required to perform it. Meanwhile, Vrabel could also be allowed to maneuver on to the brand new NFL season, and in the method offer all the best platitudes about getting back to business.”
As she noted, that doesn’t mean the scandal will go away. He has made limited public appearances for the reason that news broke, but because the season draws closer, his media obligations are going to extend.
“Even when Vrabel stays with the team, things won’t be business as usual anytime soon,” Hill wrote. “He now faces a brand new level of scrutiny on top of the demands and pressure that routinely include attempting to be a winning NFL coach. It’s a brand new reality that he completely earned.”