Dave Portnoy is speculating that “something beyond a friendship was happening” when New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and New York Times NFL reporter Dianna Russini were photographed together at an Arizona hotel last month.
Vrabel, 50, said the pictures of him and Russini showed a “completely innocent interaction” and that “any suggestion otherwise is laughable” in a statement to Page Six after we obtained the photos on April 7.
Russini, 43, told us “the photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day” and “like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.”
The Barstool Sports founder weighed in on the bombshell photos and the aftermath of their release during Monday’s episode of his “Wake Up Barstool” sports talk show.
Portnoy, who does not claim to have insider knowledge, expressed his skepticism of the denials. “They’re both married with kids. So, in that respect, very sad story,” Portnoy, 49, began.
Vrabel and his wife of 26 years, Jen, share sons Tyler and Carter. Russini and her husband of nearly six years, Shake Shack exec Kevin Goldschmid, also have two kids.
Portnoy continued, “Vrabel, this is totally a personal issue, right? Like, if he’s cheating, not cheating, this doesn’t affect your job. This has nothing to do with your job as a football coach.”
But Portnoy argued that the matter is more “dicey” for Russini, who was sidelined by the Times after Page Six published photos of her and Vrabel holding hands and hugging at the Ambiente in Sedona on March 28.
“I’m sure somewhere they say you cannot cross the line with your sources,” he speculated. “You can’t become intimate because then maybe you treat them differently.”
However, Portnoy also argued that the Athletic reporter shouldn’t “lose her job” even if inappropriate conduct is confirmed.
“So maybe she crossed a work line, which will cause her to be terminated. Now she’s not dealing with nuclear codes. She’s not dealing with politicians. It’s football,” he explained.
“So should you lose your job for becoming intimate with a coach?” Portnoy wondered. “I probably don’t think so.”
Portnoy didn’t buy the pair’s alleged “excuses,” arguing they “probably weren’t the best move from them from a PR perspective.”
“This excuse that they both had, which is the same excuse that, ‘Hey, we’re with a group of people, and it’s not shown.’ It’s quite peculiar at this point that none of these supposed friends have stepped forward and said, ‘Yeah, we were with them. Here’s proof. We’re with them,’” Portnoy noted.
“So, I think it’s pretty obvious that maybe something beyond a friendship was happening here,” he speculated.
Sources said the Athletic, the prominent digital sports outlet that the Times obtained for $550 million in 2022, launched an investigation into the photos of Vrabel and Russini last week.
“After Page Six reached out to Dianna for comment, the Athletic immediately began an investigation,” an insider familiar with the probe told us on Friday.
The source added the Athletic was investigating the situation and “reviewing [Russini’s] coverage,” and that Russini wouldn’t be reporting for the outlet while the probe was underway.
“While the apparent conduct in the photos raised questions for [the Athletic executive editor Steven Ginsberg] and leadership at the Athletic, an initial review suggested the images provided lacked context, specifically the presence of a larger group of friends,” the insider continued.
But “new details from the Page Six report and information from the investigation raised additional concerns that are now being reviewed further,” they added. “The investigation is ongoing.”
The Athletic declined to comment.
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