Dianna Russini resigned from The Athletic following photos published by the New York Post showing her with Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel at an adult-only resort in Arizona. She left defiantly, standing behind every story she ever filed. Baker Machado and FOS media writer Mike McCarthy get into where she could realistically land next, from Barstool Sports to gambling platforms like FanDuel that have been aggressively hiring sports media talent.
Jemele Hill has pointed to a clear double standard in how this story is being covered. Mike Vrabel has faced almost no public scrutiny. There is also the argument, made in USA Today, that Russini damaged the credibility of all women in sports media. Baker asks McCarthy to take that argument head on, and what it says about the insider model that has defined NFL coverage for years.
The Athletic initially defended Russini publicly, then launched an investigation after she was already gone. What does that say about how the outlet handled the entire situation, and could this change how coaches and executives approach their relationships with reporters going forward?
