The 10-day-old story that continues to generate news has created a delicate situation for plenty of people in sports media, and some of those who ostensibly cover sports media. And while true “friends” of hosts and analysts would arguably refrain from doing anything that would put their friends in a tough spot, more than a few people with platforms have decided not to give the topic any oxygen at all.
One member of the sports media occupies a unique position. He’s a radio host during the week on the team’s flagship station. He’s also employed by the Patriots as their game-day radio analyst.
Via Matt Yoder of Awful Announcing, Scott Zolak has had not a thing to say about the situation.
“I’m not going to comment on it,” Zolak said, in the clip from his show on 98.5 The Sports Hub posted by Boston Sports Media critic account on Twitter. “During the football season, multiple times in the offseason, I do things with Mike. And I know Mike. And Mike and I have a good back-and-forth working relationship. I know Mike’s wife, she’s been in some of the meetings. I know Mike’s two sons. I’ve met them, I’ve hung out with them during the football season. I know Dianna Russini. I know the people involved. And I’m in no position to comment on anything that happened between these two. It does me no good. . . .
“I like my jobs. I like working here. I like working with the Patriots. I like doing games. I like doing TV with them. I like being with the team. For me to sit there and cast stones at this guy would not do me great things. So there’s your answer in a nutshell. It’s pretty much like the beat reporters.”
While that’s true on the surface, the deeper reality is that Zolak is the only front-facing Patriots employee with regular access to a microphone. What he says, or doesn’t say, about any given situation involving the franchise can be interpreted as a reflection of the organization’s overall attitude and approach. If so, Zolak’s silence reflects his belief that the team wants it.
Zolak has spoken on other potentially sensitive issues regarding the team. Last May, he talked openly about the possibility the Patriots would cut receiver Stefon Diggs before he ever plays a game for them. Zolak once made a comment about quarterback Cam Newton for which Zolak later apologized. Zolak also said, after quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was traded to the 49ers, that he was “one of the worst practice quarterbacks we’ve had here.”
The point is this. Zolak has in the past said things that, technically, do him no good. His comments, or lack thereof, could fairly be viewed as his assessment of what will, or won’t, fly with those who employ him.
Regarding the current controversy, which has now claimed two jobs, Zolak seems to be doing what he thinks he needs to do in order to avoid joining the list. Even if there are fair comments that Zolak could make regarding the question all Patriots fans care about — whether and to what extent the situation could impact the team when the 2026 season commences.
The Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini situation has now claimed two jobs.
Earlier this week, Russini resigned from The Athletic, a week after photos emerged of her and Vrabel and her employer (after unequivocally supporting her) launched an investigation. Crissy Froyd, a USA Today reporter, offered some comments of her own on Twitter, after Russini resigned.
Now, via the New York Post, USA Today has fired Froyd for her Twitter post about Russini.
“USA TODAY Sports has ended its contractor relationship with Crissy Froyd effective immediately,” the publication said. “Her recent statements do not reflect our commitment to professionalism or uphold our principles of ethical conduct.”
Froyd issued a statement regarding the decision to the Post.
“I want to say firstly that I do not regret anything that I said and that I stand behind the fact it is all indeed true,” Froyd said. “I want to thank USA TODAY SMG for the incredible run I had there for about half of my life. It is deeply, deeply emotional to me that this relationship has come to an end and that my contract has been terminated because of this. I would never say anything I didn’t stand behind because I know the potential consequences, even if a situation seems risky. Thank you to everyone who has supported me both before and after I released my statements.”
While we won’t post the content of Froyd’s remark about Russini here (they’re on Froyd’s Twitter page), it’s important to note that the things Froyd said have not been verified or officially reported by any entity.
Froyd posted on Twitter the email she received ending her relationship with USA Today. She also posted this: “I regret zero of what I said and stand beside it. If you want to talk, my messages are open. My email is operative, too.”
Without access to her contract with USA Today, it’s impossible to know whether statements made by Froyd on Twitter constitute grounds to terminate her contractual relationship. It’s also impossible to know whether USA Today had the ability to end the contract at any time, for any reason.
Still, it’s obvious that the reason for the termination wasn’t Froyd’s work product but her comments about Russini.
It’s a sensitive topic, clearly. There’s a line between objective facts and rumor/innuendo/gossip. It’s why I cautioned my PFT Live co-host to “stay on target” earlier this week — an admonition that some Twitter aggregators viewed as an effort by me to conceal some massive, unknown truth about the situation.
I got dragged for it by folks who know nothing about law, business, and/or basic journalistic standards. They wanted dirt. Something they could clip, post, and profit from.
Sorry, aggregators, but there’s a line. I was reminding my co-host and friend not to get too close to it. And I wasn’t reaching through the camera from 450 miles away to muzzle him. He can say whatever he wants to say, wherever he wants to say it. (As he said on Thursday’s PFT Live, he has already heard from Page Six, apparently in response to my effort to nudge him away from the possibility of saying something that could have caused a problem for him.)
As Froyd has learned, no one knows how a corporate entity is going to react to something that someone blurts out into a live microphone or posts on Twitter. Discretion and accuracy remain important, even if it keeps the aggregators from stealing someone else’s video content in the hopes of making money from it.
The NFL has announced the names of the current and former players that will take part in next week’s draft by announcing second-round picks.
The list includes players associated with all 32 teams, including Cardinals running back James Conner. Conner has strong ties to the Pittsburgh area after playing for the Steelers and attending Pitt, which likely made him an easy choice as the Cardinals’ representative.
Former Bears tackle Jimbo Covert, former Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett, former Chiefs defensive lineman Bill Maas, current Vikings tackle Brian O’Neill, former Jets running back Curtis Martin, and former 49ers punter Andy Lee are other Pitt alums who are set to take part.
The hometown team will be represented by four players. Former Steelers Jerome Bettis and John Stallworth will be joined by Joey Porter Sr. and Jr. next Friday.
The other players taking part and their team affiliations appear below:
Falcons: Michael Turner
Ravens: Mark Ingram
Bills: Shane Conlan
Panthers: Jake Delhomme
Bengals: Ken Anderson
Browns: Phil Dawson
Cowboys: Drew Pearson
Broncos: T.J. Ward
Lions: Calvin Johnson
Packers: John Kuhn
Texans: Billy Miller
Colts: Pat McAfee
Jaguars: Paul Posluszny
Raiders: Matt Millen
Chargers: Shawne Merriman
Rams: Tavon Austin
Dolphins: Dwight Stephenson
Patriots: Deion Branch
Saints: Marques Colston
Giants: Osi Umenyiora
Eagles: Brian Westbrook
Seahawks: Cliff Avril
Buccaneers: Ronde Barber
Titans: Jeffery Simmons
Commanders: Mark Rypien
One week ago, no one knew what would happen regarding the photos published by the New York Post of Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and The Athletic reporter Dianna Russini. Many didn’t even know what to make of the situation.
The photos were what they were. The statements from Vrabel, Russini, and The Athletic were what they were. And the general public concluded whatever it concluded regarding whether the photos meshed with the statements.
Now that Russini has resigned from The Athletic amid an investigation that will nevertheless continue in the form of a “standards review,” the attention may turn to the other person in the photos, who has emerged from the imbroglio unscathed for now.
Vrabel made one and only one comment about the photos. Based on his comment, he seems to be intent on making no further comment.
“These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable,” Vrabel told the Post. “This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
The mere fact that The Athletic launched an investigation shows its belief that “any suggestion otherwise” was not “laughable.” Which makes sense, given the high bar that The New York Times and, by extension, The Athletic apply to its reporters to “avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest.”
No such standard applies to Vrabel in his job as an NFL football coach. There are other rules that potentially impact Vrabel based on the position he holds, but neither the league nor the Patriots seem to be inclined to explore whether the situation potentially implicates those less obvious and more nuanced standards.
When Vrabel next meets with reporters, he likely will be asked about the situation. Russini’s resignation opens the door for, at a minimum, a question regarding his reaction to the outcome as to her. And there’s a good chance, depending on the credentials issued by the Patriots to the upcoming press conferences, that reporters from non-sports outlets will be present and prepared to pepper Vrabel with that and other questions.
Then there’s the locker room. PFT Live Friday co-host Michael Holley recently explained on NBC Sports Boston that, while Vrabel may be able to stiff-arm the media, he’ll need to address the matter with players. At a minimum, Vrabel must maintain his own credibility when it comes to insisting that players not create unnecessary distractions for the team.
Although there’s no reason to think anything will happen as to Vrabel’s employment, it’s something that has the potential to linger unless and until Vrabel finds a way to end it. He can easily end it externally, because he can simply say to reporters, “I’ve said all I’m ever going to say about it.” He’ll need to say something more to the people he will expect to not create distractions moving forward, if only to get them to understand why they should continue to heed that message.
The full communication from The Athletic executive editor Steven Ginsberg to staff regarding the resignation of NFL insider Dianna Russini has emerged. Dylan Byers of Puck has posted the full message.
“I’m writing to let you know that Dianna Russini has submitted her resignation from The Athletic, effective immediately. While I can’t share the details of our investigation into Dianna’s conduct, I want to emphasize that the leadership of The Athletic has taken this matter seriously from the moment that we learned about it.
“Our coverage at The Athletic is deeply rooted in our integrity and our commitment to earning the trust of our audience. Our newsroom has thrived because of our core journalistic values, and we will always ensure they are protected.
“When this situation was brought to our attention last week, there were clear concerns, but we received a detailed explanation and it was our instinct to support and defend a colleague while we continued to review the matter. As additional information emerged, new questions were raised that became part of our investigation.
“While our investigation into Dianna’s conduct was ongoing, she chose to resign. We will continue a standards review of Dianna’s work that Mike Semel is leading.
“Amid all of this, I want to sincerely thank everyone for continuing to produce the best sports report in the business. I’m looking forward to focusing on our journalism and continuing our momentum.”
It was Ginsberg who provided the initial statement in response to the New York Post securing photos of Russini with Patriots coach Mike Vrabel. “These photos are misleading and lack essential context,” Ginsberg told the Post at the time. “These were public interactions in front of many people. Dianna is a premier journalist covering the NFL and we’re proud to have her at The Athletic.”
That initial comment from Ginsberg has become a problem for the publication. Russini’s resignation letter reminded Ginsberg that he supported her “unequivocally"; staffers reportedly have taken issue with his handling of the situation, calling it “unnecessarily messy,” “reckless,” “premature,” and “intentionally sneaky.”
