No matter what The Athletic’s investigation of NFL reporter Dianna Russini finds, the damage is already done.
Russini has given new fire to the infuriating trope that women in sports are only here to hook up with athletes. Even if they turn out to be innocent, the photos of Russini and New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel hugging and socializing at a resort in Arizona cast a cloud of suspicion on the interactions every woman reporter or broadcaster has with athletes, coaches and front-office personnel.
Are we being friendly because we’re cultivating a professional relationship or do we have other, more salacious motives? Are we asking for a phone number or email because building sources is part of our job or because we want to hit you up on the side?
It’s not fair, but it’s the reality: Russini made it harder for every single woman in sports, regardless of what we cover, to do our jobs. By risking her own credibility, she’s put ours in jeopardy, too.
Vrabel and Russini have both denied any wrongdoing, and Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said April 13 that it's been "business as usual" for the coach. Russini is on leave, however, pending an internal investigation at The Athletic.
