The New York Times’s lengthy new story on Dianna Russini doesn’t provide many answers on what happened between her and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel. But it sure raises a slew of fascinating questions.
Among them: What the hell is going on between the “Gray Lady” and The Athletic, which was purchased by the New York Times Co. for $550 million in 2022. Why won’t the New York Times answer questions from the New York Times? Is The Athletic’s investigation of their former senior NFL insider finally a wrap? When and how will Russini tell her side of the story?
Let’s unpack this:
Payback Time for the Times?
The shotgun marriage between the venerable 175-year-old newspaper and the 10-year-old digital startup has been awkward at best. But the latest report on Russini gives the impression that there’s still resentment within the Times over executives disbanding the paper’s iconic sports department in 2023 and outsourcing its sports coverage to The Athletic.
