Author: Ben Strauss

Ben Strauss

Apr 17, 2026, 02:00 PM ETOpen Extended Reactions

NFL REPORTER DIANNA Russini was at home in Bergen County on Easter Sunday when a reporter from the New York Post approached the house. The outlet, the reporter told her, had photographs of Russini, a top newsbreaker at The Athletic, with Mike Vrabel, the head coach of the New England Patriots, together in Arizona.

Russini told the Post reporter that she and Vrabel recently had been in Arizona for NFL league meetings, according to two people briefed on the interaction.

The photos, though, threatened to become a public relations disaster. They were taken at

Link to Original Article - on ESPN

Ben Strauss

Apr 10, 2026, 09:40 PM ET

The Athletic is reinvestigating the coverage of NFL reporter Dianna Russini and the nature of her relationship with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel amid questions raised about the two this week, sources familiar with the matter told ESPN on Friday.

The New York Post on Tuesday published photos that appeared to show Russini embracing and interlocking fingers with Vrabel on the roof of the adults-only Ambiente resort in Sedona, Arizona. Other photos appeared to show Russini and Vrabel together in and around the resort’s pool.

The Athletic’s executive editor, Steven Ginsberg, initially

Link to Original Article - on ESPN

Ben Strauss

Apr 10, 2026, 12:40 PM ETOpen Extended Reactions

As the NFL gets ready to negotiate billions of dollars in new media contracts, which determine where fans will watch games and how much they’ll pay to do so, a new entity has joined those talks: the federal government.

The Department of Justice has opened a probe into whether the NFL is harming consumers in the way it sells its broadcast rights.

A growing chorus of lawmakers and fans have expressed concern over the NFL and other leagues putting more games on subscription streaming services, leading to potentially increased costs for viewers. While the

Link to Original Article - on ESPN