Some NFL coaches are now refusing to be seen with female reporters in public, in the wake of the Dianna Russini scandal.
Russini was spotted hanging out socially with head coach Mike Vrabel of the New England Patriots and formerly Tennessee Titans. It’s unclear if Russini and Vrabel were just friends or if there was something more going on. Ultimately, Russini had to resign from her position at The Athletic, while Vrabel admitted that he went to marriage counseling.
“I stand by any and all reporting I’ve ever done in my career,” Russini told the New York Times.
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In the wake of the scandal, ripple effects are being felt everywhere.
According to a report from ESPN, some NFL coaches are telling female reporters that they don’t want to be seen with them in public, given the optics.
“One woman who covers the NFL said that an assistant coach said he wouldn’t want to be seen meeting with her because of the optics after the Vrabel scandal. Several women reporters and coaches told ESPN they are more cautious now when interacting with each other because they feel more closely watched. They worry about the league’s annual scouting combine in March, an event defined by late-night intermingling between team personnel and reporters at bars that helps define coverage for fans,” ESPN reported.
ESPN added: “Several women reporters, from ESPN and other outlets, said that the Vrabel-Russini situation has impacted their jobs, which were already challenging because of their gender. One reporter said an assistant coach told her he would not want to be seen meeting her for a coffee, specifically citing the optics of the Vrabel-Russini situation.”
It’s difficult to see Russini returning to her reporting role because of this
While it’s possible that Russini could return to sports media, it won’t be in a reporting type of role.
It will be borderline impossible for Russini to develop the kind of trust and relationships needed to break stories and report on the NFL.
And, now, it sounds like the scandal has made it even harder for some of the league’s other female reporters.
