Pablo Torre focuses on the Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini situation
There's a new rule of thumb in sports media. When you've landed on the radar screen of Pablo Torre, it's rarely good. Torre’s latest episode focuses on the never-ending scandal that first emerged 17 days ago — the photos of Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and reporter Dianna Russini, formerly of ESPN and The Athletic .
If it took a while for Torre to get there, it's understandable. His relationship with Meadowlark Media and The Athletic makes it delicate, to say the least. Dan LeBatard of Meadowlark Media has openly said he doesn't want to talk about the situation because Russini is a friend.
And The Athletic is neck deep in this pit of quicksand, especially since it voiced clear and unequivocal support for Russini in the first comments on the matter. (Torre at one point includes a disclaimer explaining that the opinions expressed are his alone. ) Torre adds an interesting fact to the story.
As Jay Glazer of Fox was hosting the annual, poolside "day-drinking day" at the Biltmore resort in Arizona, where the league meetings were conducted, Russini was trying to organize a competing event — with Vrabel. "Two sources with direct knowledge of this have confirmed it to me," Torre said. "So that pool, where Jay Glazer was hosting all of those NFL head coaches and others.
Across the way of that same pool was Diana Russini and Mike Vrabel. And what she was doing, I am told, was effectively trying to host a rival Office Christmas party. .