ESPN's NBA Show Mocks Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini Controversy On-Air After Boston Celtics' Loss
Credits: IMAGO ©Credits: IMAGO Even though the Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini controversy has dominated this offseason, ESPN largely avoided addressing it. That changed slightly when Vrabel told ESPN he would skip the third day of the draft to attend counseling. Most in the NFL media have otherwise refused to delve into this situation unless absolutely required.
But those covering the NBA seem to have more leeway. Inside the NBA , now in its first year under ESPN, regularly creates “gone fishing” graphics to poke fun at NBA teams eliminated from the playoffs. So, on Saturday night, when the Boston Celtics lost to the Philadelphia 76ers 100-109 in the NBA playoffs, fans expected the usual segment.
But this time, the graphic surprised viewers. It featured Mike Vrabel and Russini alongside Celtics stars like Bill Simmons, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown. This graphic also tends to include notable figures tied to the city.
For this one, Boston celebrities such as Ben Affleck, John Krasinski, Matt Damon, and Mark Wahlberg were also put on this fishing boat. But the show’s crew compromised Vrabel and Russini even more than they already are by making them pose like Jack and Rose from Titanic. The reason they are there in the first place is that they are both Celtics fans.
While the other celebrities (not including the Celtics, of course) are in a relatively comfortable position in life, Vrabel and Russini are not. The New England Patriots head coach’s entire offseason has been marred by this controversy, while Russini resigned from The Athletic. To make matters worse, a second set of photos from 2020 was released in late April, weeks after the first one .