The Dianna Russini-Mike Vrabel scandal has dominated the NFL offseason for nearly three months. However, several of the biggest voices in sports media have been quiet about the story. Broadcaster Dan Le Batard has also drawn criticism for his silence, given his willingness to hold other media figures accountable.
Le Batard drew fresh backlash after he criticized Michael Strahan for not asking NFL legend Chris Johnson whether football contributed to his ALS diagnosis during an appearance on “Good Morning America.” But on Thursday, Le Batard acknowledged the criticism he has received and shared his perspective.
Dan Le Batard Admits to Being ‘Inconsistent’ About Dianna Russini
People on social media pointed out that Le Batard was demanding tough questions from Strahan while refusing to address the Russini situation on his own show, despite her being a recurring contributor to his program.
“I think a lot of criticism of me in general is fair,” Le Batard said. “And this allows me to actually go back for a second and talk about some of the Dianna Russini stuff. Because I know that this is something that people are now holding up whenever they think I’m sanctimonious or doing anything that they find an opening to criticize me on. They’re like, ‘You’re being a hypocrite here, you weren’t willing to talk about that.’
“I wouldn’t say it’s hypocrisy, I would say it’s inconsistent if you want to call me that. I would also say it’d be apples-to-apples if Dianna Russini was across from me and I wasn’t asking her any of the questions you want to know about. Because I believe, in an interview, the responsibility that the host has is, first and foremost, to the audience.”
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The Russini saga began in early April when Page Six published photographs of her and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel at an adults-only resort in Sedona, Arizona. The images showed them hugging, interlocking fingers, and spending time poolside and in a hot tub.
Russini resigned from The Athletic on April 14, exactly one week after the photos surfaced, but the story didn’t end there. Older photos from a New York City bar in 2020, where they were allegedly kissing, and footage of a private boat trip in 2021 surfaced, and The New York Times also published a report on June 24 that revealed new details about Russini’s conduct.
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“It’s fair criticism to say, ‘Dan, you should talk about Russini.’ It’s a consequence of me saying, ‘No I will not,’” Le Batard continued. “Because everyone is saying for me how wrong it is. You don’t need me adding to that pile of criticism to make my friend’s life a little bit worse… You want to hold it against me for the rest of my life, totally understandable. I make my decisions with my convictions, I live with them, there are consequences.”
Le Batard isn’t the only prominent media figure who has avoided the story. Russini built deep relationships across the NFL media landscape during stints at NBC, ESPN, and The Athletic, and many of her peers have declined to weigh in publicly.
That silence hasn’t gone unnoticed, as people on social media platforms continue to call out various analysts for their lack of coverage of the updates on Russini’s situation.
The question now is how long the industry’s collective silence will hold. The Athletic’s investigation is ongoing, and if that report produces new revelations or if Russini decides to tell her side, the networks and shows that have avoided this story may no longer have a choice.
