NFL reporter for The Athletic Dianna Russini has long been known as a top reporter in her field. However, New York Jets fans have been left angry following some of her latest work.
Russini and Jets beat writer Zack Rosenblatt have been unearthing the curtain that was the 2023 Jets season. Problems ranging from a quarterback being reluctant to play after being benched and a toxic workplace culture falling at the feet of the head coach have been just some of what The Athletic’s reporting team has brought to light in the last few months.
While some Jets fans have been left to question and criticize Russini and Rosenblatt’s reporting, the long-time NFL reported fired back on Wednesday in the biggest way.
Dianna Russini Blasts Jets Fans for ‘Denial’ About Dysfunction
In Wednesday’s edition of Barstool’s Pardon My Take, Russini made it clear that Gang Green fans who questioned her reporting were trying to ignore the bigger problems their favorite team has been dealing with.
“I think Jets fans are in denial. They want to call people liars because they don’t want to believe that it’s that bad, that the culture is that awful,” Russini said. “So don’t blame the team, blame the reports that uncovered all of this.”
A New York City native, Russini said during her time on the popular podcast that she has had to defend her work from those even in her own neighborhood. Part of Russini’s recent reports have shed light on the Jets being a “dysfunctional mess” with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his Achilles injury at the center of those issues.
Rodgers was lost for the season four plays into the 2023 season opener against the Buffalo Bills, and the Jets (as Russini reported) struggled to stay afloat. While the team matched their previous season’s record at 7-10, the turmoil and frustration surrounding Rodgers’ influence with the organization caught the reporter’s eye.
“I live in an area where there are Jets fans, like, at the eye doctor the guy who was helping me, he’s like, ‘Come on,’” Russini said. “People want me to say, ‘All right, we dramatized it, it’s not that bad, Aaron’s great, he’s kumbaya with everybody.’ When the reality is, it’s a mess in New York. It’s really bad.”
During Russini’s offseason report on the Jets’ locker room and organizational struggles, the long-time ESPN host cited that she spoke to 30 different sources for her stories. The Atheltic’s editorial policy is that reporters must send a list of sources to their editors with every piece.
So while there will be some Jets fans that will deny the offseason complaints and concerns surrounding the organization, this isn’t a case of a reporter making up stories for clicks.
KEEP READING: Aaron Rodgers Optimistic About the Jets in 2024
Things may certainly turn around for Gang Green in 2024, with Rodgers set to return for his 20th NFL season, but there’s a lot to fix for the Jets to be considered a viable contender in a deep conference and division.
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