So far this offseason, the scandal involving Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini has been arguably the biggest story in sports. Throughout the summer, new information about the alleged affair between the two has continued to surface.
Now, as it seems to be reaching a boiling point, many are starting to wonder if the head coach of the New England Patriots is going to face some severe consequences. However, according to a former superstar wide receiver, the story isn’t anything new.
Mike Vrabel Might Not Face Any Consequences
When the pictures from their getaway in Arizona were first released, there was significant doubt about the story’s overall context. But over time, as more dots have continued to connect, and new information has become available, the affair is starting to become an accepted reality.
Initially, there was direct pushback from Russini about the insinuation. Instead, she claimed that their meeting was pure happenstance. Still, she resigned from her position at The Athletic while the situation remained a mystery.
Then, Vrabel essentially confirmed the story when revealing the tough conversations he’d had, both with his family and the Patriots organization. Still, the scandal hasn’t left people’s minds, as new developments seem to emerge every day.
From Spotify playlists to boat rentals, every news piece reveals another layer to the story. As a result, there has been a growing sentiment regarding Vrabel and his future with the Patriots.
Cedric Maxwell, who won two championships with the Boston Celtics, including winning Finals MVP in 1981, had similar doubts during an appearance on the “Nightcap.” However, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson made it clear that the situation wasn’t a big deal.
“We’ve been in this lifestyle so much, we’ve seen so many situations, so many cases, even some that weren’t made public or we knew about it behind closed doors. But we’ve situations like this so much, so often. To others, the regular folk are like, ‘Oh My God, what is going on? This needs to be talked about.’ And I’m thinking like it’s normal.”
Going a step further, the four-time All-Pro selection made it clear that this was a very common situation. He even revealed how someone was angry at him for not discussing the scandal on the podcast, calling it “huge.”
However, for Ochocinco, “No, it’s not. This s**t happens all the time.” The six-time Pro Bowler, though, isn’t the only one who hasn’t given a ton of importance to this development.
Recently, it was Asante Samuel, a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion, who wasn’t moved by the scandal. Instead, he believed it was a common “understanding” that a husband and wife needed.
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“It’s all about understanding,” Samuel said. “Don’t show it in my face. Don’t let the public know what’s going on. When the public gets a hold of anything that they think can go viral, man, your a** is grass.”
From both the legendary players’ accounts, it seems like this is a pretty common phenomenon in the NFL circles. While the public is shocked by it, it doesn’t seem like it will be much of a story by the time the season rolls around.
