NBC reminds pregame viewers about Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini scandal coach and Patriots want to forget
Mike Vrabel and the New England Patriots want everyone to forget that the coach and the franchise by extension were tied to an embarrassing scandal when the Dianna Russini story surfaced in April.
But here we are on the night the NFL season kicks off and, nope, nobody has forgotten.
NBC, bless their hearts, didn't forget.
On their pregame show prior to the Patriots season-opening game against the Seattle Seahawks, the relationship between Vrabel and Russini was highlighted.
And discussed.
"Remember in the offseason, Vrabel missed the final day of the draft in April to seek counseling after photos were published of him and longtime NFL reporter Dianna Russini," host Maria Taylor told the audience before moving on to the acquisition of A.J. Brown and asking if the team is better on paper now.
This is not what the Patriots want. It's definitely not what Vrabel wants because he has mostly declined to answer questions on the topic since training camp opened with one exception when he was asked about that family counseling.
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Vrabel deflected from the topic that time.
He also declined to address the issue last week when The Athletic published its standards review which found the reporter's relationship with Vrabel was "in clear violation" of the media company's standards.
"This team has fully moved past all the offseason stuff," analyst Devin McCourty, a former Patriots safety, said on air. "The Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini stuff, they're not talking about it.
"You won't hear a player mention anything. They're focused solely on this season."
The Patriots may indeed be fully focused on the start of the regular season.
But they do not write the script for the media which may continue to mention the offseason scandal early this season as a way of recapping all that happened to the team and its coach.
And, obviously, if the season in any way goes against expectations and the Patriots struggle, it won't be a reach for reporters to ask if the scandal that dominated national headlines from April to June distracted from any preparation.
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One more thing:
Russini, who resigned from The Athletic following the publishing of her photos with Vrabel, has reportedly vowed to address the issue once she returns to public life. Depending on what narrative that address follows, the Patriots may once again find themselves trying to manage a public relations issue.
(Just a guess here: Russini will find no fault with anything she did during her many-years-old relationship with Vrabel dating back to when he coached the Tennessee Titans).
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