Max Kellerman criticizes the media's reaction to the Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel scandal, calling it 'disgusting.' He argues that the media's coverage is driven by selfish motives rather than genuine concern for journalistic integrity.
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Credit: Pardon My Take, Game Over
Max Kellerman has found the real villian in the never-ending drama involving Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel – the media.
The Russini-Vrabel affair has dominated social media and tabloids, but mainstream sports media has largely kept their distance. But if you ask Max Kellerman, the way the media has treated both individuals has been “disgusting.”
In a clip from his Game Overpodcast with Rich Paul, Kellerman didn’t necessarily defend Russini or her actions. However, he did torch the coverage of the apparent affair, saying that any concerns about her journalistic integrity were cover for the media’s own selfish gain. His main source of criticism was the provocative nature of the media reaction and constant drip of stories and the effect it is having on them personally and their families.
“The three percent of the teams she covers, there’s some kind of bias that might show up, who knows how, but whatever. Ok. I’m willing to say that’s true, that’s legitimate. But that’s not why people are covering this story. They’re using that as a bull—- excuse to be titilated by an affair,” Kellerman said. “It’s so disgusting to me because, especially the latest. It comes across my reels, and I’ve worked with Dianna Russini, I haven’t worked with Mike Vrabel. But it’s on my reels so I can’t avoid it. And there’s pictures and the press is trying to create a timeline where when they might have been cheating. So without regard to how this affects their spouses, their children, they’re putting these families through hell under the guise of journalistic integrity and ethics where in fact that is just an excuse to put out salacious stuff. Shame on the media for covering it the way they are.
All Rich Paul could say in response was, “You know me Max, I mind my business, man.”
It’s a curious comment from Max Kellerman because he seems to be conflating two different aspects of the scandal between Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel.
Has some of the coverage been salacious? Absolutely. The tabloids like Page Six and TMZ have been all over the story and are producing pictures and evidence of their rendezvous all over the country from what sure looks like a years-long affair. It all started with pictures at an Arizona resort this year, but then they have now unearthed the pair in 2020 and a .
Max Kellerman described the media's reaction as 'disgusting' and criticized their coverage as being driven by selfish motives.
Dianna Russini is a sports journalist, and Mike Vrabel is the head coach of the Tennessee Titans, both involved in a controversy that has attracted media attention.
Kellerman highlighted that the media's provocative coverage has negatively impacted both individuals and their families.
Max Kellerman shared his opinions during an episode of his podcast, *Game Over*, alongside Rich Paul.
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The reason why the tabloids are covering it in this way is because it is a salacious story. It’s not every day that the head coach of the defending Super Bowl champions gets caught in a long-term extramarital relationship with a prominent NFL insider who is a famous celebrity in her own right. As far as the families are concerned, reports about Russini’s names for her children and TMZ following around Mike Vrabel’s wife definitely approach the ethical line if not blow past it completely.
But TMZ and Page Six are in no way asking about the journalistic integrity of Dianna Russini. They are two different angles to the story. Yes, there are serious questions about Russini’s conflicts of interest as a Coach of the Year voter and how her reporting can shape and help Vrabel in his job, whether it’s putting pressure on potential trade partners or helping his own job prospects. And then there is the wider Pandora’s Box about the entire nature of insiderdom that has led to plenty of reflection and commentary. Those are legitimate inquiries, not just viral clips of Russini talking about closing her eyes during sex with her husband in front of Vrabel.
For that matter, using blanket terminology to blast “the media” is also strange because the mainstream media has been very reluctant to acknowledge the depths of the story, only really acknowledging how the growing scandal will affect Mike Vrabel in his role as New England Patriots head coach. Vrabel renting a boat with Dianna Russini is not being talked about on SportsCenter. Vrabel taking a personal day for counseling during the NFL Draft will.
The backdrop for all of this fury from Max Kellerman against the media is the simple truth that both Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel have had plenty of time and opportunities to try to come clean about what happened and tell the full story in an attempt to provide closure and move on. But they have refused to do so. Instead, they have denied it, talked around it, and chosen radio silence. And that refusal has only served as an invitation to the tabloids and every independent social media clip hunter to do their own deep dives to keep the story going without an end in sight.
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