Dianna Russini’s Return To Sports Media Was A Bit Of A Disaster

This week marked Dianna Russini’s return to public life. The former highly compensated NFL reporter, who blew up her career by canoodling in public with Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, began her return from disgrace the way a lot of notable people who can afford capable PR firms do: with a soft-focus profile in People. The next phase of her comeback, Wednesday’s premiere of her new weekly football show on BetUS TV, was not so competently executed.

The People article is about what you’d expect. Russini talks about how “heartbreaking” the the last six months have been, and how having to resign from The Athletic after going interlaced-fingers mode with Vrabel at an adults-only resort was a “nightmare.” Russini also seems to be maintaining her position that there was nothing inappropriate about her relationship with Vrabel, which included rendezvous in a bar, a casino, and on a boat. She complained to People about all the “lies” that “became so out of control.” The profile finished up with Russini trying to reposition herself as an inspiration to women. “I really hope that I can be someone other women see: you can pick yourself up, get back in there and not be afraid,” she said.

With that out of the way, it was time for the main event. The Russini Report, a weekly one-hour web show about the NFL, debuted on Wednesday. The show is hosted by BetUS, which is a sketchy offshore sportsbook that is headquartered in Costa Rica and regulated by the government of Curaçao. I also feel compelled to tell you that the show that preceded The Russini Report on the BetUS platform featured these three gentleman, who I’m assuming all know each other from a support group for uncanny individuals: