It is clear that Patriots’ head coach Mike Vrabel and sports reporter Dianna Russini are not exiting the public spotlight anytime soon. Overall, the legitimate mainstream media has actually responded fairly professionally to the ongoing saga. There has been very little soap box scolding or vicious judgements. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the unprofessional, uninitiated, and uneducated flock of social media scrubs using AI and low brow humor to mock those involved.
Mike Vrabel is a big boy and Diana Russini is an experienced reporter who understands all-access coverage. They are not neophytes to big time sports and big time sports media. Both have lived in this world for decades.
Still, it galls me to see these cowardly souls tapping away on their mobile devices with no regard for the truth or the families of both particulars. Like all of us, Vrabel and Russini are not perfect. However, they have accomplished much more than these rabid critics ever will. Using memes, fake photos, and contrived videos, these vicious sorts are both offensive and shameful, but I guess this is media in 2026. All you need is a mobile device and no conscience, and you can become a star. There are no limits, checks and balances, or boundaries. You can argue that Vrabel and Russini brought this on themselves, but that does not excuse the malicious posts and insults.
I am hardly against opinion and, as a longtime media writer, have written some fairly harsh critiques. In addition, I am a staunch defender of comedy – a precious territory where political correctness has no business. However, I prefer to hear jokes, critiques, and even insults from people who are professional and informed. I’m not interested in hateful phonies, and fake words and images. There are lines not to be crossed, even if they’ve become quite blurry.
A Tale of Two Media Worlds
There are a lot more important issues in this world than two consenting adults poolside or on a boat, but the bottom-feeding, social media frenzy is absolutely the lowest form of expression. Some of the repulsive posts I’ve seen make TMZ look like the Disney Channel. The creators of this junk are trying to get noticed, amp up their Likes and Follows, and gain enough views for Jimmy Fallon or Dancing with the Stars to come calling. We live in a self-proclaiming society. If the 1970s was the ‘Me Decade,’ then we are squarely in the ‘Look At Me Decade’ with online pleas to click ‘see more’ or the little heart under each negative post.
I am not exonerating Vrabel and Russini because who am I to exonerate anyone’s personal life? It’s none of my business. Reporters go into locker rooms and stick microphones in athletes’ and coaches’ faces. They do countless interviews and have sources everywhere – from owners to popcorn vendors, but how many of the subjects do they know personally? This is multiplied for the social media denizens. At least real reporters actually see or at least communicate with their subjects. The online crew only knows what they see and hear on TV, radio, and podcasts. If Vrabel made a questionable coaching call or if Russini did a weak interview or feature story I’d tell you. That’s my job, but I won’t judge their personal lives.
Vrabel got a lot of heat because he chose to skip the third day of this year’s NFL Draft to seek counseling with his family. Why do you think he did that? I think he did it because at the heart of it all, he is a coach. Even in this horribly uncomfortable position, he wants to create a teaching moment. He could have gone to counseling the following Monday or Tuesday, but chose to do it on the third day of the draft because his players and the public would notice. He is not perfect. I am guessing those who put out insulting videos, BS commentary, and bad taste jokes are not either.
The working media has handled the Vrabel/Russini issue with a velvet gloved sense of class. They have not ignored it nor should they. It is a legitimate news story involving two very high profile individuals. What they have exercised is good judgement. Why? The cynical answer is that they may have their own skeletons that they would prefer to keep in the closet, but more likely, it is because they are real commentators with degrees, experience, and resumes, not just an iPhone. That’s the difference between a professional and a punk, a journalist and a jerk, working media and witless minions.
No Accountability, No Standards, No Excuse
The basement dwellers waiting for DoorDash to arrive via a knock on the bulkhead have no idea what’s going on outside the cellar. They judge others because there is no accountability. Technology is a wonderful thing, but people often misuse it. Many will disagree and say that Vrabel and Russini deserve every bit of the insults they are getting. Even some members of the Boston media have lamented that their local colleagues have not gone hard enough on this subject. Why should they? This has nothing to do with job performance. It’s personal. Neither Vrabel nor Russini committed a crime. Did they make mistakes and poor decisions? Maybe. Do any of us really know the whole story? 100% no.
There’s an old adage that states ‘If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.’ The new adage apparently is, ‘If you don’t have something nice to say, say it and hope millions of people read it and think it is true.’ Freedom of speech does not apply here. I don’t think our forefathers had cyber cruelty in mind when they decreed that people should be allowed to speak freely. I doubt that in between writing the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, they said, “Oh, wait a minute, ignorant people should be allowed to trash the lives of others. That’s why we lost all those men at Bunker Hill.”
Most of the really outrageous stuff emanates not from opinion or debate, but from hate and jealousy. The unkind posers lie in wait, just looking for someone with a clean slate to make an error. Then, they pounce, not face-to-face, but hiding behind handles and usernames. Sadly, nothing will fix this problem. So what if they cross a line and go to Facebook jail for a month. They come right back 30 days later with even uglier memes and posts. I hope these individuals never experience pain in their own lives. That might be the only way though they realize that what they are doing is far worse than what they think Vrabel and Russini may have done.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries.
John Molori is a weekly columnist for Barrett Sports Media. He has previously contributed to ESPNW, Patriots Football Weekly, Golf Content Network, Methuen Life Magazine, and wrote a syndicated Media Blitz column in the New England region, which was published by numerous outlets including The Boston Metro, Providence Journal, Lowell Sun, and the Eagle-Tribune. His career also includes fourteen years in television as a News and Sports Reporter, Host, Producer working for Continental Cablevision, MediaOne, and AT&T. He can be reached on Twitter @MoloriMedia.
