Portnoy was – Dave Portnoy said he was “afraid” to approach Mike Vrabel at Drake Maye’s Celebrity Softball Game after publicly commenting on the affair scandal involving NFL reporter Dianna Russini. Portnoy said Vrabel was “totally normal,” received a big standing ovation,
Dave Portnoy admitted he was afraid to speak to Mike Vrabel at Drake Maye’s Celebrity Softball Game after he had already commented on the Patriots coach’s affair scandal involving Dianna Russini.
The hesitancy came against a backdrop of a story that has dominated the NFL for more than a month. The alleged affair between Russini and Vrabel became the league’s biggest topic after Page Six published images of the two at an adults-only resort in Arizona. More photos have followed as the scandal has continued to evolve week by week.
Portnoy, who said he was among those who commented on the saga when it first broke, revealed that the public attention around Vrabel left him unsure what might happen if he approached him at the event.
Asked if he spoke to Vrabel at the celebrity game over the weekend, Portnoy told Barstool’s YouTube channel: “No, I did not. I was afraid to go up to him.” He added: “I do have a relationship with him in the past [but] I have no idea what he’s seen, what I’ve said.”
Portnoy also described how Vrabel was received once he was seen at the event. “I mean, it was like a locker room environment. He was totally normal and got a very big standing ovation,” Portnoy said. When pressed again on whether he spoke to Vrabel, Portnoy said: “I saw him. He seemed like he was in good spirits. Normal interaction with all the players.”.
The contrast between Portnoy’s nerves and Vrabel’s public demeanor comes as Vrabel has tried to manage the noise around his personal life while keeping his focus on football. On May 27. he declared his love for his wife Jen and their two adult sons while speaking to the media for the first time since stepping away from the team for family counseling. When asked about work-life balance. Vrabel said: “I appreciate my family. I love Jen. I love the boys [Tyler and Carter]. I love my personal friends.”.
He was also asked about efforts to mitigate distractions from the scandal, but he redirected the conversation to the team. “We all have to deal with things outside of here… My focus. and obviously the excitement that I have for coaching. is what is most important right now. and this is a great opportunity. ” Vrabel said.
Vrabel, 50, had not briefed reporters since the recent NFL Draft. He addressed the growing rumors of an affair with Russini without explicitly admitting to adultery. He then took leave from the Patriots on Day 3 of the draft to attend the family counseling session.
When asked whether he could take another leave to deal with family concerns, Vrabel sidestepped the question, insisting he was focused on the present. “I’m gonna be out there in full force,” Vrabel said before attending the Patriots’ organized team activities (OTAs) in Foxborough.
Russini, who has denied wrongdoing and stood by her reporting on Vrabel, eventually faced consequences at her employer. The Athletic placed her on leave before she submitted her resignation, after the company launched an investigation into her actions. The scandal’s fallout has also extended beyond the initial Arizona images—The New York Post published pictures purportedly showing Vrabel and Russini kissing at a Manhattan bar in March of 2020. Russini married Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt in September 2020 and later gave birth to his two sons.
More photos have continued to circulate. The Daily Mail published images of Vrabel and Russini renting a boat on a Tennessee lake in 2021, when he was coaching the Titans and she was reporting on the team for ESPN.
For Portnoy. the decision to stay away from Vrabel at the softball event wasn’t about accusing anyone—he framed it as uncertainty after his own past comments and a fear of what Vrabel might have seen. What he did witness. though. was a coach who looked composed in the middle of a “locker room environment. ” received a “very big standing ovation. ” and carried himself with “normal interaction with all the players.”.
MISRYOUM Sports News Dave Portnoy Mike Vrabel Drake Maye celebrity softball game Dianna Russini Patriots The Athletic Page Six NFL scandal family counseling Jen Vrabel Tyler Vrabel Carter Vrabel