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By Ellis Williams
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NFL reporter Dianna Russini is returning to sports media with a weekly show and a podcast role, seven months after leaving The Athletic amid scrutiny over photos of her with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.
The Russini Report will debut Wednesday, Nov. 11, at noon EST on BetUS TV’s website and X account. The one-hour show will air weekly, and Russini will write an accompanying column.
“I’m using a lot of that as motivation, and it’s why I’m so energized,” Russini told People in an interview published Monday. “It’s why I’m not scared to get back in because I know the people that I cover are welcoming me back with open arms.”
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The show’s first guests will be Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells and sports radio personality Damon Amendolara. Russini said the program will include NFL reporting and more of her own opinions than she had offered in previous roles.
She will also become a featured contributor on Nobody’s Safe, the podcast with sports radio host Jon Weiner, better known as Stugotz. Russini credited Weiner with publicly supporting her during the fallout and encouraging her to enjoy her work again.
Russini, who previously worked at ESPN, resigned from The Athletic in April after photos showed her and Vrabel embracing and holding hands at an Arizona hotel. Both denied impropriety and said their relationship was professional. A September internal review by The Athletic found the relationship created the appearance of a conflict of interest and violated the publication’s standards.
Russini told People that NFL owners, agents, general managers, coaches and players stayed in contact while she was away from reporting. She described their encouragement as a reason she felt ready to return.
The experience also changed how she thinks about covering other people and the effect a story can have beyond its subject.
“The way I’m going to approach stories is going to be very different now,” Russini said. “I have an understanding and an empathy that I didn’t have before.”
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