Patriots' Mike Vrabel Breaks Silence On Dianna Russini Scandal With Lengthy Statement originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was recently spotted with former insider for The Athletic Dianna Russini at a luxury hotel, sparking rumors of an affair.
Russini has since stepped down from The Athletic, but Vrabel had not spoken to the media until Tuesday. Both Russini and Vrabel's initial statements via Page Six stated that they were there with other friends who were not seen in the pictures. The pictures released by Page Six sparked much controversy about Russini and journalism ethics. Both Vrabel and Russini were married as well.
On Tuesday, Vrabel decided to speak to the media when it was initially announced that local media would be hearing from two players as the team begins its voluntary offseason workouts. Here's what Vrabel said in a lengthy opening statement, per a video posted by MassLive's Mark Daniels:
First, begin by saying thank you. Thank you for your patience that you've shown in a personal and private matter for me and obviously everybody involved. I know that that's not easy for you, and I respect that, and I appreciate your efforts in doing so. I understand I could have addressed you guys sooner, but it was important to me to have a conversation with the players, which I did yesterday, very candidly as we began our offseason program, which everyone is excited to be a part of, Stacey (James) had mentioned the players availability, and it was never my intention to have them speak to you or address you before I did, and so I asked him to come today to talk with you. You know, I also don't want to take away from our, you know, the draft, the weekend of the draft. This is an important time for us, our organization, and the excitement and the joy that those players are going to have, that we bring onto our football team. They're starting an amazing journey, one that should be celebrated as we welcome them onto our team. With that being said, you know, I've had some difficult conversations with people that I care about, with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players, those who've been positive and productive. We believe that in order to be successful on and off the field, you have to make good decisions. That includes me; that starts with me. We never want our actions to negatively impact the team. We never want to be the cause of the distraction, and what comments and questions I've answered for the team and with the team, we'll keep them private and to ourselves.
Vrabel noted that he cares deeply for the team and is focused on coaching the team and helping the team improve. It was initially believed that Vrabel would not speak to the media until the NFL Draft, but he did not want his players speaking to the media before he did.
Ultimately, the pictures released by Page Six painted things to seem like Vrabel was having an affair. It is a personal matter for Vrabel and should not impact his work for the Patriots. However, it became a national story and a distraction. The veteran head coach's statement should address many of the questions people had about how it would impact the team.
He took accountability for his decisions and noted that he has to make smarter decisions. What actually happened between him and Russini is still unclear, and it is hard to figure out the truth from some still photographs. However, Vrabel has done everything he can to make sure this is not a distraction for the team, starting with speaking with his players.
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