Dave Portnoy Offers To Hire Dianna Russini At Barstool, 'No-Brainer'
Former NFL insider Dianna Russini doesn't seem to have a whole lot of jobs opening up for her in the industry right now. But Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy seems more than happy to be among the first.
In an interview with Us Weekly, Portnoy said it'd be a "no-brainer" to hire Russini if she wanted to work at Barstool.
"No-brainer, if she wanted to work here, we'd do it," Portnoy said.
He said that he expects her to land somewhere and believes that if everyone lost their job for having an affair, tons of people would lose their jobs. He believes it's ultimately "really sad" that Russini's alleged actions ended her career or can end anyone's career.
"An affair is not like a murder. It's bad, but I'm not in the family. She'll land somewhere, and you know, if people who have affairs are never allowed to work again in this country, you're gonna lose a significant amount of the workforce," Portnoy said. "It is obviously really sad, but at the same time, that's not like a capital offense that should end somebody's professional career."
The Controversy
The controversy involving Russini began in April 2026 after photos published by the New York Post showed her and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel together at a resort in Sedona, Arizona, shortly before the NFL owners meetings. Because both Vrabel and Russini are married, the images sparked widespread speculation about the nature of their relationship and raised questions about journalistic ethics given Russini's role as an NFL insider covering the league. Both denied any romantic involvement, with Vrabel calling any suggestion of misconduct "laughable" and Russini stating the photos lacked important context because they were part of a larger group outing.
The story escalated beyond the photos themselves. The Athletic launched an internal review into Russini's conduct, and she ultimately resigned from the publication, saying she did not want to continue fueling what she described as a media frenzy rather than admitting wrongdoing. The NFL confirmed it was not investigating Vrabel, and the New England Patriots continued to support him as head coach.
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This story was originally published July 1, 2026 at 2:17 PM.