Dan Le Batard Responds To Criticism Of His Dianna Russini Coverage

Former ESPN personality Dan Le Batard is well aware of what's being said about him on social media this week.

Michael Strahan interviewed former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson on "Good Morning America" to discuss his ALS diagnosis. The three-time Pro Bowler said that his medication could extend his life by a few months, but he's been advised to get his affairs in order with his wife.

"I want people to understand just how quickly ALS can attack your body," Johnson said. "Just over a year ago, I was picking up my 7-year-old daughter so she'd make a wish with her birthday cake. Today, I couldn't do that."

Le Batard believes Strahan had a "responsibility" to the audience watching "Good Morning America" to ask Johnson about his NFL career and if he thinks it played a role in his ALS diagnosis.

"Michael Strahan has a responsibility in that instance to ask some sort of football-related question, and he did not do it," Le Batard said. "It's just too uncomfortable. You just can't enjoy that thing the way you do … when these guys are limping through their retirement homes to an early death."

Le Batard continued, "The only reason Chris Johnson is on there is not because he has the disease, it's because he played football. The reason Chris Johnson is being interviewed is because this is a former athlete of some name. They're not interviewing random people with ALS, they're interviewing this person. And so to neglect that question is an omission that I don't know why the omission is there."

Some NFL fans thought Le Batard's criticism was a bit unfair since he refused to comment on the scandal involving New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and his former ESPN colleague, Dianna Russini.

Fair or foul?

During this Thursday's episode of his self-titled show, Le Batard admit that it's "fair" for people to criticize him. However, that won't lead to him dissing Russini over the air.

"I think a lot of criticism of me in general is fair," Le Batard said, via Awful Announcing. "And this allows me to actually go back for a second and talk about some of the Dianna Russini stuff. Because I know that this is something that people are now holding up whenever they think I'm sanctimonious or doing anything that they find an opening to criticize me on. They're like, ‘You're being a hypocrite here, you weren't willing to talk about that.' I wouldn't say it's hypocrisy, I would say it's inconsistent if you want to call me that. I would also say it'd be apples-to-apples if Dianna Russini was across from me and I wasn't asking her any of the questions you want to know about. Because I believe, in an interview, the responsibility that the host has is, first and foremost, to the audience."

Le Batard wasn't done addressing all the people calling him a hypocrite.

"I don't say this, actually, with ego, but I do say it to defend my position. I haven't done everything I have done professionally in my life to get to this point in my life and have anyone or anything dictate what I say, how I say it, or what I'm saying it about. Including whatever you think journalism standards are, or whatever I think journalism standards are."

We highly doubt these comments from Le Batard will silence any of the complaints about him protecting Russini. At least he didn't completely sweep all the online chatter under the rug though.

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This story was originally published July 2, 2026 at 12:55 PM.