New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel has addressed controversial photos of him with former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini. The photos, taken at an Arizona resort last month, showed the pair holding hands, embracing, and sitting in a pool and a hot tub. Both Vrabel and Russini are married to other people.
Vrabel’s Statement and Apology
Vrabel issued a brief statement on Tuesday at Gillette Stadium. He said he’s had “some difficult conversations with people that I care about, with my family, the organisation, the coaches, the players.” He described these conversations as “positive and productive.”
Vrabel stated that “in order to be successful on and off the field you have to make good decisions. That includes me, that starts we me. We never want our actions to negatively affect the team. We never want to be the cause of a distraction.”
Vrabel apologised for not addressing the situation earlier. He wanted to speak with the team first. The Patriots reported to Gillette Stadium on Monday for organised team activities.
“Those are comments and questions that I’ve answered for the team and with the team and we’ll keep those private and to ourselves. I care deeply about this football team and I’m excited to coach them,” Vrabel said.
Vrabel spoke for just under three minutes and did not take any questions.
Reactions to the Photos
The photos, published by the New York Post on April 7, were taken on Saturday, March 28, at the Ambiente hotel in Sedona, Arizona. Vrabel and Russini each released statements to the newspaper downplaying the photos.
In his earlier statement, Vrabel said, “These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
Russini resigned from the Athletic on April 14. “I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published,” Russini said in her resignation letter.
Patriots and NFL Response
There has been no official comment from the Patriots. An NFL spokesman said the league is not looking into the matter.
Some Patriots fans have reacted to the situation. “It wasn’t a good look, but I believe in Vrabel and I wish him the best,” said Patriots fan Patty Varrell. Another fan told WBZ-TV’s Juli McDonald, “I don’t think he should resign over something like that. But you know, I think he ought to take some smar
Vrabel concluded his statement by saying, “I also know that I’m going to attack each day with humility and focus. And what I can promise you is that my family, this organization, the team, the staff, the coaches, everybody, our fans most importantly will get the best version of me going forward. And that’s what I know. I’m excited to do that, but I wanted to just address this and thank you for dealing with a private and personal matter.”