Skip Bayless explains outrage over ‘the game within the game’ in Dianna Russini photos

As a former NFL reporter, Skip Bayless believes the photos of Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel exposes a larger industry issue.

Last week, Page Six published photos of Russini, a senior NFL insider for The Athletic, poolside at an adults-only hotel with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. Russini and Vrabel immediately issued strong denials against any implications of a romantic relationship between them.

In the wake of those photos being published, however, The Athletic has opened an investigation into Russini’s conduct, while Vrabel skipped the Patriots’ pre-draft press conference Monday afternoon. And according to Bayless, he has witnessed similarly alleged relationships between a reporter and athlete or coach.

“I don’t know what’s going on exactly between Dianna and coach Vrabel. I don’t know for sure. It’s not a good look,” Bayless said on a recent episode of The Arena: Gridiron. “I’m going to talk quickly about something no one ever talks about. And it’s the game within the game.”

Bayless proceeded to explain the “unwritten” deals that get cut in a locker room, where players will agree to be a valuable 24/7 source for a reporter, in exchange for said reporter’s protection in the media. Despite possible ethical concerns, a reporter getting close to a player or coach is just part of that game within the game.

But according to Skip Bayless, the relationship between Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel exposes a different level of that same game within the game.

“In my early days, I have seen several female reporters have something with an athlete or a coach and cross the line,” Bayless claimed. “Early on, it outraged me because you’re selling out, man, or woman. You’re crossing a line that you shouldn’t cross. And then these women started getting scoops, big scoops, because of their relationships inside a team.”

The biggest fallout from these photos is the impact it could have on female reporters in the industry. Many fans already unfairly project stereotypes on women reporters, making reckless assumptions about how they get their information. But this is Bayless claiming to have firsthand knowledge of women reporters who have crossed a line in their relationships with players or coaches.

Bayless added that in the cases he knew, the female reporters actually liked the player or coach, they weren’t engaging in a relationship solely for scoops.

“Similarly, I have seen male reporters slash columnists become ‘friends’ with players and coaches to the point that they socialize. That they went to dinner. And that would outrage me, also, because I’m not gonna cross that line,” Bayless continued. “I’m going to remain completely objective. Because if you do mess up on the field or off the field, I’m gonna say so.”

Skip Bayless made sure to note Dianna Russini has proven to be a great reporter and insider. But her relationship with Mike Vrabel does now cause him to have concerns about her reporting on A.J. Brown, specifically wondering if Russini was encouraged to connect the wide receiver to the New England Patriots.