Dianna Russini
Dianna Russini
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Dianna Russini appears to be on the verge of returning to NFL media. Her new home, however, has raised plenty of eyebrows.
The former NFL insider is reportedly set to host a new weekly show with BetUS, an offshore sportsbook based in Costa Rica. Many people on social media weren’t sure what to make of that choice, especially considering the NFL’s stance on unregulated gambling.
Russini’s reported return
Russini resigned from her role as a senior NFL insider at The Athletic in April after photos surfaced that suggested a years-long romantic relationship with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. Both denied any wrongdoing, though The Athletic later released an internal review that called the relationship a “clear violation” of its standards.
Now, it appears that Russini has found her next gig. Front Office Sports reported that she was likely to launch a digital show sponsored by a sportsbook, with BetUS emerging as the frontrunner, according to Ryan Glasspiegel, Mark Maske, and Michael McCarthy.
BetUS has since teased the arrival of “a familiar voice” for a live weekly NFL show that will debut on Wednesday, Nov. 11, per Awful Announcing’s Sean Keeley. The show will reportedly feature game previews, guest interviews, and betting picks, and the host will also write a weekly column.
The company plans to reveal the host on Monday, but an X account called “Russini Report” had already been promoting a live NFL show on Wednesdays. That page previously said the show was “powered by BetUS,” before the wording was removed, according to FOS.
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As Awful Announcing’s Brendon Kleen noted, the show will be a major test of whether Russini can still break news and draw an audience following the Vrabel scandal.
Reactions
Plenty of people, including some who cover the sports betting industry, questioned whether partnering with an offshore sportsbook was the right move for Russini.
“For someone who has so carefully calibrated her reemergence, partnering with an offshore sportsbook while trying to rebuild NFL ties is a curious choice. The league has made its hostility to unregulated sports gambling abundantly clear. See league’s stance on prediction markets,” wrote sports betting attorney Daniel Wallach.
“Over/Under on the % of people who don’t know that BetUS is an offshore sports book … 90%?” wrote Matt Perrault, host of The Bostonian vs. The Book.
“Chat, is working for an offshore sportsbook a step up from being caught f***ing your interview subjects?” wrote sports betting reporter Sam McQuillan.
“Russini does not have good people in her corner. This is sad,” wrote the popular NFL betting analyst Jeff Sunday.
Needless to say, Russini’s new show will have plenty of eyes on it when it debuts next week.