A USA Today NFL writer was handed her walking papers Thursday after calling out a fellow reporter for compromising sports journalism by allegedly fondling the Pats head coach in exchange for insider information.
USA Today management said reporter Crissy Froyd’s criticism of The Athletic’s Dianna Russini doesn’t “reflect our commitment to professionalism or uphold our principles of ethical conduct.”
Froyd had posted a comment online suggesting that Russini’s publicized resignation letter was a farce.
Russini, who quit her NFL beat amid an investigation by her employer into NY Post photos of her and Pats coach Mike Vrabel embracing on the roof of an Arizona hotel, had posted her resignation letter on X.
“I’m sure you were told to submit this or that you’d get fired,” Froyd posted in a response on X.
“Don’t let the door hit you on the way out,” she added. “We know who you really are and what you’ve been up to for years.”
In a related development, broadcast analyst Chris Simms, an ex-NFL quarterback, was gagged Thursday while trying to discuss the scandal during his ‘Pro Football Talk’ appearance on NBC Sports.
As Simms branded it “the ‘biggest story in the NFL,” show host Mike Florio swiftly interrupted him, shutting down his commentary.
“Florio repeatedly told the analyst to ‘stay on target’ – a niche Star Wars reference that was intended to steer Simms away from the subject,” reported the Daily Mail.
Florio interrupted Simms several times, prompting Simms to ask if there was a “shut up” rule in the Star Wars reference Florio was using.
Russini and Vrabel, who are both married, have denied – despite the canoodling pix – they are having an affair, a line of persuasion that Florio is apparently aligning himself with.
Then there’s Jared Stillman of Mad Dog Sports Radio on Sirius XM who said a source close to Russini believes the photos were obtained by a private investigator allegedly hired by Russini’s husband, according to SportsKeedaProFootball on Instagram.
