The Russini-Vrabel Divide: Fans vs. Gatekeepers
A Boston Radio Fight That Explains the Media
I found this segment on Boston’s 98.5 The Sports Hub to be a fascinating moment in media self analysis. As discussed with Russini Defender Spike Eskin, radio dudes sometimes have an acute sensitivity to what’s resonating with sports fans relative to other forms of institutional media.
Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal was in studio, as he regularly is, on Felger and Mazz, bristling at their coverage of this Dianna Russini–Mike Vrabel scandal. On Tuesday, Vrabel did a retroactive limited hangout press conference to mention and move past the bombshell that got Russini ousted from her job at the Athletic. He addressed the team, and then “sneak attack” addressed reporters, not saying much of substance to the latter. For some reason, the Patriots apparently asked those with TV cameras not to record the interaction between credentialed media and Coach of the Year. For what it’s worth, in my years spent covering the NBA, I’ve never received such a request.
Bedard, a veteran NFL reporter who covers the Patriots, appeared to share the team’s squeamishness. Hosts Matt Felger and Tony Massarotti wanted to know why he wasn’t covering the most talked about story in sports.
Felger: One of the most prominent coaches in the biggest league on the planet was apparently having an affair with one of the lead information reporters on the beat. That’s a big, interesting story that people care about.
Bedard: That you care about! That talk shows care about!
Felger: Oh, you don’t see the numbers? You don’t see the clicks? (NFL writer) Mike Florio has said it.
Bedard: Ya, because there’s nothing else going on in the NFL!
Bedard then rants about what a dead time it is in Boston sports right now, which, well, I’m not sure is true?
Felger responds, “You don’t think that the Coach of the Year having an affair…”
And then Bedard interrupts, with his voice reaching a high (and I’d argue defensive) pitch:
Mike, you’ve covered this league! You’ve covered professional sports! If it was my job to cover extramarital affairs among owners, executives, players, coaches, I’d never cover the games!
Felger conveys he’s not demanding that Bedard cover the story. To which Bedard responds:
But you’re saying it’s like, big news because you need something to talk about! Florio needs something to talk about!
Bedard then pivots to saying this is only a story because “there’s no juice in the NFL” right now and presumptive number one pick Francisco Mendoza is boring. Apparently, not only are Boston sports not moving the needle, but neither is the National Football League.
Bedard concludes this segment of the rant with:
If this happened middle of the season, it wouldn’t be nearly as big a story as it is.
And here comes the moment that inspired me to share what could perhaps be dismissed as just some middle-aged Boston sports guys yelling at each other, absent substance. “Mazz” got numerical and specific.