Portnoy slams paparazzi ‘harassment’ of Vrabel in | Sports News

Dave Portnoy clapped back at a photographer for asking Mike Vrabel a myriad of personal questions relating to his ongoing scandal involving Dianna Russini.

Earlier this month, photos obtained by Page Six confirmed Vrabel and Russini holding palms and embracing intimately during a getaway on the adults-only Ambiente Resort in Sedona, Arizona. The New England Patriots head coach and NFL reporter had been seen having fun with breakfast on a patio earlier than spending time poolside and in a scorching tub. They additionally loved the picturesque views from the personal rooftop of a bungalow that prices up to $2,160 nightly.

In a second wave of pictures taken six years earlier than their current Arizona outing, Vrabel and Russini had been noticed cozying up on the bar prime of Tribeca Tavern on March 11, 2020. The recent wave of proof promptly drew a response from Portnoy, who claimed that heads would roll at TMZ after Page Six as soon as again beat them to the punch.

Yet Portnoy believed a line was crossed when Vrabel was accosted by a paparazzi member whereas strolling by Salt Lake City International Airport on Saturday.

In a video shared by TMZ, a photographer who doesn’t work for the outlet might be seen approaching Vrabel and repeatedly asking: “How are you, sir? How are you holding up? How are you holding up, man?”

Upon getting little reaction out of Vrabel, the individual added: “Look, listen, there’s just a lot of talk that there’s a little bit of a double standard here, and I just wanted your take on that.” When asked once again if he was doing alright, Vrabel replied: “Yeah, no, thank you. I appreciate you.”

The photographer continued to pester Vrabel with questions as he walked through a garage to his car, asking: “Just gotta say, there’s some talk that maybe you should step down. It’s a distraction to the Patriots. I wanted your opinion on that, sir. What does accountability look like for you at this point, sir? Head coach of the Patriots, big distraction here. Sir, is there any comment at all? Sir, do you have the support of the Patriots?”

Taking to social media, Portnoy blasted the behavior of the paparazzi before directing an unsubtle dig at TMZ, which passed on the first round of photos from Vrabel and Russini’s vacation. “What the f—! Who hired this guy? The Jets? This isn’t watergate,” the Barstool Sports president wrote. “Give me a break. This is harassment plain and simple! TMZ trying to make up for the fact they got scooped by Page 6! This is disgusting journalism. I’m sick. Not American!”

Though Portnoy — an avid Patriots fan — has fiercely supported Vrabel in recent days, the 49-year-old slammed his decision to lie about his relationship with Russini in the early days of the scandal.

“Who are the crisis management people for this? Crisis management people are the biggest frauds in the world,” Portnoy mentioned in a clip posted to X. “Who was advising Vrabel? He’s like, ‘Oh, this is laughable that this is a story.’ Diana Russini issued this letter like, ‘How dare the Athletic and the New York Times investigate me. How dare they. I don’t want to give air to this story. I’m quitting out of disgust. Nothing happened.’

“Who told these people to just lie? When you’ve been caught, you know what you don’t do? You don’t lie. It’s like being [wrapped in] a boa constrictor, the more you squirm, it gets tighter around you. Like, you got caught. If you have nothing to say, just be silent. Don’t do anything. But you can’t just go and lie.”