All things considered, Dianna Russini is loving her new job at The Athletic.
This past week, however, hasn’t been particularly pleasant, as the NFL insider has drawn the ire of New York Jets fans — as well as Aaron Rodgers — for her report that Zach Wilson was reluctant to reenter the team’s starting lineup.
“My week has been trash. It’s horrendous. I live in the New York market so I’m in the vortex of it all,” Russini told The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz on Friday. “So I get to hear it and also hear from Jets fans when I drop my kids off at daycare. And look, when you’ve been doing this a long time and you’ve become a credible person covering the league, you hope that because of all the past stories you’ve done, you’ve built this trust with the audience and the fans. But I realized over the last few days, it’s not that they don’t believe the report is accurate. They know the report is accurate, the story is just unbelievable. I think that’s where the issue is.”
“My week has been trash. It’s horrendous…I also get to hear it from Jets fans when I drop my kids off at daycare…they know the report is accurate, the story is just unbelievable.”
– @DMRussini describes what her week has been like since Aaron Rodgers commented on her… pic.twitter.com/ZkfXEwOmb5
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) December 8, 2023
Russini went on to reveal that the reaction from Jets fans to her report has been so strong that she’s even had fans wish death upon her.
“‘Die,’ ‘I hope you get hit by a car,'” Russini answered when asked about the response she’s received from Jets fans. “There’s been a lot of traffic outside my house — I don’t know if it’s Jets fans, but it seems very busy. I think people just want to blame someone.”
The reaction from Jets fans — who have hardly been sympathetic to Wilson, themselves — was likely only amplified by the criticism from Rodgers. Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show earlier this week, the four-time MVP took issue with Russini sharing something that made the BYU product look as bad as her report did, as well as whoever in the organization leaked it to her.
While Russini understood the criticism — and even said she’s sympathetic to Wilson, herself — the reality is that reporting such news is simply what she’s paid to do.
“Unfortunately, it’s just my job to uncover the story and uncover the news,” she said. “And when the No. 2 overall pick doesn’t want to play or is hesitant or reluctant — whatever word the Jets want us to say or are comfortable with the world knowing about at this point — that’s a story to me.”
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.