The Athletic quietly stopped posting episodes of its\u00a0Scoop City NFL podcast last month, before the latest news about the show\u2019s cohost, Dianna Russini, and her interaction with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel in Arizona.<\/p>\n
Scoop City launched ahead of the 2024 season, partnering Russini with former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel as The Athletic began a targeted entry back into the podcast and digital video space. In the early months of the show\u2019s run, an executive at The Athletic touted its success among women listeners<\/a>.<\/p>\n The show added former NFL Network reporter James Palmer as a co-host last football season and began rotating commentators and reporters alongside Russini and Daniel. On the March 4 episode<\/a>, Palmer said, \u201cThis show is done for the season,\u201d alongside a banner calling the episode a \u201cseason finale.\u201d<\/p>\n A source told Awful Announcing that staff around the show had heard it was being wound down before that episode\u2019s publication.<\/p>\n In a statement, Sebastian, Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Development Officer at The Athletic, confirmed the show has been in \u201ctransition\u201d since the Super Bowl:<\/p>\n \u201cScoop City has been in transition since the Super Bowl as we explore changes to the podcast and invest in various NFL-related opportunities. We consistently make changes to our portfolio of shows with an eye towards growing The Athletic\u2019s audience, and will have updates and new offerings for the start of the season.\u201d<\/p>\n A source confirmed to Awful Announcing that Daniel, who last season began calling college football games for ESPN, will not be returning to the show amid this transition.<\/p>\n Earlier this week, photos surfaced from the\u00a0New York Post\u2018s Page Six showing Russini at a hotel in northern Arizona, embracing and spending time poolside with Vrabel. Both Russini and Vrabel, as well as The Athletic, denied that anything improper happened during the gathering<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe photos don\u2019t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day,\u201d Russini told Page Six. \u201cLike most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.\u201d<\/p>\n The Athletic\u2019s executive editor, Steven Ginsberg, said the publication was \u201cproud\u201d to have Russini on its staff.<\/p>\n \u201cThese photos are misleading and lack essential context,\u201d Ginsberg told Page Six. \u201cThese were public interactions in front of many people. Dianna is a premier journalist covering the NFL, and we\u2019re proud to have her at the Athletic.\u201d<\/p>\n