Episode 20: May NFL News Updates & Vrabel-Russini Drama

Welcome back to YOUR off-season home and to our off-season SHENANIGANS. From our sideline to yours, we are bringing you some NFL Updates during a slow May

We kick it off talking QB battles, NFL's increased international games, and go into the new collective bargaining agreement with the refs.

Wrapping up, we dig into the Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini scandal. Is her son HIS son - Mike Jr?! Will Vrabel RESIGN?? What more is about to come out ? Let us know your Vrabel-Russini takes.

Like, rate, and subscribe! Thanks for tuning in! 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome back, watchers and listeners to Sideline Shenanigans. We are here to go through the slow NFL news cycle, but we got a few things for you. How you doing today, Coley?

SPEAKER_01 0:12

Doing very well. A lot of the same stories keep popping up over and over again here.

SPEAKER_00 0:18

Yeah, we'll end with that for sure. Um, well, first I thought I'd warm us up. We haven't done like one of our little games in a while. So let's get you it's it's morning. We still got our coffee.

SPEAKER_01 0:29

Bright and early, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 0:30

Yeah. This game is called To Be or Not To Be QB version. So we're gonna go through a bunch of teams that have a lot of questions in their quarterback room. You tell me who the week one starter will be versus who you think it should be. Sound good?

SPEAKER_01 0:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 0:47

Let's go easy. The Las Vegas Raiders.

SPEAKER_01 0:53

Nah, that is easy. I think you cannot pay. I think it will be Kirk Cousins, and I think it should be Kirk Cousins. I think you there's no reason to pay him what they I forget exact details of his contract, but it's not 20 million, I believe? Yeah. That's like, I mean, yeah, that's a lot of money for somebody who's just gonna sit on the bench the whole time. I like Mendoza a lot. I mean, I know when they first signed Cousins, our back and forth was kind of like Cousins has to play at least eight weeks. I think it is less than that. I think it's I'm fine with five. I think you give him that extra month and a half to watch a pro. Kind of you know, I think there's a lot of if they spend a lot of money this offseason, like they they might be good. Like, and and I think we'll know that with Kirk Cousins. And then if they are good, it almost makes more sense to okay, let's slot this guy in and see if he can be good with a good team. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 1:49

Yeah, I like that. Um, another team that seems to be dominating the news cycle with no story at all, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

SPEAKER_01 1:59

I'm like, I don't even know what their other option is.

SPEAKER_00 2:01

Uh Drew Oler or Will, who's the guy from Ohio State, but it's one of those two like Will Howard? Yeah, Will Howard, or two late round rookies.

SPEAKER_01 2:11

You know, it's gonna be Aaron Rodgers, I have very little doubt. Yeah. And like I guess I think it should be. I just think they need to go after they need to go get a new young guy. I mean, how long has it been since Ben Rothlesberger? And we're still going after this same story.

SPEAKER_00 2:24

And that Ben Rothlesberger draft has them poisoned. They think they can just keep finding quarterbacks in the late round, and that's really not how it is anymore.

SPEAKER_01 2:32

No, not at all. They're they're just gonna, they're ha- it seems like they're happy to be in that no man's land, too. So I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 2:38

Now we got the worst team in the best division, the Arizona Cardinals. And I will tell you right now, the word is Jacoby Brissett is still holding out for more money.

SPEAKER_01 2:49

Yeah. Yeah, that's a little silly to me. I'm all I I like Carson Beck. I think there is a world. Carson Beck is like one of the best quarterbacks in this draft. I think I like him with Jeremiah Love. I think you spent that pick on Jeremiah Love. It's like, alright, let's go see if your young guy's good right away, out the gate. I mean, I've seen the Jacoby Brissett story. He started the first five weeks before May came in, sucked.

SPEAKER_00 3:17

They also have they also have Gardner Minshew, if you care about that.

SPEAKER_01 3:22

No, I don't care about that. I think the media is awful nice to Jacoby Brissett as if he's good. Uh no, he's not good.

SPEAKER_00 3:29

Uh he just was like fantasy relevant the last few weeks, so I think people like him because of that because he could like throw a good deep ball, but that's about it.

SPEAKER_01 3:38

No, yeah, he's not a game winner kind of guy. I I think Carson Beck is one of the more experienced quarterbacks in this draft, right? If not the most. Yeah, like why not? He might be the most find out this year. And if he sucks, maybe you can go get Arch next year. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 3:53

That's that's sort of my take, is I hate Carson Beck. I thought he was terrible for Georgia. Um, I thought that he was on a stacked Miami roster, so it was hard to judge him. Sure. But at the same time, like, I'm taking my personal feelings aside. I think either Carson Beck is terrible and you can get a top three, top two pick. Or he's a better goal.

SPEAKER_01 4:11

Yeah, exactly. Almost better if he's stuck. Jacoby Brissett, like, oh yeah, you might win a couple games by a field goal. Yeah, exactly. No, I don't know about eight. Jacoby Brissett is not good.

SPEAKER_00 4:21

Like, I do not think with that roster, yeah. They play the AFC West this year. They do have a tough schedule.

SPEAKER_01 4:27

But like, Carson Beck could win too, maybe. You never know.

SPEAKER_00 4:30

And also it's gonna be hard to out-tank the Dolphins, so you might as well give it a shot. Um speaking of a team that probably needs to tank uh the New York Jets.

SPEAKER_01 4:40

Yeah. I mean, it feels like they did a lot, you know, big first round of the draft, but it is just when you don't have a quarterback. I guess Gino. I think it should be Gino, but I don't think they'll be good. Like uh we saw Genoa.

SPEAKER_00 4:57

I'd roll with the same rule that I just applied to um the Cardinals. I'd roll with Cade Klubnick. Just give it a shot. If you're terrible, you're cheating. I don't know. I saw a presser of him and I really liked it this morning where he was basically like, oh yeah, the goal of my day is to make the other guys around me have a good day. And I just kind of like the way he talks.

SPEAKER_01 5:14

Like, I bet he's better at the mic than he is on the field, but probably.

SPEAKER_00 5:18

Okay, now let's get to these two juicy ones where apparently these are both true 50-50 competitions. Um oh god, I have such a soft spot for this team. It's been tough to see them fall. But uh, the Minnesota Vikings.

SPEAKER_01 5:32

Oh, yeah. Yeah, 50-50. I don't know about that. Um Kyler, I think Kyler's gonna be good on the Vikings. Not amazing, but like I think we see the Vikings are in the mix for the playoffs this year. I think Justin Jefferson, I mean we'll get there later, but I think he's a by-low in fantasy. Like you I think I just think when you all of a sudden bring back like a dual-threat quarterback to that offense, and I don't know. I just think they'll be looking much better than we've seen them the past two years. I do not think JJ is the guy. Like, if it's a true 50% chance from still the start, they hate him there. It seems like too. They any chance they get, they put him on the bench.

SPEAKER_00 6:10

Like I also think if it's a true 50-50 competition, there's no way that Kyler doesn't win it. Typically, in these situations, though, they wanna give the nod to the guy who drafted. Like, if they're actually giving guys a chance to compete, Kyler's gonna beat out JJ. But if they want to see what they still have with JJ, I uh it's a mess.

SPEAKER_01 6:29

I'm sure also when they signed Kyler, they did not tell him it was gonna be 50. They're like, you're the guy, but we're gonna give him a shot.

SPEAKER_00 6:36

Yeah, that's probably true. Okay, the last one. A team that you just like seem to hate for no reason, the Atlanta Falcons.

SPEAKER_01 6:43

I mean, it's tough not to hate them. It's just like they get so many first-round talents, so many top ten picks, and they do nothing with it. I mean, it's gotta be Penix, I think.

SPEAKER_00 6:55

No, Tua?

SPEAKER_01 6:57

Yeah, I think it should be. Otherwise, that was just a really bad pick, and then I don't know, then you're just giving up. You gotta get rid of Penix after this year, if Tua's the starter, for sure. Like, he's gone, which means you just burned your eighth overall pick when you've signed, like, Kirk Cousins to 140 million. Like, I don't know, the whole thing is a disaster there. It's cool to have a free starting quarterback potentially in Tua. Yeah. Just sitting there. Dolphins paying him. You got two lefties, dolphins giving him 90 mil or whatever, you're giving him one mil. Like, it's a quit. It's cool for them, but you're in trouble if Tua is your starting quarterback, I think. And like, man, I feel for Bijan. I feel for all these amazing guys. Like, Pitts was supposed to get traded.

SPEAKER_00 7:41

He's just signed his tag to yesterday.

SPEAKER_01 7:43

He's still stuck there. Yeah, it's like.

unknown 7:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:46

I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 7:46

I think. They just their defense is amazing. Last year they the hype was there. Their defense was supposed to be like top three, and it was like that offense is just like bad. They should have made the playoffs. Yeah. There's no reason they didn't make the playoffs.

SPEAKER_00 7:59

They almost made the playoffs too. I think they were one game back or something, but I don't know. I think my I I they have to roll with Penix, I agree, but I don't know if he's he but he's the beginning of the season starter, but I don't know if he's the end of the season starter.

SPEAKER_01 8:13

Yeah, I think most likely due to injury.

SPEAKER_00 8:15

Yeah, or just they're like, we have to try something else.

SPEAKER_01 8:19

But yeah, that's true too.

SPEAKER_00 8:21

Um before we get into actual news that's already been reported, the this is one of my favorite weeks of the off-season. It's the NFL schedule release, okay? So I'm gonna hit you with the things that are already confirmed, okay? Um we know this we know that this year the NFL's kicking off on a Wednesday with the Seahawks instead of a Thursday, which is weird. I hate it, yeah. Yeah, hate it. Also, it's one week later. Kickoff's not till the week of the September 9th. Normally it's around September 3rd. Um the reason the sea the reason the Seahawks game is Wednesday is because Rams 49ers is happening off in Australia in Thursday, and for some reason, like some travel logistics, that has to be Thursday.

SPEAKER_01 9:03

Okay, nice. So we're still getting Thursday night football first.

SPEAKER_00 9:06

Yes, instead of just also get Wednesday night. I love it. I love it. Instead of Thursday, Friday, it's Wednesday Thursday.

SPEAKER_01 9:12

Yeah, I'm fine with that.

SPEAKER_00 9:13

Um, the Rams and the 49ers have already been complaining a lot about having to travel to Australia. I mean, they're gonna be playing, I think it's something like 10 a.m. in the morning, uh, while the rest of us are watching, so that does suck. And then the rumored team right now that the Seahawks are going to be opening with is the Chicago Bears.

SPEAKER_01 9:33

Yeah, I like that a lot.

SPEAKER_00 9:34

I like it a lot too. A few people have floated the Chiefs or the Patriots. I would much rather have it be like a conference opponent for a kickoff game, but that's just me.

SPEAKER_01 9:43

Yeah, I'm with you. I mean, I don't know. We'll see how good the Seahawks are this year. Like, I think there is a real world where they're a lot worse.

SPEAKER_00 9:50

I think the Bears could steal that one easily.

SPEAKER_01 9:52

Yeah, it's also week one. Literally anything can happen. Bears have had a little bit more time, not much, a little bit more time off, rest in there.

SPEAKER_00 9:59

Three more weeks.

SPEAKER_01 10:00

Yeah. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 10:02

Yeah, then the it was posted this morning that the first Sunday night football game is gonna be Cowboys Giants. There was a rumor last week that it was I mean, there was a rumor last week it was gonna be Chiefs Bengals or Chiefs Bills or Bills Patriots. So this feels a little bit of a disappointment after like the rumored matchups.

SPEAKER_01 10:20

But I like it. I like saving those games. Week one is a shit show. Like week one is we made the Super Bowl, we lost to the Raiders in week one. Like, you do truly need to throw week one out the window, in my opinion. And if you lose to a bad team, everyone always is like, oh yeah, throw it away. But it's like it does tend to look that way. Like, so I don't know. I don't love those big matchups early. I'm always pro, like, let's settle into the season, see who these teams are, and then give me Bill's pats, give me Chiefs Pat's, give me Bill's Chiefs. Like, yeah, that's what I want more from week four on before like week 16.

SPEAKER_00 10:58

I also I probably am either picking the Cowboys or the Giants to win that division. So this could be a fun matchup later on. Like, looking back.

SPEAKER_01 11:06

I mean, that's one of my like those are two teams that we don't really know what they are. That's another reason I like it.

SPEAKER_00 11:12

Like, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:13

Giants could be, they should be pretty good this year, assuming Dart doesn't collapse. And same with the Cowboys. They kind of looks like they won the Parsons trade in less than 365 days, all of a sudden we're everyone's singing a different tune, and it's like, hey, nice job. Yeah. We'll see if that actually comes to fruition.

SPEAKER_00 11:30

I mean, a couple injuries on the defensive side, and they're gonna be in the same place they've been for the past five years, but and this year, the other scheduled thing we that that we already know, there will be a record-setting nine international games across Australia, Brazil, Mexico, England, France, Germany, and Spain. Um, most of these teams haven't been released. Obviously, no, we we know the Rams 49ers. Most people figure the Jags will play in London as they always do. Definitely. And I believe it's almost it's like essentially confirmed that the Spain game is Chiefs at Falcons.

SPEAKER_01 12:05

So here's my take with the international games. I think it's time.

SPEAKER_00 12:11

You left me hanging.

SPEAKER_01 12:12

Too often it's the Jaguars or it's somebody good and the Falcons.

SPEAKER_00 12:18

I think we had like Browns Jets.

SPEAKER_01 12:21

It's like, hey, why I do I like the international games. It's an international sport. It's the best league in the world, in my opinion, besides probably some like soccer leagues out there.

SPEAKER_00 12:29

But no, it's the best league in the world.

SPEAKER_01 12:30

That's big yeah, exactly. But why not Bill's Chiefs abroad? You know what I mean? That'd be cool. Why not a massive game? Give us something insanely important. Like, wake everyone up at nine to watch. Because often I don't tune in if it's a bad team. I'm getting my beauty sleep before I gotta edit my lineups for the one o'clock window. You know what I mean? Like, I there's too many bad games abroad. So don't give us more bad games abroad. Give us plenty of games. I'm fine with it. I think it's don't complain, teams. You get to go on a business trip and I think that complaining is kind of silly. You get paid millions of dollars, you get to fly to Europe and play an amazing game.

SPEAKER_00 13:10

Like I exactly.

SPEAKER_01 13:11

But make them better, make them more meaningful.

SPEAKER_00 13:14

I love that, and I think they're trying to do that as they expand it, right? And I I kind of I call them my Sunday morning cartoons. Like, you know, when you're little, you wake up and watch Saturday morning cartoons and you're like half watching. I wake up, turn the TV on in bed, grab a cup of coffee, scrolling on my phone, can like look up and see that there's football. Like, but you're right, it doesn't hold my attention the way like 4:30 Chiefs at Bills or like Rams 49ers in you know LA. So I I like them. I like starting my day chill, but I agree it'd be cool to see it expand and have more playoff implications and seating implications.

SPEAKER_01 13:52

Yeah. Yeah, totally. And you can do that, maybe Chiefs Bills would be too big of an example because that's such an epic game and it does matter who's home in a way. But not everyone's gonna wake up at at But we are getting like throw a couple of uh throw Caleb and Drake against each other abroad or something like just a matchup people wanna see. There's these young guys now that you can so do that with where you get something similar that's not quite on that scale.

SPEAKER_00 14:17

Oh god, if Patriots have Bears is abroad, we're both gonna be pissed though, because right now I have tickets to that.

SPEAKER_01 14:23

So I didn't see that.

SPEAKER_00 14:26

Um, okay, before we get into like some of the bigger news stories, uh, quick reaction, two signings that happened that could be of note. Uh Ninjoku to the Chargers. Any thoughts?

SPEAKER_01 14:36

Yeah, it was like 20 minutes ago. Uh yeah. Uh I like it. Yeah. I mean, I like the Chargers. I like Gadston. I like Gadston more. Syracuse boy, bleed orange. He really came onto the scene well last year, but tight ends get banged up. I like that. I mean, Njoku is relevant on the Browns. I mean, this year, I I get it for them too, right? Because Fannon came onto the scene so well, yeah. But I like it. I think always just to add options there, great red zone target. I mean, Gadson can do a lot of the bulk of the work, I think. I think he's I kind of think Gadson's just younger and is still gonna be the guy more so than Joku, but red zone target, big body, blocker. Chargers looking good. How do you feel in that division? That feels like they are building up here. I mean, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 15:27

Yeah, I mean, giving Mike McDaniel another weapon, I don't like love it as a Chiefs fan, though I do wonder because I I also think Gadson's really good, it's almost disappointing for Ninjoku, like fantasy-wise and volume-wise, but I do think you're right, he's gonna be the tight end too, kind of that Cole Komet role, Noah Gray role, like more of a blocker with like option routes on some plays. But no, I mean, I don't know if it's gonna make the hugest impact. I do think it signals more that like the chargers are are trying to add to that offense. Like it feels like they're really focusing on the offense in their plans.

SPEAKER_01 16:02

So yeah, I agree. They got a lot of lot of options now. Yeah. And I like Keenan Allen's gone, right?

SPEAKER_00 16:08

Yeah, Keenan Allen's gone.

SPEAKER_01 16:09

So I like that too. I feel like that really opens it up more for everything to happen this year.

SPEAKER_00 16:16

Yeah. Um, now we got Duan Jennings to the Vikings. This one I was a little disappointed about. I kind of wanted the Chiefs to be looking at him. I also think, again, fantasy-wise, a lot of mouths to feed in Minnesota.

SPEAKER_01 16:28

So yeah, hurts fantasy-wise, mainly I think Jordan Addison. Um I'd argue it helps Kyler. And honestly, almost Justin Jefferson to a degree. Like, I don't think Jennings and Addison is gonna be like eating away Jefferson's volume so much. I do think it just keeps the defense honest a little bit more. Um but yeah, I don't know. It it does tough. It makes me be like, oh, they're liking what they see from Kyler.

SPEAKER_00 16:57

I think that's yeah, that's kind of that's true. That they want to support.

SPEAKER_01 16:59

They got a shot, they think. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:02

I I you said earlier you think the Vikings will be in the playoff mix. I think they'll be on that like fringe team. I just out of the four teams in the NFC North, I think they're the least likely to make the playoffs.

SPEAKER_01 17:13

I mean, didn't they win eight games this last year, though?

SPEAKER_00 17:15

Yeah, they beat the Lions.

SPEAKER_01 17:16

Lions were fourth. Yeah, I just think like I do think Kyler Murray is a massive upgrade. I don't like I don't think he's amazing, but like, he no quarterback as good as Kyler Murray took a snap for the Vikings last year.

SPEAKER_00 17:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:31

And they won eight games, and it's like, oh man, I could easily see them winning 11, three more. Like, that just feels like they're in the playoffs.

SPEAKER_00 17:37

So are all three like then are all three wild card teams NFC North? I I just think those three.

SPEAKER_01 17:43

Yeah, I mean you never know. Yeah. Yeah. It's gonna be tough. We'll we'll see. Injuries have like, I think one team that should have made it will pop out is like, oh, they're that's not their year. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 17:54

I think that's I'd love for that to be the Packers.

SPEAKER_01 17:57

Uh super I mean possible, totally.

SPEAKER_00 17:59

That's true. Uh before we get into everybody's favorite scandal, uh, this past week, uh the NFL and the refs did reach a collective bargaining agreement, which is gonna run through 2032. So we're set for a while. This deal avoided a work stoppage and all those like replacement refs things that we were complaining about. Um this everyone says this deal is focusing on increased training, performance accountability, and higher compensation. Uh the league is gaining access to refs during training camp, mini camp, training programs, joint practices, so we can have an official there to help with things like that. And what's really cool is this agreement introduced a bench of officials and gives the league greater authority to use performance mech performance metrics and like performance for off-season assign for post-season assignments, sorry, rather than like seniority. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 18:52

I love it. I mean, we've talked about this on the pod before. I I kind of had a feeling a lot of the replacement stuff was just a leverage move and that it would get done. Um, which is exactly what happened, thank God. We're not gonna have New York calling in every single play. Um Yeah, I think the biggest piece of it is. I mean, it's a win and a loss. Like, refs aren't full-time still, right?

SPEAKER_00 19:15

We didn't They're getting more money though.

SPEAKER_01 19:17

They're getting more money and they're getting more access, and it's it does seem like it's slowly gonna happen, but god, are we gonna have to wait seven years for them to like be full-time and actually fix everything now? Yeah, probably. Nothing's getting touched, I don't think, till 2032. But that's fine. I I like I mean the biggest piece of it, I think, is that it's not about seniority anymore, and it's more about your performance. You'll get a grade. I think it's gonna put more pressure on the refs in general. Um, to just not but refs make mistakes. Like, I don't think it'll look that different than anything we've seen yet, but I think we're moving in the right direction.

SPEAKER_00 19:52

It'll probably be most of the same faces in the playoffs, to be honest.

SPEAKER_01 19:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:56

Um, I do like that there's a bench of officials, so like there is some accountability if you fuck up majorly or are just missing the mark that there's someone there to replace you. I like that.

SPEAKER_01 20:08

Totally.

SPEAKER_00 20:08

Okay, Cole. Let's get into it. Everyone, as you would say, everyone likes to hate on the Patriots. As I would say, everybody likes a sex scandal. Doesn't really matter who it's about. It's just the American way. Um, I'm gonna go through some list of facts and then let you um react first, okay? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, as everyone knows by now, a few weeks ago, some photos came out of Diana Roussini and Mike Vrabel at an exclusive adults-only resort in Arizona. This was right after the league meetings, which were in Arizona also. Um it's later come out that those photos were from a private investigator hired by Roussini's husband. Now, they don't get the money shot, but they're holding hands. I that's still not what we would call a money shot, but they're by the pool. You know, it does look like they're on a date. Then Mike Vrabel denied it adamantly. Then a few a week later, some photos from about 2020 came out of them kissing at a bar in NYC. There's the money shot. Mike Vrabel then goes on the mic and says he wants to be held accountable. He's had difficult conversations, basically admitting it without admitting it while all this has happened. Roussini resigns from the athletic at the New York Times. Then it comes out that Vrabel is skipping day three of the draft to seek counseling, and right after that comes out, there's some boat photos of 2021. Still not the worst NFL boat situation, but I really think NFL players should stay away from boats. It seems not good for them.

SPEAKER_01 21:41

A lot of fun though.

SPEAKER_00 21:41

Yeah, I I but these boat photos in 2021 with paperwork going along with it of Diane Roussini renting a boat and adding Mike Vrabel as her, like, I don't know, passenger. And then she's pregnant in these photos seven months. Who she later gives birth to a son who she Names Michael. Uh instant reaction. Those are the facts as we know it.

SPEAKER_01 22:07

Yeah. Yeah. I mean it's it's ugly. It's ugly. Yeah, it's a lot of the same. Like, I there's gonna be more pictures, I'm sure. I'm sure. I think the interesting part is how little they tried to hide it. Yeah. So, I mean, you've heard a lot of different things. You can listen to any show. Every show's pretty much talked about it at this point. I really enjoy, I listened to a pro football talk with Mike Florio, I think it was yesterday's episode, um, and he had some nice takes on it. It does. I think the interesting thing will be like the last statement we've heard from Diana Roussini was.

SPEAKER_00 22:45

It was bullshit.

SPEAKER_01 22:46

Not even, it was just, it was, yeah, there wasn't a lot there. Was I'm stepping down, not because of you guys, but like this is just I'm out. Yeah. So, like, she hasn't said anything about it, and like a statement is coming at some point, I'm sure. So I I mean that that will be interesting to see what she says in the case.

SPEAKER_00 23:05

I can't wait for the Rossini exclusive, bro. Yes, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 23:09

Because Mike Rabel's kind of not thrown her under the bus, but rightfully so, has taken a more accountability approach and like I respect. Yeah, absolutely, but like it maybe pissed Diana Roussini off. Like, hey, you couldn't keep lying, bro. You know what I mean? Like, come on. But also But I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 23:29

When there's photos of you at a bar, kid like I would I would lose respect for Mike Frabel, who I respect and like if he was like, oh yeah, no, that's fake.

SPEAKER_01 23:40

Like Yeah, totally. Yeah, I do so yeah, I mean there's a few things going on. One, it seems like they weren't trying to really hide it very much at all. Like lots of photos from lots of different time periods. It clearly wasn't like a quick affair. They've been seeing each other for about a decade.

SPEAKER_00 23:56

Six or seven years.

SPEAKER_01 23:57

Probably, yeah. Um then, okay, let's go to the football side of it.

unknown 24:04

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 24:04

I was a little nervous, especially with missing the day three draft. Like, is this gonna just keep affecting him so much? I think there's zero world the Patriots fire him. He's done nothing wrong.

SPEAKER_00 24:16

Zero world the Patriots on the policy.

SPEAKER_01 24:18

Yes, so he's not getting fired. I was a little nervous, like, could this keep blowing up? And he steps down. Until I saw like rookie camp. He is just out there with the guys, a massive smile on his face. He's doing drills himself. He doesn't want to go home. Every player that's made a statement is like, man, I love Vrabel. I got his back. I don't think there's any people were like, they praise the way he talked about it to the team. Like, I think this is going to be nothing. I think Vrabel's gonna still be our coach for the next 20 years. Um yeah, that's kind of where I'm settling in on it. I think stuff is gonna keep it's like I think we're starting to get numb to it. It's like, yeah, show me more pictures. I don't really we've seen them all. It was pregnant on the boat. That feels like the highest.

SPEAKER_00 25:06

That's that's bad. That's pretty bad.

SPEAKER_01 25:08

Right, like it's not gonna get worse than that. You know what I mean? I think. I mean, I guess the paternity test stuff, if he's the father, I don't know. I could see it getting kind of dicey, but Vrabel, the fact that Vrabel knows the worst stuff out there. He's like the only person who knows. You know what I mean? Yeah, him and Diane. And he is still he's still showing up to work, he's fine. Like, I don't think I think if there was something weighing over him, like if this comes out, I'm completely fucked. Like, I think that's happened. I'm glad it happened during the off-season, not like the middle of the season. Um so I'm feeling a lot better about it, actually. And what did it was watching him just out there coaching.

SPEAKER_00 25:49

I those were great videos.

SPEAKER_01 25:50

Yeah, it's like, oh, he's the same coach.

SPEAKER_00 25:52

Like I that's what makes him great. That's what makes him, in my opinion, the best players coach in the league right now. Uh I have I have conflicting, I have a lot of feelings about this. Number one, I don't believe anyone should ever lose their job over what they do in their private life or who they sleep with. Uh I just that's just I just don't agree with that. I think that the I think that we have laws and rights that protect that. Um And so I feel really bad that Diana lost her job. Like, I really like Diane Racine, I think she's a great reporter. I think she gets in with the players really well, she has really good information. Um so I feel really sad she lost her job, but I also understand that she had a morality clause as a journalist that she broke. So that and it's different than a coach. Like a coach doesn't have a morality clause. I mean I also it's hard like the the relationship I am in, if those photos of me with someone else came out, I would be in a bit a lot of trouble. Like exactly the my relationship subscribes to traditional rules, I would say. Right.

SPEAKER_01 26:55

We don't know their circumstances.

SPEAKER_00 26:56

But we don't know their circumstances. As far as I I I'm I'm like, oh did Vrabel's wife, like, was she okay with it? But like the fact that the photos came from Diana's husband makes me pretty sure that Diana's husband wasn't okay with it or like didn't know about it or that whole thing. But again, you never want to assume someone's relationship. The the things I don't like, I don't like that he skipped day three of the draft. I understand it's day three. I just that felt like a show of him giving up something so that the meet like it felt like a show of him giving up something, and that was right before more photos dropped. So I think he knew that was coming and had to look like he was sacrificing for his family. And I just don't like that he missed day three of the draft personally. Um I agree that there's no way he gets fired. I think there's like a 10 to 15% chance he steps down, and that's if it's confirmed he's the father of the child. I think that would be the only situation.

SPEAKER_01 27:53

Yeah, I agree. I think it's lower than that though. I think I just don't know if he would step down. Like it's such a perfect situation.

SPEAKER_00 28:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:03

Uh yeah, I don't know. I don't know if he would do it at this point. Maybe. Maybe. I do think there is a small chance and that would have to be it, but Yeah. Even so, it's like already that's already out, basically, to me. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 28:18

Well, yeah, it's like I would almost I said this to you the other day. I would respect him more if he was the father, because I think for Diana, I again I felt bad for her through all of this until the boat photos. When you're seven months pregnant and you're on a boat with some guy, like if that is not your kid's father, I think that's fucked. Like, absolutely fucked to your husband. Like, to me, the pregnancy adds a different layer to it. Yeah. So I almost would respect them more if he was the father of that child, and that's why they took some time on the boat as like a private little baby moon before their secret love child was born. So I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 28:52

Yeah. Yeah, I don't know. We'll see. I do I love the Patriots in some controversy, though. It's hard not to love it. I mean, you know, this is as sick as that is. It's this fire in a few.

SPEAKER_00 29:04

The NFL fan base hates the Patriots, but like I said, even more so, America loves a sex scandal. And this is probably the best one we've had in a long time of two very famous people. And again, I what you said at the beginning, so bizarre that they didn't really try to hide this.

SPEAKER_01 29:21

Yeah. Also, in terms of I mean, it sucks for the families, right? But in terms of like scandals that could happen to your head coach, oh yeah. Probably scenario. Yes, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 29:33

There's no crime, there's no It's not someone who directly reports to him.

SPEAKER_01 29:37

It's love. It's love.

SPEAKER_00 29:39

I agree, man. It's love. I feel like they should have left their families on that boat, driven off in the sunset with Lil' Mike Jr. Like no.

SPEAKER_01 29:48

Right, like, yeah, I don't know. We'll see, but there's gonna be more. I'm most interested. I'm kind of done with the pictures. I'm sure TMZ's got more. I'm sure. I'm sure we'll see him on a weekly basis, but I'm most interested in how Vrabel addresses it next and how Rossini talks about it next. I think those are the two most important moments.

SPEAKER_00 30:05

I and if there is a paternity test. Those are the three things to me that like I wanna that like I actually care about. Like, what's more photos gonna prove unless you get like a photo of them in bed?

SPEAKER_01 30:15

I you know It's also I mean, people get numb to stories all the time. Like, I do think people we've seen five different variations of photos now. What's the sixth gonna how's that gonna like nothing? I don't think it adds to anything at this point.

SPEAKER_00 30:29

Yeah, unless it's something crazy, I don't think any photos are gonna affect me. Again, it's really I want to see how Vrabel Mercini continue to address it and if there is a paternity test that happens. Yeah. Um, well, that's all we got with our NFL early May updates. Um like, rate, subscribe, give us a comment, let us know how we're doing. We have some uh fantasy coming up for you in our next episode. So you gotta stay tuned. Yeah, we're gonna help you win your league. We were a couple champions right here, so we're gonna help you win. Um, well, have a good one. Peace.