The legal implications of the Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini story — and the legal questions surrounding the sports prediction market.

The legal implications of the Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini story — and the legal questions surrounding the sports prediction market.

From Sports Media with Richard Deitsch by Audacy

April 28, 2026 · 37 min

About this episode

Michael McCann discusses the legal implications of the Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini story and the complexities surrounding the sports prediction market.

Episode 617 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Michael McCann, a legal analyst and senior sports legal reporter at Sportico and a Professor of Law at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law, where he is Director of the Sports and Entertainment Law Institute. In this podcast McCann discusses how the Vrabel-Russini photographs are problematic, and in ways that pose potential hurdles in workplace investigations; the privacy aspect of the story; if Russini is under any professional obligation to cooperate in The Athletic’s investigation; why the NFL is unlikely to set a precedent on the issues of alleged infidelity or anti-fraternization; whether the Patriots are willing to endure daily scrutiny of Vrabel; the U.S. Department of Justice launching an investigation into whether the NFL has engaged in anticompetitive practices; the sports prediction market and why the prediction market feels like legal mess and a public health risk; why Kalshi is winning in court right now; how U.S. states can argue that prediction markets hurt the public; Donald Trump issuing an executive order that directs federal agencies, including the Justice Department…

People in this episode

Host: Richard Deitsch

Guest: Michael McCann

Topics covered

  • legal implications
  • sports prediction market
  • workplace investigations
  • privacy issues
  • NFL scrutiny
  • anticompetitive practices

Keywords

  • Mike Vrabel
  • Dianna Russini
  • sports prediction market
  • workplace investigations
  • NFL
  • legal analysis
  • privacy
  • Donald Trump

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Sportico, University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law, The Athletic, NFL, U.S. Department of Justice, Kalshi

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