Dianna Russini recalls how her two-year-old son charged $50 to NFL GM

NFL insiders like Dianna Russini are glued to their mobile devices because no one knows when breaking news will occur. They also compete to outscoop fellow insiders for the latest league updates and headlines.

Conversely, losing track of the phone’s whereabouts can have repercussions. As Russini shared, she was surprised when she charged $50 to an NFL general manager via Apple Pay. It turned out that her two-year-old son committed the blunder.

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Insider Dianna Russini shared the inside scoop on how she “asked” $50 from an NFL executive

In her recent appearance on the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, Dianna Russini recalled how her child billed an NFL general manager. Co-host Jessica Smetana asked:

“Do you have any fear that one of your children’s first words will be Zach Wilson or the Jets?”

Russini enthusiastically responded:

“No. My fear is what my son did the other day. He took my phone and charged, so you know how on Apple Pay you can charge people and give them money and ask them for money? They charged a very, very respected general manager in the NFL $50 at five o'clock in the morning.”

Le Batard and his co-hosts burst into laughter upon hearing Russini’s admission. However, the veteran sports journalist didn’t reveal who the general manager was. Russini added:

“That GM and this is why I would fight for this GM until the day I die, wrote back to me, ‘Hey, is everything okay? Do you need money?’”

The panel couldn’t stop laughing because the general manager went on to fall for what Dianna Russini’s son unknowingly did.

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Dianna Russini’s sports and media career

After attending Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan, Russini went to George Mason University, where she played soccer for four seasons. Russini had seven goals in 51 appearances for the Patriots.

After college, WNBC New York hired her as a reporter. Then, she moved to Seattle, where she became CSN Northwest’s sports anchor. She also worked as a sports anchor for Washington, D.C.’s WRC-TV.

Dianna Russini joined ESPN in July 2015 and contributed to the network’s XFL coverage and SportsCenter. She also worked as an NFL analyst and insider, sharing her time and information on NFL Live and NFL Countdown.

Russini became The Athletic’s lead NFL insider on August 11, 2023, leaving ESPN after eight years. Aside from writing for the subscription-based website, she also appears on their podcasts and online programs.