The drama that shadowed coach Mike Vrabel during the offseason due to his relationship with NFL reporter Dianna Russini was nowhere to be seen Friday when New England Patriots players reported for training camp.

Vrabel must feel he's not only survived but surmounted the ongoing nature of the saga because, well, the thing is not a public topic now as his team gets ready for its first practice on Saturday.

PATRIOTS COACH MIKE VRABEL BREAKS SILENCE ON DIANNA RUSSINI PHOTOS THAT LED TO 'DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS'

Vrabel, in his second year as the Patriots coach, met with reporters for more than 14 minutes on Friday to kick off the start of camp.

And he fielded not one question about the Russini scandal or anything connected to it.

It was all football – which Vrabel deftly handles like Ted Williams did fastballs back in the day.

Vrabel was asked about the status of second-round draft pick Gabe Jacas, who remains unsigned. Reporters indeed concentrated six of their 20 or so questions to Vrabel on the Jacas topic.

How's the contract negotiations?

How's his health?

Football stuff.

But, again, nothing about the coach and the overriding issue he faced starting April 7 when the New York Post published photographs of him and Russini, then working for The Athletic, enjoying private time at a pool, and in a hot tub, and holding hands and embracing at an Arizona resort before the NFL annual meeting.

Those photos kicked off consistent national coverage that sometimes bordered on cringey – including other photos of the pair at a bar or other events while their spouses were not present. They also predictably led to something of a crisis within the Vrabel family.

Vrabel, in fact, removed himself from the final day of the NFL draft so that he could be with his family and said he was taking time to seek counseling.

But on Friday, nobody asked if the counseling sessions are over or continue.

One would think that if a Super Bowl contender's coach is in counseling, which he made public, someone might wonder if the sessions continue during a hectic training camp.

Or possibly bleed into the season.

Somebody might want to know if Vrabel thinks the counseling succeeded. Or failed. Like, what has changed for Vrabel as a result of those sessions he so publicly announced he was about to undergo?

There was no question to Vrabel at the podium about any of that or anything else having to do with the Russini saga.

We already know Vrabel isn't going to be fired, or even disciplined, for being part of the embarrassment and unwanted attention he brought on himself, the Patriots, and the NFL as a result of this story.

But Friday's presser sealed the fact Vrabel has successfully avoided a major distraction to start training camp.

That actually is his first victory of the season.

Russini, meanwhile, has clearly lost. She resigned from her job at The Athletic and the media company has apparently replaced her with a new so-called insider. She remains at the heart of an internal investigation by the New York Times, which owns The Athletic, with the results of that not yet published.

So barring more facts coming to light, such as the publication of the investigation, Vrabel skates. If he didn't get asked about his counseling sessions and family status on Friday, the chances that happens going forward shrink daily.

So, yes, Vrabel is 1-0 already to kick off training camp.

Follow Armando Salguero on X: @ArmandoSalguero

It's a little late in July for a fireworks mishap — those are typically centered around the Fourth of July weekend festivities — but a minor league baseball team's pyro display went sideways in the most literal way imaginable on Thursday.

The Richmond Flying Squirrels — Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants — were hosting a fireworks display on Thursday night after their 3-1 loss to the Hartford Yard Goats.

I think there's a compelling case for benching pre-planned fireworks if you lose, but that's for another time. Despite the L, the Flying Squirrels went ahead with their display over CarMax Park, and the aftermath has been making the rounds on social media.

CANADIAN POLICE POLITELY ASK PEOPLE TO STOP BRINGING THEM UNEXPLODED WWII GRENADES

Now, most importantly, no one was hurt, which is, personally, how I like my fireworks mishaps.

If we're going to have them, let's keep it safe.

Sometimes I see videos of fireworks mishaps, and it can be a little hard to see when something goes wrong, because there's just so much happening.

But in this case, I think we can definitely say that the first sign of a problem was when some of those fireworks started traveling parallel to the ground.

That's suboptimal for many reasons.

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

A lot of fans who stuck around to watch some post-game pyro did exactly what I would've done, and that is high-tail it to the relative safety of the concourse. Maybe do a shoulder roll behind a Dippin' Dots cart for safety.

But I'm impressed with how many people didn't move an inch even after fireballs started careening into the bleachers. I wish I had that kind of composure. If one firework went off even remotely off axis, I'd be out in my car before you could say, "Hey, where did that ruggedly handsome gentleman who was sitting right next to us go?"

According to WRIC, the team and the company that put on the show, simply called "Pyro Shows," are investigating what caused the incident.

'Nightcaps' is a daily column that catches you up on the biggest sports, news and culture stories you may have missed while pretending to do work at your desk. It runs Monday–Friday on OutKick.com.

Penultimate Friday of July, and the final weekend of the month on tap.

Who has it better than us right now? Nobody. We are ROLLING to close the month. The momentum is there, and it's growing.

ESPN cleaned house this week. Nancy Armour is getting absolutely dragged across the internet. Sophie Cunningham is fighting back. Football practices are underway.

I mean, goodness gracious. What a blessing. What a country. What a time to be alive.

Let's roll.

Welcome to a Friday Nightcaps — the one where ESPN's SEC host Alyssa Lang puts an internet troll in his place after a dominant week at SEC Media Days.

What else? I've got a couple big anniversaries to celebrate today, Nick Saban is back on my TV and it's been wonderful, and Nick Bosa tweeted for the first time in four years specifically to celebrate Ryan Clark's firing.

Amazing.

Grab you a Busch Light like a true patriot, and settle in for a Friday 'Cap!

It's a Friday. We're gonna keep it light and loose around here. I didn't get to mow the lawn yesterday, so I'm also gonna keep it short because the afternoon thunderstorms are right around the corner and I can't afford to let this jungle go another day.

Before we start, the price of beer at sporting events is truly absurd. Ryan is spot-on with his above analysis saying that Busch Light costs nearly $16 at Wrigley Field.

Frankly, I'm more impressed that Wrigley serves Busch Light. I respect them for that. Didn't think a place like Chicago had that in them. Well done.

That being said, here's your one-month warning that NASCAR returns to Daytona at the end of August and the Busch Light costs $9 in the infield. They also serve it on draft, for those interested (all of you).

God, I love this state. Still pricey, but that's the best you're gonna get at a sporting event in 2026 (non-Augusta).

They also label all of their "domestic drafts" as "American drafts" at Daytona, for those who needed even more of a reason to come on down for the Firecracker 400.

What a track. What a sport.

OK, that's your Ted Talk for the day. Let's get this class started with ESPN's Alyssa Lang not only surviving this week's roster cuts, but then putting a body-shaming internet troll in his place over on Elon's X.

"Just a little off season pudge she’s gonna have to lose if she wants to keep her job."

"Those are actually called abs, in case you haven’t seen your own recently."

Lordy. What a takedown. Alyssa spent the summer traversing Europe, and now she's back in midseason form ready to roll. Been a brutal week at ESPN (all self-inflicted, by the way), but this is the way forward. Alyssa Lang, Tim Tebow, Finebaum, and some SEC football.

All is right with the world. Good to have college football back (sort of). Let's get through these next few weeks and get this season rolling.

Can't wait.

Speaking of college football, Nick Saban returned to our airwaves this week and wasted no time giving Bristol producers a panic attack by letting it rip on live TV with new UF coach Jon Sumrall:

"I’m a Florida resident now, down there amongst the Gators… and I want you to know I’m kind of a semi-Gator. So if you don’t get your s–t together, I’m gonna be in the middle of it."

As one of OutKick's resident Florida fans — along with Austin Perry — Nick is right, by the way. There won't be a ton of patience for Jon Sumrall. Believe me. The Gators have STUNK for years now, and it's been unacceptable.

We don't want to hear about NIL deals and transfers and "trust the process." They need to win — or at least show they can score a freaking touchdown — pretty quickly.

"Two Bits! Four Bits! Six Bits! A Dollar! All for the Gators, stand up and holler!"

OK, let's stick with Saban and rapid-fire this Friday class into a big Friday afternoon of laying down stripes on the yard.

Where do we stand on this comment?

Here's what I know ...

The OutKick audience is overwhelmingly pro-SEC. I know this, because I see the reader emails every day after Ian Miller writes another article dumping on the SEC.

PS: Ian's a good dude, I promise!

I'm also pro-SEC. Duh. I've lived in it my whole life. I agree with Saban when he says the national champion shouldn't automatically define the best conference. Miami very well could have won last year and we all know the ACC ain't good.

But, it's also not the best time for Saban to make this argument given the Big Ten has had the upper hand in recent years. The SEC also went 4-10 in bowl games last season. Not great (at all).

The argument is valid. The timing is ... poor.

Thoughts? Lemme know!

Next? The lefties most-feared NFL player, Nick Bosa, hopped BACK on Twitter with an original tweet for the first time since 2022, and it was a direct shot at Ryan Clark:

Amazing. For those wondering, yes — Nick Bosa hates Ryan Clark. This isn't confirmed, but I'd imagine it stems from when Clark went on his awful podcast and cried because Bosa wore a MAGA hat during an NBC postgame interview:

"When you say Make America Great ... Again ... what was so great about it before? What part of America are you trying to get to?"

Goodness. What a loser. Frankly, it's stunning it took ESPN this long to cut ties. Good riddance, Rhino!

OK, that's it for today — and this week. I leave you all with two very special anniversaries on the way out.

First? This week marks six years since we started the insufferable COVID baseball season with Dr. Fauci throwing, easily, the worst first pitch in the history of baseball.

Second? TODAY is the 26-year anniversary of Varitek and A-Rod throwing hands in arguably the most consequential baseball fight of all time.

I remember watching it live like it was yesterday. We were on vacation at our old cabin in North Carolina. I was mesmerized. It's when I truly became a Red Sox fan.

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Simpler times. Better times.

See y'all Monday.

Thoughts on Saban? Email me at Zach.Dean@OutKick.com.

CNN and SiriusXM host Michael Smerconish acknowledged Wednesday on "The Michael Smerconish Program" that he could no longer claim noncitizen voting never occurred after New Jersey disclosed that a software error improperly registered roughly 6,600 noncitizens and fewer than 400 cast ballots.

"I can’t say that any longer," Smerconish said. "I don’t know how often it does happen, but I can’t say any longer, ‘This never happens.’"

Smerconish said he had previously reached the opposite conclusion after discussing a January New York Times analysis titled "Initial Review Finds No Widespread Illegal Voting by Migrants, Puncturing a Trump Claim." The analysis found no evidence of widespread fraud but noted that noncitizens sometimes appeared on voter rolls.

Smerconish said the New Jersey disclosure would give President Donald Trump and his allies a lasting response when opponents disputed that noncitizen voting occurred.

GOP ERUPTS OVER 6,600 NONCITIZEN VOTERS FOUND IN BLUE STATE AS SCANDAL DEEPENS: ‘WORSE THAN ANYONE EXPECTED’

"'Well, what about New Jersey?' See, it actually does happen," Smerconish said, in a clip flagged by Mediaite.

Political analyst Mark Halperin agreed that the disclosure undercut categorical claims about noncitizen voting while cautioning that more information was needed before conclusions could be reached about its scale.

"Based on what we now know, the thing that Democrats said doesn’t happen happened," Halperin said. "And it’s not right to take the word of the Democratic governor of New Jersey about what actually happened."

Halperin called for an independent investigation into how the registrations occurred, whether the same problem appeared elsewhere and whether New Jersey’s estimate captured the full extent of the error.

WATCH: TRUMP DOJ VOWS TO PURSUE ‘EVERY SINGLE’ VOTING VIOLATION AFTER NJ ROLL SHOCKER

"If it happened by accident on this small scale, it requires a lot more explanation and investigation about whether it’s happened in New Jersey more or elsewhere," Halperin said. "But the scale is not very significant. So we need to know more."

Fox News Digital reached out to New Jersey Gov. Mike Sherrill for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.

Sherrill said the error affected people who indicated they were not U.S. citizens while applying for driver's licenses or identification cards between June 2023 and June 2024. The system nevertheless registered them to vote.

"Our preliminary analysis shows fewer than 400 individuals who were newly registered for the first time because of the error voted," Sherrill said. "They were registered as Democrats, Republicans and Unaffiliated voters and were scattered across the state."

NEW JERSEY REMOVES 6,600 PEOPLE FROM VOTER ROLLS WHO WERE ELIGIBLE TO CAST A BALLOT FOR 2024 ELECTION

Sherrill ordered the affected registrations removed, launched an investigation and began replacing IDEMIA, the vendor involved with the Motor Vehicle Commission system. She blamed failures under former Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy's administration.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

"This failure didn’t occur under my watch, but accountability starts now," Sherrill said.

IDEMIA disputed efforts to place responsibility solely on the company, telling Fox News Digital that New Jersey election officials were responsible for determining eligibility.

"The voter registration information is transmitted to the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Elections, which is ultimately responsible for verifying eligibility to vote," IDEMIA said.

The Justice Department subsequently demanded information about the 6,600 registrations and the fewer than 400 people who voted. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon gave the state five days to provide names, registration details and voting records.

"Ensuring that U.S. citizens’ votes are not illegally diluted by noncitizens’ votes is of paramount importance," Dhillon said.

A senior House Democrat divulged this week that he has not been able to hold a town hall for over a year due to threats from anti-Israel activists.

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the lead Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, made the explosive claim in an interview with Breaking Points on Tuesday.

"This is my biggest problem with the left," Smith said. "I have been unable to hold a town hall meeting for a year because a bunch of leftists show up and scream at me and don't let anyone else speak.

"You talk about illiberal," he continued. "Having people stand out in front of my house, screaming death threats at me and threatening my wife."

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Smith, a member of the Democratic Party’s establishment wing, has previously condemned far-left activists who vandalized his home in 2023 over his support for Israel, including spray-painting "baby killer" in red on his garage doors.

"And the left [says], ‘Oh, well of course we don’t support [that]. We're peace activists. We would never do something like that.’ Okay. How about you just say, ‘No, they did it. It's wrong. We're against it. We are going to be liberal.’"

He also recounted attending a hearing at the University of Washington during which pro-Israel speakers were shouted down by far-left activists during a debate on divesting from the Jewish state.

"So the first three people got up and testified in favor of divesting. [The] fourth person got up and testified against divesting," Smith said in the "Breaking Points" interview. "Two sentences in, [they were] shouted down, screamed at, wouldn't stop."

"I think that whole thing has created a major problem as well," he added. "And we have to be able to have an intellectual discussion."

FBI NABS 7 FOR ALLEGED 'CAMPAIGN OF VIOLENCE' TO PRESSURE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, BUSINESSES OVER ISRAEL TIES

Smith also said the left has dubbed him a "Trump supporter" for pushing respectful debate.

He held up socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as an example of civility on the left.

"I don't agree with everything that he's doing, but he's having legitimate, thoughtful conversations instead of screaming matches over who can threaten the loudest," Smith reflected.

The Washington Democrat is not the only member of the House Democratic Caucus who has faced harassment from anti-Israel activists.

A New York City coffee chain told Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., in June that he was not welcome at their storefronts over his support for Israel.

Days later, Goldman, who is Jewish, lost reelection to Brad Lander, a Mamdani-backed challenger, who put criticism of the Jewish state at the center of his campaign.

Fox News Digital reached out to Smith for comment.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is keeping the door open for a 2028 White House bid after a new poll showed the New York Democrat as the leading choice among prospective Democratic presidential candidates.

She sidestepped Fox News Digital’s question asking if she would like to be the Democratic 2028 nominee.

"I have genuinely not really weighed seriously anything past the midterm elections," Ocasio-Cortez told Fox News Digital when asked if she is interested in a run. "I think that I'm taking in this information just like anybody else."

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The progressive House Democrat repeatedly has toyed with the idea of both a presidential bid and a potential Senate bid to run against Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., when he is up for re-election in two years.

Insight into the Democratic Party’s top pick for the presidential election in 2028 was released in a University of New Hampshire Granite State Poll Wednesday showing Ocasio-Cortez as voters' frontrunner candidate.

While New Hampshire no longer holds the first official Democratic presidential primary, the state has played an influential role in testing White House hopefuls and remains closely watched for early voter signs.

Ocasio-Cortez dodged giving her own thoughts on the poll that shows strong interest in her to lead the Democrats in the next election cycle.

WATCH: AOC WON'T RULE OUT SENATE BID AFTER NEW YORK PROGRESSIVES NOTCH PRIMARY WINS: 'INSPIRED AND ENCOURAGED'

"You're gonna have to ask a voter about that," Ocasio-Cortez said when asked about the new poll. "I have less insight into it than they do."

The poll projected her ahead of other prospective candidates that are likely to run in 2028, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, former Vice President Kamala Harris, Gov. Gavin Newsom and other prominent party members.

Support for Ocasio-Cortez rose to 22% among likely Democratic voters. Ocasio-Cortez gained seven points since February's survey, placing her one point ahead of Buttigieg and 17 points ahead of Harris.

Both Harris and Newsom lost ground since February’s survey.

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Ocasio-Cortez has endorsed many socialists who won in their respective primary elections, beating out incumbents and mainstream Democrats.

Ocasio-Cortez has been endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America in previous campaigns. She is largely expected to receive a Democratic Socialists of America endorsement for the 2028 election as infighting has erupted within the organization over its potential pick.

Some Democratic Socialists of America members are advocating announcing an earlier presidential endorsement because the organization usually selects its endorsement at its biennial national convention in summer 2027.

Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is proposing legislation that would withhold bonuses for U.S. Postal Service executives, citing years of staggering financial losses for the agency and its overall on-time delivery record.

Hawley, who has launched an investigation into the Postal Service over its service record, will name the legislation the No Bonuses for Bad Service Act, Fox News Digital has learned.

The bill would prohibit the USPS Board of Governors from approving any additional compensation for the postmaster general and deputy postmaster general for a fiscal year in which the agency doesn't meet or exceed an on-time delivery rate of 95% for all mail products.

"While Missourians don’t receive their mail on time, the Postmaster General receives a hefty bonus each year," Hawley wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital. "I am introducing the No Bonuses for Bad Service Act to ensure postal service leadership isn’t receiving bonuses while Americans’ mail goes undelivered. It’s time for the Postmaster General to do his job and put Americans first."

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Over the past ten years, postmasters general have received more than $2 million in additional compensation, even as delivery performance declined and budget numbers got worse, according to Hawley's office.

Among the reasons cited by Hawley for the proposed bill are the agency's $25 billion in financial losses over the past three fiscal years, which have coincided with an increase in postage rates and a dip in on-time delivery.

During the last three years of Louis DeJoy's tenure as postmaster general, the Board of Governors approved more than $567,000 in bonuses, Hawley said. Current Postmaster General David Steiner, who assumed office in July 2025, has already received $170,000 in bonuses, Hawley said.

SENATOR JOSH HAWLEY DEMANDS ANSWERS FROM MLB ON 'PATTERN OF DISCRIMINATION' OVER WARNINGS TO GIANTS PLAYERS

When Hawley confronted Steiner about the additional compensation during a June 24 hearing, Steiner said he doesn't control the doling out of bonuses.

"I am absolutely astounded at this today, general … and, frankly, if things don’t get better, you ought to resign, because you’re not doing the job. You’re leaving your good postal workers out there. You’re hanging them out to dry. They don’t make near what you do. They’re working their butts off, they’re getting blamed and you’re getting the bonus. We have a big problem. Based on what I’ve seen today, you’re part of it," Hawley said at the time.

Residents in rural parts of Missouri sometimes wait weeks for their mail, Hawley said. In addition, a large pile of undelivered mail was found in April in a vacant lot in north St. Louis.

"The pattern is clear: As service has gotten worse, the postmaster general’s pay has not," Hawley said.

Hawley was already investigating the Postal Service, accusing Steiner of ignoring congressional oversight while demanding records on the agency's use of outside restructuring consultants.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the postmaster general's office for comment.