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There Were Allegedly Some Drunken Shenanigans At The ESPN Super Bowl Party

While Super Bowl Sunday serves a purpose — to crown a world champion in the NFL, of course — the week leading up to the big game has its own special design for those who are in the host city acting as members of the media. It’s a chance for those working folk to let their hair down and, naturally, get into a little trouble.

Such was the case with ESPN personality Ryen Russillo, who according to WEEI broadcaster John Dennis, was actually ejected from ESPN’s own Super Bowl party on Friday night. Dennis, who in the past has had beef with Russillo [audio NSFW], referred to him as a “stumbling drunk alcoholic.” As the story goes, the two were seen “all up” in each other’s faces outside the famed Bud Light Hotel, which was where the vast majority of the media were holed up during their stay in Indy. While no punches were thrown, there are some who can attest to the heated nature of their “conversation.”

Yup, this is what happens when you put feuding members of the media in the same place for an entire weekend and feed them unlimited amounts of alcohol. It’s a drama-filled reality show just waiting to happen.

In the case of one-time ESPNer and current CNBC’s sports business guru Darren Rovell, his beef this weekend was with, what he referred to as, the mediocre talent at the Playboy Party. As he noted via Twitter, the “quality of Playboy Playmates” at last night’s party were “not what they used to be.” Here’s the photo that he posted of Shaquille O’Neal and his girlfriend, Hoopz, standing next to the women who apparently are single-handidly bringing down the iconic brand:

I don’t know about you, but as far as I can tell it would appear as if Mr. Rovell is one extremely picky man. Then again, it may also have something to do with that fact that he was snubbed on the red carpet. You mess with the bull, ladies, prepare to get the horns.

According to one Playmate, Jamie Edmondson, who was present on the red carpet, here’s her explanation as to why Rovell may have sent out that scathing tweet:

“What really sparked the rude comment that @darrenrovell made (because I was there) is that when he asked to take a photo w/ me on the red carpet, the closest person to us was on the phone and advised they were unavailable because they were in the middle of handling an issue at VIP check in and to see if someone else could take it…he then said to me in a snotty fit ‘Oh not even for my 175,000 Twitter followers’ and stormed away.”

That makes sense. So too does this…

 

That’s a photo of Rovell at the Playboy party standing by himself and… tweeting. Check and mate?

[Deadspin, The Big Lead]

Photo via Tony Manfred, Business Insider