Things change. Things we saw as totally innocuous or even fun can be corrupted. It wasn't very long ago when some work colleagues were laughing at a few of us for being pissed when a guy at the office was sporting pics/stickers of a cartoon frog and smirking about it, while claiming we were being silly.
Nothing these scumbags do can surprise me anymore. They may not have done what was specifically alleged, but they don't get the benefit of the doubt from me.
Social media fights about Russell will ultimately turn on how good he is w/ the bat once he comes back. Cynical, I know, but I've seen way too many pathetic fucks for whom the results of their fav sportsball team is the top priority.
Anyone as intelligent as Theo allegedly is would read that horsefeathers article for what it is. Maddon doesn't read stuff by his own acerbic admission, so he's fluttering around all clueless and with perceived deniability of the enabling he does.