This Braves reporter didn’t strike out asking for a fan’s number but his peers are calling foul.
A FanDuel Sports Network segment showing reporter Wiley Ballard asking for a female fan’s digits during Atlanta’s 8-4 win over the Blue Jays has come under fire for highlighting a double standard in journalism.
“If a woman covering a game started hitting on fans & asking for their numbers on TV they would be crucified on the internet & fired,” Kylen Mills of Big Ten Network posted on X.
“But here you see this inappropriate behavior being celebrated as ‘the standard’ by a slew of men in the comments. Misogyny is alive & well!”
The segment began with Ballard asking for the names of two women standing in the Corona Rooftop Patio inside Rogers Centre during the fifth inning.
After a brief interaction, one of the Braves’ announcers said: “OK, Wiley. You got five innings — four innings — to get the numbers.”
“I’m on it,” Ballard replied before pulling out his phone.
“Alright, so they want me to get your number,” Ballard then said to the woman on his left.
The broadcast booth started laughing before the woman replied: “They wanted you to get my number?”
Ballard replied: “I’m dead serious, they’re saying in my ear right now. She doesn’t believe me because she thinks you guys are making this up.”
The field reporter than realized he had a new pick-up line.
“I might use that in the future, that’s actually a pretty good move,” Ballard said while Nick Allen ripped a single to left in a 4-0 game.
The Braves’ booth then chimed in.
“This is unbelievable,” one announcer said.
The other followed: “The best part of this right now is that Wiley could totally be faking this. This might be the new move. Just walk around with a FanDuel microphone and an ear piece in and convince fans they are actually on TV.”
The camera then cut to Ballard and the two fans, with the woman seemingly inserting her number into his phone.
“I should have thought of this years ago,” Ballard said, eliciting laughs from his fellow broadcasters.
The woman laughed before handing her phone back to Ballard, who exclaimed: “I got the number, we’re good.”
The moment went viral thanks to a tweet from Miles Garrett of Fox 5 Atlanta which has been seen 1.6 million times as of Tuesday morning.
Garrett praised Ballard for his efforts.
“Shoutout to my guy @wileyballard_ setting the standard for sports reporters getting a phone number out in the wild,” Garrett posted. “0/10 work.”
Ballard even took a victory lap by posting a still image from “Good Will Hunting,” where Matt Damon’s character, Will Hunting, slaps a napkin with a woman’s number on a glass while bragging to a man he had argued with earlier, “Well, I got her number. How do you like dem apples?”
Many, though, had issues with the segment.
“If a female sideline/dugout reporter did this, she’d be called horrible names and probably be run out of town,” Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News posted on X.
“On the other side, here’s a fellow TV anchor basically saying to dude who asked for phone numbers: ‘My man.’ It’s not the same for both sexes. It’s just not. And that’s inherently wrong.”
Added Predators reporter Emma Lingan: “If this were a female reporter asking for a man’s number, it would be unprofessional. But if a man does it, it’s funny and acceptable to take multiple victory laps after doing so. Misogyny is alive and well, folks!”
