. ‘Unprofessional Disgrace’: Atlanta Braves Reporter Under Fire for Asking Fan for Her Number During Interview - News Times
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‘Unprofessional Disgrace’: Atlanta Braves Reporter Under Fire for Asking Fan for Her Number During Interview

By News Here - 12:07

FanDuel Sports Network reporter Wiley Ballard gets number from fan at Atlanta Braves game

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A FanDuel Sports Network reporter faced harsh criticism for asking for a fan’s number during a live hit at an Atlanta Braves game.

During the Braves’ Monday game against the Toronto Blue Jays, reporter Wiley Ballard found himself at the rooftop patio of Toronto’s Rogers Centre. There, he met a pair of fans who identified themselves as Lauren and Kayla. After Ballard asked them a few questions, play-by-play announcer Brandon Gaudin joked that he had “five innings, four innings to get the numbers.” Ballard relayed that message to the women, telling them his colleagues told him to ask for their numbers.

Surprisingly, that actually worked and Ballard exchanged information with the women.

While much of social media praised Ballard for the move, his colleagues in the industry were less than thrilled.

“An unprofessional disgrace, from the reporter, to the guys in the booth, to the producer in the truck who could’ve stopped it at any point,” said Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports. “It’s not ‘fun’. It’s not ‘cool’. It’s not ‘harmless’. And it’s only a ‘standard’ for harassment.”

Dallas Morning News reporter Evan Grant pointed out the double standard at play.

“To yesterday: If a female sideline/dugout reporter did this, she’d be called horrible names and probably be run out of town,” Grant said. “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.”

The two were far from the only outraged reporters.

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The post ‘Unprofessional Disgrace’: Atlanta Braves Reporter Under Fire for Asking Fan for Her Number During Interview first appeared on Mediaite.

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