There is a divide in this country, and I am not specifically bringing up the political schism that seems to be widening on a daily basis. In a possibly related realm there is a clear indication we are at a point where many in the nation are on a daily quest to find grievances, offenses, and have a need to rain misery upon any lighthearted and playful experiences.

Last night the Atlanta Braves were in Toronto to play the Blue Jays. The visiting broadcasters brought their in-stadium reporter, Wiley Ballard. He is the type to hit up dugout players for comments, talk to staff about game-time actions, and roam the stands to interact with fans. That last item is the focus here.

Ballard was speaking on camera with a pair of ladies and learned one was not a fan of Atlanta, and in a genial discussion, was imploring if she would support the Braves and other banter. Prodded by the announcers in the booth, Ballard coaxed the lady to give him her phone number and she obliged. It was a humorous and harmless encounter, and the announcing team was enjoying it.

Shoutout to my guy @wileyballard_ setting the standard for sports reporters getting a phone number out in the wild.

10/10 work

🎥@fanduelsnbraves pic.twitter.com/RFEyd605Lb

— Miles Garrett (@MilesGarrettTV) April 15, 2025

Oh wait, I apologize - I need to issue an in-content correction: This was the most disgraceful display of broadcasting known to mankind and is a dark day that now sullies the esteemed character of journalism for a generation! This, according to a collection of other female journalists who saw this breezy exchange as a crass and aggressive attack that should never have been shared live on camera.

White House reporter Seung Min-Kim was among those displeased.

This is gross https://t.co/wz3Iffrsaf

— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) April 15, 2025

Now, given she works for the Associated Press, it is understandable if she is a bit cranky, given her outlet’s foibles over the past couple of months. But it seems a number of other female reporters were also made bitter by this exchange, seen on live television.

💡 Pro tip to any sports reporters out there: don’t do this! https://t.co/57MhsnK8km

— Krissy Birdsall (@KrissyBirdsall) April 15, 2025

Can’t count how many times I’ve felt pressured to give a number based on the situation I was in, laughing it off as chill or a joke. Doing this on live TV, not knowing the personal life of these women. Imagine a female reporter doing this & what she’d be labeled. This is gross.

— Taylor Tannebaum (@TaylorTannebaum) April 15, 2025

Sooooo are we still gonna ask women in sports if they’re only doing their job to date athletes?? We can all agree how inappropriate and nasty this is, not to mention the double standard, right? https://t.co/lDNeaBHsPt

— Dani Sureck (@DaniSureck) April 15, 2025

And that was hardly the most vituperative reaction. This one from a CBS Sports baseball journo shows her pretty enraged.

This is one of the most insanely inappropriate things I've ever seen. Like I legitimately cannot believe it's real. https://t.co/gj2WGbkmjQ

— Kate Feldman (@kateefeldman) April 15, 2025

So on one side you could say this is not something you would want to encourage from reporters on a regular basis. It would be rather tough to have a guy with a microphone trolling the sky lounge and luxury suites at games to collect dates, sure. But this was a spontaneous and organic discussion. It’s a one-off, and it can in fact be a mirthful distraction. It does not require pitchfork and torches responses.

This is sports reporting, after all. It’s not like a correspondent from the Washington Post was hitting on White House staffers during a Cabinet meeting. And some of the explanations behind the outrage have drifted into foul territory.

Many have brought up the empty argument in this fashion – “Imagine the reaction had a female reporter done this!” Why? Why would the reaction be any different? I have a hard time grasping that men who are applauding Ballard today would feign outrage if a female had asked a male fan for his digits. 

Another claim is that the woman in the clip was pressured by being on live television and somehow felt forced to do this. That is actually a reductive claim. Again, the question is why? Why would this woman be unable to decline the request, or say she is in a relationship, or some other polite rebuttal? I find it a touch insulting to suggest she was incapable of turning down the request; I give women more credit to manage themselves in these exchanges. 

Plus, since flipping the script is a common tactic, if it were a female reporter asking a male fan, would he feel this pressure and inability to decline if that was his thought? The answer to that should explain plenty, including explaining so much of this reaction. Could this be called an unprofessional segment? Yes, there is that argument. But it is also hardly the pall hanging over baseball journalism.

We need to allow for these unscripted, breezy interactions between people and not analyze every scenario from the standpoint of investigating an offense. The female fan was seen laughing throughout, and she willingly took the reporter's phone, smiling as she input her phone number. This does not have to be an aggressive scenario with a predatory reporter. It might just be two people having a mirthful exchange during a leisurely sporting event. It speaks volumes that so many cannot allow for that to take place.

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