Buckle up, sports fans—because Monday night’s Atlanta Braves broadcast didn’t just feature baseball. It featured a little something called What Not to Do on Live Television 101. And it’s got the sports world split right down the middle.
Setting The Scene At The Braves Game
Top of the fifth inning in Toronto. Braves sideline reporter Wiley Ballard is chatting up a couple of female fans—classic in-game banter, right? Except it takes a sharp left turn into on-air matchmaking? Yep.
As Ballard wraps up his segment, the booth team—Brandon Gaudin and C.J. Nitkowski—decides to add a little reality TV flair to the play-by-play.
“You got four innings to get the numbers,” Gaudin says.
Cue Ballard, pulling out his phone like he’s at a college bar, not in the middle of a professional broadcast. He turns back to the fan—Lauren, who’s already on the verge of skepticism—and says, “They want me to get your number.”
At this point, things go from awkward to full-on bizarre. Not only does he claim he’s being told to do this through his earpiece, but the whole thing becomes an inside joke, with Nitkowski joking about pretending to be on TV just to pick up women.
Spoiler alert: Lauren does, in fact, appear to type in her digits. And just like that, we’re not watching a baseball game anymore—we’re watching a live-action SNL skit with minor league judgment.
The Fallout
Once the clip hit social media, it exploded—and not in a good way. Twitter, TikTok, Reddit—every corner of the internet lit up. People were not amused.
Critics called it unprofessional, cringeworthy, and tone-deaf, especially considering the wider conversations happening around workplace conduct, the role of journalists, and how female fans are treated at sporting events.
There were accusations of misogyny and misuse of a broadcasting platform and a good old-fashioned reminder that, yes, we still have a long way to go when it comes to equality in sports media. Imagine a female reporter doing the same thing to a male fan on live TV. That segment wouldn’t go viral—it’d go straight into a network HR meeting.
But, of course, not everyone hated it. Some people called it harmless fun, a few even praised Ballard’s confidence and the booth’s spontaneity. And yes, there were those defending it as “just boys being boys” (which, let’s face it, is a phrase that should probably be retired).
The Bigger Picture
Here’s the thing, this isn’t just about one sideline hit gone wrong. It’s about how professional sports broadcasts balance entertainment with ethics. It’s about how male camaraderie on-air can sometimes slip into antics that alienate viewers—especially women. And it’s about the double standards that still exist in sports journalism. All of that being said, this also feels a bit blown out of proportion at the same time.
So, was this moment funny? To some, sure. But to others, it was a painful reminder that even in 2025, women in sports are still being treated like punchlines or props.
Either way, the Braves booth might want to keep the flirting off the field next time. While baseball is a game of numbers, is it getting digits mid-broadcast? That’s a curveball nobody needed.
