The Atlanta Braves. This team, for lack of a better term, has been BAD to start the season. After a 2024 campaign that was riddled with injuries (i.e. Acuña, Strider), the city of Atlanta was expecting this to be a bounce back year for their boys.The city of Atlanta was looking for BIG THINGS from this team…..and not the 5-11 stinker that they’ve put up so far this season (as of writing this).

It has been a rough go-of-it for Brian Snitker’s bunch. But even though the Braves may be losing on the field……there is one member of their organization that’s winning off of it. Who is that “member,” you may ask? Well…

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

Wiley Ballard, ladies and gentlemen; the now KING of Atlanta, Georgia. This past Monday, in the top of the 5th inning between the Braves and the Blue Jays, the Braves’ sideline reporter was interviewing a few fans in the rooftop lounge of the Rogers Centre. It was a simple and innocent piece of the broadcast, that ended up leading to these two “love birds” exchanging phone numbers live on air.

It was one of those moments in sports that made fans across the country laugh, as Ballard showed them “how it’s done.” He completed two jobs at once, and showed baseball fans that love can come at the most random times. But sadly, like most things in 2025……people were actually OFFENDED by his actions.

I…..I am shocked that I’m even typing this right now. But yes; every random ‘blue checkmark’ on social media came out of the woodwork over the past few days to give their thoughts on the matter. They called this man “unprofessional,” “disgusting,” and a “disgrace to journalism.” They acted like he committed a crime of some sort, and that he should be dragged through town like a villain from the 17th century.

He’s being made out to be a terrible human being. But if you ask me……I don’t know why? I don’t know why this is a big deal? This man played along with a “bit” during a fun segment of the Braves’ program, and he ended up coming out on top. It wasn’t like he forced her to give him her phone number. It was just a simple conversation between two single humans. That was IT!

But no, we apparently can’t have “fun” anymore. Journalists aren’t allowed to converse with other humans in the wild…..like any normal human would. According to the “keyboard warriors” of the internet, journalists have to be emotionless robots who just ask questions and never react to the answers.

It’s a wild time we live in, and I’m not happy about it. But the one thing I will say is……I stand with Wiley Ballard! Never change, King!

GET EM WILEY pic.twitter.com/yyopEdZuNy

— Luz (@luzthegoosey) April 15, 2025

But in the end, as always…..what do I know? I’m just a guy from the Midwest, with a beer and a laptop, trying to make sense of this world.