Braves information: Olivia Harlan Dekker provides tackle Wiley Ballard backlash

[ad_1] FanDuel Sports activities Community Braves reporter Wiley Ballard acquired some backlash for asking a girl for her telephone quantity throughout an on-air report at a recreation Monday night time.

However not everybody discovered Ballard's actions to be inappropriate, together with veteran sideline reporter Olivia Harlan Dekker.

The daughter of legendary broadcaster Kevin Harlan and spouse of NBA player Sam Dekker mentioned the Ballard incident is being blown out of proportion.

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Bally reporter Wiley Ballard, left, interviews Ozzie Albies of the Atlanta Braves after a recreation towards the Cleveland Guardians at Truist Park April 26, 2024, in Atlanta. (Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Pictures)

A few of these vital of Ballard's actions questioned what would have occurred if a feminine sideline reporter did what Ballard had accomplished.

Harlan Dekker spoke from expertise.

"Individuals getting mad concerning the Braves reporter asking for the lady’s telephone quantity ARE INSANE! Haha how does that offend you? It was innocuous and cute… good TV I’d say," Harlan Dekker's first put up mentioned. "It doesn’t detract from the sport or season. Loosen up.

BRAVES SIDELINE REPORTER'S EFFORT TO GET WOMAN'S PHONE NUMBER SPARKS CONTENTIOUS ONLINE DEBATE

"I’ve been a staff reporter, and the season is LONG. Producers are all the time in search of one thing completely different/memorable, methods to contain followers or present some human curiosity across the recreation. Most of these interviews are duds, so good on him for having a humorousness and rolling with it.

"If somebody can present an instance of a girl getting fired over one thing comparable, then you definately’ve acquired an argument," she defined. "Till then… you may’t simply say "a girl would’ve been fired for this.

Bally Sports activities reporter Wiley Ballard, left, interviews Michael Harris II of the Atlanta Braves after a recreation towards the Texas Rangers at Truist Park April 20, 2024, in Atlanta. (Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Pictures)

"Center of an early season baseball recreation on the regional/staff broadcast, his producer instructed him to get one thing colourful within the crowd, his sales space is egging him on, the lady was taking part in into it and it wasn’t creepy. It’s sports activities TV, it’s leisure! This wasn’t a board room or OR."

Throughout his stay phase, Ballard mentioned the published sales space wished him to get two ladies's telephone numbers.

"I am lifeless severe, they're saying in my ear proper now," Ballard mentioned on-air whereas chatting with each the published sales space and the ladies about their telephone numbers. "She would not consider me as a result of she thinks you guys are making this up. I am gonna use that sooner or later. That is really a fairly good transfer. I ought to've considered this years in the past,"

The phase was rapidly bashed on social media, although a heated debate started with folks considering the identical approach as Harlan Dekker.

One X account mentioned the phase confirmed "insane double requirements in sports activities," whereas one other went extra in depth on the counterargument.

"That is the dumbest factor and the dumbest outrage. The outrage for the opposite particular person when you do not know the complete interplay or how they even felt about it. You do not know what was mentioned and accomplished earlier than and after the phase, too," the post said.

Olivia Harlan Dekker attends the "Unstoppable" screening at Cineworld Leicester Sq. Nov. 5, 2024, in London. (Mike Marsland/Getty Pictures for Prime Video)

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Arizona Cardinals staff reporter Dani Sureck additionally gave her ideas.

"Sooooo are we nonetheless gonna ask ladies in sports activities in the event that they're solely doing their job so far athletes?? We will all agree how inappropriate and nasty that is, to not point out the double normal, proper?"