A recent incident involving FanDuel Sports Network Braves reporter Wiley Ballard has ignited a fierce debate within the sports media landscape, with some questioning the appropriateness of his actions during a live broadcast. Ballard asked a female fan for her phone number while reporting from the field on Monday night, prompting considerable online criticism.
However, not all reactions have been negative. Veteran sideline reporter Olivia Harlan Dekker, daughter of broadcasting legend Kevin Harlan and wife of NBA player Sam Dekker, defended Ballard’s behavior, asserting that the controversy is being exaggerated.
“People getting mad about the Braves reporter asking for the girl’s phone number ARE INSANE! Haha how does that offend you? It was innocuous and cute… good TV I’d say,” Harlan Dekker initially wrote. She emphasized that the interaction didn’t diminish from the game or season, encouraging those expressing concern to “lighten up.”
Drawing on her own experience as a team reporter, Harlan Dekker explained the pressures and creative needs within sports broadcasting:
- “The season is LONG. Producers are always looking for something different/memorable, ways to involve fans or show some human interest around the game.”
- “Most of those interviews are duds, so good on him for having a sense of humor and rolling with it.”
She challenged the assumption that similar actions by a female reporter would be met with immediate termination. “If someone can show an example of a woman getting fired over something similar, then you’ve got an argument,” she stated. Harlan Dekker further clarified the context: “Middle of an early season baseball game on the regional/team broadcast, his producer told him to get something colorful in the crowd, his booth is egging him on, the girl was playing into it and it wasn’t creepy. It’s sports TV, it’s entertainment! This wasn’t a board room or OR.”
During the segment itself, Ballard revealed that he had been instructed by the broadcast booth to obtain phone numbers from two women in the stands. “I’m dead serious, they’re saying in my ear right now,” he stated on-air, acknowledging the directive and playfully suggesting he should have considered this tactic earlier.
While the segment quickly drew criticism on social media, a counter-argument emerged, with some echoing Harlan Dekker’s perspective. One post on X (formerly Twitter) highlighted “insane double standards in sports,” while another criticized the rush to judgment without full understanding of the interaction or the individuals involved.
Arizona Cardinals team reporter Dani Sureck also weighed in, posing a pointed question: “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?”
Olivia Harlan Dekker currently works as an NFL reporter and host for Sky Sports and Westwood One Sports.
