It looks like Barney Stinson is in the stands in his familiar way of making things work. While baseball has its own way of surprising fans, we never knew that it could be this LEGENDARY! The incident took place during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Toronto Blue Jays. The Braves reporter stole the spotlight, but not for the game coverage! 

The Atlanta Braves won 8-4 against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night, which should have been the top story. But something else caught the fans’ attention more – Wily Ballard’s casual chat with two female fans. Now, the internet is gushing over this occurrence.

Soon, he becomes a laughingstock, and fans didn’t stop talking about him for showing a glimpse of Barney Stinson from the famous sitcom “How I Met Your Mother.”

During the game, Braves reporter Wily Ballard reached the Corona Rooftop, the perfect place to hang out with friends while watching the match. Ballard’s tactics of having conversations with the two female fans were quickly caught on camera, where he asked their names and which team they support. It was fine till then. But the “move” came right after that!

In Ballard’s in-earpiece, the commentators joked, “Okay, Wily! You have four innings to get the numbers…” And boom! Seemed like Ballard just got another trick up his sleeve to get one of their numbers. And quickly after that, the camera showed the woman typing her number into his phone. 

“I got the number. We’re good,” reacted Wily Ballard on camera, holding his mic. And he didn’t even shy away from sharing, “I’m gonna use that in the future. That’s a pretty good move!” And fans could not keep calm after seeing this, reacting with “That’s how I met your mother.“ While at a glance, the comment seems to indicate Ted Mosby finding his soulmate with the yellow umbrella, it was actually Stinson up in the stands! Don’t you think? 

Wily Ballard has always been known for his charismatic style of doing interviews. The 2024 Georgia Sportscaster of the Year loves being playful while, at the same time, casual in his approach, making the other person in the conversation feel comfortable.

But this time, the laughs shared at the Corona Rooftop have brought severe criticism. Fans are divided, as some of them lambast him while others deliver their quirky responses.

Braves reporter’s unusual act sends fans into frenzy

Right after Willy Ballard’s bold approach was caught on live TV, social media was lit with different reactions pouring in from the fans.

“He didn’t try; he succeeded,” one fan commented on the X post shared by Barstool Sports. And yes, he did! Ballard was casually chatting with the two Braves fans, and he eventually got one of their numbers. Some are looking at this as a unique way to get the job done!

Another X user considered it to be top-tier reporting: “This is top tier reporting.” Mixing the end of the game with some off-court moves will definitely be more engaging. And guess what, that’s exactly what happened. 

While some may seem happy with Ballard, one commented, “That’s how I met your mother,“ apparently, drawing a similarity between the US sitcom and this particular occurrence. Remember how Barney Stinson used to follow his playbook of befriending women and later casually part ways?  That’s what happened here when Ballard expressed, “I got the number. We’re good.” 

Critizing the move, one comment read, “What an absolute dawg,” taking a direct dig at him for chatting up with the women rather than making live commentary. While it may sound serious, it’s also true that fans love a bit of humor in between the game to get things going. That’s what he tried to do, maybe?

But despite all this chaos, he did get the number, to answer some curious comments, like “So did he get the number?!” Now, how will the Braves reporter go on about that? Well, suppose that’ll be a secret as of now! Still, no matter what, amidst the long games and uprising tension, fans could use a little breather with a little bit of wooing, until that’s harmless and just for fun!