A host for a large online sports card breaking company is under fire for comments made during a recent live stream.
Grant Telford, listed as Chief Marketing Officer for Florida-based Backyard Breaks, apologized in a social media post Thursday for making lewd jokes and sexual remarks with a hypothetical young daughter as the subject.
“My words and actions were completely inappropriate, and to say I crossed the line is an understatement. There’s absolutely no excuse for what I said,” he wrote. “An apology alone isn’t enough. I will be taking some time off and stepping away from the Backyard to reflect on my actions and I will be seeking help to hold myself accountable moving forward. I need to be better, plain and simple. I need to be more aware of my words and actions, and that my words reach many people.”
Reaction to a video clip of Tuesday night’s stream on the Whatnot live shopping platform spread rapidly throughout the collecting community. Despite the controversial remarks and strong backlash, Backyard continued to run its regular shows across multiple streams both Wednesday and Thursday.
The company, which launched in 2021, gained a large following very quickly and is Whatnot’s largest trading card streamer. According to its website, Backyard Breaks now employs 60 people. At times, the company has received negative attention for the antics and commentary of some of its young hosts who break open cases and boxes of sports cards during daily live streams. Backyard also sells “repack” spots in which participants buy into a random draw of single cards or other items.
Some collectors cited Telford’s remarks as appearing to be in violation of Whatnot’s Community Guidelines Youth Safety Policy, which states “any activity, comment, item or display sexualizing minors, or otherwise encouraging the physical abuse of a minor, whether real or fictional” is part of the company’s “zero tolerance policy for any activity or interactions that endanger the safety and wellbeing of minors.”
We reached to Whatnot for comment late Thursday afternoon but the company has not responded as of yet.
