
The folks at Backyard Breaks are no strangers to scandal. We have covered them here several times before and haven’t even covered everything they were accused of or involved in. But while many of the previous allegations were unproven or murky, this time its different.
Grant Telford, the face of Backyard Breaks, said some things on camera at a Whatnot break that were deeply offensive. Grant and the company have since faced significant backlash. What happened? Will this be the straw that breaks the back of the backyard breaks?
Find out in our coverage of the Backyard Breaks inappropriate comments scandal.
Grant Telford made an inappropriate joke about the sexuality of minors during a livestream. His attempt at humor focused on what acts he hoped he could perform with his daughter if he had one.
The conversation on this topic was long, detailed, and incredibly unpleasant. You can find the video quite easily. We will not post it as it is very inappropriate content. I would frankly recommend that you do not watch it.
Grant placed the following apology on Instagram: “I sincerely apologize for the comments I made on my stream Tuesday.
My words and actions were completely inappropriate, and to say I crossed the line is an understatement. There’s 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. To the community in my stream every day, you know my heart – this is not who I am. To those I’ve disappointed – I hear you, I understand your frustration, and I am truly sorry. I offer my deepest apologies to everyone, including those hurt or offended by my comments.”
Notably, Backyard Breaks disabled any comments on the post featuring the apology. It is up to you to decide how seriously you take this apology. It is worth noticing that he did not address the issue here, which is sexualization and violence towards minors. As well as the encouragement of incest.
Anyone who has seen the clip knows that it wasn’t just Grant. The other individual he streamed with agreed with every word and encouraged him. That shows a general culture at Backyard Breaks that transcends the proclivities of one individual.
To their credit, the company released its statement, albeit two days later, which read, “Backyard Breaks is built around an inclusive community that welcomes all sports fans and collectors.
The recent comments shared by Grant and Bugzy do not align with our core values and principles upheld by our leadership, nor do they reflect the 100+ team members whom we proudly consider family. This moment does not reflect how we conduct ourselves as an organization nor the care and professionalism our breakers consistently demonstrate.
We are thoroughly reviewing our streaming practices and implementing new internal policies to ensure this does not happen again. To our community, please know we are taking this seriously and will continue to improve every day.”
This violates the terms of Whatnot. Indeed, it is difficult to interpret it any other way.
According to the community guidelines posted on their website, “Whatnot has zero tolerance for any activity or interactions that endanger the safety and wellbeing of minors. This includes the following: Child sexual exploitation, abuse, or grooming behaviors.” That includes, among other things, “any activity, comment, item or display sexualizing minors, or otherwise encouraging the physical abuse of a minor, whether real or fictional.”
The words of Grant Telford certainly reach that standard and are a violation. Indeed, they seem to violate every word of that policy.
When the news broke, many users’ reactions were as expected: a lot of criticism and very few comments unrelated to the scandal. Backyard Breaks has a long history of responding to controversy by fighting back.
And they initially responded the way they always have: by banning users who criticize them on the spot. However, the deluge of users with critical comments has overcome them, and they seem to have given up on consistently banning them.
But as I write this, Backyard Breaks continues to break on Whatnot. I saw the hosts on it mention it during their break and say, “It is a difficult situation, and I don’t wish it on anyone, but we are going to try and have fun anyway.”
Meanwhile, the comments during the breaks were brutal. Some sample posts include, “If you guys want Backyard Breaks off the platform, report them in force. Whatnot, do something; they have taken down others for less.” and ” Donate proceeds to Keep the Kids Safe Coalition, you cowards!”
It is surreal to watch the breakers try to get through the sports as usual while this happens. It is undoubtedly affecting the staff there who are going through the motions without the normal joy they bring to the proceedings.
It is puzzling that Whatnot has not forced them to stop, even temporarily. This does not bode well for their enforcement on this matter. In addition, the fact that people are still buying spots with them right now is not the best sign either.
Some of the people who are buying are likely not aware of what happened. However, the history of this organization shows that even when there are significant scandals, people keep coming back to them. Their hold on a substantial fan base is remarkable. That is why Whatnot faces a dilemma right now.
Despite all the controversy surrounding Backyard Breaks, they have remained one of the biggest outfits in the business. They are easily the biggest breakers on Whatnot, making them significant money.
Indeed, it is hard to overestimate how important Backyard Breaks are to the Whatnot franchise. They have made the platform relevant for sports cards and regularly make them large amounts of money.
One observer on X, the Cards and Crypto account, predicted:
“Here’s a glimpse into the future. Backyard Breaks survives this. WhatNot does not. WhatNot’s failure to act has shown they cannot operate without any of their top breaker’s revenue. This tells the breakers, GO INDEPENDENT. If Grant can put his ego aside, he will realize his audience will enjoy any frat bro ripping while on booger sugar.”
Meanwhile, Grant Telford has been the face of the company since day one. Other people have come and gone, but he has remained the most significant person in the enterprise.
There has been no shortage of scandals for Backyard Breaks in the past. The best-known case was when they took a Trevor Lawrence gold Kaboom! which was pulled at one of their breaks and kept it.
That was far from the only time they were caught withholding cards that were rightfully owned by those who bought into their breaks. They have also been accused of receiving loaded boxes from Panini due to the improbable odds of the hits they score.
In another case, an employee of the company was caught stealing cards from the company, highlighting that they employ problematic actors.
There are other cases as well. In short, this is a very problematic outfit and we have been covering their missteps for years and unfortunately, I doubt this is the last one.
As we have seen, this company has had other scandals. But this one seems to be different. When a breaking company does problematic things with cards, there seems to be a relative amount of forgiveness.
On this occasion, they have crossed a very different line—one that has to do with social morals more generally.
We need to remember the roots of this hobby. Before all the big money and the pump-and-dump influencers, it was about the kids—those who bought cards for bubble gum and drove with them secured on their bikes.
We are still looking to involve kids in creating the next generation of collectors. But what message are we sending if the biggest breakers can use this language and still enjoy the backing of the largest companies in the hobby?
There are a few ways that this could go. It could be treated as a Grant Telford issue, and backyard breaks might be pressured to remove him. Then Backyard Breaks could try to make a go of it without him.
Or it could be treated as an issue that threatens the entire company, and therefore, they will be dropped by the companies and platforms that host them. Backyard Breaks’s strategy to deal with this will do a lot to determine the reaction.
If Grant steps down and is no longer associated with the company, their odds of survival will increase. But if he returns to breaking (and his statement makes that seem likely), it will be more difficult for others to work with him.
There are many large companies in the hobby with ties to Backyard Breaks. Some of them we are aware of, and others are more implicit. For example, GameStop partnered with them to sell repacks. Backyard Breaks provided them with 500 “GameChanger” repacks that sold for $55. Later, they were reselling for more than $250.
Their ties with Panini are unclear but deep. They have pulled so many significant hits from Panini at a statistically unlikely rate that many believed they were being provided insider access to the company’s best boxes.
There is always a measure of hypocrisy in how corporations respond to these scandals. They often seem to be looking at the way the wind is blowing and their bottom lines rather than any true moral standards. Nonetheless, their reaction is essential.
We are currently in a cultural tipping point. After Trump’s election, there has been a backlash against being politically correct, and people are testing the new limits. This may be an essential sign post in that, if not for wider culture than at least for our hobby. If this is allowed to stand, worse may follow.
Therefore, a lot depends on how Whatnot responds. We will update this article as soon as we get a response from the company.
Whatnot had still not reacted at the moment of publication. They have reportedly temporarily disabled Grant Telfer’s account. However, they continue to host the outfit and have so far not taken any further measures.
According to several sources, the company is closing complaints made against Backyard Breaks without taking any action.
But some people have. Geoff Wilson wrote, “As a young daughter’s father, I was disgusted by Backyard Breaks comments last night. I know their schtick is to be edgy, but there is a line, and they blew completely past it.” But he seemed to accept their apology and added, “I am glad they apologized and hope they truly do grow to be more respectful and empathetic in the future.” However, it should be noted that he has no ties to Backyard Breaks and says he will never develop them.
The account known as Women On Topps, run by Annemarie Farrell, posted :“We say they have no place in the hobby, but on a daily basis, our message boards and breaker rooms are filled with all kinds of toxic masculinity. Now, let’s focus more on how companies that supply BYB and give them a platform respond. Then, depending on that, we need to be willing to change our consumer habits accordingly.
An online petition to ban Backyard Breaks has also been circulating. It calls on “WhatNot to uphold their values and protect their community by removing Backyard Breaks from their platform immediately.” As of the time of writing, it has over 4,000 signatures.
We have warned here long ago against breaking with this company. In 2022, when they were involved in the Trevor Lawrence card scandal, I still gave them the benefit of the doubt: “I wouldn’t break with them. But they are young men in their early 20s trying to navigate difficult situations.” I wrote in 2023, “We have said it before, and no one listened. Do not buy into breaks with Backyard Breaks. They have repeatedly proven that they will take your hard-earned money and do their best to deprive you of the banger you pulled. There, we repeated it, and still, no one will listen.”
I have since had to say it several times more. I have a strong feeling it will not be the last time.
Ultimately, if we just let Backyard Breaks do whatever they want and still make a large amount of money, that is on us. The great writer James Baldwin once said, “You teach people how to treat you by what you allow, what you stop, and what you reinforce.” We have been reinforcing Backyard Breaks behavior for years by treating them like legitimate actors.
But this isn’t just up to regular customers. Whatnot needs to act. So far, their reaction has been underwhelming.
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