MLB reporter Alanna Rizzo praised Real Salt Lake for owning their mistake and apologizing to JJ Watt’s wife Kealia after they failed to name her in a social media post on Wednesday.
Rizzo was once part of the Dodgers broadcast team on Spectrum Sportsnet LA, and joined the MLB network as a reporter in 2021. Currently, she covers the Red Sox team for NESN.
Real Salt Lake hosted Watt, Kealia, and their son, Koa, for a game on Wednesday. However, in their post welcoming the family, the MLS club did not mention Kealia by name. They apologized after being called out by Watt.
“Good on @JJWatt first of all and good on @realsaltlake for the apology,” Rizzo wrote on X.
Real Salt Lake said it was an “honest mistake” on their part.
“We are sincerely sorry for that,” the MLS club wrote on X. “When we welcomed the Watt family to America First Field, we should have recognized Kealia Watt for exactly who she is… Kealia Ohai, JJ Watt — we are deeply sorry. Thank you for all you do for the sport.”
Kealia’s career includes four Utah high school championships, a national title with the North Carolina Tar Heels, and eight seasons in the NWSL with the Houston Dash and Chicago Red Stars. She currently works as an analyst for Amazon Prime Video. The couple also holds a minority stake in Burnley, an EFL Championship club.
What Was JJ Watt’s Reaction to His Wife Not Being Recognized by the MLS Club?
After watching the exhibition game between Real Salt Lake and Burnley, JJ Watt shared a post on social media highlighting Kealia’s achievements.
“The woman in the photo grew up literally down the road, won 4 Utah state championships (1 in this exact stadium), Gatorade Player of the Year twice, National Player of the Year, scored the fastest first goal in USWNT history… Could probably be worth a mention, but idk,” JJ wrote on X.
Watt and Kealia got married on Feb. 15, 2020, and are parents to two boys, Koa, born in October 2022, and Niko, born last year.
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