The New Orleans Saints’ NFL season may be over, but one of the reporters who covers this team is facing a fresh round of hype online.
This past week Aileen Hnatiuk published a photo of herself signing off in front of the Saints’ headquarters.
On its face, the picture seemed pretty undramatic.
That’s a wrap #Saints pic.twitter.com/lS78dup7Kz
— Aileen Hnatiuk (@AileenHnatiuk) January 10, 2023
NFL fans didn’t take it that way, though. They immediately rushed to social media to respond and react to the imagery.
Some of the more notable reactions quickly went viral:
Damnnnn might be a Saints fan after this https://t.co/Noo64yLsAD
— Tatum4MVP (9-7-1) (29-12) (@danteadams01) January 11, 2023
OU bout to hire her https://t.co/IlaORWyoeC
— Rushybeams (@TedRoof2Hell) January 11, 2023
Oh me oh my https://t.co/wb9Xv3t8Xk pic.twitter.com/i1jijOlqrV
— NastyNate2 (@Nate_Oni2) January 11, 2023
C’MON SAINT’S DO BETTER NEXT YEAR SEASON. https://t.co/CuBA4qFHko
— Tsuki (13-3) (@superhitpostman) January 11, 2023
Lord have mercy https://t.co/CyPg7zUuSy
— 7 (@7Erzil) January 11, 2023
Hnatiuk currently has nearly 40,000 followers on Instagram, but it’s safe to say that she will likely experience a surge in fans after this viral run.
A noticeably uptick in engagement on her posts is already making itself apparent:
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This has been a crazy week for NFL reporters. Jane Slater’s wild outfit caused something of a stir over the weekend. Ditto for Charissa Thompson’s wardrobe choice during her sit down with a San Francisco 49ers star. Now this.
A clear frontrunner has emerged to steal Tom Brady away this summer. https://t.co/vaKeGPfceb
— Game 7 (@game7__) January 10, 2023
It is unfortunate that Hnatiuk is facing such a growth in popularity now that the Saints’ season is over, but there is always next year.
Many have suggested that there is a decent chance Sean Payton will simply opt to return as head coach, and if that happens, Hnatiuk will definitely have a lot to report on in 2023-24.
Either way, it is safe to say that a new NFL media star was born this week.
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A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
