Arlington man pops the question on 'Good Morning America'
BY PATRICK M. WALKER
Leeta Britton had told her boyfriend of over a year that if he proposed to her, she preferred that it be done in a quiet, intimate setting. Just the two of them somewhere romantic like a beach in Mexico, gazing into each other's eyes.
"And then maybe we would tell our families the next day," she said. "Something like that."
But when Logan Batlle popped the question Wednesday morning, a few more people were involved. Like, say, a nationwide audience.In a well-executed scheme that was a secret only to Britton until the last minute, the couple, both 25, became engaged to be married on Good Morning America. It was part of a new segment on the show called "Love Live."
"Oh, my God," an overjoyed Britton told Batlle after he had slipped the ring onto her finger and they had kissed. "Oh, my God. You are crazy!"
Britton, who teaches eighth-grade history and coaches the girls soccer team at Heritage Middle School in Colleyville, had gone to work early, ready to be interviewed by WFAA/Channel 8 about the impact of middle school athletics.
So there she stood in the Heritage gymnasium Wednesday morning, the girls on her team lining the stands behind her. First, she was told that, in a late twist, GMA wanted to pick up the WFAA story.
"I thought, 'This is a bigger deal than I expected,'" said Britton, who is from Baton Rouge, La. "I was surprised."
But that was nothing compared to what came next.
As GMA personality Robin Roberts started her off with a question about promoting girls athletics, the students reached down and picked up placards spelling out "Will You Marry Me?"
Britton began responding to Roberts' question. Roberts let her say a few sentences, then interjected: "Leeta, I'm sorry to interrupt, but what's going on behind you? Can you turn around and maybe discipline them? Take a good look."
Britton did a double-take, then noticed a broadly smiling Batlle approaching with a ring box in his hand. Her hands flew to her face and she began sobbing with joy.
"I want to tell you that I love you more than anything in the world," Batlle told her, undoubtedly causing tissue shortages from Maine to California. "You're the most beautiful girl. And I know you wanted coffee this morning, but I think I got you something better."
Kneeling, he offered the ring and continued. "Will you marry me?"
"Yes," she replied breathlessly as the girls began to cheer and applaud and friends and relatives emerged from their hiding place. Thousands of miles away, the GMA crew was all smiles at its Times Square studio.
A few moments later, co-host George Stephanopoulos told Britton that he had thought she might be in on the whole thing but that it was obvious from her reaction she wasn't.
"I literally had no clue," she replied.
GMA will broadcast another segment of "Love Live" today and then one next year, coordinating producer Alberto Orso said.
Batlle's entry was chosen out of "many, many, many" received because it expressed his passion about doing something extra-special for this moment in the couple's life together, Orso said. It also helped that Batlle, a former baseball player at Martin High School and the University of Texas at Arlington, watches GMA regularly and often visits its website.
The couple met at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth in August 2010.
Batlle, who didn't even have an engagement ring when he was notified of his selection early this month, spent the last few days battling his nerves. When he picked up the ring at Robbins Brothers on Monday, it was the first time that he had seen it.
"I hope she likes it," he said Tuesday. "I'll find out tomorrow."
