The Cleveland Browns aren’t necessarily the laughingstock of the NFL, but they certainly haven’t made it easy for themselves over the years. A general lack of success has contributed heavily to that, as has the litany of incompetent quarterbacks that have come and gone from the organization since Tim Couch was drafted 1st overall in 1999.
Given their infamous history, they don’t need any more negative publicity. That’s probably one reason they decided to draft Shedeur Sanders two rounds after picking Dillon Gabriel in the 2025 NFL Draft. But while those two battle for a roster spot in training camp on Wednesday, the team’s mascot was busy going viral for a peculiar reason.
The Browns were doing a marketing stunt to unveil their new alternate helmets, called the “Alpha Dawg”. They set up a raft on Lake Erie, but just as the giant helmet was being unveiled, disaster struck.
Browns employee falls into Lake Erie during alternate helmet unveiling
An employee, who was filming the mascot with some others next to the helmet, tried to get a better angle and fell right into the lake. A different macot, presumably for the affiliate brand “Dude Wipes“, and another person went over to check on him. The Browns mascot, meanwhile, threw a life preserver into the water.
As it turns out, it’s believed that it was done on purpose in order to gain social media traction. It certainly worked, but it takes away some of the fun.
It does make sense, though. The Browns mascot likely would have acted in a more urgent and caring manner if it was real and in the moment.
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