The Browns are still dealing with the fallout from the Myles Garrett trade, and on Wednesday the conversation shifted from the roster to the wardrobe.
Cleveland assistant general manager Catherine Hickman met with the media wearing a sweatshirt that read, “Los Angeles Made Me Do It.” That choice lit up NFL fans online, with plenty of them calling the outfit “embarrassing” and questioning why she’d show up in that gear after the Browns sent Garrett to the Rams earlier this summer.
The reaction was immediate and split right down the middle. Some fans went after the look hard, with one writing, “This woman wants to be taken seriously as a professional in the front office of a NFL team and wears a forever 21 sweat shirt.
I hate my football team so much,” Another added, “Nice LA sweatshirt. Guess they ran out of Browns gear.
SMH @ typical Browns blindspots,” while a different fan said, “Wearing a T-shirt -Los Angeles made me do it is not a good look. If going casual, wear some nice Browns gear, not as if you’re ready to mow the lawn.
You’re the assistant Gmâ¦,”
There was also this from another critic: “Perfect example of whether Browns organization is the laughing stock of pro sports,”
But Hickman didn’t just draw heat. A few fans jumped to her defense, pointing to her role in the organization and her background.
One wrote, “Be respectful, she is part of the reason we have been drafting great the last two seasons. Howie Roseman knows how talented she is as a scout thatâs why A.
Berry stole her from the eagles and promoted her as assistant GM. She was one of the big reasons the eagles built a SB team,”
The trade that set all of this in motion came with a strong public statement from Browns general manager Andrew Berry. He said, “We have long taken the stance that our goal was for Myles Garrett to be a one-helmet player for his entire career,” Berry said.
“After rewriting the record books and representing our organization with excellence, we were sincere in that desire as we entered this offseason and did not envision a world where Myles was not a Cleveland Brown. “When the Rams first approached us with the possibility of trading Myles, we remained convicted in our position, but as discussions intensified we were stuck at a legitimate crossroads: [D]o we hold on to a truly generational player who has become the identity of our team, or do we make the difficult decision that we think is best for the organization over the long run?
“In that framework, the decision became clear, although our emotions were muddled. We, and more importantly, our fans, have grown up with Myles, and he’s an enormous source of pride for our team.
However, as we embark on a new era of Browns football with a young core and a replenished asset base, we felt this move was important to our transition.”
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