Browns accused of staging viral moment in photographer’s lake fall debacle

Splish splash, this Browns photographer was taking a bath.

In a pretty on-brand Cleveland Browns moment, the team debuted a striking new brown alternate helmet called “Alpha Dawg” aboard a raft on Lake Erie, only for a photographer to steal the spotlight by taking one misstep and plunging dramatically into the water.

With two mascots in the picture and numerous cameras surrounding, some speculated it was a staged moment with the mascots’ dramatic reactions and the photographer’s fall looking a little too convenient.

The moment, talked about on ESPN’s new SC+ show with Gary Striewski and Randy Scott, was speculated to be fake as the moment involved a sanitary product brand, Dude Wipes, and may have been set up to get some publicity.

“Do you think it was staged?” Striewski asked.

“I wouldn’t put it past [them] because people love to go trending,” Scott replied. “But you know what, guy? We’re not even going to say your name. I mean, look, I don’t know what to believe anymore.”