This browser does not support the Video element.
Man falls into Lake Erie during Cleveland Browns Helmet Reveal
The Browns unveiled slick new helmets with a massive barge floating on Lake Erie. Out are the orange helmets with a brown stripe and in are matte brown helmets with stripes down the middle. Credit where it's due, they look good.
CLEVELAND (FOX 2) - The Cleveland Browns have not been exactly successful in their strange history in the NFL. But did they just pull off an epic fail or a hilarious (it can only happen in Cleveland) gaffe?
The Browns unveiled slick new helmets with a massive barge floating on Lake Erie. Out are the orange helmets with a brown stripe and in are matte brown helmets with stripes down the middle. Credit where it's due, they look good.
But during the unveiling, a photographer trying to get the right shot stepped right off the edge of the barge and fell into Lake Erie.
But the photographer wasn't just any cameraman, it was social media influencer Ross Smith. He even posted his POV view of the fall, with the caption "DUDE I wiped out on Live TV 😂 while revealing the Browns new helmet!" He also tagged Dude Wipes, a major sponsor of the Browns and of the helmet reveal.
What we know:
According to the Browns, the 20-foot barge was located 100 yards offshore from Huntington Bank Field.
In footage captured by Logan Thomas, who is on the Cleveland Browns Influencer Committee, Smith appears to take photos before tumbling into the lake.
The mascot’s reaction to the fall drew criticism from some online commentators, with some accusing the Browns of staging the fall as a marketing ploy.
"1000% percent scripted. It’s so blatant," a user on X said. "Should’ve kept the other angle, this looks fake, mascot oversold the bit," another said.
What we don't know:
Smith absolutely landed in Lake Erie – but where it was staged or not, we don't know.
The Source: Storyful provided information from Logan Thomas and secured the video from Ross Smith.