Cleveland Browns assistant general manager and vice president of football operations Catherine Hickman has become the subject of online discussion after wearing a sweatshirt with the phrase "Los Angeles Made Me Do It" to a preseason press conference.
The attire choice, featuring a gray, hole-filled sweatshirt, prompted numerous questions on social media platforms regarding its appropriateness for a team executive. One user on X, formerly Twitter, described the choice as a lack of self-awareness, suggesting it reflected poorly on the organization.
Hickman, a Montreal native, does not have professional ties to the Los Angeles Rams or Chargers, the two NFL teams based in Los Angeles. The sweatshirt's message comes amidst the Browns' decision to trade their star pass rusher, Myles Garrett, to the Rams in exchange for three draft picks and a young pass rusher. This trade, along with other organizational decisions, has led to speculation about the team's direction.
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When addressing the backlash to the team's decision to start quarterback Deshaun Watson, Hickman stated that all organizational decisions are made with the goal of winning football games. "Everything we do is to win football games, that’s how we make our decisions, that’s how we think about it as an organization," Hickman said. "That’s not different at that position."
Hickman joined the Browns in 2022 and has experienced a rapid rise in her career. She has been noted as potentially becoming the sport's first female general manager, having reportedly been the first woman to interview for a general manager position in 2022 when she applied for the Minnesota Vikings' opening.