Cleveland Browns mascot, bull mastiff Swagger Jr, dies at the age of 5
A beloved club mascot has died at the age of five.
Cherished Cleveland Browns club mascot Swagger Jr, a five-year old bull mastiff who would run out alongside the team on matchdays, has died at the age of 5 on Tuesday, July 3.
Selected due to his resemblance to the Cleveland Browns logo, Swagger Jr (also known as ‘SJ’) had been the club’s mascot since 2019, when he was just a puppy.
He was the only animal mascot in their ensemble - the others are humans in costume, such as ‘Chomps’ and ‘Brownie the elf’. His father, Swagger, was the original animal mascot for the Browns. Swagger Jr himself has children - perhaps they will carry on the family tradition at the Cleveland Browns stadium?
The Browns issued a statement in the wake of Swagger Jr’s passing on their official X (formerly Twitter) page, which reads: "We are sad to announce the passing of our beloved mascot, SJ. We are so grateful for his many years of loyal support and cherish all of the wonderful memories he helped create for fans young and old."
Following the death of Swagger Jr, PETA issued a plea to sports teams not to use animals as mascots, citing that it encourages dangerous and unethical breeding practices. It is unclear if the Browns will choose to replace Swagger Jr with another dog as their club mascot at this time.
In an interview with TMZ Sports, PETA executive vice president Tracy Reiman said: "Generations of breeding for a certain look have left bullmastiffs prone to hip dysplasia, cancer, and life-threatening heart issues, among other painful conditions. [Swagger Jr.'s death] should be seen as a damning indictment of an industry that deliberately churns out these doomed breathing-impaired breeds.”
She also urged the Browns, in future, to “adopt a logo featuring a brown mixed-breed dog from an undoubtedly overwhelmed local animal shelter."