On Saturday Cleveland Browns second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders returned to Boulder to receive his college degree. For Sanders it was a joyous occasion and a culmination of four years of school between Jackson State and Colorado.
The strong-armed gunslinger who’s vying for the Browns starting quarterback job was praised all over social media. Fans were quick to congratulate Sanders for his hardwork and diligence in seeing finishing school despite now being in the NFL.
Fans weren’t the only ones to congratulate Sanders, as popular Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter Mary Kay Cabot also chimed in with her praise or as some view it subtle jab.
Cabot Called Out For Perceived Jab
In the aftermath of Sanders’ graduation ceremony at Folsom Field going viral, Browns beat reporter Cabot posted this via her X account:
“Browns QB Shedeur Sanders returns to Colorado Saturday to receive his diploma.”
Cabot calling Shedeur’s college degree a diploma did not sit well with some fans.
“You know it’s a college degree. Common, now you’re just trying to disrespect the kid! But, what you’re really looking for is the drama you know this will bring. Be better, do better, Cleveland deserves better,” a fan said.
“What a clown you are. The kid got his DEGREE, not a diploma. Imagine not being able to garner engagement without saying this guy’s name, & you can’t even give him the proper respect while you capitalize off his likeness. Shameless & classless,” another critic said.
“She’s almost up to one million views. She knows what to do for views. Just ignore her. She’s basically a troll. No longer a journalist,” another would-be media critic quipped.
“Mary Kay Cabot with that “Sammich” nonsense again ….” someone else replied.
Is Cabot Being Petty?
Some believe Cabot knew exactly what she was doing when she called it a diploma, and the pettiness stems from a comment made by Shedeur’s brother Shilo. In the aftermath of Cabot reporting that Shedeur wasn’t leading the starting quarterback race and he ranks behind high-priced veteran Deshaun Watson and in her opinion the team should declare him the starter to get the offense going together now, Shilo made a misogynistic comment directed at Cabot.
“Go make a sandwich Mary,” the undrafted safety said.
It’s an old insult used to put women down, implying that they belong in the kitchen.
Cabot responded to Shilo’s comment:
“Well, let me just say about that, that I really do believe that I have been an inspiration for lots of women and young girls to know that you can go out there and do a good job in a man’s world and take on all that comes with that.”
Shilo Explains Response But Didn’t Apologize
Sanders took to Twitch to break down what he meant by his comment:
“This is to Mary Kay. If you’re gonna be a reporter, be a reporter and report facts. Whenever you have your opinion and your opinion is always something hateful to Shedeur, then it makes it seem like it’s something weird, like it’s an agenda that you have going on.
There is plenty of women in this field that take this serious and take reporting on football serious and actually do homework, and study the game and get the statistics right and get the news right. But with you, it’s so much emotion that I don’t want you to make women look bad when it comes to reporting because you don’t have the will to actually report real things that are going.
When it comes to your opinion, you’ve been saying crazy things for the past, since he’s been there. So it’s like, just chill with that, cause it don’t make no sense and it makes you look crazy like you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
In the end Shilo is defending his brother and will always do so. But he also has to know he can’t say things like that to women.
