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                                                                                                       SPORTS Thursday 6 February 2020
            Welcome back: Berry returns to Browns as NFL's youngest GM



            By TOM WITHERS               drew,"  Stefanski  quipped,
            AP Sports Writer             adding  he  missed  his  own
            BEREA, Ohio (AP) — As An-    kids after seeing Berry's.
            drew  Berry  waited  to  be  Berry  joked  he  didn't  re-
            welcomed back as Cleve-      ceive  an  upgraded  park-
            land's  new  general  man-   ing space upon his return to
            ager,  his  baby  son,  Kairo,  Cleveland,  where  he  was
            let out a couple of cranky  vice  president  of  player
            cries  before  settling  down  personnel from 2016-18 un-
            for a nap.                   der GM Sashi Brown. During
            Later,  his  2-year-old  son,  that span, the Browns went
            Zion, asked Berry if he could  1-15,  0-16  and  only  made
            wear a helmet.               minimal  improvement  be-
            The Browns have turned to  cause of some poor drafts.
            youth  in  their  front  office.  The  team  was  often  ac-
            Maybe this will work.        cused  of  "tanking"  to  get
            At just 32, Berry is believed  high  draft  picks  and  they
            to  be  the  youngest  GM  used  the  No.  1  overall  se-
            in  NFL  history  and  he's  re-  lections  in  2017  and  2018
            turned  to  Cleveland  after  on star defensive end Myles
            one season in Philadelphia  Garrett  and  quarterback
            to encounter some familiar  Baker  Mayfield,  respec-     Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry, right, poses for a photo with head coach Kevin
            problems  with  the  Browns,  tively.                     Stefanski  after  speaking  during  a  news  conference  at  the  NFL  football  team's  training  facility,
            who  remain  unstable,  un-  Berry isn't hiding from his role   Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, in Berea, Ohio.
            derachieving despite a tal-  in  not  making  the  Browns                                                                      Associated Press
            ented roster and without a  much  better,  but  he's  de-
            playoff  appearance  since  termined to get things right  is at a much different state  ning  is  at  the  forefront  of  nity he's been given by the
            2002.                        this time around.            than  it  was  heading  into  everyone's minds in the or-  Browns.
            Berry  said  he  returned  "That stretch is a very pain-  that  2016  season,  whether  ganization."                "Part  of  this  is  exposure,"
            to  the  team  in  part  for  a  ful  period  for  our  fans,  for  it was the foundation of the  Berry is just the second cur-  said Berry, who was joined
            chance  to  work  with  new  the city and for everybody  roster  or  the  overall  strat-  rent  African-American  GM  at the news conference by
            coach Kevin Stefanski, who  internally  in  the  organiza-  egy.                       in  the  NFL,  joining  Miami's  his wife, Brittan, his parents
            was  hired  last  month  after  tion," he said. "I can assure  "There is no secret that the  Chris  Grier.  He's  proud  to  and  brother.  "There  are
            13  seasons  in  Minnesota.  you that all of us that were  strategy at the time was to  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  tons of talented executives
            Stefanski's  only  37,  giving  there  during  that  time  pe-  accumulate assets, wheth-  black executives like Ozzie  across the NFL that fit differ-
            Cleveland  a  fresh,  young  riod  were  equally  disap-  er it was cap space, picks  Newsome.  Berry's  sensitive  ent  demographic  profiles,
            duo of decision-makers the  pointed with the results dur-  and  players,  that  would  to  the  league's  poor  track  whether  it  is  age  or  race
            Browns hope can grow and  ing that time. Now, the one  lead  to  a  foundation  of  record  with  minority  hiring,  or  quite  honestly  even  for
            thrive together for years.   thing  I  can  say  is  that  the  long-term  success,  but  I  and remains hopeful others  gender at this point in time.
            "I am much older than An-    team and the organization  can  assure  you  that  win-   will get the same opportu-   q

             Continued from page 17       publican and the commit-                                                             said drug-free athletes are
             The  bill  would  allow  U.S.  tee chairman, said, "I think                                                       owed  an  explanation  on
             prosecutors  to  go  after  so."                                                                                  why  the  Russia  case  has
             doping  schemes  at  inter-  Tygart said the bill is consis-                                                      taken years to resolve and
             national  events  in  which  tent with WADA's anti-dop-                                                           why WADA is using taxpay-
             Americans  are  involved  ing  regulations  and  that                                                             er money to lobby against
             as  athletes,  sponsors  or  WADA's  opposition  shows                                                            reforms.
             broadcasters.  WADA  has  the organization's conflicts                                                            "I would urge you to have
             concerns  about  the  "ex-   of interest.                                                                         another hearing and bring
             traterritorial" jurisdiction the  "It's  clear  that  the  (Inter-                                                in the president of the IOC,
             bill  proposes.  Many  U.S.  national  Olympic  Com-                                                              bring  in  the  president  of
             corruption  laws,  including  mittee)  runs  WADA  and                                                            WADA  and  ask  the  tough
             those  used  to  prosecute  they've  turned  into  a                                                              questions about why this is
             FIFA executives in the soc-  shameless  political  orga-                                                          taking so long," Tygart said.
             cer-bidding  scandal,  also  nization,  using  misinforma-                                                        WADA said in a statement
             allow  charges  for  crimes  tion  and  scare  tactics,"   U.S. Anti-Doping Agency Chief Executive Officer Travis Tygart,   that  Tygart's  claims  about
             committed overseas.          Tygart  said.  "The  IOC  is   right, sitting with U.S. Center for SafeSport Chief Executive Officer   its failure to respond quick-
             "Currently,  there  are  ele-  scared because of the lev-  U'Riese  Colón,  left,  and  National  Athletic  Trainers'  Association   ly  to  the  Russian  doping
                                                                      President Tory Lindley, center, listen during a Senate Commerce,
             ments of the Act that could  el of corruption that's been   Science, and Transportation Committee hearing on Capitol Hill   scandal  were  "simply  un-
             backfire  and  be  counter-  exposed."                   in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020.                  true," and the agency not-
             productive for the protec-   Tygart  and  USADA,  along                                           Associated Press  ed it had not been invited
             tion of clean sport around  with  anti-doping  agen-                                                              to  participate  in  Wednes-
             the world," WADA director  cies  from  dozens  of  other  long-running  Russia  case.  vocates  who  called  for  a  day's hearing.
             general  Olivier  Niggli  said  countries, have argued for  Russian  athletes  were  al-  blanket ban on all Russian  "Since  WADA's  first  inves-
             Tuesday.                     a fully independent WADA  lowed  to  compete  at  the  competitors.                  tigation  into  the  matter,
             Asked  after  the  hearing  that does not include offi-  2018  Pyeongchang  Olym-    Russia  has  appealed  the  and  at  every  point  since,
             whether he felt greater ur-  cials who benefit financial-  pics  under  a  neutral  flag,  new sanctions to the Court  the  agency  moved  de-
             gency  to  pass  the  bill  be-  ly from the sports they are  and WADA has issued the  of Arbitration for Sport. The  cisively  to  bring  the  guilty
             fore  the  Olympics,  which  supposed to be policing.    same  sanction  on  Russia  U.S.  government  provides  parties to justice in accor-
             begin  in  July,  Sen.  Roger  Tygart   also   criticized  for  Tokyo  —  disappoint-  about  $2.5  million  annu-  dance  with  due  process,"
             Wicker,  a  Mississippi  Re-  WADA for its actions in the  ing  some  anti-doping  ad-  ally  to  WADA,  and  Tygart  the statement said.q
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