Braves Forced To End ‘Big Hat’ Dugout Celebration Over Petty Complaint

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In 2022, Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson channeled his inner Norm Macdonald channeling his inner Burt Reynolds on Saturday Night Live when he chatted with reporters while rocking a laughably oversized hat.

Robinson’s big hat quickly became a sensation for obvious reasons—it’s funny because it’s bigger than a normal hat—and the company that produced it and other oversized headwear benefited from a massive spike in sales after he showed off their wares.

It didn’t take long for some other sports teams to get in on the action—including the New Jersey Devils, who started presenting a big hat of their own to the player who made the biggest mark on the ice each game.

This season, a number of MLB teams have trotted out some new ways to award players who hit a home run, like the celebratory funnel (officially dubbed the “homer hose”) that members of the Orioles have been chugging from in the dugout after going deep.

The Braves, on the other hand, opted to embrace the Big Hat Movement with open arms by commissioning a custom lid that’s been donned by players who go yard.

Unfortunately, it appears the good times have come to an end.

According to WSB-TV, the man who gifted the big hat to the Braves said the team has been banned from wearing it in the dugout after receiving a complaint for New Era, which objected to the celebration due to the threat it apparently posed to the company that paid a hefty sum to ensure it’s the “official on-field cap partner of MLB.”

It’s easy to understand why New Era would take exception to a big hat encroaching on its territory, but that doesn’t make the development any less disappointing.

Here’s to hoping the Brave can figure out another way to incorporate it without attracting the attention of the company’s legal team.