Ryan Braun fails PED test. Faces 50-game suspension.

Maybe he has overtrained athlete syndrome.

 

I've met Ryan Braun a number of times, before he was ever anything big, during his time at Miami and his brief stint in the minor leagues. My head is telling me that he used and got caught. It's just happened so many times that the first reaction is to kind of expect stuff like this to be true.

That said, I really hope it isn't, and I really want to believe it isn't. He just didn't seem like the type of person who would do this. He just comes off as too smart and too self-aware. Obviously, it's not going to be shocking if it is true, I just can't believe someone who has been tested since the beginning of his career would be that stupid to think he wouldn't get caught.

My belief isn't that Braun is some perfect angel who would never cheat to get ahead; it's more that I just think he's too bright of a guy to be this dumb. Guess we'll know more as this all unfolds.

I'm really hoping his defense isn't merely claiming ignorance. That would be pretty lame.

 

There is a little bit of violin-playing on this thread for a game that has never been better to watch. It's a great time for young talent.

Smell the roses.

 

You didn't answer the question.

 

Here's the relevant quote I saw:

A spokesman for Braun confirmed the positive test Saturday and issued a statement: "There are highly unusual circumstances surrounding this case which will support Ryan's complete innocence and demonstrate there was absolutely no intentional violation of the program. While Ryan has impeccable character and no previous history, unfortunately, because of the process we have to maintain confidentiality and are not able to discuss it any further, but we are confident he will ultimately be exonerated."

Doesn't sound like a straight up "didn't knowingly use" to me. They want to use the clean second test to disprove the result of the first.

 

It's assuming a lot of things. It's also assuming that nobody snuck into his house late at night and injected steroids into him. And assuming the whole thing isn't an elaborate hoax perpetrated by someone inside MLB's testing program as revenge on Braun for an unknown offense.

 

"no intentional violation" means "Yes, it was in my system but I didn't know what I took" not "I didn't take anything and the test is faulty".

 

They're setting up for both. From the same story:

Since being informed of the results, Braun has been disputing his case. A source close to Braun said that when he was told about the positive test, he immediately requested to be tested again. That second test, using a different sample that was tested by Braun's camp, the source said, was not positive. Those close to Braun believe that the difference between the two tests will show that the first test was invalid. Although Braun's representatives acknowledge that a non-positive test would not negate a positive one, they believe the second test shows certain anomalies that will suggest problems with the first. They declined to specify.

 

Disclaimer: I live in the area, for those who don't know me... but I'm not Tom Haudricort, never met him, the whole nine yards.

But I know he went into yesterday just expecting to write a short little gamer on UW-Whitewater advancing to the Division III football title game for the seventh year in a row (Hello, Mt. Union).

Then when this story breaks, he's been all the way on top of it.
He got Braun via text last night.
He got the Brewers' owner last night.
And today, he's gotten several more blog posts, including this gem from the latest:

Link: http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/135405518.html

Very impressive and great work by a beat writer.



Edit: Added link.

 

They're trying to throw mud in every direction they can.

A clean test a month after a dirty test doesn't prove a darn thing about the dirty test. But they know a few fanboys looking for wriggle room will support them.

 

Obfuscate, obfuscate, obfuscate.

 

Haudricourt: