Ryan Braun wins appeal of positive test for PEDs. Gob rejoices, MM still banned

[Goober]

Seriously? RT @DrewOlsonMKE: From a @ESPNMilwaukee listener: Posted odds for Brewers to win NL pennant: 17-1 at 7 a.m. ; 5-1 at 5 p.m.

5-1 bitches!

 

[mcstl25]

Sure is nice to have the commissioner as the former owner of your team. :smug:

 

[Goober]

Sure is nice to have the commissioner as the former owner of your team. :smug:

Umm...

Joke?

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Again we still don't know the entire story.

What we do know is there was no chain of custody on the sample, it was sitting at somebodies house for two days, where God knows what they could have done to it. The second test came back clean. And so did the multiple other tests Braun took over the 2011 season.

Just stop.

It's ridiculous to label Braun a cheater now. Good for Ryan Braun finding the loop hole that allows him to play. I'm sure the Braun camp will present more information arguing it was a false positive when he meets with the media, it's necessary to completely clear his image. While a false positive is important in order to clear his name, it really doesn't do him any good in the appeal process.

It's no surprise that NL Central fans are the ones crying over this. But honestly, I'd be pretty pissed if Pujols' contract was veto'd and he returned to the Cardinals. This certainly is a blow for the rest of the division.

Just stop again.

I was firmly on the "wait and see" side until today.

And now that we "see", it's pretty obvious based on what is known right now that Braun is avoiding suspension based on a guy leaving the sample in his fridge about 32 hours longer than he should have. Be fair. That's a joke.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

5-1 bitches!

Cubs are 6-1 to win the World Series.

THE CUBS.

 

[Goober]

Just stop.



Just stop again.

I was firmly on the "wait and see" side until today.

And now that we "see", it's pretty obvious based on what is known right now that Braun is avoiding suspension based on a guy leaving the sample in his fridge about 32 hours longer than he should have. Be fair. That's a joke.

No.

Once the sample is contaminated, there is no integrity to the testing process at all. For someone who has had waited to see all this time, it makes sense to wait another day for the rest of the story to come out.

Ryan Braun didn't test positive for steroids. He tested positive for elevated testosterone. And not just elevated levels, reportedly the highest anyone had ever seen! When you consider that, along with the fact that the sample was sitting in some guy's fridge with no chain of custody; and that the second test came back negative; things look fishy.

 

[Goober]

Cubs are 6-1 to win the World Series.

THE CUBS.

Proof.

Either Vegas has gone mad or this shit is fixed.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

No.

Once the sample is contaminated, there is no integrity to the testing process at all. For someone who has had waited to see all this time, it makes sense to wait another day for the rest of the story to come out.

Ryan Braun didn't test positive for steroids. He tested positive for elevated testosterone. And not just elevated levels, reportedly the highest anyone had ever seen! When you consider that, along with the fact that the sample was sitting in some guy's fridge with no chain of custody; and that the second test came back negative; things look fishy.

Enlighten me, Oliver Stone, as to what motive this person had to contaminate the sample? Get lost with that, nobody is buying it.

You are right, there is now now integrity involved with this testing, but not for the reasons you are giving. There is no integrity, because somebody can post the highest levels ever, and win an appeal on a loophole.

How can anybody take the process seriously now?

sidenote-testosterone levels can not rise or multiply by sitting too long in a fridge. In fact, the levels can only drop over time. The reason this chain of custody process exists is because of the possibility of tampering, which I would say the odds of are incredibly low in this case.

Again, he may have won the appeal, but he is far from exonerated.

 

[FirstTimer]

Still gonna wait for more information either way.

Right now nobody knows shit. It's all based on a bunch of tweets and rumor as to why/how he won it.

We really don't know any more details than we did 10 hours ago about what went on with the test.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Based on the idea that it was in fact a test failure and he got off on the loophole, ESPN ripped Braun to shreds on SportsCenter.

Tim Kurkjian says his sources are certain its a legit failure and the Braun side isnt fighting it, and if the story stands, his career will be forever tainted.

Kruk says he should still be suspended if the sample did in fact fail, and at minimum he should just come clean and people will ultimately forgive him (I agree with this, just admit it and move on, people respect that).

MLB Network basically let Braun off the hook. All of the former players are doing the see no evil act, backing the process. None of the writers (Heyman, etc) have been on today.

Interesting stuff.

Unless there is indeed more to the story, Braun needs to back off on the smug "im innocent" stuff. He needs a better PR guy. There are ways to respond to this without admitting use if he wants to go that route, without potentially hanging yourself in the process.

 

[Spidey]

Im roughly 50/50 on this. The Brewer fan in me is obviously elated.

Do I think Braun legitimately failed the test? Yes. Do I think it was a steroid or anything intentionally performance enhancing? No. I think the herpe theory is far more likely.

So in that sense I have sympathy for him. But at the same time, athletes are responsible for what they put in themselves so intentional or not, bias aside, he probably should have been suspended. I figured he would be and had pretty much resigned myself to the idea with no real qualms.

At the same time, a rule of the drug testing was violated and he has every right to call them on that as anyone else could/would in the same scenario. Definitely a blemish on the MLB drug program.

I'll continue sit back and see how things unfold. Given the current information, I don't think exonerated is the appropriate term. I don't believe he took a PED. But unless they release what he took, you cant really call it exonerated.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Im roughly 50/50 on this. The Brewer fan in me is obviously elated.

Do I think Braun legitimately failed the test? Yes. Do I think it was a steroid or anything intentionally performance enhancing? No. I think the herpe theory is far more likely.

So in that sense I have sympathy for him. But at the same time, athletes are responsible for what they put in themselves so intentional or not, bias aside, he probably should have been suspended. I figured he would be and had pretty much resigned myself to the idea with no real qualms.

At the same time, a rule of the drug testing was violated and he has every right to call them on that as anyone else could/would in the same scenario. Definitely a blemish on the MLB drug program.

I'll continue sit back and see how things unfold. Given the current information, I don't think exonerated is the appropriate term. I don't believe he took a PED. But unless they release what he took, you cant really call it exonerated.

This is fair.

Everybody looks bad here. Its an ugly situation, just terrible for everyone involved.

 

[Maynard]

protocol/chain of custody - broken. so mlb is like the justice system. failing to dot an i or cross a t doesnt make you innocent....or maybe it does?

personnaly i like when baseball players cheat. i miss the days of seeing a pitcher get busted with a nail file in his back pocket. or when u see a slow mo replay of a pitch that has a big gob of chew on it...mark clark FTW!

 

[Colonel Angus]

Part of me thinks that this is the work of ESPN to run with this story to cover their own ass for breaking the news of the positive test early.


Fuck you Woy.

 

[ralaw]

A chain of custody violation is not the same as a false positive. Escaping punishment is not the same as clearing your name.

Yep, being found not guilty isn't the same as being innocent.

Braun got off on a technicality. SMH.

 

[shag773]

I just have a hard time believing that if this wasn't Braun, let's say it was...gee I don't know... J.C. Romero...I don't think this decision would of gone that way because of a questionable "handling issue". This smells a little fishy to me, I'm curious what Bruan has to say.

 

[Woy]

Part of me thinks that this is the work of ESPN to run with this story to cover their own ass for breaking the news of the positive test early.


Fuck you Woy.

 

[Goober]

Enlighten me, Oliver Stone, as to what motive this person had to contaminate the sample? Get lost with that, nobody is buying it.

You are right, there is now now integrity involved with this testing, but not for the reasons you are giving. There is no integrity, because somebody can post the highest levels ever, and win an appeal on a loophole.

How can anybody take the process seriously now?

sidenote-testosterone levels can not rise or multiply by sitting too long in a fridge. In fact, the levels can only drop over time. The reason this chain of custody process exists is because of the possibility of tampering, which I would say the odds of are incredibly low in this case.

Again, he may have won the appeal, but he is far from exonerated.

And what reason does Ryan Braun, who has passed 25+ tests in his MLB career have to suddenly go on the juice, after already playing at a MVP level? Call me a homer, but that makes just as little sense as someone tampering with the sample.

 

[FirstTimer]

I'm just happy he won't be out for a third of the season..

The league is better with Ryan Braun in it, plain and simple. Hell, the league is better with steroids in it.

Bring back the home runs!

:joker:

:joeybats:

 

[FedEx227]

Here's how I see it and I'm partially being a homer too I guess, even though I'm probably the farthest thing from one.

Braun has taken a ton of tests and all came up clean, even the one right after the incident. Not saying that means he's clean but it shows a trend.

Why the hell did a negative test sit in this dudes fridge for 3 days? That's a ridiculous level of incompetency.

Wasn't the tested sample like ungodly high in testosterone, like higher than most reasonably heavy steroid users?

Not saying he's innocent by any standards but the whole thing is really, really shady from the MLB's level. I know people are going to crucify Braun for "loopholes" but holy hell have some respect for your own testing. Don't let agreed upon confidential information leak out and don't let an intern keep a dudes urine in his fridge for 3 days. The MLB has a contract and agreement in place that sets standards and rules, they broke those standards and rules. Doesn't make Braun innocent but I don't think he's the villain here at all.

I agree and respect that people are going to say he's not innocence, just not punished or whatever but the whole thing smells like shit and I don't blame Braun for taking this course of action. It's clear the MLB didn't hold up to their end of the bargain, why should Braun?