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Braun wins appeal??
JustinsShoebox
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Just heard this news?? Can anyone confirm?
Justin
Justin
Retired - Eddie Mathews Topps Master Registry (100% Complete) Rank 1
Retired - Eddie Mathews Master Registry Set (96.36%) Rank 1
Retired - Eddie Mathews Master Registry Set (96.36%) Rank 1
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Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun has won his appeal and will not serve a suspension for a positive drug test late last season, CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman has confirmed. The news was first reported by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. This means Braun's test was a false positive or an erroneous test of some sort.
The appeal was held by a third party and Major League Baseball is not happy. Here's the statement released by MLB executive vice president for labor relations Rob Manfred:
“Major League Baseball considers the obligations of the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program essential to the integrity of our game, our Clubs and all of the players who take the field. It has always been Major League Baseball’s position that no matter who tests positive, we will exhaust all avenues in pursuit of the appropriate discipline. We have been true to that position in every instance, because baseball fans deserve nothing less.
“As a part of our drug testing program, the Commissioner’s Office and the Players Association agreed to a neutral third party review for instances that are under dispute. While we have always respected that process, Major League Baseball vehemently disagrees with the decision rendered today by arbitrator Shyam Das.”
Interesting anagram is SHADY SAM
Looking to BUY n332 1889 SF Hess cards and high grade cards from 19th century especially. "Once you have wrestled everything else in life is easy" Dan Gable
<< <i>I could be wrong but does Bud Siegel's daughter have a large interest in the Brewers? >>
Not anymore. Selig's family sold off their shares back in 2005. However, a bunch of guys in the current ownership group are Selig's guys from the when he owned the team.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
Normally I would never defend someone who tests positive, but in this case I think MLB testing methods are at fault.
Not to say the sample was compromised, but anytime the testing representative waits several days to submit a sample it opens up questions that I'm sure Mr. Braun's counsel used effectively at his hearing.
I watched his presser and( I hope I am not naive) I believe he is did nothing wrong. Just my opinion with no evidnence to support it.
MLB and it's testing service did plenty wrong by not following the procedures set in place and by violating confidentally agreements. They are outraged because they want to deflect attention from the errors they made.
Braun should sue MLB to prove a point if he knows he is truly innocent.
I hope the rest of the season is free of these type of issues and they can just "play ball"!
Robert
Collecting:
Brett Favre Master Set
Favre Ticket Stubs
Favre TD Reciever Autos
Football HOF Player/etc. Auto Set
Football HOF Rc's
Braun appears to be a stand up guy and hopefully he can put this behind him and have a great career. He has passed every drug test since he's been in the league. It disgusts me that this story was leaked in the first place. The process works and in my opinion it's time to move on and play baseball.
But I do know one thing: the guy could care less about what we card collectors say here. He's living the dream, getting paid millions to play baseball. It might be tough now, but I'm sure he sleeps soundly at night.
"I want to say thanks to (Brewers vice president of communications) Tyler Barnes. I want to say a special thank you to Michael Weiner and the players association for supporting me through this situation and through this challenge. I want to thank the entire Milwaukee Brewers organization starting with Mark Attanasio, who truly represents everything that’s good about our game today. I want to thank my teammates, many of whom are here today and have supported me through this entire situation. I want to thank my family, my friends, a lot of other players around the league who have supported me and were there for me and who have stood by me throughout the biggest challenge I’ve ever faced in my life. I also want to thank athletes in other sports who have stepped up, shown their support and been there for me. I want to take a moment to especially thank the fans, all the fans who have supported me as well as the fans who withheld judgment as I respected the confidentiality of this case."
"As I’ve previously stated, this is without a doubt the biggest challenge I’ve ever faced in my life, and it’s made it that much more challenging that I’ve had to deal with it publicly. But I truly view this challenge as an opportunity, just as I’ve viewed every other challenge in my life – as an opportunity. I’ve tried to respect this process, even though the confidentiality of the process was breached early on. I’ve tried to handle the entire situation with honor, with integrity, with class, with dignity and with professionalism because that’s who I am and that’s how I’ve always lived my life.
"If I had done this intentionally or unintentionally, I’d be the first one to step up and say, ‘I did it.’ By no means am I perfect, but if I’ve ever made any mistakes in my life I’ve taken responsibility for my actions. I truly believe in my heart, and I would bet my life, that this substance never entered my body at any point.
"I’ve always had tremendous respect for the game of baseball, and part of the reason that I’ve kept quiet throughout the course of this ordeal, and part of the reason why I won’t be able to get into all the details today, is to put the best interests of the game ahead of the best interests of myself. And that hasn’t been easy. There were a lot of times when I wanted to come out and tell the entire story, to attack everybody as I’ve been attacked, as my name’s been dragged through the mud as everything I’ve worked for my entire life was called into question. There were a lot of times I wanted to come out, tell the entire story, but at the end of the day I recognized what’s actually best for the game of baseball and I put that ahead of what was actually best for myself.
"I could have never, ever envisioned being in this position today discussing this subject with you guys. But I truly believe that everything in life happens for a reason. I learned a long time ago to stop questioning life. I believe that everything that’s thrown at us we’re able to handle, and there’s a reason for it. I have yet to figure out exactly what the reason for this is, but I don’t question that.
"I’ve always stood up for what is right. Today is about everybody who’s been wrongly accused, and everybody who’s ever had to stand up for what is actually right. Today isn’t about me, it isn’t just about one player – it’s about all players. It’s about all current players, all future players and everybody who plays the game of baseball.
"Despite the fact there have been many inaccurate, erroneous and completely fabricated stories regarding this issue, I’ve maintained the integrity of the confidentiality of the process. There’s never been a personal medical issue, I’ve never had an STD. Many of the stories that were erroneously reported by the initial network continue to live on, and it’s sad and disappointing that this has become a PR battle and that people continue to leak information that’s inaccurate.
"I will continue to take the high road because that’s who I am, and that’s the way that I’ve lived my life. We won because the truth is on my side. The truth is always relevant, and at the end of the day the truth prevailed. I am a victim of a process that completely broke down and failed the way it was applied to me in this case. As players, we’re held to a standard of 100 percent perfection regarding the program, and everybody else associated with that program should be held to the same standard. We’re a part of a process where you’re 100 percent guilty until proven innocent. It’s opposite of the American judicial system – it’s not an innocent until proven guilty situation. So if we’re held to that standard, it’s only fair that everybody else is held to that exact same standard. With what’s at stake – this is my livelihood, this is my integrity, this is my character, this is everything that I’ve worked for in my life being called into question – we need to make sure that we get it right. If you’re going to be in a position where you’re 100 percent guilty until proven innocent, you can’t mess up. And today’s about making sure that this never happens to anybody else who plays this game.
"The system in the way it was applied to me in this case was fatally flawed. The initial test result in question was on Oct. 1. It was a playoff game. I was made aware of the positive test result on Oct. 19, at which point I had a conversation with the players association. I expressed to them that I have not done anything that could have possibly led to this test result. I told them that I promise you on anything that’s ever meant anything to me in my life – the morals, the values, the virtues by which I’ve lived in my 28 years on this planet – I did not do this. I told them that I would be an open book. I opened up my life to them. I told them I would be more than happy and willing to take any and every test to prove that I did not do this.
"You know, the entire process has really been frustrating for me. It’s been an extremely difficult, challenging time in my life. But at the end of the day, I know the truth. My friends, family, teammates, Milwaukee Brewers organization and everybody who knows me knows the truth. At the point that I told the players association about the positive test, they told me that the test result was three times higher than any number in the history of drug testing. We’ve had this program since, I believe, 2003 or 2004. I don’t know how many tens of thousands of tests there have been. But the fact that there’s a single number that’s three times higher than any number in the history of drug testing made me question the validity of the result. At that point, I was able to prove to them through contemporaneously documented recordings that I literally didn’t gain a single pound. When we’re in Milwaukee we weigh in at least once or twice a week. I was able to prove that I literally didn’t gain a single pound. Our times are recorded every time we run down the line, first to third, first to home. I literally didn’t get one-tenth of a second faster. My workouts have been virtually the exact same for six years. I didn’t get one percent stronger. I didn’t work out any more often. I didn’t have any additional power or any additional arm strength. All of those things are documented contemporaneously, and if anything had changed, I wouldn’t be able to go back and pretend like it didn’t change.
"I initially took a humanistic approach and explained to them, ‘I’m 27 years old, I’m just entering my prime, I have a contract guaranteed for nine more years. I’ve been tested 25 times over the course of my career, at least three times this season prior to this test, and an additional time when I signed my contract, including an extensive physical, blood test – everything you could imagine. I’ve never had any issue. There is no evidence to suggest otherwise, and they said, ‘That’s great, we believe you. In fact, the other side believes you. None of this makes any sense to anybody.’ At that point they explained to me the way that the process works, and that the burden of proof falls on us to be able to prove objectively what caused the positive test result, or what could have went wrong during the process that could have possibly led to the positive test result.
"So at that point, we start looking into the process. It states in the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment program that all samples shall be taken immediately to FedEx on the day they’re collected absent unusual circumstances. The reason that this is important, typically the only two people in the world who know whose sample it is are us, the donor, and the collector, who receives our urine samples. In my case there was an additional third person, the son of the collector, who just so happened to be the my chaperone on the day that I was tested. The day of the test we had a 1 o’clock game. I provided my sample at about 4:30. There were two other players who provided their samples that day within 10 minutes of mine. The collector left the field at about 5 o’clock. There were at least five FedEx locations within five miles of the stadium that were open until 9 p.m. and an additional FedEx location that was open for 24 hours. There were upwards of 18 or 19 FedEx locations that were open between the ballpark and his house that he could have dropped the samples off at.
"When FedEx received the samples, it then creates a chain of custody at the FedEx location where he eventually brought my sample to. It would have been stored in a temperature-controlled environment, and FedEx is used to handling clinical packaging. But most importantly, you then would become a number and no longer a name. So when we provide our samples, there is a number and no longer a name associated with the sample. That way there can’t be any bias – whether it’s with FedEx, while it’s traveling, at the lab in Montreal, in any way – based on somebody’s race, religion, ethnicity, what team they play for, whatever the case may be. As players, the confidentiality of this process is extremely important. It’s always been extremely important, because the only way for the process to succeed is for the confidentiality and the chain of custody to work.
"Why he didn’t bring it in, I don’t know. On the day that he did finally bring it in, FedEx opened at 7:30. Why didn’t he bring it in until 1:30? I can’t answer that question. Why was there zero documentation? What could have possibly happened to it during that 44-hour period? There were a lot of things that we learned about the collector, about the collection process, about the way that the entire thing worked that made us very concerned and very suspicious about what could have actually happened.
"I want everybody to ask themselves this question: if you guys went to go get a physical, something you’ve done 20-25 other times in your life, and three weeks later and told you that you were terminally ill with a disease, and it made no sense to you. ‘I feel perfectly fine, nothing’s any different than it’s ever been, this doesn’t make any sense,’ and you look back at the process and you find out that your doctor decided to take your urine sample home for a 44-, 48-hour period, there’s no documentation as to what happened. You don’t know if he left it in the trunk of his car, you don’t know where it could have been or what could have potentially happened to it during that period of time. I can assure you that you would never go back to that doctor, and you would demand a re-test.
"When our samples get to the lab in Montreal, they literally handle them like it’s a nuclear weapon. Everything is documented, everything is recorded. Anybody who enters the room where the samples are stored, their names are recorded, they sign for it, they write the time that they’re there. The model of the refrigerator they’re stored in is recorded, the temperature it’s stored at is recorded. Every time they move it, it’s all documented. Contemporaneously documented, and that’s important, again, with what’s at stake – our livelihoods, our integrity, everything we’ve ever worked for in our lives, it’s extremely important that there isn’t room for human error or systematic error.
"We spoke to biochemists and scientists and we asked them, ‘How difficult would it be to tamper with somebody’s sample?’ And their response was that, ‘If they were motivated, it would be extremely easy.’ Again, that’s why it’s so important to get it out of the hands of the only person in the world who knows whose sample it is. As soon as it gets to FedEx, they don’t know whose sample it is. As soon as it gets to the lab, they don’t know whose sample it is. That’s why it’s extremely important.
"Ultimately, as I sit here today, the system worked because I am innocent, and I was able to prove my innocence. After today I look forward to returning my focus to the game of baseball, being able to get back with my teammates, allowing my life to return to some sense of normalcy and focusing on helping our team get back to the post-season.
I’ll try to answer all of your questions, but please respect the fact that I can’t get into many details of the process because it’s supposed to be confidential, and because of potential ongoing litigations and the fact that I am considering all my legal options. There may be some questions I can’t answer.
"Thank you."
Either way his reputation will take a hit as far as him being in the class of clean players as there will be many doubters.
If the gloves don't fit, you must acquit.
If the pee is old, you must say no
They both are guilty in my mind
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Of course, based on what I'm reading from a number of folks here, they were privy to the hearings and already know ALL of the facts, not just the halftruths, rumors and lies that ESPN continues to pump out there to try to save face. After all, haters gotta hate.
Mishandled evidence led to his acquittal. That is a fact.
I do chuckle at the notion that ESPN is waging some vast conspiracy to save face. Now that is some high humor.
Carry on
<< <i>Only because you disagree with them. >>
Also because I was willing to withhold judgment until the facts came out.
Also because I was able to read and comprehend information that was provided by people other than those with a vested interest in a 24 hour newscycle. ESPN continuing to report halftruths, rumors and lies, presenting them as fact, ensures more clicks on their site by folks who made up their minds when they irresponsibly "reported" private information that was to have been confidential.
But you are right about one thing, Joey. I don't agree with you when you call Braun a cheater.
Reading the more scientifically slanted articles about repeated results and the urine flora was really enlightening-- and shows why people should reserve their opinions until they collect all the facts about a situation.
Instead, I think most people like to read one article, or listen to one TV news clip or juicy soundbite (which perhaps they don't realize is ENTERTAINMENT, trying to keep your eyes on their website or channel) and form their opinion, and then declare it with such verve and try to spread it.
This is just my worldview, but if a person is interested in a story or topic, they should not be lazy: they should try and accumulate various perspectives on the topic in question, glean as much knowledge as possible from all the angles, and then and only then determine what they think. It staggers me, how the mass of humanity makes such rash, ill and under-informed judgements. It can really make one misanthropic. But I guess that's why so many "sheeple" have been so easily manipulated throughout the course of human history.
I think there's a stimulating conversation to be had here regarding the increasingly blurry line between journalism, entertainment, and tabloid.
I don't like the cheaters, but if you can't guarantee a "confidential" tests confidentiality, your credibility goes out the window.
Joe
http://www.unisquare.com/store/brick/
Ralph
<< <i>Better new nickname: O.J. Braun or 'Juice'? >>
Better old nickname: CrimsonTider or 'DeeDeeDee'?
National Champions two out of the last three years! Roll Tide!
<< <i>He's a punk that got lucky. MJ >>
And you know this because....?
<< <i>
<< <i>He's a punk that got lucky. MJ >>
And you know this because....? >>
I know I was unconvinced after his press conference in which I said, to myself, "this guy is a punk and he got lucky". I didn't believe a word he was selling. He found and a loop hole and crawled through it. Obviously this is my opinion. MJ
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Seriously, Braun said he didn't do it, if anyone disagrees with him, then they too are part of the conspiracy!
On February 24th, Ryan Braun stated during his press conference that "there were a lot of things that we learned about the collector, about the collection process, about the way that the entire thing worked that made us very concerned and very suspicious about what could have actually happened." Shortly thereafter, someone who had intimate knowledge of the facts of this case released my name to the media. I am issuing this statement to set the record straight.
I am a 1983 graduate of the University of Wisconsin and have received Master Degrees from the University of North Carolina and Loyola University of Chicago. My full-time job is the director of rehabilitation services at a health care facility. In the past, I have worked as a teacher and an athletic trainer, including performing volunteer work with Olympic athletes. I am a member of both the National Athletic Trainers' Association and the Wisconsin Athletic Trainers' Association.
I have been a drug collector for Comprehensive Drug Testing since 2005 and have been performing collections for Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program since that time. I have performed over 600 collections for MLB and also have performed collections for other professional sports leagues. I have performed post-season collections for MLB in four separate seasons involving five different clubs.
On October 1, 2011, I collected samples from Mr. Braun and two other players. The CDT collection team for that day, in addition to me, included three chaperones and a CDT coordinator. One of the chaperones was my son, Anthony. Chaperones do not have any role in the actual collection process, but rather escort the player to the collection area.
I followed the same procedure in collecting Mr. Braun's sample as I did in the hundreds of other samples I collected under the Program. I sealed the bottles containing Mr. Braun's A and B samples with specially-numbered, tamper-resistant seals, and Mr. Braun signed a form certifying, among other things, that the specimens were capped and sealed in his presence and that the specimen identification numbers on the top of the form matched those on the seals.
I placed the two bottles containing Mr. Braun's samples in a plastic bag and sealed the bag. I then placed the sealed bag in a standard cardboard Specimen Box which I also sealed with a tamper-resistant, correspondingly-numbered seal placed over the box opening. I then placed Mr. Braun's Specimen Box, and the Specimen Boxes containing the samples of the two other players, in a Federal Express Clinic Pack. None of the sealed Specimen Boxes identified the players. I completed my collections at Miller Park at approximately 5:00 p.m. Given the lateness of the hour that I completed my collections, there was no FedEx office located within 50 miles of Miller Park that would ship packages that day or Sunday.
Therefore, the earliest that the specimens could be shipped was Monday, October 3. In that circumstance, CDT has instructed collectors since I began in 2005 that they should safeguard the samples in their homes until FedEx is able to immediately ship the sample to the laboratory, rather than having the samples sit for one day or more at a local FedEx office. The protocol has been in place since 2005 when I started with CDT and there have been other occasions when I have had to store samples in my home for at least one day, all without incident.
The FedEx Clinic Pack containing Mr. Braun's samples never left my custody. Consistent with CDT's instructions, I brought the FedEx Clinic Pack containing the samples to my home. Immediately upon arriving home, I placed the FedEx Clinic Pack in a Rubbermaid container in my office which is located in my basement. My basement office is sufficiently cool to store urine samples. No one other than my wife was in my home during the period in which the samples were stored. The sealed Specimen Boxes were not removed from the FedEx Clinic Pack during the entire period in which they were in my home. On Monday, October 3, I delivered the FedEx Clinic Pack containing Mr. Braun's Specimen Box to a FedEx office for delivery to the laboratory on Tuesday, October 4. At no point did I tamper in any way with the samples. It is my understanding that the samples were received at the laboratory with all tamper-resistant seals intact.
This situation has caused great emotional distress for me and my family. I have worked hard my entire life, have performed my job duties with integrity and professionalism, and have done so with respect to this matter and all other collections in which I have participated. Neither I nor members of my family will make any further public comments on this matter. I request that members of the media, and baseball fans, whatever their views on this matter, respect our privacy. And I would like to sincerely thank my family and friends for their overwhelming support through this difficult time. Any future inquiries should be directed to my attorney Boyd Johnson of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP.
Dimes: 54S, 53P, 50P, 49S, 45D+S, 44S, 43D, 41S, 40D+S, 39D+S, 38D+S, 37D+S, 36S, 35D+S, all 16-34's
Quarters: 52S, 47S, 46S, 40S, 39S, 38S, 37D+S, 36D+S, 35D, 34D, 32D+S
74 Topps: 37,38,46,47,48,138,151,193,210,214,223,241,256,264,268,277,289,316,435,552,570,577,592,602,610,654,655
1997 Finest silver: 115, 135, 139, 145, 310
1995 Ultra Gold Medallion Sets: Golden Prospects, HR Kings, On-Base Leaders, Power Plus, RBI Kings, Rising Stars
<< <i>OJ was not convicted of murder. I see many similarities
If the gloves don't fit, you must acquit.
If the pee is old, you must say no
They both are guilty in my mind >>
Surely you're not comparing a class act athlete like Braun to a thug who admitted his guilt through his "I Did It" book are you?
Dimes: 54S, 53P, 50P, 49S, 45D+S, 44S, 43D, 41S, 40D+S, 39D+S, 38D+S, 37D+S, 36S, 35D+S, all 16-34's
Quarters: 52S, 47S, 46S, 40S, 39S, 38S, 37D+S, 36D+S, 35D, 34D, 32D+S
74 Topps: 37,38,46,47,48,138,151,193,210,214,223,241,256,264,268,277,289,316,435,552,570,577,592,602,610,654,655
1997 Finest silver: 115, 135, 139, 145, 310
1995 Ultra Gold Medallion Sets: Golden Prospects, HR Kings, On-Base Leaders, Power Plus, RBI Kings, Rising Stars
link
Of course, Braun could have been at that clinic because he wants to fight the effects of aging and look younger....
Kinda like how Manny Ramirez was trying to get pregnant.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
<< <i>Well, looks like they now know where the PEDs that Braun "didn't" take came from.
link
Of course, Braun could have been at that clinic because he wants to fight the effects of aging and look younger....
Kinda like how Manny Ramirez was trying to get pregnant. >>
<< <i>This situation has caused great emotional distress for me and my family. I have worked hard my entire life, have performed my job duties with integrity and professionalism, and have done so with respect to this matter and all other collections in which I have participated. >>
Indeed you have!
99% of us hometownhomers would have done the exact same under similar circumstances.
Players have been taking questionable substances for as long as there's been baseball, and there isn't a person among us who wouldn't do the same exact thing that Braun or any other PED user did. So he won't get into the hall of fame. He's still owed in excess of $100 million dollars, and it's easy for those of us out of baseball to say 'no way I wouldn't taint the game!' But, given the options, are you honestly saying that you wouldn't take a questionable/banned substance if the risk of getting caught was pretty low but it meant 10s or 100s of millions of dollars in your pocket?
Of course you would. And so would all these mouth-breathing media types claiming outrage over this 'story'.
What we really need to consider the toll this has taken on Braun and his family. After sitting out the remainder of this season, he'll only have $117,000,000 waiting for his return. That poor guy
<< <i>Players got what they wanted. They wanted a message sent that cheating is not OK, that they will not tolerate it and that if they must take a vocal and active role in ridding the game of performance-enhancing drugs, so be it.
They want cheaters punished. They're for tougher penalties, too. They were furious when Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun escaped punishment a year ago, and they applauded when he was suspended for the remainder of the season on Monday
....
Rangers outfielder David Murphy added: "Those of us who have not cheated and have worked hard and done everything that we're supposed to do to get to where we are in this game, it's difficult to look at it as an even playing field when there's guys who've cheated. I feel like we're definitely moving in the right direction."
....
What message does that send to every player? If stars like Braun are allowed to use, what does that tell the guy at the bottom of the roster fighting for a job?
This is about doing the right thing, and if that means another flurry of negative headlines, big deal. Baseball has survived far worse than this. >>
Link
One can claim everyone is corrupt and will sell their souls for a buck. Heck, there are plenty of people that take money under false pretenses and unfortunately it happens all of the time.. However, the way I see it, you're only as good as your word and I enjoy going to sleep with a clear conscious.
2) If caught, feign contrition.
3) Enjoy the fruits of your guaranteed contract and proceed as normal.
4) (Optional) Repeat 1-3, just so long as it's not done thrice.
As currently structured, this will continue in perpetuity...
<< <i>
One can claim everyone is corrupt and will sell their souls for a buck. Heck, there are plenty of people that take money under false pretenses and unfortunately it happens all of the time.. However, the way I see it, you're only as good as your word and I enjoy going to sleep with a clear conscious. >>
I haven't seen a single player stand up and call out another player, ever. If these players were truly serious about getting rid of PED use, they would do so privately until that avenue fails then go public with it. As it is, MLB players, like all athletes, couldn't care less what another player does as long as it helps them win. Suggesting that nobody on the Brewers saw Braun do something/take something in the clubhouse is absurd. For them to now say that they are so upset and they feel betrayed is ridiculous.
Again, given the opportunity to make tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars, each and every one of these media types huffing and puffing would do EXACTLY what Braun did.
<< <i>I haven't seen a single player stand up and call out another player, ever. >>
Really? Two off the top of my head for MLB are Canseco (retired) and Pettitte (active). Want to rephrase that statement or did you mean something else?
<< <i>Again, given the opportunity to make tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars, each and every one of these media types huffing and puffing would do EXACTLY what Braun did. >>
Oh, it's just media types. At first you said "anyone" but that's different. Yeah, probably, with maybe an exception or two.
<< <i>I can't be alone in thinking 'who cares?' about PED use, can I?
Players have been taking questionable substances for as long as there's been baseball, and there isn't a person among us who wouldn't do the same exact thing that Braun or any other PED user did. So he won't get into the hall of fame. He's still owed in excess of $100 million dollars, and it's easy for those of us out of baseball to say 'no way I wouldn't taint the game!' But, given the options, are you honestly saying that you wouldn't take a questionable/banned substance if the risk of getting caught was pretty low but it meant 10s or 100s of millions of dollars in your pocket?
Of course you would. And so would all these mouth-breathing media types claiming outrage over this 'story'. >>
Sad but true.
Now it's Arod's turn and it won't be pretty. Lifetime ban perhaps???