Dec 11
Ryan Braun has tested positive for a performance enhancing drug. According to MLB, Braun’s test showed an elevated level of testosterone.
Bruan is appealing it.
Do you think he will prevail? If he loses his appeal, should MLB re-name an MVP and if they do, who would be the new National League Most Valuable Player?
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18 comments
Anonymous
12/11/2011-2:18pm at 2:18 pm (UTC -4)
I’m sure he will appeal. They always have some reason to explain it, right? So I assume at some point that will come out.
But, that should only come into play for appealing the suspension. Even if he can prove it was an accident that he took something, that only means he is not guilty of cheating intentionally, but he still had “help” putting up #s. And of course, you have to discount anything he did in previous years.
Take away the award? probably not happening, otherwise they need to go back and do it to other people too (and that of course opens up the whole can of worms about the HR record).
It really doesn’t mean much anyway (other than to him and whoever finished #2). IMO, the real mess would be if he say carried the Brewers tot he WS title. Do you have to rescind that?
Anyway, at this point, you do have to ask yourself if other guys didn’t cheat, or did they just not get caught?
Anonymous
12/12/2011-3:42am at 3:42 am (UTC -4)
How would MLB rescind a world series title? Lol runner up wins? That would have seriously sucked for brewers fans if they did go all the way and Braun led them their while utilizing PED’s.
Darknova306
12/11/2011-2:25pm at 2:25 pm (UTC -4)
Who knows if he’s guilty or not. All I’ve read so far is that he tested positive for elevated testosterone, then negative for it a few weeks later. They’re alleging he used synthetic testosterone, which I know very little about so I’ll hold off on judging this.
In the end, I don’t really care anymore. All competitive people will try to cheat if they think the potential rewards outweigh the risks, so they will move on from one drug to another, then to some other method of cheating. Liking or idolizing a player doesn’t make that person a pillar of morality, so getting up in arms over a positive test is silly to me. If it came out today that Piazza was guilty for his entire career, I’d be disappointed for a minute then I’d forget about it and move on.
To the questions: no I don’t think he’ll be successful. Bud is trying to win back some fan goodwill that was lost by MLB’s complicity in the steroid era, so he’ll have a hard time not making an example of any star player he can. And no, you don’t name a new MVP. It was determined (right or wrong) that his performance was the most valuable to his team of anyone else’s performance in the NL. Tainted or not, you can’t just say his performance immediately becomes less valuable.
Anonymous
12/11/2011-4:16pm at 4:16 pm (UTC -4)
Dont know for sure and really too early too tell. Its not known what specific synthetic substance was taken or if there was intention to do so. Its controversial but I’m not thrilled with idea of steroid users cling to their ” accomplishments” , I.e. in my opinion Aaron is still the all time HR leader and bonds should have been removed from the list out of respect to everyone who accomplished a similar feat pre steroid era. Cannot say Braun should be stripped of his MVP simply because it doesn’t seem to be that clear cut, and its apparent that this was something that may have improved his performance or even if it did was taken intentionally. Of Braun were to be proven guilty and if he were to confess that he was utilizing PED’s then the title should be stricken and he would obviously serve the suspension.
MetsFan4Decades
12/11/2011-4:34pm at 4:34 pm (UTC -4)
Sounds like he’s going to appeal, which is well within his rights.
Problem will be if the substance is on the MLB banned list – and MLB didn’t give prior authorization for Bruan to use it, he’s screwed.
MetsFan4Decades
12/11/2011-5:15pm at 5:15 pm (UTC -4)
Laughed right out loud at the AA tweet:
AmazinAvenue: Classless Mets don’t care enough about winning to use PEDs.
Anonymous
12/11/2011-5:46pm at 5:46 pm (UTC -4)
come on MF, you know peds cost money. It just wasn’t in the budget for the team to supply them!
MetsFan4Decades
12/11/2011-6:24pm at 6:24 pm (UTC -4)
hahahaha
I see it wasn’t PED, but prohibited. Don’t see anyway he avoids the suspension then.
Just goes to show these days you don’t know who might be ‘using’.
Anonymous
12/11/2011-6:26pm at 6:26 pm (UTC -4)
This is hilarious!
And probably very true!
Anonymous
12/11/2011-6:25pm at 6:25 pm (UTC -4)
I have serious PED fatigue. I really just cannot bring myself to care that much anymore.
There’s so much wrong in the world, there’s so much horribly wrong in our own country in politics and economics, who really cares if a bunch of rich athletes cheat to improve their performance.
Energy spent on this in 2012 should be spent on voting for politicians from just about ANY party other than the major two so that things that REALLY matter can change.
This just isn’t that important and I am sick of hearing about it. It’s competition for massive amounts of money and people are going to cheat.
From drugs in the Olympics to spitballs to speed in the 60s/70s to PEDs in MLB, to steorids in football, to drugs and loaded gloves in boxing, to illegal benefits and Urban Meyer putting together entire teams of criminals in college, it’s part of the game and always has been. Sure it should be rooted out, but the way people act as though in baseball it is some horrific crime is just too much.
But if there’s a new MVP, surely it would be Kemp who finished 2nd.
MetsFan4Decades
12/11/2011-6:36pm at 6:36 pm (UTC -4)
Kingman for President!
Regarding the PED use, I’m in agreement. Kudos for MLB finally taking a stand but it’s a tad hypocritical seeing as they turned a blind eye to it for years.
I think they’ll not take his MVP away. Jeeze, no way of knowing if the next 5 guys in line weren’t using either.
Anonymous
12/11/2011-6:55pm at 6:55 pm (UTC -4)
HAHA! I will get an exploratory committee going for my run in 2012.
“…no way of knowing if the next 5 guys in line weren’t using either.”
Definitely part of my point.
And it is the slipperiest of slopes—how many other awards have to be taken away? Which of Clemens’ Cy Youngs? The 1990 A’s title? Where would you start and where would you stop?
Anonymous
12/11/2011-7:29pm at 7:29 pm (UTC -4)
and that my friend is why they don’t want to start down the slope. It will be like when the Grinch’s dog finally got the sleigh over the top of the mountain. No stopping it at that point.
and go for it in 2016. Can’t possibly any skeleton’s in the closet from the grunge scene in the 90′s, right?
Anonymous
12/11/2011-9:44pm at 9:44 pm (UTC -4)
Are you suggesting that Kurt Cobain, Layne Staley, or Chris Cornell used PEDs?
Anonymous
12/12/2011-2:47am at 2:47 am (UTC -4)
Eating a quarter ounce of shrooms certainly enhanced “live in Pompeii” so yeah, I’m sure for all their shows there was some enhancing going on.
SaltyGary
12/11/2011-7:11pm at 7:11 pm (UTC -4)
Force a steep reduction in salary or give the owner the right to re-negotiate the contract or drop the player, could have a effect. All about the money. Let Braun enjoy his trophy with some of Wisconsin’s finest cheese.
Anonymous
12/11/2011-7:30pm at 7:30 pm (UTC -4)
actually, they probably could void it. Contracts do have morals clauses. It really depends on how hard each side wants to fight it.
Anonymous
12/12/2011-5:28am at 5:28 am (UTC -4)
dang Knog, your Dolphins let me down today. I want the fork stuck in the eagles for good please. As long as they have any shred of life, it makes me nervous.
Just thank God the Giants don’t face them again.