Hello Fans,
I’m sure that by now you have heard about MVP Ryan Braun’s run-in with MLB’s banned substance policy. Note that I called it banned substance policy. Many people think that if a player fails, it is automatically for PED’s (performance enhancing drugs). Well, not so fast. The policy is much closer to the Olympics testing program than “Steroids Testing” like most of the major media outlets present it to be. Anybody can run around playing ball, living a full life, and perhaps even partying like many in their 20s do, etc. while easily keeping track of whether or not they took an illegal narcotic or performance enhancer. Let’s see, what did I do last night? Went out after the game, had some dinner, and stopped for a couple of beers before walking back to the hotel. Drugs? No way. Needles? Nah, definitely not. The policy is nowhere near that simple. Players are held responsible for EVERYTHING they consume. That may not always be so simple. Plenty of over the counter supplements, cold medicines, and the like are banned substances. They probably won’t make any more difference to performance than trying to get drunk on mouthwash, but they’re banned, and have to be dealt with.
Ryan Braun’s people say there is a good reason his “A” sample tested positive for a higher than normal level of testosterone. That result meant that his “B” sample had to be tested, which then showed synthetic testosterone. The reason is that he was prescribed a medicine by his own doctor for a personal medical issue. In the meantime, the media does a not so good job of deterring from assumed guilt of ‘roids or even HGH. In addition to that, there is a big difference to me between illegal substances and store bought items which come up positive, especially when deteriming a player’s stats contribution to the game. This is not the law of the nation so intentions ARE relevant in some instances. This nothing more than an open mind policy rather than a no-trial one. Plus, can cold meds really make you able to steal home? I think not.
I believe Braun might beat this rap against him. There are rumors on the net as to what the medicine was for that, but I’d rather not mention them in this space. For my money, with a player who has a clean all around record, if this med is shown to be legit, then there should be NO 50 game ban. Test results are supposed to be confidential. So much for that. There always seems to be a “source” out there these days. With that being said, it appears that medical HIPPA laws may be in play regarding how information was released as to why he failed the conducted testing and re-testing. So much for the confidentiality aspect. I guess it remains a secret if there are no reasons to question it. And if that’s the case, there is no secret to be held anyway. We’re ridding the game of extra B-R-A-W-N while not using our BRAINS. We cannot assume guilt before a final official ruling including an appeal. Perhaps the news release of a suspension should remain a secret until it is determined as a finality rather than an appeal. Then, the player, the game, and even the sensational media’s reputation would remain intact, whatever that may be, thus using Brains and not Braun for a complete story.
Later Fans.