Braun tests positive for PED | Presser update pg. 42

[Sky High]

I'm pretty surprised, but not stunned. Ryan Braun showed such confidence throughout the whole process. I was going to believe his word until proven guilty...

So happy it ended this way. This will reinvigorate the franchise and fanbase. Just imagine Braun's standing ovation on opening day. It's going to be out of control. I need to get tickets.

We are easily the favorites in the NL Central. Let's take a shot at the World Series, damnit!!

[humanrefutation]

But I'm not sure this necessarily helps Braun's image all that much. Unless they can somehow prove that the chemistry of his sample was physically altered by being in the refrigerator of the collection person, which is possible. Or they could claim the collection agent spiked the test to wrongly impugn Braun. But both of those will have harder audiences.

Those who criticize Braun despite his exoneration simply don't understand the severe limitations on his ability to exonerate himself.

-The burden was on him, not on the MLB.
-It was strict liability, which means that even if he unknowingly ingested something, he'd still lose.
-It's very, very, very hard, if not impossible, to prove that you didn't take something when the test shows otherwise.
-The only things he really could challenge were the process. Where proper procedures followed? Amongst those procedures is chain-of-custody. AFAIK, that is what he chose to attack simply because it was one of the few elements that he could dispositively prove wasn't followed in accordance with the expectations of the program.

He chose this strategy out of need, not convenience. That doesn't mean he didn't take anything, but his argument satisfied an arbiter that has never voted in favor of the player. That means a lot to me, IMO.

[WEFFPIM]

Here is the key part of this.....I'm not sure how many other guys had their samples handled this way.

".....According to one of the sources, the collector, after getting Braun's sample, was supposed to take the sample to FedEx/Kinkos for shipping but thought it was closed because it was late on a Saturday. As has occurred in some other instances, the collector took the sample home and kept it refrigerated. Policy states that the sample is supposed to get to FedEx as soon as possible.

I think there has to be more to it than this. I don't think Das sides with Braun if this is all there is.

I also don't think Braun attacks this so strongly if he actually cheated.

[Touchpass]

This is awesome and hopefully we have a good season. It does suck that it's being sold as overturned because a guy left the sample in a fridge over the weekend. As long as he doesn't miss time is all I care about, but I think a lot of people in the game are going to think he got off because of a loophole. There has to be more to it that just won't be reported, possibly medically related. The fail test never should have been made public, such a big **** up.

[MickeyDavis]

My question is (and it will never be answered), who tampered with it? After all it DID test positive. Does the guy who takes it to FedEx know who's sample it is? Is it just a number code on it? Hell you give the package to some dumb Kinko's clerk until the truck comes, it could be tampered with there. Is there some kind of tamper proof seal on it?

[Siefer]

I also don't think Braun attacks this so strongly if he actually cheated.

That's a bit of speculative psychology that I'm unwilling to commit to. I can't say I'm stunned after the massive delay we experienced with the appeal, but it's still welcome news indeed. This is about as good of an outcome as Braun and Brewers fans can hope for. There will most likely be a shadow over Braun for the near future - a procedural flaw doesn't mean he didn't actually cheat - but, he at least now has a chance to clean up his reputation moving forward.

[Turk Nowitzki]

This is insane. I'm so happy right now.

Kruk being a **** moron on ESPN as per usual, making snap judgements. I agree with twirlz that Braun had to have a more extensive case that some guy not delivering the sample on time. There have to at least have been some sketchy circumstances that they obviously scientifically proved could've affected the results of the test.

[JayMKE]

Buster Olney getting blasted on twitter

[trwi7]

I hope Braun declines every ESPN interview request from now on.

[Turk Nowitzki]

Buster Olney getting blasted on twitter

The one he posted where a player says the following is (Please Use More Appropriate Word):

re: Braun precedent:"If I'm one of those 14 guys who lost a previous appeal, I'm going back to try to get my named cleared."

They had their chances to appeal. You can't apply details of a specific case to all cases. Don't post stupid stuff Buster.

[BUCKnation]

Ill wait to hear everything. Like others have said, im sure there is more to it than the sample wasnt shipped on time. There has to something wrong with the test from the start or something of that sort.

[BUCKnation]

Buster Olney getting blasted on twitter

haha, just saw you get a reply from him

[PkrsBcksGphsMqt]

I don't think you guys understand how important the chain of custody is. That alone is enough to win an appeal.

[Turk Nowitzki]

Somebody posted this on BF.net which is huge for me personally. I wanted to see some evidence that the chain of custody can disrupt the science in Braun's case and this guy seems legit:

IIRC all of these tests are run on a mass spectrometer. You can easily have metabolic/degradation of other molecules in the sample that would overlap with the position where Testosterone is supposed to be located. In this example they were using an unusual T:E ratio indicating an issue. T and E degrade at different rates. A sample could easily show a dramatic altering of the T:E ratio depending on how it was handled in a short period of time. I work with DNA all the time and it is pretty stable under varied conditions, but proteins and other small molecules can degrade within minutes under the wrong circumstances. Chain of command is definitely an issue.

How they even tested the sample is beyond me. Clearly they need to change the policy that any sample that is not sent within X hours of collection will not be tested because it has been compromised by handling.

[crkone]

Somebody posted this on BF.net which is huge for me personally. I wanted to see some evidence that the chain of custody can disrupt the science and this guy seems legit:

IIRC all of these tests are run on a mass spectrometer. You can easily have metabolic/degradation of other molecules in the sample that would overlap with the position where Testosterone is supposed to be located. In this example they were using an unusual T:E ratio indicating an issue. T and E degrade at different rates. A sample could easily show a dramatic altering of the T:E ratio depending on how it was handled in a short period of time. I work with DNA all the time and it is pretty stable under varied conditions, but proteins and other small molecules can degrade within minutes under the wrong circumstances. Chain of command is definitely an issue.

How they even tested the sample is beyond me. Clearly they need to change the policy that any sample that is not sent within X hours of collection will not be tested because it has been compromised by handling.

Makes total sense if they use a mass spec. The guy could have left the piss in his car for two days.

[RiotPunch]

**** AWESOME NEWS!!!! SO **** HAPPY!!!!

Also, ESPN:

[Kerb Hohl]

Buster Olney ‏ @Buster_ESPN · Open
@AndyMonfre @HelloKittysBf Key word: 'Offer.' And as I wrote, knowing that Writers wouldn't take it back. It was a suggested PR track.
12m Andy Monfre ‏ @AndyMonfre · Open
@Buster_ESPN How would this have been good PR? "NL MVP Braun Offers to Give Back MVP, A Move That Likely Suggests Guilt"
9m Buster Olney ‏ @Buster_ESPN · Open
@AndyMonfre To me,he would have appeared magnanimous,with the best interests of baseball at heart. But I never wrote he should give it back.
7m Andy Monfre ‏ @AndyMonfre · Open
@Buster_ESPN If you were accused of plagarism, would you give back your AP award before your trial (knowing you were innocent) for PR sake?
Buster Olney ‏ @Buster_ESPN Close
@AndyMonfre Difficult to answer without specifics,but getting ahead of worst possible outcome is standard operating procedure in politics.
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Only got owned here.

"Difficult to answer without specifics." Yeah, you wouldn't do it either, you idiot. Basically admits guilt in the public eye.

[ReasonablySober]

As others have said, chain of custody isssue is huge. But you'll have ESPN blowhards assume guilt anyway.

[Kerb Hohl]

I think Olney has been commissioned by ESPN to have people sign up for insider. He's having this war (or some random PR intern) and telling people to read the article.

The article is an insider article.

[MikeIsGood]

Had a helluva long day and a crazy week, and then I see this news. AWESOME! **** YOU ESPN! Unfortunately, even winning the appeal, he will always have "lost" in this mess.