Ryan Braun tests positive for PED

[Rafael122]

Won his appeal, won't be suspended. WOW

[trwi7]

LOL at this thread now. He'll still probably hear it from opposing fans, thanks ESPN.

[Wavy Q]

"Haudricourt says the appeal went Braun's way not because of the test result, but because of a technicality with the testing process."

[Han Solo]

He's still guilty - technicality means nothing. He's a cheater. Plain and simple.

[Pharmcat]

this is a farce all the way around

what a joke

[trwi7]

Jon Heyman says he got off because of a 2 day chain of custody issue. Knowing that and the test was 4 times higher than any positive test before it, it's pretty obvious it was tampered with.

[Wavy Q]

Maybe he just took lots of steroids.

[PANDEMONEUM]

and now Brauns #s will go down
because Prince is gone
and everyone will say its because of not being able to take steroids/hgh/whatever

[Pharmcat]

so is braun disputing the fact he didnt take steroids
or just disputing the handling of it

b/c if its the latter, that means he still took em right?

[schaffy]

A source familiar with MLB’s drug policy indicated there were only a few ways to overturn a positive test, such as proving a chain-of-custody issue, a flaw in the collection process or providing proof that the player’s team signed off on the substance. Otherwise, the “strict liability” aspect of the policy makes it extremely difficult to exonerate a player.

Apparently, Braun won his appeal by contesting something in the process itself.

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/14 ... um=twitter

Braun didn't argue evidence of tampering, didn't argue anything about science being wrong but argued protocol had not been followed. A second source confirmed to ESPN investigative reporter Mark Fainaru-Wada that Braun did not dispute the science but rather questioned chain of custody/collection procedure.

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.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/76083 ... suspension

My guess would be he is disputing that he took steroids, but because he cant actually prove that (because of his positive test), he had to dispute something else (in this case the chain of custody/procedure) in order to win the appeal and raise the question did someone mess with the test.

[Superiorblogman]

So, he just happens to be the first one to successfully appeal the test? That seems mighty suspicious to me.

[Death Knight]

Liars! Doesn't change anything. He did it. The end.

[HCYanks]

So, he just happens to be the first one to successfully appeal the test? That seems mighty suspicious to me.

The tester took the sample home and stuck it in his fridge rather than find a way to get it to the lab after he couldn't mail it out in time. That's a fundamental failure in process whether it affected the outcome or not. The MLB dropped the ball here by allowing for holes in its testing system. They can whine and gnash their teeth all they want, but the arbitrator made the right call.

[Rafael122]

Public view: Braun is guilty anyway b/c he got off on a technicality. He didn't explain what he tested positive for, and he wasn't fighting the positive test, just the protocol. His image is tarnished anyway. If that helps Ryan sleep better at night, more power to him.

Truthfully, this matter should have never been made public anyway.

[DigitalFool]

Truthfully, this matter should have never been made public anyway.

[Pharmcat]

so from reading everything

is it fair for me to say he did it, but got off on a technicality?

[trwi7]

so from reading everything

is it fair for me to say he did it, but got off on a technicality?

Umm, no.

[Pharmcat]

so from reading everything

is it fair for me to say he did it, but got off on a technicality?

Umm, no.

please clearify

from everything Im reading, the sample was tripled sealed when lab got it

[trwi7]

There is far more to the story than what is known right now. There's no way the ruling is overturned based on one technicality using the guilty until proven innocent model MLB uses.

[GYBE]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-passan_ryan_braun_appeal_drug_program_selig_022312

I think Jeff Passan has the best article on the issue.

The tester took the sample home and stuck it in his fridge rather than find a way to get it to the lab after he couldn't mail it out in time. That's a fundamental failure in process whether it affected the outcome or not. The MLB dropped the ball here by allowing for holes in its testing system. They can whine and gnash their teeth all they want, but the arbitrator made the right call.

This is quite common in the testing industry. I've been testing water samples for years. It's perfectly acceptable to store samples in any location as long as the proper conditions are met and chain-of-custody isn't broken.

And they argued that because the FedEx store was closed and the test collector took the sample home and put it in his refrigerator until Monday – the standard-operating procedure in every major doping program across the world but one not spelled out distinctly among Selig’s 18,175 words – that the sample did not follow the proper chain of custody and thus was invalid.

Hundreds of tests had been handled in exactly the same manner in baseball and never before had the players’ union protested their accuracy. Sources from MLB and the union told Yahoo! Sports the chain-of-custody section of the joint-drug agreement is likely to be rewritten to ensure that a defense similar to Braun’s would have no legs.

...“This stuff happens around the world all the time,” said Travis Tygart, the CEO of the United States Anti-Doping Association. “They’re collected at people’s homes after the UPS or FedEx or DHL is closed. The DCO (doping-control officer) keeps it with them. These are well-trained people whose job it is to maintain it.”

According to baseball’s rules – or at least Das’ interpretation of them – protocol in other sports did not matter to baseball. Nor did the security seals on Braun’s two tamper-resistant samples remaining in place and the collection agent testifying at the arbitration hearing that the samples had remained untouched. Ultimately, what mattered were a FedEx store’s hours and how if one in Milwaukee was open on the Saturday night after Game 1 of the NL Division Series, Braun may have arrived at spring training Friday staring at a suspension.

“This,” one baseball official said, “is like a criminal getting off because he wasn’t read his Miranda rights.”

There is far more to the story than what is known right now. There's no way the ruling is overturned based on one technicality using the guilty until proven innocent model MLB uses.

Of course one technicality is enough to get him off. All his lawyers had to do was convince one independent arbitrator. Legal cases are thrown out all the time because of one, small technicality. And I'm not even THAT mad that he won't get the suspension. If his lawyers can successfully convince the guy, I guess he deserves the win. But rightfully, this does nothing to help his case in the court of public opinion. He will be booed and have this black mark hanging over his career.

He tested positive for synthetic testosterone. No one from Braun's camp has denied this or provided an explanation. If something comes out in the future to explain this, I might revise my opinions.