Ryan Braun Suspended for Doping (Warning: Baseball)

[j44ke]

I'm shocked! SHOCKED! that there is doping in baseball.

He isn't going to fight it at all. You can write the press release: made mistakes, let people down, etc. blah blah blah.

Braun should have to give his Most Valuable Player trophy and any monies from it to Dino Laurenzi, the drug tester guy he dragged through the mud repeatedly when he got popped last year.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/23/sp...doping.html?hp

[Crashburn]

At least the athletes, cyclists weren't the only ones, involved in Operation Puerto were using code names. These morons were cutting personal checks.

[monadnocky]

NO! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooo

I am shocked, SHOCKED as well

ps. how does one actually test positive for drugs in baseball? Isn't that something you actually have to go out of your way to accomplish?

[j44ke]

He didn't test positive (this time.) He lied about his business dealings with the lab. MLB now has some of the records from the Florida lab. A-Rod, who is rumored to have purchased a large quantity of the records before MLB got their hands on the rest, is currently trying to negotiate a reduction in his suspension. His suspension is supposed to be something like 150 games. He wants 50. If he did indeed buy the records, that may be the barter.

A nameless individual told me that Selig felt Braun embarrassed him. He's wanted Braun since the arbitrator decided against MLB. And when they got the documents from the Florida lab, Selig popped a blood vessel. Selig talks a good aw-shucks country boy, but he'll cut you if you cross him.

[vertical_doug]

A-Rod makes 203,000 per game. 50 game suspension vs 150 game suspension is a big swing.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/story/2...y-of-attention

This CBS Sports writer really dislikes A-Rod

[Jonathan]

"I'm not perfect.. I've now realized I've made some mistakes".

The biggest idiots should be heckled.

[Brandon White]

Also read they are coming up for a "benchmark" to test NFL for HGH. They are going to the take the blood of every player ... I thought, wait - they don't that already?

[Tom]

When I read his comments I howled because all I could think of was Bull Durham where Kevin Costner's character is teaching Meat the art of the bland interview. You think that's the new ritual? No more "Just glad to be here, do my part and help the team" in favor of "mistakes were made"?

[robin3mj]

Gotta think that the players union knows where all of the bodies are buried if they are not going to contest this. I'm all for testing and suspensions etc but baseball is doing itself a disservice by meting out punishments in such an inconsistent manner. The whole things smacks of revenge and pettiness rather than a standardized attempt to fix things.

Watch how the rest of this bio genesis ordeal plays out.

[zetroc]

Jason Gay on the situation: "WAA-waa!! Ryan Braun's comical 'apology' should come with a line of elephants playing trombones."

Jason Gay: The Ryan Braun Tragicomedy - WSJ.com

[Peter Polack]

I don't follow baseball so forgive my ignorance.

So let me get this straight: A-Rod BOUGHT the lab records to keep them from being disclosed?! Is this even legal?

First, give me an answer if you can. Then let me call him an effin' whore.

[jr59]

I'm shocked! SHOCKED! that there is doping in baseball.

He isn't going to fight it at all. You can write the press release: made mistakes, let people down, etc. blah blah blah.

Braun should have to give his Most Valuable Player trophy and any monies from it to Dino Laurenzi, the drug tester guy he dragged through the mud repeatedly when he got popped last year.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/23/sp...doping.html?hp

Not at all sure I follow this. Braun was caught doing dope and now has to pay the price for not following the rules.

Dino Laurenzi, did not follow the rules on how he handled a sample, and had to pay the price for that. (lost his job)

Since when do two wrongs make right?

If Mr Laurenzi would have done what he was suppose to do, then he would not have been fired.
He didn't and was.

[Christian Fox]

Also read they are coming up for a "benchmark" to test NFL for HGH. They are going to the take the blood of every player ... I thought, wait - they don't that already?

no blood tests in the NFL...biggest joke in all anti-doping. I'm not sure if even baseball does blood now.

[Brandon White]

no blood tests in the NFL...biggest joke in all anti-doping. I'm not sure if even baseball does blood now.

At least they are going to start now. They couldn't possibly ban 50% immediately could they? They'd have to recruit Canadian football players to fill in the spots.

[Scott G.]

So let me get this straight: A-Rod BOUGHT the lab records to keep them from being disclosed?! Is this even legal?

A-Rod is following the Golden Rule, "He who has the gold, makes the rules".
Baseball doping is just way funnier than cyclist doping.
Cycling doping is all serious denials and repentance, Baseball doping is Tom Sawyer painting a fence.

[Jayme]

At least they are going to start now. They couldn't possibly ban 50% immediately could they? They'd have to recruit Canadian football players to fill in the spots.

CFL players probably have more strict drug testing at their other jobs ;)

[nahtnoj]

When I read his comments I howled because all I could think of was Bull Durham where Kevin Costner's character is teaching Meat the art of the bland interview. You think that's the new ritual? No more "Just glad to be here, do my part and help the team" in favor of "mistakes were made"?

1) We gotta play 'em one day at a time.
2) I'm just happy to be here. Hope I can help the ballclub.
3) I just want to give it my best shot, and the good Lord willing, things will work out.

[j44ke]

Not at all sure I follow this. Braun was caught doing dope and now has to pay the price for not following the rules.

Dino Laurenzi, did not follow the rules on how he handled a sample, and had to pay the price for that. (lost his job)

Since when do two wrongs make right?

If Mr Laurenzi would have done what he was suppose to do, then he would not have been fired.
He didn't and was.

Braun claimed that Laurenzi tampered with the samples, that he was a malicious agent in the procedure and that he had a history of being so. Had he only pointed to the lapse in protocol, that would have been enough. It was obviously enough for the arbitrator, because that was the basis for his decision. The assault on Laurenzi personally was unnecessary.

But it is all moot now, isn't it? Braun's a cheater and a liar and that's that.

[jr59]

Braun claimed that Laurenzi tampered with the samples, that he was a malicious agent in the procedure and that he had a history of being so. Had he only pointed to the lapse in protocol, that would have been enough. It was obviously enough for the arbitrator, because that was the basis for his decision. The assault on Laurenzi personally was unnecessary.

But it is all moot now, isn't it? Braun's a cheater and a liar and that's that.

If Mr Laurenzi would have done his job properly, he would not have been fired!
The bottom line is he didn't! If he would have, all Braun's "assault" would have been worthless!

Yes the point is moot. Neither person acted correctly. Braun did PEDs and Laurenzi did NOT do his job the way it was to be done!

And BTW; Braun claimed someone tampered with the samples. Because of Laurenzi's failure to do his job correctly, it fell on him!

[SteveP]

im just thankful that nobody in the nfl dopes so they dont really need to test.
they just need a facade of "testing".