2011 MLB Offseason Discussion - Rangers choking edition

[Demosthenes11]

He should have got off, I agree with the decision, but I think that Braun going on some kind vindication tour will end in a complete disaster for him.

so much this

[Akiyama]

http://deadspin.com/5887731/fat-chip...ys-hes-not-fat

Lol, god damn is he out of shape

[archibaldcrane]

He should have got off, I agree with the decision, but I think that Braun going on some kind vindication tour will end in a complete disaster for him.

What exactly will qualify as a "vindication tour?" He'll make some public statements tomorrow or whatever, thanking his supporters and legal team, and then get on with training camp and the season.

Only disaster I see here is if MLB tries some sort of lawsuit to throw out the arbitration ruling and/or fires Shyam Das for rendering a single ruling they dislike. They are pretty damn butthurt at the moment, anything is possible.

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[Valisk]

They are pretty damn butthurt at the moment, anything is possible.

I would be pretty butthurt too if the chain of evidence was broken and a person was essentially exonerated because someone didn't follow proper protical. At the very least someone needs to be fired for incompetence.

[Conrad]

"We were wrong about Ryan Braun, sorry for compromising our journalistic integrity" -Something ESPN will never say

[Tyche]

What exactly will qualify as a "vindication tour?" He'll make some public statements tomorrow or whatever, thanking his supporters and legal team, and then get on with training camp and the season.

Only disaster I see here is if MLB tries some sort of lawsuit to throw out the arbitration ruling and/or fires Shyam Das for rendering a single ruling they dislike. They are pretty damn butthurt at the moment, anything is possible.

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If he comes out and says "I've never taken PEDs, I've never tested positive before, the MLB is going for a witchhunt....etc". I think if he tries to dispute the positive test, or throws the testing policy under the bus in any way, he'll bring out the investigative reporters, and that's something that he doesn't want.

[Valisk]

"We were wrong about Ryan Braun, sorry for compromising our journalistic integrity" -Something ESPN will never say

But were they wrong? He was cleared because the procedure wasn't followed, not because they proved the increase in T/E ratio was justified/in error. We'll never know.

[Conrad]

They were calling him guilty when guilt was not (and has not been) established. Technicality or not, he is currently an innocent man.

[Conrad]

j/k i'm just defending him cause he's half Yid

[Valisk]

Guilt had been established and he appealed. The media just wasn't suppose to be informed until the appeal process was complete.

Anyways, I can't wait for the season to start.

[Cail]

the press conference is @1 on espn if u care to watch

[Demosthenes11]

They were calling him guilty when guilt was not (and has not been) established. Technicality or not, he is currently an innocent man.

you better have this same opinion of OJ

[Conrad]

I guess I should amend "innocent" to "not guilty," since there's a distinction. And yeah, OJ was found not guilty in a criminal court (though guilty in a civil suit), so his guilt in the murders was not established.

Also murder is not the same goddamn thing as juicing

[archibaldcrane]

The other thing is that I assume the majority of top professional athletes are taking some sort of "against the rules" PED. I don't assume most people are murderers.

Now hearing:

the sample's testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio was nearly 30:1

and

Lester Munsun was reporting on ESPN radio this morning that Braun even offered to take a DNA test to dispute that the test sample was his, which MLB turned down.

I think the MLB was absolutely terrified of a proven tampering case, which would absolutely blow up their testing reliability. They took their chance that Das would think a break in the chain of custody wasn't enough because they didn't want to risk compromising the integrity of their program further, and got burned.

[archibaldcrane]

If he comes out and says "I've never taken PEDs, I've never tested positive before, the MLB is going for a witchhunt....etc". I think if he tries to dispute the positive test, or throws the testing policy under the bus in any way, he'll bring out the investigative reporters, and that's something that he doesn't want.

He already said those things, consistently since this story first broke. The fact that MLB wouldn't let him DNA test to prove the sample wasn't his is pretty convenient, although strange if they were positive it was his urine.

I get what you're saying though - if he is using PEDs, he runs the risk that a supplier gets pinched or a former teammate knows and talks or many other things that could be dug up via a deeper investigation.

[Rhinox]

That really doesn't mean anything. Cops often turn down people who try to take polygraphs to prove their innocence.

[archibaldcrane]

Um, polygraphs aren't exactly hard science. DNA tests are. Comparing the two is fucking hilariously laughable.

[Rhinox]

DNA tests definitely prove the existence or lack thereof all PED's?

[Cail]

i think he wanted to take the dna test to try and prove the urine wasnt even his. thats my guess

[Tyche]

He already said those things, consistently since this story first broke. The fact that MLB wouldn't let him DNA test to prove the sample wasn't his is pretty convenient, although strange if they were positive it was his urine.

I get what you're saying though - if he is using PEDs, he runs the risk that a supplier gets pinched or a former teammate knows and talks or many other things that could be dug up via a deeper investigation.

I read that he offered to do a DNA test and subsequently reneged on that.