Brewers’ Special: Milwaukee Brewers’ Ryan Braun cleared of PED charges
The Milwaukee Brewers’ Ryan Braun has been cleared of charges of having used Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED) by arbitrator Shyam Das. It seems that the whole episode came down to the fact that Braun has been adamant that he did not take any testosterone
and also the fact that his urine sample sat somewhere for a few hours led to the decision going in his favour.
To have a charge of PED overturned is really a very big deal in Major League Baseball. This is one of the first times that a decision has gone in the favour of the player as MLB is strict regarding the whole procedure of their drug testing protocols. However,
even though Braun has been cleared, there is still the fact of why so much testosterone was in his urine sample.
According to Braun, the fact that his sample sat for a few hours without supervision, violated the testing protocols and someone could have tainted the sample. No matter how you look at it, the thought that someone tampered with his urine sample is very
unlikely. So again we are at the question of why was there so much testosterone in his system. To have a positive result the sample has to have a 4:1 ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone. In the case of Ryan Braun’s sample, he was supposedly at a 30:1
ratio.
The decision in favour of Braun is really huge. The MLB will have to take a serious look at their drug testing program as there are obvious flaws in their system. If something as simple as having a urine sample sit unattended for a few hours can overturn
a serious PED charge, then there are obvious issues that the MLB will be looking to correct for their credibility.
For the League, exonerating Braun has caused some serious issues that they will have to address. The question of credibility and the fact that the League will have a very hard time justifying any future positive results is something they will want to improve
in the immediate future. Also, the credibility of past positive results could be put in question now. If the system is flawed now, then it might have been in the past as well.
Braun has been cleared of the charges but he will still have to deal with the stigma attached to testing positive for PED. Although he will go about his business as usual and join the Brewers for Spring Training, his image has been tarnished. The Brewers
will be happy with the verdict as they can now move forward and focus on Spring Training and the upcoming 2012 regular season.
The League will definitely need to take a long hard look at itself and their drug testing program as well. For the fans, Braun’s overturned verdict has exonerated him from any wrongdoing. Many questions still remain but the fact that he has been cleared
should basically put this issue to rest. It looks like the League wants to start the 2012 regular season without any scandal or controversy and move forward. Braun will now be looking to put this mess behind him and move forward. All the questions that remain
will undoubtedly fade over time and many are left wondering how deep the issue of PED still exists in Major League Baseball.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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