Braun's "Truth Prevailed" Speech is "Fatally Flawed"

Let's face it.  Ryan Braun avoided the fifty game penalty he deserved for violating MLB's drug policy, on a technicality.  As we all know, in legal situations, the technicalities usually determine the outcome of the case. Of course, the technicality that Braun's skillful attorneys exploited had absolutely nothing to do with the issue at hand - the indisputable fact that he failed the drug test.  Period.

During Braun's emotional press conference on Friday, the reigning NL MVP claimed to be "the victim of a process that was fatally flawed", making a big deal about the "timeliness" in getting his urine sample shipped off to the lab, while questioning the integrity of the guy who collected the sample.  We're supposed to believe this guy had something to do with that urine having all that synthetic testosterone in it?  Based on the fact that the sample arrived at the lab intact - with no evidence of tampering - we can rule out that conspiracy theory.

The irrefutable evidence which proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Braun is guilty, involves the "type" of testosterone discovered in his urine sample:  SYNTHETIC - the kind that comes ONLY FROM PHARMACEUTICALS.  There is no other way, period; that's according to Dr Gary Walder, who is the World Anti-Doping Agency Chairman.  "Synthetic testosterone is not made in the human body", Walder confirmed on ESPN's "Outside the Lines".

Okay, we know beyond a shadow of doubt that Ryan Braun did indeed add a banned pharmaceutical to his breakfast of champions, prior to his October 1, 2011 drug test.  I have little doubt that this was his first violation, based on his consistent performance during his stellar five-year career.  Plus, he's passed numerous drug tests prior to this one.

What would motivate Braun to cheat this time around?  Simple.  He wanted to win a World Series, and he figured his best shot - maybe his only shot - would be to do it while Prince Fielder was still on the team.  Elementary, my dear Watson.

Aside from having all that testosterone in his system, there is compelling evidence that Braun's performance was indeed enhanced during the first round of the playoffs.  Here are the MVP's offensive stats in the 5 game 2011 NLDS:

BA - .500 (9 hits in 18 AB) - including 4 doubles and 1 home run
OBP - .571
SLG - .889
5 runs scored, 4 runs driven in, 1 stolen base, 3 bases on balls

162 GAME PROJECTION:

291 HITS, 32 HOME RUNS, 130 DOUBLES, 162 RUNS, 130 RBIs, 32 STOLEN BASES,  96 BB

As the pharmaceuticals began wearing off, Braun's offensive production returned to more "normal" levels in the 6 game 2011 NLCS, hitting .333, with a .385 OBP, and .583 SLG.  Those are still great numbers, but clearly, Superman left the building without that coveted World Series ring.

While Braun plays the part of "victim" in this ordeal, he left us with this endearing sound bite:  "At the end of the day, the truth prevailed."

The truth is, Braun beat the system on a technicality.  That's the absolute truth, and he knows it.

Braun Case Left With One Big Unanswered Question

Ryan Braun may have won his appeal, thanks to a brain-dead arbitration panel (well, only two out of the three panelists are brain-dead) who took "technicalities" to a whole new level of absurdity.  Maybe I'm missing something, so let's review the events:

STEP 1:  Braun provides a urine sample on a Saturday.  The guy who collects the sample doesn't ship it out until the following Monday - 44 hours later.  There is no evidence that the sample was tampered with.

STEP 2:  The sample is tested and extremely high levels of testosterone are discovered.  Record breaking levels of testosterone.  Ridiculously high levels of testosterone.

QUESTION:  How did those high levels of testosterone get into that urine?  Here are the possibilities:

A) High levels of testosterone magically sprout up in urine after a 44 hour waiting period.

B) Braun used some form of a banned substance - a performance enhancing drug - and high levels of testosterone are noticeable characteristic in this banned substance.

So far, no scientific evidence linking high levels of testosterone to two-day old urine have been discovered. I shudder to think of what might happen after some urine sits around in one of those little cups for a month or longer, if "Scenario A" is true.

Ryan Braun got off the hook and will not have to miss the first fifty games of the season now.  That's great news for Milwaukee Brewers fans who are more than likely not concerned with the question that still plagues me:  How did the urine get so much testosterone in it?

Unless that question is answered to conclusively clear up Ryan Braun's good name, I'm not buying his innocence.  This case may be closed, as far as Braun being cleared to play the full 162 game schedule goes.

But it's not closed for me, or anyone else who wants to know the absolute truth in this matter.  It's far from closed.