Braun Faces Suspension for Drug Test

[Hardy Blonde]

What are you talking about? Standard procedure was followed. It was just a technicality in how the MLB had the rules written. That's why everyone involved isn't happy.

This is more like a court case where you're CLEARLY guilty, but the evidence gets thrown out over a technicality.

If Braun was innocent he'd have said from day 1 why his levels were so high. He's never denied failing the test. Just that there was a reason for it.

Are you just a Braun hater or do you work for MLB....

The main thing in his press conference is he noted that nothing on his body changed EVER. He didn't get stronger, he didn't get faster, his workout never changed in 6 years so for his results to be 3 times higher was totally off...Just the fact that the urine sample was missing for 44 hours was not only discusting but wrong on all levels and there was a 3rd party involved that shouldn't have been...It should go from the clinic to Fedex to Canada...WHY Canada I will never know but MLB needs to take responsibility for something here in a huge way.

If nobody has had a chance to listen to Braun's conference please listen to it in full entirety. It was the best one I've heard in a long long time.

[Kingdom]

He's a Cubs fan.

[Tobywan]

I don't know how Major League Baseball does it, but that's precisely how the Navy does it. Witness and all.

Well, according to Braun the process is the donor, the collector and a chaperone that just HAPPENED to be the collector‘s son?????? Red flag #1.

If Shaym Das put the entire missteps together, sirens were probably blaring in his head with all the red flags!


According to a source the person who collected this sample is a part-time MLB worker that collects the samples as a side job. His regular job is in a hospital's physical therapy department. So, supposedly these oh so very important test samples, sealed by confidentiality are collected by someone that works PT for “the other side” and not even someone that handles body fluid samples in the medical field???? Red flag #2.


According to the MLB policy if the sample cannot be immediately taken to a FedEx office, it must be stored in a "cool and secure location." This is what happens when it is given to Fed X and what happens at the lab in Montreal. Also, as Braun stated everything is supposed to be logged/documented there is no way to preserve that when you let some part time worker take it to his home no matter where he put it or how long he had it. Yet this is supposed to be an acceptable procedure for the collector who is the only one that KNOWS the identity of the donor (well except for his son)???? Red flag #3

As stated by Braun (leg work done by his camp no doubt) the collector had many Fed X offices available for drop off on the ride home yet it wasn’t until 2 days later. Chain of custody is continued along with confidentiality IF this is done in a timely manner. (Now I have read that the guy had other samples as well, but of course no one is talking about what happened to them, how those tests came out because it’s SUPPOSED to be confidential) Red flag #4.

It has been brought out that as soon as Braun was told of the positive he offered his DNA in order to ensure that the sample tested was actually his and MLB refused! This is suppose to be so important to the integrity of the game, players can be suspended and even eventually banned for life with these tests and the man is denied the opportunity to provide more proof that there could have been a mistake? WHY???? The only reason I can think of is that MLB wasn’t about to take even the most minute chance that the sample tested wasn’t Braun’s because that would bring down the entire program not just maybe a “rogue” part time collector fucking up. Major, major red flags #5, 6 & 7.

Also, the fact that this positive showed levels 3 times higher than any test in previous history????? On a guy that was able to provide documentation that he never gained a pound, his strength, ability, quickness never altered. Red flags #8, 9 & 10!!!!

Braun nailed it n the head when he spoke about how the players (and the MLBPA ) are supposed to be 100 % perfect in their accessibility to testing and diligence of what they put into their bodies, yet the guys collecting these samples where results could possibly be life altering are just ANYBODY???? I wholeheartedly agree with Braun’s first assessment total BS!






Oh and now MLB is stating that the sample was taken by an professional collector. A guy that works part time for MLB and works by day in doing physical therapy is not a professional at handling body fluids for lab testing!

I hope Ryan does have a lawsuit in the works and I hope he gives them hell.

[realmofotalk]

The more facts that are coming out, the more I'm on the side of Braun. Apparently the urine collector left the specimen out on his desk for two days instead of keeping them in a cool and secure location.

Oh so time and temperature can turn natural testosterone into synthetic testosterone? Tell me more, Dr. Braun!

[love_that_reefer]

Braun didn't explain the high test results but boy did he discredit the hell out of that collector and bring a ton of facts.

[realmofotalk]

Braun didn't explain the high test results but boy did he discredit the hell out of that collector and bring a ton of facts.

So he brings a ton of "facts" that still didn't explain the high test results. They must be really relevant then.

[love_that_reefer]

Why are facts in quote marks? Are you implying they weren't really facts? No, he can't explain the high test results but since he has put enough doubt in the handling process, he doesn't have to. That's why he's not being suspended! If I got a DUI with a BAL of .95, I would question that too. And if I found out the chain of custody protocol wasn't properly followed, I would get off.

[realmofotalk]

All this mumbo jumbo about chain of custody protocol still doesn't explain how synthetic testosterone was found in his system.

[realmofotalk]

Are you just a Braun hater or do you work for MLB....

The main thing in his press conference is he noted that nothing on his body changed EVER. He didn't get stronger, he didn't get faster, his workout never changed in 6 years so for his results to be 3 times higher was totally off...Just the fact that the urine sample was missing for 44 hours was not only discusting but wrong on all levels and there was a 3rd party involved that shouldn't have been...It should go from the clinic to Fedex to Canada...WHY Canada I will never know but MLB needs to take responsibility for something here in a huge way.

If nobody has had a chance to listen to Braun's conference please listen to it in full entirety. It was the best one I've heard in a long long time.

So much fail in one post. Where do I even begin? The part where Awww, if we don't go along with this ruling, then we're just "Braun haters"? Or the part where you want to discredit the MLB testing lab because it's located in Canada? Or the idea that the collector having possession of somebody else's urine sample for 44 hours being EWWW DISGUSTING! has anything to do with this case? Or the suggestion that his positive test must have been false because he doesn't physically LOOK like he took PED's?

[love_that_reefer]

All this mumbo jumbo about chain of custody protocol still doesn't explain how synthetic testosterone was found in his system.

It doesn't but he doesn't have to explain it either.

[Hardy Blonde]

So much fail in one post. Where do I even begin? The part where Awww, if we don't go along with this ruling, then we're just "Braun haters"? Or the part where you want to discredit the MLB testing lab because it's located in Canada? Or the idea that the collector having possession of somebody else's urine sample for 44 hours being EWWW DISGUSTING! has anything to do with this case? Or the suggestion that his positive test must have been false because he doesn't physically LOOK like he took PED's?

If you honestly believe that he took something then fine, but I don't and I haven't from day 1. No human being on this planet can EVER raise their level that high with any steriod unless they took an enormous amount at one time. Every single one of his other tests have been clean before that. 6 YEARS of tests! Give me a break.

And that whole FED EX BS is just that because there are tons and tons of offices that are open 24/7 around this whole country and in Milwaukee I know for a fact there are 24/7 ones open. There was no reason it couldn't have been shipped right after it was taken. There are people around here everyday that get drug tests and get their results 10 minutes later, so don't give me a reason it HAS to go to Canada to be tested when it can be done right in the office and the provider can be told right on the spot if something is wrong.

Just by this guy stating also that he never tampered with the samples is hearsay. There will never be proof of that, no broken seals or not.

[realmofotalk]

If you honestly believe that he took something then fine, but I don't and I haven't from day 1. No human being on this planet can EVER raise their level that high with any steriod unless they took an enormous amount at one time. Every single one of his other tests have been clean before that. 6 YEARS of tests! Give me a break.

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a first-time offense forgiveness rule for players with at least 6 years of clean tests.

There are people around here everyday that get drug tests and get their results 10 minutes later, so don't give me a reason it HAS to go to Canada to be tested when it can be done right in the office and the provider can be told right on the spot if something is wrong.

It has to go to Canada because that's where ALL the tests go. You're acting like Braun's sample was specifically sent to some hostile territory.

And that whole FED EX BS is just that because there are tons and tons of offices that are open 24/7 around this whole country and in Milwaukee I know for a fact there are 24/7 ones open.

There was no reason it couldn't have been shipped right after it was taken. Just by this guy stating also that he never tampered with the samples is hearsay. There will never be proof of that, no broken seals or not.

What a shocker that you are giving Ryan Braun the benefit of the doubt despite the test result, while jumping to the conclusion that the collector tampered with the sample over the weekend just because you believe it is incredible that he didn't know the office hours of FedEx like the back of his hand.

[Porter]

Its called google or fed ex's website.

[love_that_reefer]

No excuse for him not to know FedEx's hours. He has been testing for many years. I just think he was lazy on this one particular day.

[HollywoodLeo]

Yeah. That's like being late for work and saying you forgot what time you was supposed to be there.