MVP tests positive

[Merckx index]

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_...ers-tests-positive-performance-enhancing-drug

Ryan Braun, who won the National League’s Most Valuable Player award this past season, has tested positive for synthetic testosterone. Braun is hardly the first big name in MLB to be associated with PES, but for so many of the others (e.g., McGwire, A-Rod, Clemens, Bonds, Ortiz), this became known only some time after the fact, and often was based simply on witness testimony. Braun actually tested positive during this year’s playoffs:

The 28-year-old Braun had to provide a urine sample for testing during the playoffs, and he was notified of the positive test sometime in late October -- about a month before he was named the National League's most valuable player.

I'm thinking Braun might have been one of the first victims of the new HGH test. Scared off by that, he thought he could away with T.

Needless to say, Braun is disputing the results. Maybe he should hire Floyd as a technical advisor.

 

[bicycle_rack]

Here is the NYT article.

 

[craig1985]

Haha 50-game ban? It's like Andy Schleck testing positive before the Ardennes Classics, but is suspended for two months, in time to ride the TDF.

 

[mikeNphilly]

Ban for 50 games, comes up to for him around $1.3 million fine. He made around $4.3 million last year, not sure if he is scheduled to make more or not this year. Shame the test results were not known before his MVP award.

Fine is 1.85 million, with BYOP88's new info.

 

[BYOP88]

Ban for 50 games, comes up to for him around $1.3 million fine. He made around $4.3 million last year, not sure if he is scheduled to make more or not this year. Shame the test results were not known before his MVP award.

He signed a contract extension during last season(2016-2020), and is under contract until at least 2020.
2012 $6,000,000
2013 $8,500,000
2014 $10,000,000
2015 $12,000,000
2016 $19,000,000
2017 $19,000,000
2018 $19,000,000
2019 $18,000,000
2020 $16,000,000
2021 *$20,000,000 $20M Mutual Option, $4M Buyout

 

[ggusta]

First, this is beside my main point:
I find the comparisons of what the 50 game penalty equates to in cycling terms kind of off target. (I am trying to be polite and not get into some sort of insult flinging contest.) Take a look at what the would-be Baseball Hall of Fame inductees that have the stench of PED's hanging over them have been doing in their hall of fame balloting. (And yes, I really don't know of any other sport where the hall of fame is nearly the big deal that baseball's is. And that only magnifies its meaning.)

OK The thing that got me to post after not posting here for so long is the oh-so typical response to any positive test that we have all gotten so very used to seeing:

'Oh, wait we have a perfectly good excuse, it's the test.. he has asthma... he had a sinus infection and was taking flonase that day....
it's this,
it's that,
he was taking female fertility drugs to to impregnate dolly the cloned sheep so she could grow a mutton liver for his twin brother from another mother that he's never met to cure a dreaded illness that you've never heard of blah effin blah blah blah...
Here are three notes from 15 doctors to attest to the validity of the presence of 19 banned substances and 9 more notes for stuff that ought to be banned that's not on the list yet.'

He's a nice boy.
Look, here he is at the make a wish foundation.
Here he is picking daisies with that congresswoman that that lunatic shot in the head and her astronaut husband.
He gathers together torn flags on Sundays and takes them down to the Legion.
He's baking cherry pies and serving them to wheelchair bound virgins.
And he hates Jerry Sandusky, too.

See ya on opening day, Braun.

The point is it's rife in every sport. I am sick of anyone pointing at cycling. Like their sport isn't filled with guys who are naturally born with these physiques. In (american) football offensive linemen aren't even considered if they are less than 300 # (136 kg). Go back and look at what they weighed 30 years ago. Spare me this self righteous crud!

Swimmer Michael Phelps. Mr Goody Freaking Two Shoes himself, when he isn't busy hitting the bong. Even without the bong, his physique is completely unnatural. Yet Mrs minivan driving soccer mom is so willing to suspend what her lyin' eyes tell her and buy the squeaky clean image.

Ok, I think I am done here. Have a nice day.

Serenity now!
Frank: Hey, Braun, I got good news and bad news. And they're both the
same: you're fired. Costanza, you've won the water pik!

 

[lightclimber]

Ban for 50 games....

Fine is 1.85 million, with BYOP88's new info.

That $1.85million fine sounds high to you and me, but to him it's pennies. Sports illustrated quote: "Braun already was signed through 2015 when the Brewers gave him a new deal running through 2020 that added $105 million and guaranteed him a total of $145.5 million over a decade."

That fine is barely over a 1% fine on his salary!!

Besides, 50 game suspension is over within 2 months. Talk about a soft punishment.

Ban his behind for 2 seasons, fine him for two years worth of salary and then we can say the MLB is getting on board.
Bud Selig: ""It's the strongest (drug testing) program today in American sports,"... well, the MLB's testing is pathetic, but maybe he is right, seeing how ineffective the cycling testing program has been over the past years...


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...ositive-drug-test.ap/index.html#ixzz1gFr9p1CA

 

[Parera]

Besides, 50 game suspension is over within 2 months. Talk about a soft punishment.

Ban his behind for 2 seasons, fine him for two years worth of salary and then we can say the MLB is getting on board.

MLB can't do anything aside from follow the rules laid forth in the CBA with the players' union. 50 games is what they agreed to for a first time offender. That's the benefit of having a strong union as a pro athlete.

 

[Altitude]

Serenity now, insanity later

 

[Parera]

Serenity now, insanity later

Huh?

MLB does have a fairly strict testing policy. Players submit to random testing at LEAST twice a season. They are adding blood tests next year. First steroid violation is 50 games, second is 100, third is a lifetime ban.

Yeah go ahead and puff your chest out about how it ought to be two years but what good has that done for cycling or track & field? Doesn't seem to deter anyone from using.

 

[usedtobefast]

MLB can't do anything aside from follow the rules laid forth in the CBA with the players' union. 50 games is what they agreed to for a first time offender. That's the benefit of having a strong union as a pro athlete.

for sure. bike riders have none of that, so they get crushed. 50 games without pay is large.

 

[craig1985]

I'm sure Braun's house will be foreclosed by the bank and he will be homeless in a month.

 

[fatandfast]

for sure. bike riders have none of that, so they get crushed. 50 games without pay is large.[/QUOTE

But what about the CAS trial ? Are they going to send him back to the college or high school where he used to play for the conclusion of the punishment phase? Pro sports punish their own within the union agreed framework. The bigger question is why are local and federal law enforcement officials not looking up this guys but w a microscope to see where he got his supply

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

MLB should allow testosterone use by players... to keep them from falling asleep on the field. Why else would they need it?

 

[DirtyWorks]

Huh?

MLB does have a fairly strict testing policy. Players submit to random testing at LEAST twice a season. They are adding blood tests next year. First steroid violation is 50 games, second is 100, third is a lifetime ban.

Yeah go ahead and puff your chest out about how it ought to be two years but what good has that done for cycling or track & field? Doesn't seem to deter anyone from using.

Aggressive penalties won't ever work because the federations don't want to catch anyone doping. The tests are specifically designed for everyone to pass. They catch the dumb dopers and that's it. It looks to you like they have an anti-doping program and the players can get back to filling the seats and breaking records.

What would actually discourage doping? Back testing. But that won't ever happen. The federations and the IOC specifically don't want it. There would be years of positive news. Years!

 

[Altitude]

Huh?

MLB does have a fairly strict testing policy. Players submit to random testing at LEAST twice a season. They are adding blood tests next year. First steroid violation is 50 games, second is 100, third is a lifetime ban.

Yeah go ahead and puff your chest out about how it ought to be two years but what good has that done for cycling or track & field? Doesn't seem to deter anyone from using.

LMAO - you've obviously never watched Seinfeld. ggusta made a reference to it so I was simply playing along. I don't know anything about the MLB's testing policy and I don't really care. I find the sport unwatchable

 

[usedtobefast]

for sure. bike riders have none of that, so they get crushed. 50 games without pay is large.[/QUOTE

But what about the CAS trial ? Are they going to send him back to the college or high school where he used to play for the conclusion of the punishment phase? Pro sports punish their own within the union agreed framework. The bigger question is why are local and federal law enforcement officials not looking up this guys but w a microscope to see where he got his supply

because it is sports. a game. entertainment. no public official has the funds to spend on silly stuff,and that qualifies as silly. we like our teams and our games and i liked racing my bike, but it just a diversion from the reality of everyday life for most folks. for folks at the upper reaches it is a profession, some times well paying, but briefly so for most.
getting drugs is pretty easy if you have the money and the lack of moral standards that rule breaking is.

 

[Oldman]

because it is sports. a game. entertainment. no public official has the funds to spend on silly stuff,and that qualifies as silly. we like our teams and our games and i liked racing my bike, but it just a diversion from the reality of everyday life for most folks. for folks at the upper reaches it is a profession, some times well paying, but briefly so for most.
getting drugs is pretty easy if you have the money and the lack of moral standards that rule breaking is.

MLB has the continued profile as a Congressionally protected monopoly which is why they started cracking down at all. Mayble everyone thinks Clemens and Bonds got away with it but I don't see them selling endorsements after Congress got on their tails. If there is a credible risk from Braun's supplier it's probably already known by the people that do care.

 

[ChrisE]

More news.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...n/12/12/ryan.braun.test/index.html?xid=cnnbin

 

[Berzin]

Braun has said he would never take steroids because if he did, he would hit "60 or 70 home runs".

He should be suspended for taking 'roids and never coming near the pre-set minimum quota.

 

[zlev11]

found this article very interesting

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ti-brown_hardball_braun_conte_testosterone_testing_121211

And whether this was Braun’s game or not (Braun has appealed and his lawyers insist he is innocent), here’s what Conte believes is going on out there:

Baseball players – along with other athletes – are loading up on synthetic testosterone (and perhaps HGH) at night, when the body is repairing itself between games and workouts. The testosterone is administered through patches, gels, creams or orals. By the following afternoon, when that player is vulnerable to MLB testing, the ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone is beneath the 4-to-1 ratio that triggers a positive test.

“It’s a loophole,” Conte said, “you could drive a Mack truck through.”

it makes perfect sense, it sounds exactly what cyclists did for years during grand tours

 

[alberto.legstrong]

I DO have a question and it is a serious one.

Braun has said he would never take steroids because if he did, he would hit "60 or 70 home runs".

He should be suspended for taking 'roids and never coming near the pre-set minimum quota.

Yankees fans would be lined up around the block for refunds. 'I plunked down $1000 a ticket and these aging science experiments can't even make it to the league championship?'

At least Jeter got like 17 hits the night he got his 3000th hit. Of course, they will paying him and A-Rod millions well into their 40's to play at a AAA minor league level.

For those of you who don't care for the sport, why post about your dislike? It's like people who can't stand cycling posting in this forum. Of all sports fans to cop that attitude...

As for the money, I am not too worried about Mr Braun. I am presuming guilt here. He made his faustian bargain. As we all should be aware as cycling fans: Take the dope and have a career, skip it and take your chances at best. Perhaps without it he's an average player making half of what he makes. 50 games? whatever.

Do we have any 40-something's - or above - in here that take testosterone? Serious question. Not as a cycling PED but just as a PED for daily life or any other reason?

 

[Andynonomous]

Baseball writers protect the guilty.


The same as in tennis. These bastids who call themselves "journalists", hold their finger up to see which way the wind is blowing, before stating their "opinion".

 

[zigmeister]

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_...ers-tests-positive-performance-enhancing-drug

Ryan Braun, who won the National League’s Most Valuable Player award this past season, has tested positive for synthetic testosterone. Braun is hardly the first big name in MLB to be associated with PES, but for so many of the others (e.g., McGwire, A-Rod, Clemens, Bonds, Ortiz), this became known only some time after the fact, and often was based simply on witness testimony. Braun actually tested positive during this year’s playoffs:



I'm thinking Braun might have been one of the first victims of the new HGH test. Scared off by that, he thought he could away with T.

Needless to say, Braun is disputing the results. Maybe he should hire Floyd as a technical advisor.

The second to last paragraph of your post makes no sense. MLB players can get a TUE for testosterone, it wouldn't have been a positive if he had one to begin with .

 

[RigelKent]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7608360/ryan-braun-wins-appeal-50-game-suspension

And the US has lost any credibility it may have had left.