Monday, December 19, 2011
Braun's Failed Drug Test Due to Private Medical Issue
Yes, its been reported that the reason for Ryan Braun's failed drug test was a medication he was taking for a "private medical issue". Though the medical issue has not been mentioned, many wonder if its the same "private medical issue" that Manny Ramirez had forcing him to take a medication that caused his failed drug test. Of course, Ramirez's medication was a female fertility drug, which I would definitely want to keep private too. Although Matt Kemp asks that we not jump to judgement about Braun, I have to wonder, if you're taking a drug, any drug, for a personal medical issue in the midst of an MVP caliber season, wouldn't you want to run it by the players union or MLB? Get some sort of sign off? It didn't work for JC Romero who was suspended even though he had gone to the officials asking if a certain over-the-counter product was okay to use and then being told it was. He even brought the container he had purchased to his hearing, showing that it had no warning label on it. Regardless he had to serve his suspension. But at least with Romero it looked like the officials were on a witch hunt, whereas with Braun it looks like he's covering up after getting caught. I'm curious to see how this plays out, but the question is, if Braun is found guilty, will Kemp get the award?
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5 comments:
I didn't know that about Romero, that's fascinating. There must be a cottage industry in sports medicine of doctors reviewing everything a player takes to see if it will cause a failed test.
We've yet to see if Braun will use "private medical issue" as his story (probably not - it's a bad excuse, even if it's true, since failing a drug test is a strict liability offense), but I imagine that the list of medical conditions that require drugs that will fail a test, but still permit a player to turn in an MVP season is very short. And if the story that Braun's test revealed "insanely high" amounts of testosterone is true, I doubt he failed the test for taking Ny-Quil. Plus, whatever was in his system was out when he submitted a second test, so he wasn't taking something for a chronic condition. So we should soon learn if there's any possible validity to this story.
Braun won't lose his MVP even if he tested positive for a special combination of steroids, HGH and unicorn blood that gives you the strength of ten gorillas. No one wants to open the door to reviewing each year's major awards and deciding whether they should be given to someone else because the winner cheated.
I want to open that door! Open it wide! And, yeah, you need to have a really good excuse for why you legitimately need increased testosterone. As my brother said, unless the medical condition is a lack of homerun power, there's really few things you need to take these drugs for.
The idea of taking away the MVP award for positive drug test, whatever it is they're using, is a nice idea; a Pandora's box, but still a very nice idea.
Well as I always say, if having insanely high levels of testosterone is wrong, I don't want to be right.
due to private medical issue???? that seems too fishy to me and suspicious, but it does not surprise me at all
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