Ryan Braun accepted a 65-game suspension from MLB for his ties to Biogenesis, which allegedly provided several athletes with performance-enhancing drugs. People are pretty upset over the suspension not just because we are learning that the accomplishments of a former MVP were tainted, but because Braun so fiercely denied guilt over the past year and a half.
Braun tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone during his MVP season in 2011. He escaped suspension for the positive test because of an error in the collection process of his urine sample. After winning his appeal on the technicality, Braun attacked the testing process, labeled himself a victim, and proclaimed his innocence.
Let’s recall some of the things Braun said during his Feb. 24, 2012 press conference (seen above). As we would learn 17 months later, Braun knew he was guilty the entire time and still made these statements.
“I tried to handle the whole situation with honor, with integrity, with class, with dignity and with professionalism because that’s who I am and how I lived my life.
“I would bet my life that this substance never entered my body at any point.
“I have always stood up for what is right. Today is about everybody who has ever been wrongly accused and everybody who has ever had to stand up for what is actually right.
“I will continue to take the high road because that’s who I am and that’s the way that I’ve lived my life. We won because the truth was on my side. The truth is always relevant and, at the end of the day, the truth prevailed.
“I am a victim of a process that completely broke down and failed in a way that it applied to me in this case.
“The system in the way that it was applied to me in this case was fatally flawed.”
That’s pretty bad, but it gets worse.
Ryan Braun issued this statement on Feb. 5, 2013 in response to being listed in Biogenesis documents:
“During the course of preparing for my successful appeal last year, my attorneys, who were previously familiar with Tony Bosch, used him as a consultant. More specifically, he answered questions about T/E ratio and possibilities of tampering with samples.
“There was a dispute over compensation for Bosch’s work, which is why my lawyer and I are listed under ‘moneys owed’ and not on any other list.
“I have nothing to hide and have never had any other relationship with Bosch.
“I will fully cooperate with any inquiry into this matter.”
Braun had a lot to hide. Braun did not cooperate with inquiries into the matter.
On Feb. 24 2012, Braun said in his press conference:
“If I had done this intentionally or unintentionally, I’d the first one to step up and say that I did it.”
False. Braun denied using PEDs at every turn. It took MLB suspending him for him to finally admit wrongdoing.
On Feb. 24 2012, Braun also attacked urine sample collector Dino Laurenzi Jr. and implied Laurenzi tampered with his sample:
“There were a lot of things that we learned about the collector, about the collection process, about the way that the entire thing worked that made us very concerned and very suspicious about what could have actually happened.”
Did Laurenzi do anything wrong to the sample except for keep it in his refrigerator an extra day or two? No.
On June 4, 2013 after the Biogenesis report came out, Braun stated that “the truth has not changed.”
Here’s what Braun said:
“I’ve already addressed everything related to the Miami situation. I addressed it in spring training. I will not make any further statements about it. The truth has not changed.
“I don’t know the specifics of the story that came out today. I’ve already addressed it, I’ve already commented on it and I’ll say nothing further about it. I hope that you guys can respect that.”
Braun’s lies weren’t as elaborate or kept as long as Lance Armstrong’s, but Braun lied about his PED use for a year and a half. And then he has the nerve to say in his statement on Monday “I realize now …” as if he didn’t know a year ago that he was lying. The deny, deny, deny strategy will many times come back to haunt you. It took a while, but it’s finally coming back to Braun now.
