For a truth to be determined for instance, the assertion that Braun is guilty of peds, then he has to be properly convicted of it. Otherwise, the opposite of the assertion is true, ie, Braun is innocent, that is, Braun never used peds.

For a proper conviction to be obtained, the the assertion CANNOT be SUSPECTED to be true. Then a verdict of guilty would be improper and invalid, an example of confirmation bias, or, as we in legal circles are always telling juries, a “rush to judgement.”

The way something gets suspected is when there’s evidence of the assertion, like artificial testerone in the pee. Now, some every day joe who has no idea of logical reasoning, might think that, hey, Braun, must have juiced.

WRONG. In fact this fact of the failed drug test is evidence for the defense , prima-facie , absolute, bona-fide PROOF that Braun DID NOT JUICE. Because everyone and his cousin now SUSPECTS Braun juiiced…and this is the key point – PRIOR TO BEING CONVICTED OF JUICING. That’s why it was some Pluto urbanite and not Simpson. .

The more strongly something is suspected of being true, the more certain it didn’t happen. The more evidence, the mored certainty. If you’re absoutely sure you had Wheaties for breakfast this morning, then any lawyer can tell you the truth of the matter….If you’re ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN you had Wheaties,..then.you didn’t have Wheaties.

So the ONLY correct position, as stated, is that Braun is clearly innocent,ie, has never used peds.

No thanks necessary. glad to help.

The fact that the test was invalidated doesn’t mean we the people can’t claim the truth. MLB can’t use it to suspend him, but everyone with a brain can indeed claim he cheated because his piss was in the bottle. We know that because he signed off on it.

You also wrote: “When you get drug tested, they seal your sample in front of you and you have to confirm the number with the number that is given to you and then sign something.”

During his press conference, Ryan Braun stated that urine samples aren’t assigned a number until they are received by FedEx. Before that event, they have the name of the donor on the container. But I have an open mind: Can you support your claim with verifiable evidence? You also mentioned that the donor signs a document. How do you know this?

Next, you wrote: “So, if it were switched, Braun only has himself to blame.”

This claim, taken together with your other arguments, implies that you believe that the only place that the switch could have taken place was at the point of collection. This is incorrect. The switch could have also taken place at the collector’s home, the FedEx office and at the testing facility. If you scroll up I address this last possibility in my original post, i.e., the switch takes place at the testing facility.

You also wrote: “However the arbitrator did not consider it enough of a possibility to have it affect his ruling.”
Unless you were a part of the deliberation process, you can’t possibly know what the three arbitrators considered with any degree of certainty. Therefore, we will have to wait for the opportunity to scrutinize the arbitration panel report, before we can assert what information influenced the arbitrators.

Here is my next argument:
If you did not consider that the samples of the three players were mixed up, and you affirm that mixing up the samples of the three players is a plausible scenario, then your conclusion that the sample that was tested, “as far as the drug testing system is concerned (both MLB & MLBPA) […] was Braun’s sample,” does not follow from your premises.

I, like you, seek only the truth. If I knew that I could get anywhere with my own investigation I wouldn’t hesitate to undertake it, but I’m not going to toss my retirement fund down the toilet chasing ghosts. That being said, I think the only option we have left is to critically analyze the information at hand, and build the best deductive scenarios we can build. What say you?

Now, the $64,000 question is: Who are the other two players that were tested that day?

Have a read..

I may be a conspiracy theorist, but it’s better than being another idiotic pessimist who condemns someone without knowing all the facts.

MY opinion is that you believe in heroes, and your’s was found to be a drug user, and is now a practicing bald faced liar.

Nevertheless I am objective enough to consider that possibility regardless of the arbitrators ruling. However, the most important information in this case is still missing which leads me as an objective person to not exonerate Braun as of yet.

Truth be told, if he did use illegal substances, I don’t care. I will not hate him any more or less than I do right now. The only thing I am seeking is the truth.

Saying that it is the only explanation, scientific or otherwise, is inaccurate. There is another explanation, and my conjecture is just as plausible as your conjecture.

The sample that was tested and showed that the donor had abnormal levels of testosterone and synthetic testosterone was not Ryan Braun’s; it belong to one of the other two Brewer players that were sampled that day along with Braun.

Somehow, somewhere, the containers got mislabeled. IMO, I think it happened at the testing facility.

Some of my favorite players of all time were found to be involved with steroids, and honestly speaking, I don’t care. However this case is being presented as if Braun has been exonerated which is just a complete fabrication. Bloggers like you are trying to shape the perception to make Braun look innocent, and It is inconsistent with the facts that we have.

1. The drug test process was voided because of a procedural technicality.

2. Ryan Bruan’s sample had elevated testosterone levels as well as synthetic testosterone.

The 2 issues have no relation. The arbitrator did not award Braun the appeal because he suspected that the sample was tampered with, he awarded it because of a procedural technicality.

A: The only scientific explanation for Braun’s sample results, that would exonerate him is; the sample was tampered with.

B. The arbitrator ruled it was not tampered with.

C. Under the findings of the MLB drug testing system; There is no explanation for why Braun’s sample contained synthetic testosterone and elevated testosterone.

This means, as far as the arbitrator is concerned Ryan Bruan’s sample DID contain elevated testosterone levels as well as synthetic testosterone.

Until someone can provide reasoning for the scientific data that shows Braun had those things in his system, the speculation is completely valid.

I am perfectly fine with him not serving a suspension. You have to honor the system and cannot toss out the decisions you don’t like. It’s fine in this case. It’s fine in a court of law.

But just like in a court of law where a scumbag (see OJ, see Casey Anthony, see whom ever the hell you want) gets off on a technicality I don’t have to view them as “innocent”.

The guy is dirty. His test was positive, it was not tampered with, end of story.

He should run along and sell his fairy tale to someone who gives a damn.

The off-the-charts test result proves the sample was either badly mishandled, contaminated, or both. What the result would have been had it been properly handled is impossible to reconstruct. There’s absolutely no burden on Braun to explain away that test result. It’s only importance is that it means nothing. To assume, as you do, that he got away with something is not just cynical and mean-spirited, it’s illogical and stupid.