Ryan Braun struggles to maintain credibility amid PED rumors

As Yogi Berra would say, it's déjà vu all over again.

For the second consecutive year, Milwaukee Brewers leftfielder Ryan Braun reports to spring training this week dogged by questions about performance-enhancing drugs.

The circumstances are quite different from one year ago, when news was leaked of Braun's positive drug test for an unusually high level of synthetic testosterone. An arbitration panel later overturned a 50-game suspension, which would have begun on opening day.

This time, the all-star's name surfaced on the logs of a Miami anti-aging clinic linked to supplying baseball players with PEDs. Braun quickly issued a statement saying his attorneys merely used clinic operator Anthony Bosch as a consultant in their defense planning for the 2012 arbitration hearing.

But in the court of public opinion, the damage was done. Across social media platforms, Braun has been blasted by baseball fans who don't yet have the facts but subscribe to the theory that where there's smoke, there's fire.

Jonathan Norman, senior director of client strategy for GMR Marketing of New Berlin, understands the rush to judgment on Braun but cautions fans to sit back, take a deep breath and wait for the facts to come out.

"What I would say is social media has taken the news cycle from days to minutes and seconds," Norman said. "The court of public opinion is much like a drive-through restaurant instead of a sit-down meal.

"People are quick to form their own judgments because of the way we're sharing this information. You're expected to not only form an opinion but to share it."
When it comes to PEDs, athletes no longer receive the benefit of the doubt. Too many have made strong denials that later were revealed as lies. Exhibit A is cyclist Lance Armstrong, whose years of deceit and manipulation were exposed as the workings of an arrogant con artist.

Fair or not, it's natural for some fans to jump to conclusions when it comes to Braun.

"I think it's sort of like playing roulette," Norman said. "To assume that because it hit red last time it's going to hit black this time, that's false logic. We're in a time when PEDs are in the public conversation and it's easy to make a reach, especially when all the facts are not known."

Even noted sportscaster Bob Costas has weighed in, questioning why Braun's defense team would use Bosch as a consultant and saying that "we all know (Braun) got off on a technicality (in 2012)."

Arbitrator Shyam Das cast the deciding vote on what became a chain-of-custody issue after Braun's urine sample was taken for a drug test in October 2011. Das later was fired by Major League Baseball, which clearly was unhappy with the panel's finding.

"People say (Braun) got off on a technicality," said David Leigh, a clinical assistant professor in exercise science at Marquette University and an expert in the field of testing athletes for PEDs. "I would not say that. I would say MLB's drug-testing protocol was flawed."

But even Leigh, who has been an athlete representative at the Goodwill Games and Pan American Games, wonders why Braun's legal team would use Bosch as a consultant.

"I would think I'd want to go to a (doctor) or a researcher in the field of drug testing vs. a guy who is running a lab in Miami that doesn't have credentials," Leigh said. "Was it just advice? OK, fine. Again, I would say you should go to somebody else for advice."

Braun opened spring training last year by making an impassioned 30-minute speech during a news conference in which he fought to save his reputation and integrity. Defiant but eloquent, he claimed he was the "victim of a process that completely broke down and failed."

Playing with a chip on his shoulder and often to jeering and catcalls from opposing teams' fans, Braun led the National League in homers (41), total bases (356) and runs (108) while batting .319, driving in 112 runs and stealing 30 bases.

This year, the circumstances are different.

Braun's name was in the ledgers of Biogenesis, the Miami clinic linked to supplying baseball players with performance-enhancing drugs. Yahoo Sports reported the ledger indicated a payment due of $20,000 to $30,000, but Braun said in his statement that there was a dispute with Bosch about the fee and that's why his name and the monetary figure were listed.

Norman said Braun was smart to issue his statement quickly after the Yahoo Sports report broke.

"I think Ryan did the right thing by issuing the press release and his comments on the case," Norman said. "My best recommendation is to get him on the field and let the process play out.

"Major League Baseball has announced that they are conducting their due diligence through the investigation."

As for Braun's guilt or innocence regarding PEDs and the veracity of his statement, Leigh said "it would not surprise me either way."

"Again, is his name on a list because he was a University of Miami athlete?" Leigh said. "Let MLB do the investigation. His name was on a list? Well, so what? Do we have other positive tests? No, we don't. With Lance Armstrong they found positive tests going way back."

As for Braun defending himself against an onslaught of criticism in social media, Norman said there was little the player could do.

"Social media makes it difficult to not have an opinion on these types of issues and topics," he said. "As you know the news cycle has shortened immensely. From a marketing standpoint I believe Ryan has done everything he can."


(jsonline.com)