Ryan Braun Results Thrown Out

This was a situation that was already a no win situation for major league baseball and it only got worse.  First their National League MVP failed a drug test.  Not how you want to celebrate one of your best players.  He then challenged the test results and won, something that has never happened before.  MLB then came out and said the results were correct and Ryan Braun got off on a technicality.  So now MLB is slandering their own and has even mentioned taking this to court.  What a mess.

There are zero winners here.  Ryan Braun now has a failed drug test hanging over his head.  And while he won the arbitrator over his test results were not said to be wrong.  So while he may be happy to have this part over with he'll always have a failed drug test staining his reputation.  Baseball for it's part must now fix the testing system to avoid this particular issue happening again.  It is a black eye and you have to wonder how many other players who tested positive had a shot of getting their suspensions overturned.  Add to that the attack they leveled on Braun post overturned suspension and they need to take a step back.  National League Central teams not from Milwaukee not have to face Braun 50 more times than they had planned for.  Fans lose as we now have a great player with a failed drug test, a flawed testing system that we will always wonder about, and  more talk about a subject, performance enhancing drugs, that we would be just as happy to avoid. 

My take is it is what it is.  A failed drug test.  That fact has not changed and I'll always view Braun as someone who failed the test.  Baseball must move on.  Fix it and be ready to handle the next time this occurs.  These situations are bad no matter how they come out so baseball executives must handle them with more grace.  I'd rather not ever have to deal with the subject but it won't go away.  Much better players than Braun have already gone down in a cloud of suspicion or guilt.  And there will be more.  I just hope the testing gets better and the subsequent handling goes smoother.  Controversies like this one do nothing but hurt the sport.