On Monday, Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun was dealt a 65-game suspension for his connection with the Florida-based clinic Biogenesis, that ended his season and sent shockwaves throughout Major League Baseball. Unfortunately, Braun is likely to be just the first of many to be banned, with players like Alex Rodriguez, Melky Cabrera, and Jhonny Peralta anxiously awaiting their own verdicts.
What's even worse about this scandal, though, is that Braun's suspension means that he lied to us. A little over a year ago, in February of 2012, when a 50-game ban for doping levied against him was overturned, Braun stated that the favorable decision was, "the first step in restoring my good name and reputation," and that he was "able to get through this because I am innocent." Unbelievable. Ryan, if getting busted again is your idea of "restoring" your reputation, then you might want to get your head checked.
Of course, Braun certainly isn't the first to have gotten caught for the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Over the years, the list has become littered with names like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, and countless others. As fans of the game, it's hard to read about these stories and not feel a little bit shortchanged by these players' actions. After all, how can we watch these guys cheat when we've been told not to since we were in the Little League? Where have those core values of the game gone?
But, while it's undoubtedly disheartening, is it also possible that this mindset is somewhat unrealistic? Maybe we just have to accept that this is an inevitable aspect of any professional competition. And, more importantly, maybe because we're so concerned about steroid use, we've come to ignore what's still so great about this game. Undecided on the issue? We're here to help. End of Discussion: Is the Biogenesis Scandal the Last Straw for Baseball Fans?
What do you think? Read our arguments and share your thoughts at the end.