ESPN Ryan Braun story

[happyyoungster]

Not a shameless self-promotion...I just was willing to tell "our" story.
I think the storyline is relevant for all collectors.

The video is approx. 3:30.

Here's the link. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxNyy0jY4jI)

[MLB~NUT]

Glad to see ESPN did the story... Braun should feel like a Tool, but Im sure he's more upset over getting Caught...

[allstarsplus]

In the late 1990's we used to travel as a family to out-of-town games and to the big autograph shows. A thrill of a lifetime was surprising all of my kids in 1999 to fly them to the last series of 1999 to St. Louis to see the Cardinals play the Cubs with McGwire and Sosa.

My kids have met McGwire, Sosa, and had a meal with Barry Bonds. They've met Roger Clemens and ARod and so many others.

Those were the players they collected and admired, and the collections used to be proudly displayed in our home we had until we moved in 2005. The "tainted" collection was all boxed up and put in storage and not sure what I will do with all of it.

The 500 HR Club guys we used to admire became our Hall of Shame. My hard earned money I paid to acquire the pieces is just a part of it.

My youngest daughter (now 10) came home from the hospital on the same day in 2003 when Roger Clemens won his 300th. It's strange how many milestones I've shared with my children and how many talks we have had about PEDs and doing the right thing since my kids all play sports.

Nick, I feel your pain.

[metsbats]

At least Braun and the others are setting a good example by taking responsibility for their wrong actions and accepting the ban. Can't say the same for the guy who plays in pinstripes.

[Jags Fan Dan]

At least Braun and the others are setting a good example by taking responsibility for their wrong actions and accepting the ban. Can't say the same for the guy who plays in pinstripes.

After skirting the first suspension on a technicality, swearing he was clean, and now this, I think the example he has set is to lie for as long as you can get by with.

[yanks12025]

At least Braun and the others are setting a good example by taking responsibility for their wrong actions and accepting the ban. Can't say the same for the guy who plays in pinstripes.

Braun is far from setting a good example. The guy destroyed another's person job and credit not long ago. He lied to everyone many times. He only took the suspension because there was so much proof against him.

[metsbats]

I agree with you both. All I was referring to was making the choice to accept wrong doing and not contesting the ban. (Manning up and taking responsiblity).

[xpress34]

Braun is far from setting a good example. The guy destroyed another's person job and credit not long ago. He lied to everyone many times. He only took the suspension because there was so much proof against him.

That's EXACTLY what I said when he got off on the technicality in the 1st place.

He didn't accept responsibility and he sure as hell didn't feel bad ruining the life of someone he probably considered 'beneath' him as long as he didn't get punished.

Does anyone really think he 'manned' up 'accepting' responsibility this time? I don't. I think he saw 65 games without pay versus 100 and figured he might as well start it now and collect a full season's salary next year.

I also think when guys get busted, their contract should be null and void as well. I don't think the clubs should have to pay them - BUT - I also think the clubs should bear some responsibility when they sign or resign guys who have 'questions' floating around them. Even though I advocate them being able to void the cheats contracts, I think the value of the contract should still be held against the club as far as 'luxury tax' purposes for the length of what was left on the contract.

Just like the A-Rod deal. Even if MLB bans him, I think the Yankees should be able to rescind his contract, but I also think the full value should be held against the Yankees payroll (they made the deal) until the natural end of the contract period.

Just my .02

- Smitty

P.S. - I have not and will not watch the video. I have ZERO interest in what comes out of his mouth.

[toddhead]

... P.S. - I have not and will not watch the video. I have ZERO interest in what comes out of his mouth.

The video isn't Ryan Braun... it is happyyoungster and his daughter...

[Puig66]

Nick,

That's a really nice video piece.

It's very uplifting to see your daughter display morals and integrity at such a young age. Obviously you are doing the fatherhood thing right. It also supports the proper message that cheating isn't the way to do things in life. If we want our society to stay strong, these are important issues.

Somewhere along the line, the cheaters need to be dealt with in a harsher fashion. It seems the only real punishment they are serving is the backlash from public sentiment. The financial losses from the suspensions are viewed by these cheaters as a "necessary evil". Sure, it sucks to get caught, but short of cheating, they don't get the big "payday" in the first place. So, where's the deterrent?

Obviously the suspensions aren't enough. My personal belief is Selig is not the right man to fix the problem. Sure, he's doing something. He has no choice. But he's in too deep with the owners, the guys paying huge amounts to the cheaters who in turn bring in the fan base and money. It's a mess, a tangled web of a support system built on a foundation of sand.

The best way I can describe my disgust with the whole cheating era, and Selig's mismanagement of it, is to recall watching Barry Bonds. Here was a guy grotesquely larger than most of his prior playing years, surrounded neck deep in questions he addressed with curt arrogant denials, yet left to plow forward with Herculean ease and frequency late in his career, putting up impossible H.R. numbers no one at his age had ever sniffed prior. And there sat Selig idly, allowing him to march pass the great Henry Aaron's record. Shameful.

And now, here comes A-Rod on the great Willie Mays mark.

Something needs to be done. The cockroaches need to be exterminated. Not just chased into another room for awhile.

Bram

[mdube16]

What a great video. Congrats on the way it came out.

[jbean023]

Not to take anything away from the video because it's very sad for kids that see these guys as role models but here is my opinion on the whole subject.

This whole PED talk is a joke in this era. Okay maybe the years when PEDs were just being introduced, those guys have something to talk about where maybe it was 50/50 in the league. If you think Puig, Haper, Trout, Fat Albert, Machado, Longoria, or any of your favorite heroes aren't a GNC or supplement robot then you are about as crazy as folks that think the US will get into a sustainable debt one day. These guys don't look like this with just weights and a good diet, they are full of supplements(PEDs). Any kind of over the counter medication to any prescription is a performance enhancing drug is some sort of way if you look at it. Some of them like Braun if you take a look at him he looks like a normal man so there are all kinds of PEDs that are made for different reasons and different people. PEDs will be in every sport for the rest of the sports existence. And if any of you are sitting there saying if someone put 20 million dollars in front of you to take a few pills or take a few shots and you wouldn't do then quit lying to yourself and if you seen a check for 20 million your mind would change. That's how the US is a country full of greed and the upper hand.

Anything you buy at GNC is a PED in some sort of way, yes even vitamins so why isn't vitamins in the performance enhancing drug category. They help something in your body perform better than normal aging would. The whole PED thing is a joke and if that's going to impact the game used market then you should just stop collecting anyone playing now and into the future. When the Mavs won the NBA title they used cryogenic chambers, that's performance enhancing Ive been in one and its insane how you feel when you get out. If they had this in Hank Aarons day who knows how many home runs he could of hit. You cant compare different eras of sports. I've also had Tommy John surgery, after that they offered me about anything you want. O you want morphine for a month no problem. In the 80s it was cortisone shots, cocaine, and pills these days its chemicals and supplements that will be around for the rest of sports existence. Do you think Usain Bolt wins every 100m dash because he eats healthy and runs everyday? lol I could discuss this topic for weeks because there's so many tedious things that you could discuss but get ready for PEDs to be a part of sports for the rest of time. If football did blood tests then we would be watching junior high football on Sundays. This is a new era of life.

[packfan84]

Nice piece and a great collection. I'm kind of going through the same thing as you regarding my Nelson Cruz collection. My son was 8 months old during the 2011 ALCS and I watched most of that series with him sleeping on me. I can remember Game 4 he was screaming unless I put him in the laundry basket and pulled him around the house in it. The Rangers started playing better as I started pulling, so superstitious me pulled him for the last 3-4 innings straight. During that time Cruz gunned down Cabrera at the plate and homered in extra innings and they won. That will always be a special memory.

[MLB~NUT]

I agree, these Repeat Cheaters should be Banned from baseball and have their Contracts Voided!:D Thats the Only thing they will understand, let them get a 9-5...:cool: