On July 23, Ryan Braun was suspended for the remainder of the MLB season without pay as a penalty for using performance-enhancing drugs. Braun will miss 65 games and lose about $3.2 million in salary.
Many believe that Braun got off much too easily, considering that he still has over $100 million on his current contract and his Brewers team is in last place in its division. I completely agree that Braun’s punishment doesn’t fit his crime, but MLB is basically powerless to increase the penalty.
The rules of the most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement state that a player will be suspended 50 games the first time they test positive for PEDs. This is Braun’s first positive test and even giving Braun 65 games in this case seems arbitrary, so fans should not look to Bud Selig to level a harsher penalty.
However, there is a way to increase the penalty Braun will receive; the fans can do it themselves.
We, the fans, are generally powerless in sports. We have no power over the price of tickets, nor do we have much control over how much our favorite team’s ownership is willing to spend in order to win games.
The only power we really have is the use of our eyes and our voices. We can watch whichever games we choose and we can send cheers in the direction of whomever we desire.
Baseball fans can and should now use this power to make Braun’s penalty much harsher than it appears on the surface. Because he certainly deserves it.
Over the last several days, Braun has revealed himself to be the anti-sportsman, a player without integrity or honor. His first offense, cheating the game by using PEDs to bolster his numbers was bad enough, but could be understood if not condoned. His second offense was much worse.
Braun’s press conference following the overturning of his original positive test reveals his major transgression. He stepped in front of cameras and boldly lied to the entire world. Not only did he lie, he questioned the integrity of the process that led to him testing positive and the integrity of the people involved in that process.
Braun’s comments concerning the process caused sample collector Dino Laurenzi Jr “great emotional distress,” and exposed the Milwaukee outfielder as baseball’s version of Lance Armstrong, someone who would step on anybody if it helped him maintain his position atop the sports world.
Braun’s actions in lying to the public and dragging another man’s reputation through the mud for personal gain are certainly worthy of a larger penalty than any MLB can justly dish out. This is where the fans can use their power.
I will never watch another game that Ryan Braun participates in; I will never attend a Brewers game for as long as Braun is part of their team; and I will never buy any product that Braun endorses. I urge all baseball fans to do the same. This is how we can make a difference. We can use the power of our eyes to drop the Brewers’ TV ratings and lower their attendance.
If ratings drop far enough, maybe Braun will be traded and fans can boycott another team. Maybe one day teams will decide Braun is not worth the risk or distraction and pass on signing him. Maybe he won’t be able to play in MLB any more.
For those who insist on going to games Braun plays in, I recommend continuous booing throughout every at-bat or a boisterous chant of “CHEAT-ER, CHEAT-ER” if they feel so inclined. Those in left field at Brewers game can continue this when Braun is in the field.
In the near future, it is likely that Braun will issue a heartfelt apology to everyone he hurt. After this apology many fans will be inclined to forgive him, but I will not be able to do so. I will remember how heartfelt he sounded when he proclaimed his innocence and I will assume that, once again, he is insincere. He has squandered any right to the benefit of the doubt.
It may sound callous of me to deny Braun any chance at redemption, but if we continue to give out second chances as fans, players will continue to cheat and lie to us. This time, we have the power to change the game. Let’s use it.
Dylan Sinn is a freelance contributor for CraveOnline Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSinn or subscribe at Facebook.com/CraveOnlineSports.
Photo Credit: Getty
