Ryan Braun has tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug, which showed up in the form of synthetic testosterone in a urine sample. However, Braun is said to have been shocked by the results, and the ESPN report contains the following nugget of interest:
A source close to Braun said that when he was told about the positive test, he immediately requested to be tested again. That second test, the source said, was not positive. Those close to Braun believe that the difference between the two tests will show that the first test was invalid.
Well that's fascinating. One sample tested positive. A subsequent sample did not test positive. Something must have been wrong with the test on the first sample, right? Exoneration, ho!
Not quite. Maybe, but we don't know how much time passed between tests. They do, but we don't, and that's a critical piece of information. Additionally, the first sample seems to have been tested multiple times.
Braun seems to believe very strongly that he is innocent. Our responsibility, as fans, is to hear him out and give him a chance before we rush to conclusions. One does have to wonder, though. This is a curious day.