More on Ryan Braun

OK, after a few phone calls, some time to think and finding someone to take my ticket to today's Jets game, let's tackle this story in greater detail:

My understanding is we probably won't have a final verdict on the Braun case until February, right around spring training. Why does it take so long? That's the nature of the appeals process. Braun and his attorneys can bring in scientific experts to try to explain how, despite the test result, he did not actually use illegal PEDs.

The Brewers have to conduct business the next few months not knowing whether they'll have Braun for the first 50 games of the season. Although, if they look at the history of this matter, they'll probably plan to be Braun-less until about Memorial Day.

Rather than go underground or confess to wrongdoing, Clemens challenged the allegations against him in the Mitchell Report. He's still challenging them.

Braun could've no-commented upon being contacted by ESPN, but instead, he essentially confirmed the charges against him, in order to try to refute them. A very interesting PR strategy.

Here's the difference: Clemens has a half-decent chance of riding his strategy to victory (legally, if not PR-wise). He's dealing with the unpredictability of a jury, he has smart lawyers who can play to the crowd, the prosection's witnesses are flawed and, as we've already seen, the government attorneys are not geniuses.

Braun? He's facing a situation in which no one has ever successfully overturned a failed drug test. Not since this process began in 2004. He has quite the uphill climb.

All true. Yet in order to revoke a season award, the BBWAA would have to officially legislate that. Whereas the Hall of Fame elections reflect the apparent feelings of a majority of voters - and let's be clear, we're not even sure how many of those voters simply don't think McGwire or Palmeiro is Cooperstown-worthy just based on the numbers.

Maybe someone in the BBWAA will propose legislation, down the road, to institue such a revocation process. I know that, as long as I'm hanging around, I'd fight such a proposal.

This drug-test tarnishes Braun and his MVP campaign. Baseball has been on such a good run, and now it's tarnished.

As the late Nell Carter used to sing, Gimme a Break.

You can tarnish something only if you think it's polished. If you view a baseball season with open eyes and an open mind, then you won't freak out when something like this happens.

If you take the emotion out of it, then numbers are what they are. There's no tarnish, no polish, no nuthin.' They're just statistics, and every stat has a backstory.

Bud Selig is partly to blame here. In thumping his chest about the sport's drug-testing program, he likes to say that the game is far cleaner than it used to be, before testing.

He's probably right. But in making those statements, he's setting himself up for moments like this one.

Better to be out in front, like MLB sort of is now, and catch a big name like this, instead of having fans point fingers and accuse. Ultimately, though, every era has its accomplishments and its failures. And I don't know why this era would be any different.

--OK, I'll post updates here if they come. But remember, we ain't going anywhere for a while, in terms of wrapping this up. Grab a Snickers bar.