If my headline piqued your interest, that's great. That was kind of the point. If you're reading this because you want to know the answer that question, stop now. I'm pretty sure there isn't one, or at least not a good one. But it is worth exploring, because I am definitely happy about the situation the Brewers' slugger (and 2011 NL MVP) has found himself in.
First, you have to know some background on me and my biases (which you may already know):
-I am a fan of the San Francisco Giants and during my formidable childhood years, Barry Bonds was my favorite player.
-I think that every player since 1988 (or so) should be
under the cloud of the "Steroid Era". This includes guys like Ken
Griffey, Jr. If you played during this era, you are under suspicion,
whether you're directly linked or not.
-If someone is linked to PEDs, or has a body
(or a body of work) that doesn't seem natural, I automatically think
they are guilty, regardless of evidence or statements to the contrary.
-I have a lot of family and friends in Wisconsin and, other than them, beer, and cheese, I see no redeeming quality in that state.
So
am I happy because this is bad for Wisconsin? I'd be lying if I said
that wasn't a part of it. Schadenfreude is real, and I do find pleasure
in the fact that the best baseball player in the state finally went
down. It also doesn't hurt that Braun's biggest supporter during his
2011-2012 PED scandal was Green Bay Packers Quarterback Aaron Rogers,
whom I have a healthy (unhealthy?) dislike of. My hatred of Wisconsin
definitely plays a role here, but I don't think it can fully explain the
amount of joy in my heart.
Maybe I'm happy because my childhood hero is a known
(though not proven) steroid user who is pretty universally hated. Every
time someone gets popped for steroids, it makes what Barry Bonds did
less outrageous and it makes his accomplishments more valid. If everyone
was on 'roids (they were), it doesn't really matter that Barry Bonds
was too, but it does matter that he was still better than everyone else.
I understand that his place on the list of "Greatest Baseball Players
of All Time" will forever be affected by his (alleged) use of banned
substances and the era in which he played, but isn't the best cheater
among cheaters still the best? The more people who are busted, and the
longer this era extends, the more likely that history will remember
Barry Bonds in a kinder way than most think possible right now. This is
true, and makes me happy, but again, it doesn't account for the fact
that I've had a smile on my face since the Braun news broke.
It
could be that Braun's guilt will go down as another case of a guy
vehemently denying allegations against him before those (or similar)
allegations are proven true. The list of these guys would exceed the
character limit on this blog. I do like to see bad things happen to bad
people, but I don't think this is the answer to my quest.
Is
it that baseball is cleaning itself up? Nope. If anything, this proves
that the Steroid Era is still going and that this game is far from
clean. In fact, Braun being a PED user shows us that it isn't only guys
who look impossibly muscular (Yasiel Puig) or those who put up
impossible numbers (Chris Davis) who are using. It could be anybody. Let
those words sink in and really understand what that means. Anybody and
everybody could be using this stuff, including those who previously
passed the smell test. Braun is now our shining example that it doesn't
necessarily blow your head up like a balloon or allow you to break all
kinds of records. It might just make you good enough to win an MVP while
playing for a decent team. It might just make you good enough to sit at
the end of a bench for five seasons and make a couple million dollars.
This paragraph is so depressing that it can't be why I'm so happy.
I've
got it! It's because while this may not be good for baseball, it is
good for society. I don't want kids worshiping guys who don't deserve it
(like I did). I want these guys found out and I want them to suffer the
consequences of their actions. But, who can kids look up to if not
their favorite baseball player? And does anyone really believe that a
multimillionaire losing a few bucks and being shamed for a few months is
going to change anything? If doing steroids is the reason for my ascent
to fame and wealth, and then becomes the reason for my (relatively
short) downfall, isn't that a net positive? Doesn't the upside of PED use heavily outweigh the downside? Won't it always?
