If you think A-Rod and Ryan Braun's lies are something else, you don't watch enough MSNBC or FOX News. Deplorable Republican strategist Karl Rove's is as the brains behind George W. Bush's swiftboating of 2004 Democratic Presidential Nominee John Kerry's record during his time as a NAVY commander aboard the Swift Boat in Vietnam. It was diabolical, yet, ingenius and helped secure Bush's second term. Since then, swiftboating has become a de facto tool for negative politicians seeking low tides to lift their boats. Instead, it's become part of political jargon to define a dishonest, yet effectively negative attack of a political opponent's record. Braun could teach Karl Rove a thing or two about manipulation.
Just when it seems like Braun was ready to mend his reputation by publicly copping to using perfomance enhancing drugs, details have begun spilling out and filling in the cloudy haze surrounding his attempts to cover up steroid use after his infamous positive test from 2011.
His former friend, Ralph Sasson, broke his silence by filing a civil suit claiming that Braun has been using ‘roids since he was a University of Miami slugger.
According to reports by Yahoo Sports and ESPN, Braun sought the help of stars from around the league including Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto, Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp, who finished second to Braun in the NL MVP voting that year, to aid in his smear campaign against MLB test collector Dino Laurenzi Jr. From the sound of it, Braun was willing to sink pretty low to keep his reputation cleaner than his urine test by using his religion as a shield.
Via ESPN:
According to sources, Braun called veteran players around baseball privately at that time to lobby for their support. In the calls — confirmed by three sources — Braun told other players that in the preparation for his appeal, some information had become known about the collector of his urine sample, Dino Laurenzi Jr., including that he was a Cubs fan — with the implication he might work against Braun, who played for a division rival of the Cubs.
The sources indicate that when Braun made his pleas for support to other players, he did so in anticipation of the possibility that he would lose his appeal. Instead, Braun became the first player to win an appeal.
A number of players with whom Braun spoke, including Brewers teammates, believed the allegations. A source close to Dino Laurenzi Jr., the test collector, said the anti-Semitism allegation is untrue; his fan allegiance is unclear. It added to the backlash against Braun inside the Milwaukee clubhouse as well as outside following his recent 65-game suspension for his involvement with the Biogenesis clinic. Kemp told reporters people in the game felt “betrayed” and that he was “disappointed.”
