Is Ignorance Bliss? (Why the Braun leak may not be so bad)

I've been as upset as anyone else. I've wished bad things on whoever leaked that Ryan Braun failed a drug test. I've wished bad things on the journalists (particularly Buster Olney) who have pretty much written off the rest of Braun's career as tainted. Every time I've gone more than 4 hours without checking Twitter, I check it in hopes of an explosion of positive Braun news that will allow me to go postal on Buster and try to get him to Twitter-block me.

Lately, though, as I've waited (and waited, and waited) for something...anything, for that matter...to come down on the Braun front, I've been imagining a parallel universe, one in which we're completely ignorant of Braun's failed test. And as I imagine this potentially blissful state of being, I realize that maybe what's happening now isn't really so bad...

October 16, 2011...Well, that sucked. I really hate the Cardinals and their ridiculous fans. I was at Miller Park for Game 6 of the NLCS and actually left in the 9th inning. It was a lonely walk to my car, but at least there weren't any Cardinals fans on the way. I couldn't stand to see the Cardinals celebrate at Miller Park. In fact, I probably can't even bring myself to watch the World Series.

October 28, 2011...Apparently the Cardinals won the World Series. Other than the last few innings of Game 6, I didn't watch any of it. I know I'm a baseball fan, but I just couldn't do it.

November 22, 2011...SWEET!! Ryan Braun is named the NL's MVP. He certainly deserved it. Kemp had a great year, but I think playing on a playoff team really swung things in Braun's favor. This will only help to cement his status as an all-time Brewers great.

December 12, 2011...No more Yuni! In news that feels almost as good as Braun winning the MVP, the Brewers sign Alex Gonzalez. And the great Yuni debacle of 2011 is over.

December, 14, 2011...Brewers sign Aramis Ramirez. It'll be weird to see him in a Brewers uniform. I thought I'd never forgive him for his walk off on 6/29/07 that, in my opinion, ended the Brewers season. Meh...it's been 5 years...I can get over it. I'll blame Cordero instead.

January 17, 2012...Brewers sign Norichika Aoki. Odd. I'm not sure why they would do that with an outfield that's pretty much set at the big league level. I suppose it can't hurt to bring in more able bodies, but is he really going to want to be a 5th outfielder?

January 21, 2012...Braun accepts MVP award at BBWAA banquet. Wow, I never even knew they had one of these. Why would I? It was cool to see all of the media fawning over a Milwaukee Brewer like this, though. Braun didn't seem to be eating it up as I expected he might, but I guess he can be a pretty quiet guy. Nice velvet tux, though.

January 24, 2012...Tigers sign Prince Fielder. It's been a good run. I really can't imagine a better place (other than Milwaukee) for him to have ended up. Living just outside Chicago I'll get to see him play a few times when the Tigers are in town. I'll cheer him wholeheartedly.

February 18, 2012...It's been a grueling month waiting for baseball, but it's here! Not much news happening as the Brewers open up camp to pitchers and catchers in Maryvale. I just hope K-Rod's not arriving on time isn't a distraction. I'm sure there's a good reason.

Now fast-forward to, really, any day now. Imagine not knowing what we already know. So peaceful...a spring training full of hope and the Brewers playoff window still wide open. You wake up tomorrow morning and load up Brew Crew Ball, or turn on ESPN and see "BRAUN FAILS DRUG TEST...SUSPENDED 50 GAMES"

Imagine the reaction at this point in the pre-season. Imagine being Braun and having to go through this whole process without being able to tell anyone what may potentially be happening...accepting the MVP award and having to accept the accolades of people who will probably now be vilifying you. Professing your innocence and giving excuses at this point will do nothing but heap on more negativity. No one will believe anything you say at this point. You failed the test...end of story. Making excuses at this point, no matter how legitimate, will be just that...excuses. Nobody wants to hear them.

If only we'd have known about the test sooner. We could have been behind him during this whole process, or at least have that hope to hang onto as Braun vigorously fights his appeal and tries to keep his name clean. He's our guy and if he says there's a good reason that this happened, I believe him.

Of course if he is cleared, and we were in this wonderful state of ignorant bliss all along, we wouldn't have known anything the whole time...and I'd have no reason to spew hatred toward Buster Olney from behind a computer. That wouldn't be so bad either, I suppose.

Also, I still haven't seen the last out of the Brewers 2011 season and that feels pretty good. Maybe ignorance IS bliss.