Ryan Braun had his 50-game suspension overturned, which was the big news that came out of Thursday and the main headline on Braun's story. The subtext, however, is still full of semantics and shades of meaning. Is Braun innocent of enhancing his performance with an illegal substance, or is he merely not guilty? The facts surrounding the case, which make it sound like the ruling to overturn was more or less based on a technicality, would argue in favor of the "not guilty" tag.
Is Braun exonerated -- as his pal Aaron Rodgers would have you believe -- or will the court of public opinion continue to have its suspicions, right or wrong?
is it "a real gut-kick to clean athletes," as Travis Tygart, chief executive officer of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, said? Or is it "the first step in restoring my good name and reputation," as Braun said?
If Braun isn't guilty, is it fair that he will have to live with the stain of being tabbed a cheater? If he is free on a technicality, is it fair that the Brewers will have his bat in the lineup to start the season?
So many questions. At least we know one thing: The Packers' playoff loss was not overturned.
