Braun's sincerity shines through for him and Brewers Nation

Ryan Braun showed passion, sincerity and a touch of emotion we aren't used to seeing from the Brewers left fielder Friday afternoon at Maryvale Baseball Park. All the more reason for not only Brewers fans, but baseball fans across the country.

I'm not going to go over the entire statement, but there were parts where the words and body language Braun displayed made him very believable with what he was saying. This was the NL MVP out of the element by which I know him by and he did himself so well on the mic. If you were one of the haters he mentioned during the statement, you had to take notice and eat some crow (that Aaron Rodgers talked about Thursday night on Twitter).

The line that stands out the most to me came quickly as Braun got to the point. (Transcript)

"If I had done this intentionally or unintentionally, I’d be the first one to step up and say, ‘I did it.’ By no means am I perfect, but if I’ve ever made any mistakes in my life I’ve taken responsibility for my actions. I truly believe in my heart, and I would bet my life, that this substance never entered my body at any point."

The emotion in the man's voice when he said those words gripped me. Watching this unfold, beyond me being a huge Brewers fan, I could not help but believe the words he was saying.

Just moments later, he took aim at some of the haters and rumors...

"Despite the fact there have been many inaccurate, erroneous and completely fabricated stories regarding this issue, I’ve maintained the integrity of the confidentiality of the process. There’s never been a personal medical issue, I’ve never had an STD. Many of the stories that were erroneously reported by the initial network continue to live on, and it’s sad and disappointing that this has become a PR battle and that people continue to leak information that’s inaccurate."

Have to love him putting the four-letter network on notice and dispute the STD rumor that circulated all over Twitter and Facebook in the last three months. With all the details Braun gave out on the entire process, I'd say he did quite well for himself in trying to get back his good name today.

There were times I looked to notes to guide him through what he wanted to say, but there were others where he ditched the sheet and spoke from the heart. That's very endearing to a public that will break down his every move throughout the season. Like he said, there will always be doubters.

The last line he delivered may have set the tone for the next step in the process for Braun.

I’ll try to answer all of your questions, but please respect the fact that I can’t get into many details of the process because it’s supposed to be confidential, and because of potential ongoing litigations and the fact that I am considering all my legal options. There may be some questions I can’t answer."

So we got a lot of details, but still don't know what was in the test. Either way, the Brewers have their MVP ready for the season. As great as I thought he was before, after today and the way he handled this turmoil, he has even more respect from me. It's something one can take into their own lives. That is what we take from our sports heroes isn't it?