Restaurant-goers, baseball fans celebrate at Ryan Braun's Graffito
MILWAUKEE -- Ryan Braun fans celebrated Braun's 50-game suspension being overturned Friday at the restaurant bearing his name, Ryan Braun's Graffito in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward.
Fans celebrated Braun's confident statement during his press conference Friday afternoon, and say they appreciated how he answered all the questions from reporters. "I think this is gonna help his reputation because he handled this with more class than I ever could've handled it," Drew Mitchel said.
"I think he's absolutely genuine, and I think he has been very, very classy, and professional throughout this whole thing," Katie Ferraro said.
Omar Shaikh is the owner of Ryan Braun's Graffito. He believed the star outfielder would be exonerated, but he hated to see Braun go through the grueling process. "To see him go through that, being falsely-accused, after he achieved the highest-award possible, after he earned that - yeah, it hurt a lot of those people close to him," Shaikh said.
While Braun has been cleared, there are those who say the slugger only got off, thanks to a technicality. "That's not fair to say that. He's innocent, and he's proved it. I really think, after watching the press conference today, people will change their opinions," Shaikh said.
For his part, Shaikh says his opinion of Braun remains the same since Braun, himself, remains the same high-character person Shaikh has known for years. "I know him as a person, and I remember being with him in Los Angeles. He wouldn't even take a Five-Hour Energy, because he didn't know what's in it, let alone a steroid!" Shaikh said.