Al Jazeera backing off from Manning allegations

Manning, Al Jazeera said, first online and then on the air, was one of several athletes who got human growth hormones, classified as a banned performance enhancing drug by the National Football League, from the Guyer Institute in Indianapolis.

“The clinic was sending out not one shipment but repeated shipments of growth hormone to Ashley Manning in Florida – that’s it, that’s the allegation”, said Al Jazeera investigative reporter Deborah Davies on the “Today” show on Tuesday.

Sly, a man labeled in the documentary as a former pharmacist at The Guyer Institute, was recorded in the undercover investigation saying he mailed HGH to Manning’s wife, Ashley, to avoid any link to the quarterback. When Guthrie asked if the documentary had any evidence against Manning, Davis replied “We aren’t making the allegation against Peyton Manning”.

While there is not a specific allegation made against Peyton Manning or proof that he used HGH, Davies noted that the quarterback has not denied that his wife received shipments of HGH from Guyer. The report claimed that Manning used HGH during his recovery from injury, and has since been under great scrutiny.

Manning told ESPN that his wife’s medical treatments are “her business”. “Which means that Al Jazeera or Charlie Sly, whoever he wants to sue, knew that what they were saying was false or had what the courts call reckless regard, they just didn’t care about whether it was true or false”, said Catlin, who specializes in defamation cases.

“Like growth hormone, all the time, everywhere…” “In fact, I can say with absolute certainty they are not”, Guyer said. According to the allegation, the clinic sent the HGH to Manning’s wife, Ashley, to cover its tracks.

Mr. Manning has denounced the report, calling it “complete garbage” and “totally made up”. “It never happened. Never”.

Sly has recanted what he said while being filmed undercover in “The Dark Side”.

Sly worked as an unpaid intern at the Guyer Institute of Molecular Medicine in Indianapolis for three months in 2013. Truthfully, I don’t put much stock into anything (that’s being reported)…

“We have not said that in the program”, Davies said. “Under no circumstances should any of those recordings, statements or communications be aired”.

Another player named in the report, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison, said he has looked into legal action only to be told it wouldn’t be worth the cost.

The NFL, however, could be forgiven for waiting for the story itself to continue to develop over the “he said, she said” antics of the parties involved in the story.