The major network morning shows led their 7:30am ET segment this morning on Broncos QB Peyton Manning denying the Al Jazeera report that linked him and his wife, Ashley, to HGH. NBC’s Craig Melvin said, “One of sport’s biggest stars defending his legacy and finding support from his team and fans” ("Today," NBC, 12/28). USA Today’s Lindsay Jones said, “This is the sort of thing that could just put some questions about all the things that he has accomplished” (“CBS This Morning,” 12/28). ABC’s Dan Abrams saying, “(Manning) certainly could sue; I don’t think he will, and here’s why: even if it’s false, he’d still have to show as a legal matter that there was ‘reckless disregard for the truth’ by Al Jazeera” (“GMA,” ABC, 12/28). Meanwhile, Charles Sly, a man named in the Al Jazeera documentary “The Dark Side” as a former pharmacist at the Guyer Institute, and who said he mailed HGH to Ashley Manning, late Sunday "recanted his allegations" (DENVER POST, 12/28). Dale Guyer of the Guyer Institute in Indianapolis also denied the report: “I have no reason to believe these allegations are based in fact or have any truth. In fact, I can say with absolute certainty they are not” (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 12/28). The allegations against Manning dominated yesterday's sports shows, and Manning went on ESPN to deny the report: “Disgusted is really how I feel, sickened by it. ... It’s completely fabricated, complete trash, garbage.” Asked by Lisa Salters if he had ever used HGH, Manning said, “Absolutely not. Absolutely not” ("Sunday NFL Countdown," ESPN, 12/27).
AL JAZERRA STANDS BEHIND REPORT: THE MMQB’s Peter King wrote at the "base of the dispute between the Manning camp and Al Jazeera is Sly’s employment history at the Guyer Institute." When he recanted his testimony over the weekend, Sly said he worked for founder Dale Guyer of the anti-aging clinic in 2013, not in 2011, when Manning was a patient.” Guyer issued a statement that said: “I would emphasize that Mr. Sly was never an employee of the Guyer Institute and his brief three-month internship occurred in 2013 during which time Peyton was not even being treated or present in the office.” Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reporter Deborah Davies did not speculate to King on Peyton Manning’s HGH use. She said: “I feel confident in what we said in our program -- that HGH was shipped to Ashley Manning in Florida” (MMQB.SI.com, 12/28). ESPN’s Chris Mortensen said, “From a league standpoint, whatever league these guys play in, the protocols are to take a look to see if there’s any credible information and documented information that would lead to some type of an investigation. Peyton Manning is more than confident as is Sly that there is no documentation that will show that Peyton Manning used HGH"(“Mike & Mike,” ESPN Radio, 12/28).
OTHERS NAMED: Steelers LB James Harrison, who was also named in the report, denied he received any PEDs from the clinic: “They never supplied me with anything. I never took steroids” (PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 12/28). Harrison: “Plainly, it’s B.S.” (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 12/28). The report cited a number of players in both MLB and the NFL and both leagues “indicated they will investigate the report” (Mult., 12/28).
SUPPORTING PEYTON: Manning had support from many commentators and those connected to the game. NBC’s Tony Dungy: “I would be shocked if it was true for one overriding reason -- his feeling of responsibility for young people” (“Football Night In America,” 12/27). Former Colts President Bill Polian said, “I’ve been around this league a long time and I’ve seen a lot of crazy and despicable things. This is among the worst I’ve ever witnessed. I can tell you that there isn’t a shred of doubt in my mind what Peyton is saying isn’t 1,000-percent accurate” (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 12/28). YAHOO SPORTS’ Eric Adelson: “Manning has two crucial factors working for him as this story develops: the sterling reputation he has built and the less-than-sterling reputation of his sport.” But Manning cannot “take all of this lightly. His statement, "though emphatic, is not enough." Manning "can rely on his reputation, but he can’t fully depend on it” (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 12/28). In Indianapolis, Gregg Doyel wrote, “There’s nothing here to believe, nothing to link Peyton Manning to the illegal HGH. …I believe in Peyton Manning” (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 12/28). In N.Y., Michael Powell looks at the bigger picture and writes, “The shock would be to discover that more than a few men in this morally compromised sport are completely clean” (N.Y. TIMES, 12/28).
ARI’S ROLE: Manning has retained crisis communications consultant Ari Fleischer as a spokesperson, and Fleischer denounced the report to the Denver Post on Saturday night. PRO FOOTBALL TALK’s Mike Florio wrote, “He may not be losing sleep over it, but Manning or someone close to him is sufficiently concerned about the donut hole that emerged on Saturday to retain the services of someone who helps high-profile people put out P.R. firestorms for a living” (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 12/27). Fleischer is a partner with long-time Manning confidant Sandy Montag of The Montag Group (THE DAILY).
A PITY PARTY ON TV? In N.Y., Bob Raissman writes, “This is not to suggest Lisa Salters’ Sunday morning interview with Peyton Manning … was a Twinkie Munch. Yet what followed the spot was nothing more than a Peyton Pity Party hosted by Chris Berman. It made us realize why Manning decided to do his spinning, er, state his case on ESPN’s ‘Sunday Countdown.’” Raissman: “We continued watching but never heard that an Al Jazeera executive or spokesman would appear on ESPN for balance sake. Anyway, we can only conclude if Manning wants to do TV when he retires it will be at ESPN. The network that gave him a soft landing spot when he desperately needed one." While ESPN "'embraced’ the Manning story," NFL Network "ran from it." The best NFL Net could do "was have snoop Ian Rapoport report info that was already out there. That was it. None of the two former coaches, or five former players who work on two different Sunday morning NFLN shows commented on the Manning story. What a disgrace!” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/28).
