The bombshell story that Al Jazeera released over the weekend certainly implied that Peyton Manning has used performance-enhancing drugs, but lead reporter Deborah Davies wants to make it clear that she never directly accused Manning of doing anything illegal.
In an appearance on NBC’s “Today” show this week, Davies stressed that Al Jazeera never said Manning used HGH.
“We have not said that in the program,” she said, per SportsBusiness Daily. “The only allegation in the program from Charlie Sly is that growth hormone was sent repeatedly from the Guyer [Institute] to Ashley Manning in Florida. We’re not making the allegation against Peyton Manning.
“Let’s make it clear what the allegation is. The allegation in the program is very simple, that when Charlie Sly worked in the Guyer [Institute] doing part of his training … the clinic was sending out not one shipment but repeated shipments of growth hormone to Ashley Manning in Florida. That’s it.”
As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes, that could be Davies’ way of preparing for a potential lawsuit from Manning. In a transcript from the report that was published by Huffington Post, Sly is very clearly implying that Ashley Manning received shipments of HGH for Peyton.
“All the time we would be sending Ashley Manning drugs,” Sly said while being secretly recorded. “Like growth hormone, all the time, everywhere, Florida. And it would never be under Peyton’s name, it would always be under her name.”
A spokesman for Manning admitted that Peyton’s wife had a prescription from the anti-aging clinic. Manning claims he is furious his wife’s medical history is being made public, and that was one of the main points he made when he appeared on the verge of tears in this emotional interview.
Davies made it clear she is standing by her report, but it’s also obvious that she is protecting herself in the event of a defamation suit.
