A Legacy On The Line

The reputation of a superstar athlete is in question after drug speculation

On Dec. 27, Al Jazeera English released an explosive report about the use of performance-enhancing drugs among current athletes. It is a documentary revealing how an Indianapolis-based clinic, the Guyer Institute of Molecular Medicine, was shipping these drugs to sports stars across the country. It is titled “The Dark Side” and implicates players ranging from the football, baseball and the Olympics. The biggest name involved is undoubtedly NFL quarterback Peyton Manning, who is not only the most famous, but also has a clean-cut and wholesome reputation among the public.

Al Jazeera alleges that Manning received human growth hormone shipments to his home from an anti-aging clinic in 2011. They were addressed to his wife, Ashley, and sent to his Florida residence while Manning was recovering from a serious neck injury that required four surgeries and threatened to end his career. The source of this report is Charlie Sly, a pharmacist who worked at the Indiana anti-aging clinic at the time. The documentary reports that Sly was the person mailing these drugs to the Manning’s. While Al Jareeza did not explicitly say that the HGH was for the star quarterback, they implied that his wife was being used to keep him out of trouble since the substance is banned by the NFL.

The reaction was swift, with the story and Manning trending all over social media that night. He came out and issued a statement shortly after on Monday denying the report. “The allegation that I would do something like that is complete garbage and is totally made up. It never happened. Never. I really can’t believe somebody would put something like this on the air. Whoever said this is making stuff up.” Dr. Dale Guyer, who heads the anti-aging clinic and has worked with Manning in the past, also denied the story. The source, Sly, recanted his claims via YouTube shortly thereafter as well. While both Peyton and Ashley Manning received treatment from the clinic, all parties involved dispute that HGH given to the NFL quarterback.

This has not stopped the speculation and reaction from media outlets and fans, however. There are pending questions in the minds of the public and emotional responses. There is nothing worse for an athlete than being accused of using performance-enhancing drugs and being branded a cheater. It is a scarlet letter for a player’s reputation and places an asterisk on all of their accomplishments and physical talent.

We don’t know for sure if Manning used human growth hormone or not, but we do know that it was not an illegal substance in the NFL at the time of the allegations. They didn’t start testing for it until 2014 and Manning was accused of receiving them at his home in 2011. We also know that HGH is legal in the United States if prescribed by a doctor and used for legitimate medical reasons, including to help muscle degeneration which Manning suffered from after the neck procedures. So if he had a severe neck injury that left him with numbness in his fingers and weakened his arms he needed for physical activity, is it really wrong if he did used human growth hormone?

The NFL is an extremely violent sport, with the average career lasting about three years. We have seen the epidemic of concussions and head trauma come to light recently. It is not fair to publicly shame someone like Manning for possibly or allegedly using medicine that could help his neck injury and muscle degeneration recover. There should be regulations on what can be used and how much, there is no doubt, but athletes should be permitted the necessary medical care after they have suffered serious injury. It makes no sense to deny them procedures that can help them avoid debilitating pain or discomfort. Having no feeling in your fingertips should fall into that category.

The NFL has since launched an investigation on the claims, “We are reviewing the matter. Our procedure is to follow up on any information that potentially involves a violation of this nature” said spokesman Brian McCarthy. Manning has begun to consider legal action against the media company for its allegations. He told reporters on Wednesday “I don’t want to deal with that until after the season.” There is one week left in the regular season in the NFL before the playoffs begin. If he does file a lawsuit, everything will be made public and his private life — including his wife’s involvement — will be out in the open. That is a consequence Manning will have to weigh when deciding if he wants to go through a drawn out legal battle.

For its part, Al Jazeera has come out and made sure to remind people that they did not say Manning used HGH and rather that it was inferred by the public who read the report. “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,” said Deborah Davis, the journalist who covered the story and who is now defending the report. “We’re not making the allegation against Peyton Manning.” This was made quickly after an angry Manning threatened to sue for defamation and Al Jazeera was criticized for only using one source to make such major implications. The public relations and legal ramifications of this story are ongoing.