Mile High Report - Peyton Manning denies 2011 HGH allegations: Complete coverageBy Fans, For Fans....Your Source For Denver Broncos News and Commenthttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50905/mhr-fav.png2015-12-30T07:30:54-07:00http://www.milehighreport.com/rss/stream/104339432015-12-30T07:30:54-07:002015-12-30T07:30:54-07:00Peyton, I'm sorry - we cannot seem to deserve you
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<p>In spite of all the exciting football drama you have brought to the NFL - and to the Broncos - we cannot seem to deny ourselves "Manning drama" that has no business being reported.</p> <p>Dear Peyton -</p>
<p>This is an apology to you. An apology for the unfair media circus that surrounds you in spite of all the amazing good you do for football, fans, kids - and mostly for humanity in general.</p>
<p>You didn't deserve the multitude of rumors circulating last January about your desire to play football <a target="_blank" href="http://www.milehighreport.com/2015/2/17/8050235/peyton-manning-2015-peter-king-mike-mayock">and whether the Broncos wanted you back</a> (despite saying so).</p>
<p>You didn't deserve accusations last week that you <a target="_blank" href="http://deadspin.com/peyton-manning-calls-bullshit-on-report-that-he-doesn-1749061748">would not be willing to be the backup quarterback </a>should the Broncos ask you to play that role behind Brock Osweiler.</p>
<div class="pullquote">I'm with Bill Polian all the way on this - "Not Peyton. Never."</div>
<p>And you most certainly haven't deserved accusations that your integrity for the game should be called into question over a <a target="_blank" href="http://www.milehighreport.com/2015/12/28/10672610/peyton-is-fired-up-and-he-should-be">made-up report from an intern about giving you human growth hormone</a> following your neck surgeries in 2011 (an intern who, oh by the way, didn't even work at the clinic until two years later).</p>
<p>Any true football fan - not to mention diehard Broncos, Colts or just Peyton Manning fans - should know by now you do not cut corners. In fact, if there is a rub against you, it's the opposite - too cerebral, too meticulous, too calculating.</p>
<p>I'm with Bill Polian all the way on this - "Not Peyton. Never."</p>
<p>You asked Lisa Salters in your ESPN interview how this could even become a story:</p>
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<p>"I would love to understand why this guy is saying this, why he's making it up and then he admits that he makes it up, yet it still becomes a story. I'd like to be told and explained that."</p>
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<p>I can't answer for Charlie Sly, the Guyer Institute <i>intern</i> in 2013 who claimed he was shipping HGH to your home under your wife's name in 2011. My guess is a combination of bravado and ignorance that throwing around famous names won't have consequences.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I can answer as to why it is a story. As my colleague Ian St. Clair so aptly described in his <a target="_blank" href="http://www.milehighreport.com/2015/12/28/10674552/biggest-corruption-of-all-overlooked-in-cheating-scandals">report on the dark side of the sports media</a>, the news cycle has lost its integrity. Clickbait rules the day, and your name will get attention every time.</p>
<p>And even more unfortunately, I know why the media has gone down this insidious path - people love drama and the media knows it, counts on it in fact. Above all else - all the good stories we claim to love, all the happy news we say we want - conflict always wins our attention.</p>
<p>On behalf of a pathetic news cycle and an even more pathetic audience for drama, I am sorry you have to waste one minute of your life dealing with this trash.</p>
<p>All you have ever done for us is improve our lives - whether it is winning improbably, losing graciously or giving tirelessly (both in time and money) to make the lives of people hurting just a little bit better.</p>
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<p>And you've done that without asking for attention to it. In fact, you've often tried to not get attention for it. Yet, we've paraded you as "our quarterback" and heralded all your numerous NFL records as our own.</p>
<p>You give and give and give - to your team, to your city, to your fans.</p>
<p>And we take and take and take - take advantage of your fame yet take for granted your competitive spirit, intense desire to study every detail and genuine love of the game.</p>
<p>I wrote months ago in <a href="http://www.milehighreport.com/hall-of-fame/2015/10/25/9411123/peyton-manning-named-2014-15-sportsman-of-the-year">MHR's tribute to you as our 2015 Sportsperson of the Year</a> that hopefully we as Broncos fans could one day deserve the man who has given us so much.</p>
<p>You didn't deserve any of this, and for that I am sorry.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We can't seem to deserve you, and for that I am heartbroken.</p>
https://www.milehighreport.com/2015/12/30/10678794/peyton-manning-letter-sorry-broncos-fansLaurie Lattimore-Volkmann2015-12-28T11:30:03-07:002015-12-28T11:30:03-07:00We watched Al Jazeera's report. Here's our take
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<p>While Al Jazeera's report sheds an interesting light on the world of performance-enhancing drugs in professional sports, the focus on Peyton Manning seems to be using the future Hall of Fame quarterback as clickbait.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>Al Jazeera </span><span>released a report </span>Sunday, <a href="http://www.milehighreport.com/2015/12/27/10669896/peyton-manning-al-jazeera-the-dark-side-hgh-peds-2011">a documentary entitled "The Dark Side,"</a> implicating <span>Peyton Manning</span> along with several other NFL and MLB players in taking illegal performance enhancing drugs. The allegation has made waves; <a href="http://www.milehighreport.com/2015/12/28/10672610/peyton-is-fired-up-and-he-should-be" style="background-color: #ffffff;">Manning has vehemently denied the report</a>, and the <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Broncos</a>, Colts and Guyer Institute have each issued statements backing their employee/patient.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We took it upon ourselves to view the documentary so we could give our take.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"The Dark Side" is roughly 45 minutes long and follows several doctors and undercover athletes with hidden cameras, recording the sales of drugs without their knowledge. Throughout the documentary, doctors name athletes, not knowing they are being recorded, during the sale of illegal PEDs.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The first doctor, Dr. Fox, stated that he supplied PEDs to three "golden girls" of track and field. He immediately stated that he made it up when he found out he was recorded. One MLB player, Taylor Teagarden, was secretly caught on camera discussing what he purchased and how he passed the MLB testing protocol. The report also implicated several other football players, including <span>Julius Peppers</span>and <span>Clay Matthews</span>, neither of whom were reached for comment.</p>
<h3>The Peyton Manning reveal</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal">It's interesting, from an editorial/journalistic standpoint, that Al Jazeera juxtaposes the Manning reveal with his idolization in Denver. A young boy in a Manning jersey is seen throwing a football outside of Sports Authority Field at Mile High.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Other fans in Manning jerseys are shown. Manning himself is seen throwing a football during a game in a highly stylized, sketch-like edit.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A woman's voice is heard, calling Manning "a great leader and a great role model. That whole character and that father-and-husband mentality is very important to me."</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"I love Peyton Manning," the voiceover continues. "He gives us hope. He gives us hope."</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The intended wow-factor of the "Peyton Manning" reveal is set up for maximum impact, making it feel more like an advertisement for the documentary itself than a journalistic pursuit of the truth.</p>
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<h3>Dr. Sly makes, recants his allegation</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal">It isn't until the very end of the video that Peyton Manning is implicated, when Dr. Charlie Sly is being filmed. "The Dark Side" cuts to Indianapolis.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Al Jazeera claims that they confirmed Dr. Sly worked at the Guyer institute in 2011, when Manning was there undergoing recovery treatment for his neck injury while still with the <a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Colts</a> (<a target="_blank" href="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/12/27/dale-guyer-chimes-in-with-a-peyton-manning-statement-too/">Dale Guyer has since released a statement that Dr. Sly was only an unpaid intern in 2013</a> - if there's an opportunity for further investigation into this, it would make sense to start there). Dr. Sly states in the video that Manning and his wife, Ashley, came in after hours to get HGH treatment, and that he sent them HGH under Ashley’s name.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Later in the documentary, when confronted about the hidden-camera allegation, Dr. Sly recants, claiming that what he said about all the athletes was "completely false." Manning’s agent also state that the claim was false, and that Colts doctors and personnel had knowledge of his treatment, and that Ashley Manning’s health and treatments are her own private matter.</p>
<h3>Our reactions</h3>
<p><i>Editor's Note: I asked Pete and Kelly to give their take on the video by asking them a handful of questions. I asked if the documentary provides any other evidence outside of Dr. Sly's statement implicating Manning, if they believe Manning took HGH, and if they think Manning should sue. Their responses are lightly edited for brevity below.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Big Pete</b>: I find absolutely no credibility to Peyton or any other professional athlete being a client of Dr. Sly's. For starters, Sly speaks in very vague and ambiguous terms. In order for me to put millions of dollars on the line to trust you, you better bring something better than "maybe" and "umm" and "kinda" to the table.</p>
<div class="pullquote">There is absolutely nothing that makes me think that Peyton would take any performance enhancing drug</div>
<p class="MsoNormal">After watching this and hearing everyone's statements, do I think Manning took HGH? This is tricky. On the one hand, what Hall of Fame player doesn't have the mindset of "at all means necessary" to prolong or build upon a stellar career? But on the other hand, honestly, there is absolutely nothing that makes me think that Peyton would take any performance enhancing drug. Sly has absolutely no evidence from himself, his doctor compadres, or any acquaintances of his to support Peyton Manning or any other athlete taking steroids or even Vitamin D from him, and the documentary does a poor job establishing any such corroborating evidence.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Should Peyton sue? Again, as with most people in ragtag magazines, it's often better to let sleeping dogs lay than to poke a bear. There's little to come out of a lawsuit from Peyton, especially with his career coming to an end, to sue this newspaper. What is Peyton going to sue for? Defamation? Sure, he can win, but win what? All it will do is keep his name linked to steroids longer than it should be.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Kelly Fleming: </b>After watching this documentary, it seems to me as if the claims are unwarranted. Almost every implication was made when one of the PED dealers was in the process of selling someone else the drug. They were asking him questions, and the doctor used famous athletes as examples to try to make them look good to him, which is exactly the reason Dr. Sly gave when he stated that he made false claims. In fact, only about two minutes of the 49 minute film is about Peyton Manning specifically.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">There is nothing in the documentary other than Dr. Sly's statement during the hidden camera interview implying Manning took HGH or any other banned substance. No other evidence is presented in the documentary, though they seem to really draw out the Manning link, implying that a national sports hero is all an act. To their credit, Al Jazeera did mention that Sly recanted his statement in the documentary, but only gave it a five-second caption at the very end of the film. If it were any other athlete, I doubt they would have mentioned the link, but really it just makes for a huge headline grab. Without Manning attached, the story would fall to the background and nobody would be talking about it. That said, it's ethically wrong to accuse somebody of something so huge, and if Manning has a case suing would make a point. With the evidence presented, I don't think it is likely that Peyton took HGH, and there are many other explanations for a link to his wife that are nobody's business but her's.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For now, it seems as if Al Jazeera’s report is pretty sensational when it comes to Peyton Manning, though it does shed light into the world of illegal PED dealing in sports, and indisputably incriminates one MLB athlete. The report shouldn’t be focused on Peyton Manning, it should be focused on the drug business in general. Making Manning the focus of the report seems like nothing more than a clicbait tactic, one of which he is not deserving.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>If you've watched "The Dark Side," please give us your take in the comments.</i></p>
https://www.milehighreport.com/2015/12/28/10670152/peyton-manning-hgh-al-jazeera-documentary-review303_KellyBig_Pete19992015-12-28T06:30:01-07:002015-12-28T06:30:01-07:00Fired up, Peyton fires back over 'garbage' accusation
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<p>After one major accusation and thousands of speculations, Peyton Manning takes to the airwaves to discount any notion that he did anything illegal: "I busted my butt to get healthy. I did a lot of hard work. I saw a lot of doctors. ...and that really stings me that whoever this guy is, insinuated I cut corners and broke NFL rules, in order to get healthy. It's a joke. It's a freaking joke."</p> <p id="4DbGFn"><span>Remember all those times we've wished <span>Peyton Manning</span> would tell the media exactly what he thinks?</span></p>
<p id="TZRvdI">Well, he has - and he's livid.</p>
<p id="HWB7e7">Actually, "furious" and "disgusted" to be exact.</p>
<p id="sUTOft">And he damn well should be.</p>
<p id="LGfg9E">Since news of an <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/investigations/">Al Jazeera documentary</a> broke Saturday accusing Manning of allegedly taking human growth hormone in 2011, Manning himself has taken to the airwaves to set the record straight - something the intensely private man but hugely public athlete rarely does.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en" id="NjxgTL"> <p lang="en" dir="ltr">To say this is a strong denial from Peyton Manning on Sunday NFL Countdown would be an understatement.</p>— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/681158201887322113">December 27, 2015</a> </blockquote>
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<p id="DKBkda">"I rotated between being angry, furious, on and on, but disgusted is really how I feel, disgusted," Manning told ESPN's Lisa Salters Sunday. "I'm not sure how someone can make it up, admit they made it up and someone published it. It's completely fabricated, completely trash, garbage, more adjectives I'd like to use."</p>
<p id="SREFgM">Manning's adjectives are spot on, but not just because it seems impossible <em>Peyton Freaking Manning</em> would have done this.</p>
<p id="BQ2aBQ">The comments are garbage because they are absolutely false.</p>
<p id="sKhrsY">For starters, the entire claim on Manning revolves around a secretly recorded conversation done by <a href="http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/celebritymoney/article-2409740/Britains-Got-Talent-star-Liam-Collins-handed-bankruptcy-ban-duping-investors-property-scam.html">former British hurdler-turned-swindler Liam Collins</a> with Charles Sly, who <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/charlie-sly-recants-statements-about-peyton-manning-2015-12">recanted his comments </a>as soon as news of the damning documentary broke on Saturday.</p>
<p id="NQ3QV2">Sly had claimed in the secret recording that in 2011 he shipped the steroid to Manning's home under Ashley Manning's name and also that Manning and his wife Ashley came to the clinic multiple times after hours. Slysaid on Saturday that he had "made it up" in reference to his accusations.</p>
<p id="ApKmJj">But more damaging to the validity of the Jazeera investigation is that Sly is presented in the documentary as being on staff in 2011 <em>as a pharmacist </em>for the Indianapolis-based Guyer Institute of Molecular Medicine, an anti-aging clinic where Manning received treatment following his four neck surgeries in 2011.</p>
<p id="MmILZ2">In reality, Sly was never a paid employee at Guyer and was only at the institute two years later for three months as a 2013 <em>summer intern</em>. Sly admitted to ESPN Sunday that he didn't know and had never met Manning.</p>
<p id="n8RSRS">"When I was there, I had never seen the Mannings, ever," <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14442651/peyton-manning-denver-broncos-furious-disgusted-al-jazeera-report-again-denies-using-hgh">Sly told ESPN's Chris Mortenson</a>. "They didn't even live here. Someone who worked there said they had been there before. That was the extent of any knowledge I had. I feel badly. I never saw any files. This is just amazing that it reached this point."</p>
<center id="2RTgYG"> <blockquote lang="en" class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Personal statement from Peyton Manning released by the <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Broncos</a> ... <a href="https://t.co/O5pJuwzWGF">pic.twitter.com/O5pJuwzWGF</a></p>— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlbertBreer/status/680958638224240640">December 27, 2015</a> </blockquote> <script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> </center>
<p id="j6STYR">Dr. Dale Guyer, who oversaw Manning's treatments at the Institute in 2011, <a href="https://twitter.com/JesseWellsNews/status/681523036122529792">supported Manning's claim</a> that the accusations against him were completely false, adding that Manning was "one of the most honorable and upstanding individuals" he has known.</p>
<p id="uS2Pft">"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. I think it is obvious Mr. Sly fabricated this whole thing for reasons I cannot fathom," Guyer said.</p>
<p id="Sarbjr">So there you go - <em>total garbage</em>.</p>
<p id="lAmIyS">Manning, quarterback for the <a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Indianapolis Colts</a> from 1998-2011 before signing with the Broncos in 2012, had four surgeries in 2011 to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/peyton-manning-on-his-neck-surgeries-rehab--and-how-he-almost-didnt-make-it-back/2013/10/21/8e3b5ca6-3a55-11e3-b7ba-503fb5822c3e_story.html">repair a herniated disk in his neck</a>. At the suggestion of Colts trainers and doctors, the five-time NFL MVP visited the Guyer Institute 35 consecutive mornings to do one-hour treatments in the hyperbaric chamber, <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy/basics/definition/prc-20019167">a process</a> that helps increase blood flow to the muscles.</p>
<p id="GOkcfZ">"I did that. I was a good patient," Manning said. "Had some nutrient-IV therapies that I did that I thought may have helped me as well. Everything was under Colts authorization. They knew about it. They went with me. Anything else this guy is insinuating is complete garbage."</p>
<center id="DiWN3M"> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <p lang="en" dir="ltr">Bill Polian on Peyton Manning and HGH: 'Not Peyton. Never.' <a href="https://t.co/Mz9WZWYZ2y">https://t.co/Mz9WZWYZ2y</a> <a href="https://t.co/IYKlvQSDP4">pic.twitter.com/IYKlvQSDP4</a></p>— IndyStar (@indystar) <a href="https://twitter.com/indystar/status/681296027861647361">December 28, 2015</a> </blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </center>
<p id="TT5cM5">Bill Polian, who was president of the Colts during Manning's reign in Indy, joined the crowd vehemently denying that any of the accusations could be true.</p>
<p id="XtD1RS">"I've been around this league a long time and I've seen a lot of crazy and despicable things," Polian said Sunday, adding that they were aware of all of Manning's <a href="https://www.weathersavvy.com/pages/what-to-know-about-at-home-oxygen-therapy">treatments</a>. "This is among the worst I've ever witnessed. I can tell you there isn't a shred of doubt in my mind that what Peyton is saying isn't 1,000-percent accurate. Nothing I can point to in my days - not one thing -€” leads me to believe he would even think of breaking a rule. Not Peyton. Never."</p>
<p id="2S0Ywj"> </p>
<div class="pullquote" id="npCeoX">We are thoroughly familiar with Peyton's tireless work habits, medical history and most importantly, integrity. <span>-Indianapolis Colts statement on Manning</span> </div>
<p id="MgHf1w">The Colts released a statement calling the entire report "utterly ridiculous" and pointed out Manning's well-documented work ethic and high standards.</p>
<p id="T5tAhb">"We are thoroughly familiar with Peyton's tireless work habits, his medical history, and, most importantly, his integrity. Peyton played the game in Indianapolis for 14 years the right way. He never took any shortcuts, and it would be absurd to suggest he would have taken prohibited performance enhancing drugs."</p>
<p id="0cyFaw">The NFL first banned HGH in 2011 but the player's union and the NFL could not agree on testing procedures until 2014. <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/healthy-aging/in-depth/growth-hormone/art-20045735">Human Growth Hormone</a>, which is produced naturally by the pituitary gland in children and adolescents, fuels growth and helps maintain tissues and organs throughout life. A natural slowdown in this production has prompted an interest in the use of synthetic human growth hormone to stave off changes that occur with age, such as decreased muscle and bone mass.</p>
<p id="Ecieqs">Part of Manning's fury is over the fact that Sly brings his wife in the accusations.</p>
<p id="F9Ji4F"> </p>
<p id="P2Dk3S">"It's completely fabricated. Complete trash, garbage," Manning told ESPN. "It makes me sick that it brings Ashley into it, her medical history, her medical privacy being violated. That makes me sick. I don't understand that."</p>
<p id="7LCCTf">Manning, insisting that whatever medical treatments she has done are "her business," emphatically denied any connection between her treatments and his. Manning's spokesman, <a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/681113498177396736">Ari Fleischer, confirmed </a>that Ashley Manning was a patient at the institute and had a prescription. Any more details would be an invasion of her medical records privacy.</p>
<p id="48u22E"> </p>
<div class="pullquote" id="R8RPAU">I know how hard I've worked during my 18 years of playing in the NFL. There are no shortcuts. I've done it the long way. Insinuating otherwise is a complete and total joke. <span>-Peyton Manning</span> </div>
<p id="K8Of9a">"There is no connection between the two," Manning said of his wife's medical treatments and his own. "I would love to understand why this guy is saying this, why he's making it up and then he admits that he makes it up, yet it still becomes a story. I'd like to be told and explained that."</p>
<p id="FlujAY">The <a href="http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Broncos-Colts-release-statements-on-Peyton-Manning/2abed6af-1650-4543-b62b-926f69878a0f">Broncos released a statement</a> Sunday morning saying they support Manning "100 percent."</p>
<p id="j5wKK8">"Peyton is rightfully outraged by the allegations, which he emphatically denied to our organization and which have been publicly renounced by the source who initially provided them," the Broncos stated. "Peyton has shown nothing but respect for the game. Our organization is confident Peyton does things the right way, and we do not find this story to be credible."</p>
<p id="iEKGtf">Manning added that his ball would have some extra heat on it Sunday during this throwing workout because he is so fired up.</p>
<p id="iyvZ8g"> </p>
<p id="XsKHRu">"I know how hard I've worked during my 18 years of playing in the NFL. There are no shortcuts in the NFL," Manning said. "I've done it the long way. I've done it the hard way. Insinuating anything otherwise is a complete and total joke."</p>
<center id="r77BGl"> <blockquote lang="en" class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Al Jazeera went hard after Peyton Manning. Let me tell you why their swing was a miss - <a href="https://t.co/BkKPvU7Lo8">https://t.co/BkKPvU7Lo8</a></p>— Gregg Doyel (@GreggDoyelStar) <a href="https://twitter.com/GreggDoyelStar/status/681281744578985985">December 28, 2015</a> </blockquote> <script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> </center>
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https://www.milehighreport.com/2015/12/28/10672610/peyton-is-fired-up-and-he-should-beLaurie Lattimore-Volkmann2015-12-27T10:53:42-07:002015-12-27T10:53:42-07:00Peyton's HGH allegations, explained in one tweet
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<figcaption>Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>"Sounds like it was made up."</p> <p>Peyton Manning's strong denial of the <a href="http://www.milehighreport.com/2015/12/27/10669896/peyton-manning-al-jazeera-the-dark-side-hgh-peds-2011">Al Jazeera documentary</a> that <a href="http://www.milehighreport.com/2015/12/26/10668618/peyton-manning-drugs-performance-peds-hgh-2011">alleges he took human growth hormone in 2011</a> is believable. His words are strong, and his irate emotions are stronger. "I've never seen Peyton any angrier over any issue," ESPN analyst and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.milehighreport.com/">Broncos</a> Ring of Famer Tom Jackson said.</p>
<p>But what's more incredible is how that isn't doing enough to offset the damage the report has caused. And all of it- everything regarding this report - is <a href="http://www.milehighreport.com/2015/12/26/10668618/peyton-manning-drugs-performance-peds-hgh-2011">based on a statement from a drug dealer who was trying to sell dope who since admitted he was lying</a>.</p>
<p>MHR alum Jon Heath had the best tweet we've found that sums up everything we know about the Manning allegations.</p>
<blockquote data-partner="tweetdeck" data-cards="hidden" data-conversation="none" class="twitter-tweet" align="center">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">And the guy recanted it. So to recap: Dealer: I lied. Manning: Story is a lie. Sounds like it was made up.</p>
— Jon Heath (@JonHeathNFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonHeathNFL/status/680969985674592256">December 27, 2015</a>
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<p>The dealer, Charles David Sly, did not know he was being videotaped in Al Jazeera's undercovery documentary, and has since admitted he was lying <a href="http://www.milehighreport.com/2015/12/26/10668618/peyton-manning-drugs-performance-peds-hgh-2011">more than once</a>.</p>
<p>"When I was there, I had never seen the Mannings ever. They were not even living there at that time," Sly said (<a target="new" href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14441114/documentary-links-peyton-manning-other-pro-athletes-use-peds">via ESPN</a>). "Someone who worked there said they had been there before. That was the extent of any knowledge I had. I feel badly. I never saw any files. This is just amazing that it reached this point."</p>
<p>It's not amazing at all. <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/TroyRenck/status/681166839171317760">And neither will be the defamation lawsuit that almost certainly comes</a> from Manning and his representatives as the dust settles this weekend.</p>
https://www.milehighreport.com/2015/12/27/10670006/peyton-manning-hgh-allegations-explained-twitterkmonty2015-12-27T10:25:36-07:002015-12-27T10:25:36-07:00Broncos issue statement on Peyton Manning
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<figcaption>Jim O'Connor-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>"Peyton does things the right way," the Denver Broncos said in a statement Sunday.</p> <p>The Denver Broncos have released a statement in response to the <a href="http://www.milehighreport.com/2015/12/26/10668618/peyton-manning-drugs-performance-peds-hgh-2011">documentary that alleges Peyton Manning took human growth hormone (HGH) in 2011</a>, a banned substance according to the NFL, as he recovered from neck surgery.</p>
<p>"Knowing Peyton Manning and everything he stands for, the Denver Broncos support him 100 percent. These are false claims made to Al Jazeera, and we don't believe the report," the Broncos begin.<u></u></p>
<p>"Peyton is rightfully outraged by the allegations, which he emphatically denied to our organization and which have been publicly renounced by the source who initially provided them.</p>
<div class="pullquote">"Our organization is confident Peyton does things the right way, and we do not find this story to be credible."</div>
<p>"Throughout his NFL career, particularly during his four seasons with the Broncos, Peyton has shown nothing but respect for the game. Our organization is confident Peyton does things the right way, and we do not find this story to be credible."</p>
<p>Manning has called the report "complete garbage" and appeared on ESPN NFL Countdown Sunday to directly address the claims (we'll have more from that soon). <a href="http://www.milehighreport.com/2015/12/27/10669896/peyton-manning-al-jazeera-the-dark-side-hgh-peds-2011">If you care to watch the Al Jazeera documentary, you can do so here</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.milehighreport.com/2015/12/27/10669902/peyton-manning-denies-2011-hgh-allegations-complete-coverage">We'll continually update our story stream</a> as we provide complete coverage of these allegations.</p>
https://www.milehighreport.com/2015/12/27/10669892/peyton-manning-hgh-broncos-al-jazeera-2011kmonty2015-12-27T10:15:01-07:002015-12-27T10:15:01-07:00Here's the Al Jazeera documentary on HGH & Peyton
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<figcaption>Al Jazeera</figcaption>
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<p>"The Dark Side" by Al Jazeera connects medical professionals to professional athletes including Peyton Manning. Manning has called the report "<a href="http://www.milehighreport.com/2015/12/26/10668618/peyton-manning-drugs-performance-peds-hgh-2011">complete garbage</a>," and the Broncos have said, "we do not find this story credible."</p> <p>If you care to watch the entire documentary, let us know your thoughts in the comments.</p>
https://www.milehighreport.com/2015/12/27/10669896/peyton-manning-al-jazeera-the-dark-side-hgh-peds-2011kmonty2015-12-26T20:31:09-07:002015-12-26T20:31:09-07:00Manning denies accusations of HGH use
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<figcaption>Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>A Huffington Post report, based on an Al Jazeera documentary, connects Peyton Manning to a doping ring in 2011. Manning has called the report "complete garbage" in a statement.</p> <p>A damning report has surfaced regarding <span>Peyton Manning's</span> recovery from four neck surgeries in 2011, and the nature of the accusation is one that could potentially change a lot about what we know and opine regarding Peyton Manning. An undercover reporter spoke with a "physician" (dope-dealer) in Austin, TX who claimed that Peyton Manning took human growth hormone in 2011, shortly after it was banned by the NFL in the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement.</p>
<p>Manning has since called the report "<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/AlbertBreer/status/680958638224240640">complete garbage</a>."</p>
<p>The report is from <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/peyton-manning-human-growth-hormone_567f16e4e4b0b958f6599440?utm_hp_ref=tw" target="_blank"><i>The Huffington Post</i> based on a documentary by <i>Al Jazeera</i></a>. The accusation reads:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Manning missed the 2011 season, when he was a member of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Indianapolis Colts</a>, after undergoing neck surgery. In the documentary, Sly tells Collins, who is taking secret video of his interactions, that he was "part of a medical team that helped [Manning] recover" from the surgery. Sly alleges that the clinic mailed growth hormone and other drugs to Manning's wife, Ashley Manning, so that the quarterback's name was never attached to them.</p>
<p>"All the time we would be sending Ashley Manning drugs," Sly says in the video. "Like growth hormone, all the time, everywhere, Florida. And it would never be under Peyton's name, it would always be under her name."</p>
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<p>The report goes on to connect other high-profile NFL players to the doping ring, including longtime Steelers linebacker James Harrison.</p>
<h3>Why it could be true</h3>
<p>Peyton Manning's recovery was remarkable in 2011, and we all know pro athletes will do anything they can to survive. His and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.milehighreport.com/">Broncos</a>' record-breaking 2013 season also comes to a different light, given the accusation.</p>
<p>Also, tons of players apparently do HGH. "<a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000165680/article/anonymous-player-hgh-use-in-nfl-like-clockwork" target="_blank">Like clockwork</a>." And <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/BestofBSMW/status/554642449667469312">there's this</a>.</p>
<h3>Why it might not be true</h3>
<div class="pullquote">It's Jesse Pinkman telling you meth is good for you</div>
<p>First, Manning's character is nearly above reproach. While everyone has skeletons in the closet, as someone who has followed Manning very closely, this would be incredibly surprising based on everything we know about Manning.</p>
<p>Second, this "pharmacist's" character is <i>not </i>above reproach. This man is an admitted dope-dealer trying to sell someone dope. It's Jesse Pinkman telling you meth is good for you.</p>
<p>Third and fourth, based on brief Internet research, it appears HGH can be used post-pregnancy, and Manning's agent called it a personal family matter.</p>
<p>Fifth, this.</p>
<blockquote lang="en" class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bad news. If Peyton Manning is on PEDs, so is your dad. <a href="https://t.co/El721dJMIi">pic.twitter.com/El721dJMIi</a></p>
— SportsPickle (@sportspickle) <a href="https://twitter.com/sportspickle/status/680942406712332288">December 27, 2015</a>
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<p>Sixth, this.</p>
<blockquote data-partner="tweetdeck" class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Apparently this is the dope-dealer who accused Manning of dope, recanting his accusation (via <a href="https://twitter.com/AllbrightNFL">@AllbrightNFL</a>) <a href="https://t.co/BtNv9qP0xq">https://t.co/BtNv9qP0xq</a></p>
— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/MileHighReport/status/680957376762109952">December 27, 2015</a>
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<p>Seventh, Manning's response:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Personal statement from Peyton Manning released by the Broncos ... <a href="https://t.co/O5pJuwzWGF">pic.twitter.com/O5pJuwzWGF</a></p>
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlbertBreer/status/680958638224240640">December 27, 2015</a>
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<h3>Where we go from here</h3>
<p>There's no doubt that this is not over. This is the start of something; it feels like everything has changed. An accusation is such a small, simple thing - just a few words. But it carries so much weight. It could haunt Manning and his reputation forever. Perhaps this is the catalyst that could lead to an investigation by the NFL or the NFLPA or an independent organization like the Anti-Doping Agency. Perhaps this doesn't go very far. But, less than an hour after reading the report, it doesn't feel like the latter.</p>
<p>The Broncos (<a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/680950210344972292" target="_blank">and the NFL</a>) did not immediately respond to request to comment (<em>Ed: this story has since been updated; see #7 above, but the Broncos themselves have still not commented</em>). We'll keep you updated as we learn more.</p>
https://www.milehighreport.com/2015/12/26/10668618/peyton-manning-drugs-performance-peds-hgh-2011kmonty