The Peyton Manning HGH affair is becoming so convoluted that the NFL may long for the days of Deflategate.
And unless some clarity about the situation unfolds soon, the only way to explain away the Al Jazeera report is for the Mannings to come clean about the quarterback's wife's involvement with the shipment from the Guyer Institute.
Al Jazeera Denies Implicating Peyton Manning In Reporting About HGH
Charlie Sly, the source Al Jazeera used for its story on Manning and other professional athletes being linked to human growth hormone use, recanted his comments, seemingly to put an end to any suspicion on Manning or the other athletes.
However, Ari Fleischer, the former White House press secretary that Manning hired as the couple's crisis management consultant, confirmed that the Guyer Institute did send ... something to Ashley Manning, the Washington Post reported.
NFL Has Deflategate Sequel On Its Hands With Peyton Manning HGH Allegation Story
"The story Sly said he made up contained at least a bit of truth, though: The Guyer Institute did ship medication to Ashley Manning," Fleischer confirmed. "Citing Ashley's right to privacy, Fleischer declined to specify whether the medication was human growth hormone, which is banned by professional sports leagues and only legal to prescribe in America for a few specific conditions, such as growth hormone deficiency, HIV wasting syndrome and short bowel syndrome."
The Post also reported that Manning hired two private investigators to talk to Sly. Fleischer gave a weak explanation as to why Manning would need to hire private investigators if the Broncos quarterback had nothing to hide.
"When somebody accuses you of doing something you didn't do -- and Al Jazeera refused to tell us who it was -- it's only logical to say, 'Who is it, and why are they doing this?' " Fleischer said. "That's human nature."
That may be true, but hiring private investigators to find out is at the very least unusual.
As is hiring a former White House employee as a crisis management consultant.
"Here's what it all boils down to: If you believe Manning is innocent, you believe his wife just happened to be receiving a prescription from the clinic where he was being treated at the same time he was recovering from multiple neck surgeries" Larry Brown Sports reported. "Is it possible that was the case? Of course, but you must also ignore all the red flags associated with the founder of the clinic and the fact that Al Jazeera claims Ashley Manning received her shipments illegally.
"Non-story, huh?"
Now the Mannings have to weigh whether Peyton's reputation is more important than Ashley's privacy. Because all it takes is one simple statement about Ashley's involvement with the Guyer Institute.
Unless there's more to the story.
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