I Actually Believe Peyton Manning, But Not For The Reason You'd Think

CBS- An Al Jazeera investigative report airing Sunday is linking Peyton Manning to the use of human growth hormone, according to the Huffington Post. 

The Huffington Post received an advance screening of a documentary named The Dark Side set to premiere Sunday and, according to its story, a pharmacist named Charlie Sly claims drugs were sent to the Mannings "all the time" addressed to Peyton's wife, Ashley, while Peyton Manning was recuperating from neck surgery in 2011. Manning missed that entire season and was released by the Colts the following spring.

“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.”


I can't sit here and tell you that Peyton Manning didn't do HGH. Hell, with the way he recovered from a career threatening neck injury it would certainly make sense. I am just saying that I kind of believe him. Not because I don't think Al Jazeera is a reliable source. To be completely honest I don't have the slightest fucking idea who Al Jazeera is, so I can't speak for, or against, their credibility. I don't believe him because I think that he's some morally upstanding citizen that would never sacrifice the integrity of the game. I believe Peyton Manning because he just seems like too much of a pussy to do HGH. Peyton Manning strikes me as the type of kid you wouldn't even smoke weed around in high school. Not only because he would always abstain, but because he would be the most likely to tell on you after he did. He just comes off as the type of person that would never intentionally do something wrong out of fear, not out of ethics. Just look at that interview, he's damn near in tears. He has the look of every kid that has ever been sent to the principal's office for the first time. That's not the look of someone that is comfortable breaking the rules. That's not the look of someone that would do anything to get back on the field. Just take a gander at Peyton Manning's playoff record. He's not exactly of the cutthroat mentality. 

The obvious comparison to make here is to Tom Brady. When news of DeflateGate leaked Tom Brady wasn't given the benefit of the doubt by his peers. That's because Tom Brady's career path isn't the athletic equivalent of the kid that grew up in a privileged household, got straight A's, went on to become validictorian at college, and followed his father's footsteps in an ultra successful field. As much as someone could be spoon fed a successful NFL career, Peyton Manning was spoon fed a successful NFL career. Meanwhile, Tom Brady had to defy all odds to become one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. He's like the kid in 'Good Will Hunting'. People don't expect him to be as exceptional as he is so they are more likely to believe a story that paints him as a cheater. Well, that and the Patriots have a pretty inglorious history of stretching the boundaries of fair play. Regardless, it's tough to believe that Peyton Manning is capable of sticking a bunch of steroids in his body to aide in his recovery. Not because he's some kind of choirboy like the NFL wants you to believe he is, but because he kind of seems like the "Gee, I dunno. What if my mom finds out?" type.

​P.S. Like I said, it's totally possible that Peyton Manning did HGH. However, even if he did I really don't care all that much. It's not like he did it to gain an unfair advantage. Doing HGH to keep your head attached to the rest of your body is as commendable a reason as any. It's not like it improved his arm strength or something. Shit if anything, he should do it again so he can get whatever is left out of Hall Of Fame noodle arm of his.