About five months ago Al Jazeera reported that Peyton Manning was involved with the use of human growth hormone (HGH).
Manning immediately went on the offensive, calling the report “complete trash” and even threatened to sue over the allegations.
Since then we haven’t heard much more about it or any kind of lawsuit, even as Manning rode off into the sunset with another Super Bowl ring.
According to USA Today, this is why…
A person familiar with Manning’s strategy who was not authorized to speak publicly told USA TODAY Sports in a recent conversation that the former quarterback has decided after a dozen conference calls with attorneys that he doesn’t want to spend the time and money necessary to file a lawsuit that would make public the personal records and private lives of both he and his wife Ashley.
They also report, and this is key…
Manning also has a strategic trick up his sleeve, according to the person. Major League Baseball’s Ryan Zimmerman and Ryan Howard also were named in the Al Jazeera America report, and both did sue the network for libel in January.
Manning is watching those two cases closely, the person said, figuring that if they are eventually dismissed, he will know any prospective suit he might have filed would have been, too.
Considering that the NFL still reportedly hasn’t interviewed any of the players mentioned, the fact that he’s retired and no one is really talking about the allegations anymore, and the two lawsuits filed by the MLB players have yet to be played out it does seem like the right move for Manning at this point.
All a lawsuit would do at this point is remind people about the report and make it once again part of the news cycle.
Besides, Peyton has way too many commercials to do to be messing around with lawsuits, right?