The Peyton Manning HGH allegation has morphed into a backpedaling contest.
It started on Monday, when Al Jazeera trotted out the “we’re not saying/we’re just saying” routine, after Manning suggested that he might sue. Now, Manning is stepping away from the notion that he “probably” will pursue litigation.
“No, I haven’t decided that,” Manning told reporters on Wednesday. “I don’t want to deal with that until after the season.”
It doesn’t mean he won’t sue. But the truth remains that he shouldn’t sue. A defamation lawsuit turns upside down the life of the person who files it, especially if there are any skeletons lurking in any closets of a 25-room mansion.
The Roger Clemens case should be proof enough to persuade Manning to turn the other cheek. His aggressive response to PED allegations nearly got him thrown in jail for perjury.
And if Manning does sue, he’ll have to prove that Al Jazeera said what it said knowing that the information was false or with reckless disregard as to whether it was true or false. If nothing else, Al Jazeera has been careful.
As evidenced by the backpedaling.