‘Al Jazeera’ Source Recants Peyton Manning Story: ‘It Wasn’t True,’ Says Charlie Sly

Charlie Sly, a key source in the scandal involving Peyton Manning using HGH, has come forward to deny his recent allegations. According to NESN , Charlie recanted his story to ESPN, a story that originally claimed Sly sent Peyton HGH using his wife’s name on the shipping label.

“When I realized Al Jazeera was using a secret taping and [reporter Liam] Collins as a so-called investigative reporter, I was baffled,” Charlie told ESPN. “I cannot believe that can happen. That’s why I recanted the story. It wasn’t true, and I was trying to pull one over on Collins to see if he had any idea of what he was talking about.”

Because Manning was recovering from injuries during the 2011 season, the report was just believable enough for many to take a second look. Peyton denied the claims on Sunday in an interview with ESPN.

“Absolutely not, absolutely not,” Manning said.

“What hurts me the most about this, whoever this guy is, this slapstick trying to insinuate that in 2011, when more than less I had a broken neck — I had four neck surgeries… It stings me whoever this guy is to insinuate that I cut corners, I broke NFL rules in order to get healthy. It’s a joke. It’s a freaking joke.”

The report didn’t just mention Peyton Manning, but also other high-profile players as well. Al Jazeera also pegged Clay Matthews as a culprit in using banned substances.

“I work hard on my reputation, and really that’s all I have,” Matthews said. “For seven years, I’ve worked my a– off. For this guy to say those type of things, it’s just not true, and especially for him to recant everything that he said, too, I think it really just goes to show the (type of) source he is, as well. The truth will come out, and I’m not worried about it, because I carry myself a certain way, and that is the right way.”

Liam Collins, an undercover reporter who also happens to be a hurdler, was recording Collins without him knowing it, according to Al Jazeera .

“One anabolic, and I can give you something to use right now, is this Delta 2 stuff. It’s a steroid. There’s a bunch of football players who take this,” Charlie Sly said.

“I can just document everything not in this chart but on my own chart. And if somebody ever comes sniffing for it, it’s very easy to just delete and say no, this is the real chart. If say, WADA [World Anti-Doping Agency] comes sniffing around.”

Peyton Manning calls HGH report “complete garbage” https://t.co/W6xu121tK2 pic.twitter.com/F5Bp5o51fy

— TIME (@TIME) December 28, 2015

It’s definitely disturbing to hear a pharmacist talk so candidly about an issue while he doesn’t know he’s being recorded. Whether Charlie was actually trying to pull one over on this undercover reporter is another topic entirely.

Peyton told ESPN, “I have my treatments that I do. She may have hers, but that’s her business. There’s no connection between the two. I’d love to understand why this guy’s saying this, why he made it up, that he admits he makes it up and yet it still becomes a story. I’d like to be told and explained that.”

Sly became more and more clear in his stance as the interview went on.

“When I was there, I had never seen the Mannings ever,” Sly said. “They were not even living there at that time. 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.”

Whether you want to believe Peyton Manning or the Al Jazeera report, it’s now known the pharmacist making the allegations came out and recanted his original story.

[Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images]