Peyton Manning takes swipe at Al Jazeera America closing

If anyone was upset by news that cable news channel Al-Jazeera America was closing after only two years, Peyton Manning was definitely not one of them.

The Denver Broncos quarterback — who was linked to a banned human growth hormone by the network last month — made light of the announcement that Al Jazeera will soon shut down after failing to attract a wide enough audience in the US.

"I'm sure it's just devastating to all their viewers," Manning sneered at a press conference in Colorado Wednesday.

And with good reason.

The fledgling news outlet  aired a documentary, The Dark Side: Secrets of the Sports Dopers, and reported that Manning ordered shipments of HGH which were shipped to his wife Ashley while he was rehabilitating from a neck injury in 2011.

The 39-year-old Manning has vehemently denied Al Jazeera's accusations and denounced the report as "complete garbage" before threatening to sue the network.

Manning did miss the entire 2011 season as he was undergoing career-saving neck surgeries leading to his departure from the Indianapolis Colts before rebounding to a successful run in Denver.

In October 2013, the channel was launched after opening 12 bureaus in the United States and a state-of-the art studio in New York — backed by a $500 million investment.

However it had trouble persuading cable and satellite companies to carry it, and only had about 30,000 viewers in prime-time. 

A spokesman for Al Jazeera — which is owned by the Quatari royal family — told The Washington Post that news of the closure will not affect the department that reported the alleged doping scandal.

So far, nothing has come from the allegations and it doesn't sound like Peyton is too worried about them anyway.

Peyton Manning's wife was repeatedly sent HGH according to 'impeccably placed' source: Report

Peyton Manning returned to action on Sunday night, getting behind center in the third quarter of the Broncos' game against the Chargers and helping his team land the AFC's top seed. But, rising up with the quarterback's game is another source who alleges that the NFL superstar's wife, Ashley, had human growth hormone sent to their home.

A second "impeccably placed" source reportedly confirmed that HGH was repeatedly mailed to Manning's wife while he was recovering from neck surgeries in 2011.

Journalist Deborah Davies, who worked on last week's Al Jazeera documentary, which claimed Manning was linked to banned performance-enhancing drugs, said another anonymous source backed up the allegations made by pharmacist Charlie Sly.

Sly was secretly filmed saying Ashley Manning was sent human growth hormone while getting treatment at the Guyer Institute but retracted his words after discovering he had been recorded.

Davies told CNN: "We had a second source. Absolutely impeccably placed, knowledgeable and credible who confirmed exactly what Charlie Sly said.

"Shipments of HGH were repeatedly sent to Ashley Manning in Florida and other places in the US," said Davies. 

"This is a source we cannot name, we could not name. The value of that source was to add to the level of confidence we already had in what Charlie Sly was saying."

Last week the Broncos quarterback furiously denied the allegations in a seven-minute long rant on ESPN, claiming the allegations against his wife were "a freaking joke."

The investigative documentary shows Sly telling British amateur hurdler Liam Collins he was "part of a medical team that helped [Manning] recover" from neck surgery. 

"All the time we would be sending Ashley Manning drugs," Sly boasts. "Like growth hormone, all the time, everywhere, Florida. And it would never be under Peyton's name, it would always be under her name.

"Him and his wife would come in after hours and get IVs and s---."

Sly's account of the story was dismissed as hearsay after it was found out he didn't even work at the clinic in 2011.

Dr. Dale Guyer, from the Guyer Institute, has come forward to say the allegations were "completely fabricated."

HGH, along with other performance-enhancing drugs, is banned by the NFL and no one has tested positive for it since it was outlawed in 2011. The league has only been routinely testing players for it since 2014.

Knoblauch rips Yankees’ Pettitte ceremony over HGH use: Report

Andy Pettitte will have his No. 46 retired by the New York Yankees this summer and one bitter, former Yankee player thinks it's a farce.

The Yankees plan to honor the popular lefthander with Andy Pettitte Day on Aug. 23 at Yankee Stadium, in a ceremony prior to a game against the Indians, during which he will receive a plaque in Monument Park and have his No. 46 removed from future assignment. It will be the 17th number so honored in franchise history.

But Pettitte’s former teammate, Chuck Knoblauch, mocked the move on Twitter Sunday night. The retired second baseman tweeted:

Congrats to 46. Yankees retiring his number. Hopefully they don't retire it like his HGH testimony.
— Chuck Knoblauch (@chuckknoblauch) February 16, 2015

The troubled Knoblauch, like Pettitte and other notable players, was mentioned in the Mitchell Report and eventually admitted to using HGH. The lefty's admission did little to tarnish his image in the eyes of Yankee fans, while Knoblauch has gone on to be sort of an outcast.

Pettitte joined Mariano Rivera in retirement following the 2013 season. In 18 big league seasons, Pettitte went 256-153, including 219-127 in 15 years as a Yankee. He also pitched three seasons with the Astros.

Angels' Ryan Madson in favor of players using HGH while rehabbing

It's been 14 months into recovery from Tommy John surgery and Los Angeles Angels pitcher Ryan Madson has finally reached the point where he is willing to try anything to get back on the baseball diamond — even Human Growth Hormone.

"If HGH were legal, just in the process of healing, under a doctor's recommendation, in the right dosage, while you're on the (disabled list), I don't think that's such a bad idea," Madson told MLB.com. 

"As long as it doesn't have any lasting side effects, negative side effects."

The FDA has approved the use of Human Growth Hormone under certain medical conditions, but it is currently on MLB's list of banned substances.

After exhausting all legal medical options, Madson now believes that sports-related injuries should also be included in the short list of HGH-allowed therapies.

"Even if I get healthy without that," Madson said, "it should be legal, in the right dosage, under supervision, with doctors, for the only purposes to help heal and get players back in the Major Leagues."

But while MLB and all other pro sport leagues catagorize all PEDs in the same category, Madson insists he would never take his rehab therapy beyond HGH.

"Not steroids," he said. "Not steroids. No."

Madson, who signed with the Angels this year after blowing out his right elbow in spring training with the Reds last season, added that he'd only use HGH if given an okay by the medical community.

"If a doctor would say, 'No, this wouldn't help the situation,' I wouldn't take it," he said.

One such doctor would be MLB medical director Dr. Gary Green.

"There are no studies — zero studies — showing any benefit from using growth hormone by itself to aid in recovery or post-surgical or post-injury type thing," Green told MLB.com.

"I've taken care of a lot of athletes, and I understand that they're frustrated and they want to get back to play. That's why we have the field of sports medicine."

That's of little consolation to Madson, who at age 32 is facing the autumn of his baseball career.

"I have a lot left — my body, my age, mentality," he said. "And I just can't get there."

MLB, DEA probe A-Rod adviser for possible PED link

The Drug Enforcement Administration and Major League Baseball are investigating a Miami-area man named Anthony Bosch — who has worked closely with Alex Rodriguez and has ties to Manny Ramirez — for Bosch's possible links to performance-enhancing drugs, reports The New York Daily News. The sources asked not to be identified because of the ongoing probe.

Bosch — a well known figure among current and former Latin ballplayers in the South Florida area — has advised the New York Yankees third baseman on nutrition, dietary supplements and training, a source with Miami-area anti-aging centers told The Daily News.

The source said Bosch — who has been affiliated with numerous Miami-area medical companies and clinics — and Rodriguez consulted with at least one other expert about blood test results.

Major League Baseball investigators are cooperating with the U.S. government and have turned over information about Bosch and his father, physician Pedro Publio Bosch to federal officials, a source told the newspaper.  Bosch and his father have already come under MLB and DEA scrutiny in 2009 for their links to then-Los Angeles Dodger Ramirez.  The Dodgers outfielder was suspended 50 games that year for using a banned substance.

Sources involved in the current probe told The News that MLB and federal investigators are trying to determine if Anthony Bosch and his father are involved in supplying banned substances to ballplayers.  The younger Bosch's relationship with major league players dates back to the 2000's when he attended parties with players and games in New York and Boston.

The 37-year-old Rodriguez is currently recovering from last week's hip surgery and the original prognosis for his return by the All-Star Game is still up in the air. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has even admitted that there is a chance that A-Rod might not play at all in 2013.

It isn't the first time Rodriguez has been associated with someone under investigation for supplying banned substances.  In 2009, he broke off his relationship with controversial Canadian doctor Anthony Galea after U.S. and Canadian law-enforcement agencies investigated the Toronto sports physician for ties to HGH and other drugs.

Galea, who said he treated A-Rod with a blood-spinning technique called platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP), was indicted for five drug-related charges.  Four of the charges were dropped after he cooperated with authorities.

MLB is concerned about a widespread ring of synthetic testosterone, HGH and other drugs to players who have sought to circumvent MLB's drug-testing program by using hard-to-detect creams and gels they rub on parts of their bodies.  Several high-profile players including former Yankees Melky Cabrera and Bartolo Colon failed drug tests in 2012.

HGH is popular with athletes who use steroids because it helps reestablish normal testosterone production after extensive steroid use and helps prevent testicular atrophy.

Major League Baseball, the New York Yankees and Rodriguez's lawyer, Jay Reisinger, all declined comment to The New York Daily News.

Judge Denies Clemens' Motion To Prevent 2nd Perjury Trial

A motion by Roger Clemens' defense team to have a judge dismiss the government's case against the former pitcher was denied Friday afternoon, as reported by Fox News.  Clemens' lead attorney Rusty Hardin had asked judge Reggie Walton to forbid another trial following the July hearing in which the judge declared a mistrial after two days of testimony.

According to Fox News, the judge sided with the prosecution and set a date for the second trial.

Hardin accused prosecutors of deliberately sabotaging the case because it was going badly for the government.

During the first trial jurors were shown evidence that was already determined to be inadmissible in court by the judge.

The prosecution team claimed it was a mistake.  Prosecutors-- Steven Durham and Daniel Butler made a critical error by introducing the barred evidence.  They apologized and impelled Walton into giving them another chance.

The evidence in question was a video in which a congressman referred to testimony by Laura Pettitte-- former Yankee Andy Pettitte's wife-- that Walton had barred as second-hand testimony.

In a statement, Walton said," I want to believe it is a mistake.  I would find it hard to believe that they would blatantly disregard a ruling I would make.  But it's hard for me to reach another conclusion."

Hardin, meanwhile, thinks a retrial would be a "reward" for the prosecutors for causing the mistrial in the first place.

Clemens is accused of lying under oath after speaking before a committee about steroid use in 2008.

At that hearing, Clemens testified," No matter what we discuss here, I'm never going to have my name restored.  But I've got to set the record straight.  Let me be clear.  I've never taken steroids or HGH."

Today's decision by judge Walton means that there was no procedural misconduct and it favors the prosecution.

The ruling determined that Clemens will be tried once more for lying under oath.  The trial date is set for April 17.

A guilty verdict would further tarnish the image of one of baseball's greatest pitchers and hinder his chances of getting into Cooperstown.

Hardin said it would take a couple of days to decide if they will file an appeal.

Mistrial Ruled In Roger Clemens Case; Could Get Off Due To Double-Jeopardy

U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton was not certain of a fair trial, in the case of former-major league baseball star Roger Clemens' perjury trial,  and ruled a mistrial on the second day of the case.  His ruling was handed down after prosecutors showed jurors inadmissible evidence against his orders.

Prosecutors claimed the problem could be corrected with instructions to the jury to "disregard the evidence."

Walton wasn't convinced of the prosecution's assurance and said, "We've got a man's liberty at interest."

The jurist followed that up by reasoning," I don't see how I can un-ring the bell."

Now the government's case could be "concluded" if they determine not to re-try the case or if Clemens' attorneys claim 'double-jeopardy."  The term refers to the law which prevents anyone from being tried again for the same crime.

Yankees Bartolo Colon: The Round Mound on the Rebound

Out of all of the New York Yankees off-season scrap-heap pick-ups, was there a more questionable signing than pitcher Bartolo Colon?  The righthander  had not pitched since injuring his arm in 2009 and showed up at camp with a body that made Rosie O'Donnell look svelte than the 2005 Cy Young winner he once was.  The sight of Colon in a major league camp, never mind pinstripes, must have appeared to be some kind of joke.

Signing the rotund Colon may one of the best moves in an off-season of questionable moves by Yankees GM Brian Cashman.  Maybe Yankees bench coach, Tony Pena, should get the credit.  After all, it was Pena who phoned Cashman, after seeing Colon in the Dominican Winter League, and recommended bringing the fastballer to spring training and giving him a look-see.

Now, with Phil Hughes dead arm and Ivan Nova looking at a hitch in the minors, signing Colon may be the best move by Cashman so far this year.

The Yankees signed Colon for the bargain basement price of $900,000 and, while he won't make anyone forget the non-signing of Cliff Lee, he's taken out a little of the sting.

After throwing a masterful complete-game, 4-hit shutout victory over the Oakland A's on Monday, the 38 year-old seems to have found the fountain of youth.  And that makes people talk.