Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies first basemen Ryan Zimmerman and Ryan Howard have filed lawsuits against Al Jazeera after the news organization alleged that they, and several other major athletes, used steroids and human growth hormone. Reuters reported Zimmerman’s lawsuit, and Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly reported Howard’s.
Ryan Zimmerman, Ryan Howard suing Al Jazeera for defamation over steroids allegations, per reports
The MLB first basemen have filed the first of what could be several lawsuits against Al Jazeera for its report alleging steroid use by major athletes.
Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Zimmerman and Howard were linked to Delta-2, a hormonal drug described as “steroidal in nature.” Both players released statements denying the allegations.
The lawsuits could be the first of several against Al Jazeera. Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has also said he will “probably” sue the news organization after it claimed he used HGH while recovering from neck surgery in 2011. Other American athletes named in the report include NFL players Clay Matthews, Mike Neal, Julius Peppers and James Harrison, and journeyman catcher Taylor Teagarden.
Al Jazeera has defended its story since its release as a documentary entitled “The Dark Side” despite backlash. Charles Sly, the source it used to tie Manning to an anti-aging clinic, has publicly denied the claims he made in the report, but Al Jazeera has said that a second source also confirmed that the clinic shipped HGH to Manning’s wife, Ashley.
Sly also named Zimmerman and Howard in the report. A New York Times report found a potential connection between Sly and Zimmerman through a company, Elementz Nutrition, that was co-founded by Sly and featured Zimmerman’s picture on its website. Howard was pictured on the company’s Facebook page.
See More:
