MLB investigating Zimmerman and others

[gunnarthor]

MLB has asked the US anti-doping agency to help its investigation into allegations made by Al-Jazeera about PED use by certain players.  The NFL did not ask the agency for help.

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/14652385/mlb-asks-us-anti-doping-agency-help-investigate-al-jazeera-claims

 

"The partnership offers obvious benefits for both MLB and USADA. MLB gets USADA's institutional knowledge of the doping world, along with the quasi-governmental agency's extensive contacts with law enforcement. USADA gets to participate in an investigation that involves the nation's most powerful sports leagues, neither of which is under its jurisdiction.

 

Both bodies will be watching to see how aggressively the NFL pursues its investigation, however. While MLB gained a reputation as a zealous pursuer of PED users through the Biogenesis saga, the NFL has been widely criticized in anti-doping circles as not doing enough to fight the issue."

 

Zimmerman and Howard filed defamation lawsuits against Al-Jazeera for the reports in their story.  Teagarden, who admitted to using PEDs while (unknowingly) on camera did not.

[dougd]

This story in the NYT adds some background:

Finding a Common Thread in the Al Jazeera Doping Report

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/06/sports/baseball/al-jazeera-peyton-manning-derek-jeter-charles-sly.html

[gunnarthor]

MMQB is already saying that the NFL's investigation of PED use discussed by the Al-Jeezera report is unlikely to lead to anything.  Nothing to see here, move along.

 

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/01/27/nfl-al-jazeera-hgh-investigation

 

[drjim]

Mlb and nfl are slightly different in how enthusiastically they pursue peds.

[Thrylos]

Due diligence.  Got to do it.  Plus at the end it will help the players' defamation lawsuits against those allegations if proven fabricated...

 

 

[gunnarthor]

 

Due diligence.  Got to do it.  Plus at the end it will help the players' defamation lawsuits against those allegations if proven fabricated...

The defamation lawsuit has its own hurdles.  Al-Jeezera didn't say Zimmerman and Howard were on PEDs - Charlie Sly did.  They reported it.  Now Sly is claiming that he made it all up but that doesn't really help the players against Al-Jeezera.  News agencies generally have wide latitude in reporting news.  SI had a nice write up on the legal issues that will arise out of the lawsuit.  I'm certainly not an expert but I would be shocked if Al-Jeezera lost.  My guess is that in a few months the players will quietly drop their lawsuits.