I speak, obviously, of Peyton Manning and the matter of his possible involvement with human growth hormone during his rehabilitation from neck surgery. His bitter denunciation of the charges seems to have satisfied both the NFL community and his millions of fans that he has been falsely accused. If indeed any HGH had been shipped to his home address — and there is little doubt that some was — it was for the use of his wife, not him. And that's that.

Whether 'tis wiser to accept at face value the passionate denial of a beloved sports figure, or more prudent to adopt an air of skepticism derived from painful recent experience is the matter facing the sports fans of America.

To believe or not to believe, that is the disturbing question.


Well, why don't we all just move on?

In fact, that seems to be exactly what most people have done. The TV commentators have sprung to his defense. After all, isn't Al Jazeera simply a public relations tool for jihadists? Isn't this Charlie Sly guy shady and a liar? What's the Guyer Institute? And most of all, it's our Peyton. He would never lie to us.

I'd like to believe; I really would.

However . . .

Didn't we all want to believe Lance Armstrong when the accusations that he was a doper first surfaced? It's those annoying French. They're angry and frustrated that Frenchmen can't win their marquee event anymore and they can't stomach the fact that a lowly American is the premier cyclist in the world. They'll do anything to bring him down. Lance can't be lying. Isn't he a cancer survivor? He would never put any foreign substance into his body. Come on!

No one could possibly have defended himself with more vigor than Lance Armstrong did. He was aggressive to the point of viciousness. It took years and years, but we eventually found out that he had been lying all along.


Ryan Braun? His denial was rather forceful. He, too, had to fess up. And let's not get started on Alex Rodriguez, a serial prevaricator.

At this point it takes a person with a completely impeccable reputation to avoid the otherwise predictable disbelief that would accompany any such denials. Peyton Manning is precisely that person. He's built up an enormous reservoir of good will during his 20-year exposure to the American public, and his own image is enhanced by that of his father, Archie, a beloved figure. The Mannings are New Orleans royalty, and Peyton is one of the most admired athletes in American history. You can't turn on the television without seeing him in a commercial, and so often he presents himself in an endearing, self-deprecating manner. What's not to like?

But — yes, there's a but — is it so open and shut? The Guyer Institute, with which Manning does have a connection, is not exactly the Mayo Clinic, if you know what I mean. And who would fault Peyton if he did want a little rehab help? I sure wouldn't. I was told right from the start of Manning's ordeal that his neck injury was very serious stuff, that it would take years for the nerves to regenerate and that his arm strength would never be the same. The source was an orthopedic surgeon who is very experienced in dealing with athletes. That's No. 1.


No. 2 is that we need a complete airing out of this whole HGH business. If it's true that the sole purpose of using HGH is to enhance the recovery process following an injury, I say, "What's wrong with that?" Again, I say, if that's true. I find that a different matter than an agent that makes you artificially better than you would be using ordinary training methods. We all need to know. Perhaps we should stop nitpicking about HGH.

So, I'm saying that the idea that Peyton Manning would employ HGH in his rehab really doesn't bother me. It makes perfect sense. Of course, he's going to deny it.

Around these here parts, many people are moaning that a general public that doesn't want to think ill of Peyton Manning seems quite willing to impugn Tom Brady for whatever he did in the ridiculously overblown nonsense we know as "Deflategate."

It's quite easy to understand. Brady plays for the Patriots, a team synonymous in the American public's mind with chicanery, if not downright cheating. Brady is collateral damage in this Deflategate matter. Though his name is not directly attached to it, the real target of the public ire is Bill Belichick. I will concede there is an additional layer of disdain for Brady because he comes off as too good to be true, being married to You-Know-Who, endorsing upscale products, and just generally coming off as Mr. Perfect. Peyton is Everyman. Brady is Top Of The Wedding Cake.


So, do I know that Peyton did it? Nope. Would it remotely surprise me if he did it? Nope. And did he earn this apparent free pass from just about everyone? Yup.

Nationwide is not the only one on his side.

Bob Ryan's column appears regularly in the Globe. He can be reached at ryan@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeBobRyan.