Earlier today, an alien intelligence from an unknown world came down from the heavens and took over the body of Nate Dunlevy, head writer for the Colts blog 18to88.com. How do I know this? Well, Dunlevy, who once railed against yours truly for writing a story about Peyton Manning's neck injury citing an unnamed source, wrote an article today about Peyton Manning's neck injury... and cited unnamed sources:
According to multiple 18to88.com sources, the situation is indeed as bad as has been reported.
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4. Another surgery is a likely outcome at this point. I believe (but have not been informed) that when the Colts say that 'no surgery has been planned' they are playing word games. My understanding is that this is headed for surgery, though it hasn't been scheduled definitively.5. Because this is a neck/nerve issue, there is at least a chance this could be career ending injury. That's obviously a dire result, and no one is necessarily expecting that outcome, but this is every bit as bad as it could be. This is serious.
This report was written on the heels of Jon Michael Vincent's tweet yesterday that sources were telling him Manning would require a third surgery, and that his season was in jeopardy.
Not long after Dunlevy posted his story, the Colts released a statement essentially calling the report, and anything else stating Manning was headed for surgery, a load of bull. They even threw in this not-too-thinly-veiled shot at him, and anyone else spreading rumors about Peyton's health:
As was stated at the outset, it serves no useful purpose to speculate about hypothetical outcomes. When and if there are concrete medical facts to report we will do so.
Now, unlike last year, when I wrote a story about Peyton's neck and Nate Dunlevy threw me under a bus and then set the bus on fire, with Nate I am going to do the right thing. I'm not going to call him a rumor-monger. I'm not going to label him an attention-seeking pages view whore. I'm not going to berate him as irresponsible or dishonest even though he has not confirmed his sources for me.
I'm going to support him 100%, and tell all of you I believe him over anything I read or see from the team.
I won't B.S. any of you by saying I like or respect Nate Dunlevy as a person. I don't. I'm not writing this to curry any favor with him, or hope that one day he'll be my buddy.
However, my personal dislike for Dunlevy aside (because personal taste should not interfere with getting to the truth of a story), I think he is 100% right in his report. I trust him and his sources.
I was actually kind of shocked that ole Nate wrote such an article today, and once I collected myself from off the floor after fainting, I appreciated how he went out on a limb and did what many other people seemed unwilling to do: He reported the truth, damn the consequences.
Rest assured, he's getting hammered on Twitter, just as JMV has also been run through the ringer as well. I can guarantee you the Colts were not happy that Nate and JMV reported those stories, which was why they were forced to make a statement today regarding Peyton's health. When you report one thing, and the team states another, most people are inclined to believe the team no matter how good your sources are. The team then runs to their ever reliable corporate media mouthpiece, also known as 'Chris Mortensen,' and gets a story out there that no surgeries are 'planned' for Peyton and that he is being re-evaluated.
Again, this 're-evaluation' story doesn't happen without JMV and Nate writing their pieces saying Peyton will have surgery.
Personally, I believe Nate and JMV. I think Peyton will have surgery. I think his 2011 season is finished. I think that, within the next 24-48 hours, we'll get some kind of announcement that Peyton will have surgery, and both Nate and JMV will get some much-deserved vindication. Also, a site called Sports Man Cave should also get some props as well. They first reported that Peyton might be out indefinitely back on August 25th. And just like Nate's story, their sources were unnamed as well.
Note long ago, Nate posted an article saying he wishes he could quit writing his blog after today. My suggestion: Don't quit, Nate. Stories like the one you wrote today are what bloggers are supposed to do. I encourage more writing like it. Please.