Steinberg: "Apparently the Times like so many other news outlets on the Tiger Woods story, has abandoned principle."

An ESPN.com wire story features a new and much improved denial from Mark Steinberg in response to today's New York Times story on Dr. Anthony Galea (the quote above was taken from the broadcast item linked below).

Interesting though that he chooses to prioritize his attention on IMG first, Tiger's knee a distant second.

In a statement to media outlets Tuesday, Steinberg railed against the paper's story.

"The New York Times is flat wrong, no one at IMG has ever met or recommended Dr. Galea, nor were we worried about the progress of Tiger's recovery, as the Times falsely reported," Steinberg said. "The treatment Tiger received is a widely accepted therapy and to suggest some connection with illegality is recklessly irresponsible."

Of course the story never suggested that the platelet work was illegal or that Tiger receiving that therapy was illegal behavior.

It is interesting that Steinberg notes the practice is "widely accepted," and according to the Michael Schmidt interview below, it's fairly common now for orthopoedic surgeons to use it. So why did Dr. Galea, pioneer or not, fly all the way from Toronto to Orlando to administer the treatment? I know it's Tiger Woods, but still, the story clearly states that most athletes were taking red-eyes and going out of their way to get to Canada to see Dr. Galea.

Oh and the tour also chimed in:

"We have read nothing with respect to the published reports regarding Tiger Woods and Dr. Galea that would suggest a violation of our anti doping policy."

As mentioned above, ESPN is featuring an interview with one of the NY Times writers of the story. It's worth listening to, particularly when he refutes Steinberg's claims that IMG was not involved in linking athletes with Dr. Galea.