BO JACKSON SUES OVER STEROIDS CLAIM.Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Services CHICAGO - Bo Jackson Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson (born November 30, 1962 in Bessemer, Alabama) is an American athlete and a former multi-sport professional. Jackson played at the highest level of sports in the United States in both American football and baseball. filed a defamation lawsuit Wednesday against a California newspaper that quoted a dietary expert who said the former two-sport star used steroids. The lawsuit was filed in Cook County, Ill., against the Inland Valley California's Inland Valley is a region that inlcudes parts of San Bernadino, and Riverside counties. As the name implies, the Inland Valley is situated on the inland side of the Santa Ana Mountains in southern California. There are few geographic boundaries to define the area. Daily Bulletin, MediaNews Group Inc., MediaNews Group Interactive, Inc., sports editor Jim Mohr and three other employees of the newspaper. ``I've got nothing to hide,'' Jackson said at a news conference before the White Sox's game Wednesday against the Cleveland Indians. ``If anyone wants to check into my medical past, go get blood tests, go check up on those blood tests and see if there was any anabolic steroids Anabolic steroids A group of drugs derived from the male sex hormone testosterone, most commonly prescribed to promote growth or to help the body repair tissues weakened by severe illness or aging. Some anabolic steroids are given as appetite stimulants. in it. You're more than welcome.'' Jackson is suing for unspecified general and punitive damages Monetary compensation awarded to an injured party that goes beyond that which is necessary to compensate the individual for losses and that is intended to punish the wrongdoer. . His lawyer, Dan Biederman, also said they want the newspaper to print a retraction In the law of Defamation, a formal recanting of the libelous or slanderous material. Retraction is not a defense to defamation, but under certain circumstances, it is admissible in Mitigation of Damages. Cross-references Libel and Slander. . Steve Lambert, the editor of the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and The Sun of San Bernardino, said it was too early for the newspaper to comment on the lawsuit. ``We're still investigating the situation,'' he said. The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and The Sun of San Bernardino are part of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group The Los Angeles Newspaper Group is an umbrella group of local daily newspapers published in the greater Los Angeles area by MediaNews Group. The news coverage of the newspapers are mainly local stories. , which includes the Daily News. In a story published March 24 under Mohr's byline, dietary expert Ellen Coleman was quoted as saying she knew personally that ``Bo Jackson lost his hip because of anabolic anabolic pertaining to or arising from anabolism. anabolic steroid steroids with a tissue-building effect. Testosterone is an example of a natural anabolic steroid with the, sometimes undesirable, effect of causing masculinization. abuse.'' Jackson, the only player to be selected for the NFL's Pro Bowl and appear in baseball's All-Star game, injured his hip playing for the Oakland Raiders in 1991 in a playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He played baseball that season for the Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are a professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. The White Sox are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the White Sox have played in U.S. and had a hip replacement the next year. He returned to baseball in 1993, playing for the Angels, and retired in 1994. He won the Heisman Trophy as a running back for Auburn in 1985. Jackson said he found the story from the newspaper online, and at least one person called him about it. Biederman said he then contacted Coleman, who denied making any statements about Jackson. She provided the lawyer with a videotape of her speech at a Riverside sports forum to back up her claim. ``At no time during my speech or while speaking individually to Jim Mohr did I use or mention the name Bo Jackson,'' Coleman said in a signed affidavit. Jackson, now a businessman who lives in suburban Chicago, talks to children about health and nutrition issues. He denied ever using, or even seeing, steroids in any form. ``I'm not going to sit here and say, 'Maybe I did or maybe I didn't,''' Jackson said. ``I didn't. Never did. Never had to do.'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: BO JACKSON Former two-sport star sues newspapers that reported he used steroids. |
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