Chris Benoit and Wife found dead

[El Diablo]

MP,

Now: "It's not surprising to find out ANY pro wrestler takes steroids or painkillers."

Earlier: "I've never heard his name come up in regards to steroids or painkillers.

Is it totally out of the question? No, but it's highly unlikely given what is known about him."

"Well, internet dirtsheets/massive amounts of insider wrestling knowledge was discussed numerous times in the thread."

I'm not trying to rip on you, dude. I'm simply pointing out that what you learn from "internet dirtsheets" and the "massive amounts of insider wrestling knowledge" appear to have given fans far from an accurate picture of this guy. That's all I'm saying.

[Borgland]

[ QUOTE ]
4sp,

"There are various "insider" wrestling websites that go about reporting about the business of wrestling and the behind the scenes but they all walk a very fine line about what 'should' be reported."

That's basically my point. That's not at all how people earlier in the thread were treating those sites. Instead, they were using those sites as the basis for their opinions on what sort of person Benoit was and whether or not he did things like use steroids. Using those sites to make those types of judgements doesn't seem very reasonable based on the info now being reported. That's all I'm saying.

[/ QUOTE ]

ElD,

that's exaclty why I used quotations when using the word "insider" in my links and why I said they were biased. Anything reported on a wrestling site has to be taken with a grain of salt. A lot of those "reporters" are actually employees of WWE or TNA and others.

[El Diablo]

MP,

"What is your opinion of Britney Spears, and what do you base that opinion on?"

I have no idea what type of person Britney Spears is among her friends and family and wouldn't presume to act like I did.

[El Diablo]

Borg,

"A lot of those "reporters" are actually employees of WWE or TNA and others."

I didn't know that. However, I assumed certain things about them just because they are part of a big business ecosystem, so I imagined there would be some parallels w/ general celebrity reporting.

But the people posting earlier did not treat those sources like that at all, instead treating them exactly like they are being spoon fed the information - as semi-secret behind the scenes info that only the real savvy fans are privy to that gets them bonded even stronger to this stuff. Seems like much of it is just another level of the same stuff given to the "dumb" fans via TV.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
4sp,

"There are various "insider" wrestling websites that go about reporting about the business of wrestling and the behind the scenes but they all walk a very fine line about what 'should' be reported."

That's basically my point. That's not at all how people earlier in the thread were treating those sites. Instead, they were using those sites as the basis for their opinions on what sort of person Benoit was and whether or not he did things like use steroids. Using those sites to make those types of judgements doesn't seem very reasonable based on the info now being reported. That's all I'm saying.

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly. We have people claiming those sites are reliable, and then backing off implying it wasn't their fault they were so wilfully gullible.

[4thstreetpete]

Wow! this is unbelievable. The WWE is working overdrive to salvage their image and to distance themselves away from steriods. Pointing the blame on the pressures Benoit was facing with regards to his son's condition. They're trying to play up any angles they can. I understand why they're doing it but it's still quite sickening. I've never seen them work this hard.
----------------------------------------------------------


Posted on wwe.com "Pressure Too Much?"

Benoit’s son suffered from Fragile X Syndrome; speculation over whether pressure was too much
Written: June 27, 2007WWE.com learned from an interview conducted Tuesday by Vancouver’s News1130 that Chris Benoit’s son Daniel possibly suffered from Fragile X Syndrome, a genetically passed-on condition that results in impairments ranging from physical and learning disabilities, to more severe cognitive or intellectual disabilities.

In the interview with News1130, Pam Winthrope, whose own 12-year-old son suffers from Fragile X Syndrome, recounted how she and her husband talked to Benoit about the condition five years ago.

“We talked to him because I was trying to set up a support group in B.C. and in Canada; we only have a couple of them,” she said. “My husband was struggling when we got diagnosed with our son, and Chris was struggling with his. They talked for a few minutes, and then he said he didn’t want to be a public face for Fragile X. He just wanted to keep it really, really quiet.”

A source close to Benoit recalls similar conversations with him, where he described his son’s condition as “a learning disability much like autism.” This source quotes Benoit as saying “Daniel wasn’t capable of interacting with other children and was afraid of other children. Daniel also had a hard time making eye contact with everyone, which was another symptom of his disability.” Benoit also claimed that his son was on medication for this condition.

Winthrope discussed the pressures facing parents of children diagnosed with Fragile X syndrome. During her interview with News1130, she stated that families can be torn apart by the disease because it's very difficult to find help and support. Winthrope added, "You as a parent have to go out there and find what's available and it's not easy -- they don't tell you."

A co-worker and long-time friend of the Benoits speculates that perhaps the pressures of home and Daniel’s illness had gotten to him, causing him to snap and take the lives of his wife and son before taking his own.

“Is it possible that after Chris killed Nancy (for whatever reason), he felt Daniel wouldn't be able to get the care and attention he required as a special needs child (if that is indeed true) with no mother and a father either in jail or dead? Did he then decide that the only way he could protect and take care of his son was to take him to the next world and go with him? In his warped and twisted state, did he think this was the only way to shield his son from a difficult life of pain and hardship? It doesn't condone or justify a damn thing, but it's the best reason I can think of. I'm trying to put together some semblance of logic for his actions, but it's an impossible task trying to explain this.”

[El Diablo]

4sp,

These are def some slimy mofos, that's for sure.

[4thstreetpete]

disgusting

[MikeyPatriot]

[ QUOTE ]
MP,

Now: "It's not surprising to find out ANY pro wrestler takes steroids or painkillers."

Earlier: "I've never heard his name come up in regards to steroids or painkillers.

Is it totally out of the question? No, but it's highly unlikely given what is known about him."

"Well, internet dirtsheets/massive amounts of insider wrestling knowledge was discussed numerous times in the thread."

I'm not trying to rip on you, dude.

[/ QUOTE ]

I know you aren't trying to rip on me. I worded my original statements too strongly. When I said, "Chris Benoit's name never came up in regards to steroids/painkillers/etc." I wasn't trying to imply that he's never used them or that it was impossible. But when a guy has a serious problem (i.e. Kurt Angle the last year he was with the WWE), it was widely known and reported.

If anything, I guess I just forgot/am too naive too believe how widespread steroids are in big time pro wrestling.

[ QUOTE ]
I'm simply pointing out that what you learn from "internet dirtsheets" and the "massive amounts of insider wrestling knowledge" appear to have given fans far from an accurate picture of this guy. That's all I'm saying.

[/ QUOTE ]

The problem isn't what I've "learned" but rather what went unreported. If you know a dude at work who is friendly all the time, but you don't know him too well and he ends up murdering his family, aren't you going to be a little shocked and say things like, "I'd never suspect so and so to do that"?

Further still, just because he murdered his wife and kids doesn't mean what was known/reported about him wasn't true. The guy probably was a nice guy in the back, and a loyal friend. Sometimes nice guys have dark sides, and domestic abuse and an apparently intense mental disturbance (I have a hard time believing that someone of sound mind tortures their wife and child over a weekend) go unreported for various reasons. I don't see how one could be at fault for believing that someone was a "good person" when one has heard no evidence to the contrary.

Anyway. Yes, I was wrong about a few things about Chris Benoit's life. He probably had a long history of steroid use and probably threatened or abused his wife. I didn't think this because some internet reporter told me, but rather never seeing anything to the contrary.

[MikeyPatriot]

[ QUOTE ]
4sp,

These are def some slimy mofos, that's for sure.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed. It's one thing for a writer and friend to try to make sense of something. It's another for a company to use that idea to shield themselves from the situation.