Very good piece. The reaction by some fans is amazing and scary. I too saw someone posit that Benoit could have been set up to look like it was a murder-suicide.

1.a REAL SPORT IS DEFINED AS A SHOW OF ATHLETICISM, YES, THESE SHOWS ARE SCRIPTED.... BUT MOST WRESTLERS, GO OUT 3-7 NIGHTS OF EVERY WEEK OF EVERY YEAR, AND PERFORM FAR MORE ATHLETIC FEATS THAN ANY FOOTBALL, BASEBALL, OR HOCKEY PLAYER.(WHO ONLY PLAY IN SEASONS)

2.IF DRIVING IN CIRCLES TO THE LEFT (AKA NASCAR) IS A SPORT.....SO IS PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING.

MAKE ALL THE ARGUEMENTS YOU WISH....THERE IS NO WAY TO DISCREDIT THE TRUTH IN THIS
PERIOD

Thank you for making this point! I could care less about pro wrestling, but have been truly disgusted by some of the pieces and blog posts I've seen lionizing this creep as if he didn't murder his wife and son with his bare hands.

ghost:
your assertion that pro wrestlers who perform scripted routines that result in a pre-determined outcomes are more athletic than real athletes reveal you to be foolish and ignorant.

you also probably think that since benoit used strength to kill his wife and child, that those murders were examples of benoit's athleticism. pro wrestlers are just guys who can't hack it in real sports where competition is genuine.

I agree with what 'BENOITSGHOST' wrote-wrestling is scripted, but these wrestlers get hurt big time! I'm a 51-year-old grandma and I love what these guys do-it's very entertaining. That's why it's called World Wrestling Entertainment I guess.
These guys are tremendously athletic, in my humble opinion. I've never seen anything like it.

Your article is excellent! I will have to say, though, that I met Chris Benoit in April of 2006 and he spent some time with my 2 grandnephews-Chris was a perfect gentleman! Very, very nice. He did NOT have to talk with us, but he did.The facts of what he did to his own family is weighing tremendously on me-I am absolutely shocked and hope the investigators find some answers as to why Chris murdered his beautiful family.

P.S. any wrestling fans out there who are really missing the Undertaker???

Debbie K.
Joliet, IL.

SAL...YOU ARE MY HERO...GREAT ARTICLE! EVERY WORD!

What? Wrestling is fake! Get a life, loser!

Reading your drivel made me think you are suffering from roid rage yourself.

First of all, who are you enlightening by telling us it's scripted? Pre-determined? The it was decided he'd "win" by a writer's meeting.

It's on ESPN and other places because it's news. As you mentioned, some sports fans are wrestling fans and vice versa. So why would it suprise you for them to run w/ it?

You're sort of in the media doing this blog. Haven't you heard, "if it bleeds, it leads."

And as someone put it, these guys are out working 300 days a year. More than any professional athlete in any league. Their bodies take abuse daily.

Yes, what this coward did was horrible, but don't blast the media for running w/ the story. If you don't understand why they're doing it; then YOU shouldn't be doing this.

CB, just because some of us are wrestling fans does not make us losers. This tragedy is affecting Benoit's fans in many ways, and to call people names just because you don't like this form of entertainment is cruel and insensitive. No offense to you personally, just my humble observation.

Debbie K.

just as it's understood that wrestling is rigged, we all know that random, anonymous internet commenters have a problem with reading comprehension, and yet we still must remind everyone of this reality.

but for the edification of these types, it's also worth repeating that the problem isn't that the story is being covered, it's the manner in which it's being covered.

Your I'm smarter and better than everyone attitude is so pathetic. Stick to the gym Sal.

Agreed, Sal. You're right.

Sal, it is a weird news story, because it's a real story in a fake sport. We shouldn't be shocked that the average tv station doesn't know how to handle that.

These guys are amazing gymnasts and stunt-men, and they sell out arenas, but most sports guys would never cover a wrestling story. It's not a wrestling story though. It took the news outlets a little while to figure that out.

Yes, it's a story about steroid use in pro wrestling and how prevalent it is. It's a huge problem.

It was his ex-wife that filed for divorce not his current wife...I agree that wrestling is scripted and that we shouldn't be promoting a career from a murderer...but I would beg to differ that there isn't a physical toll when you jump from two stories on to barbed wire or the such...the fact that these guys have to guts to do it is amazing in itself...not much difference than a man running full speed at another man and try and tackle him...again don't critize unless I drive by your house and try to see you dive off the roof onto cardboard.

What Benoit has done is indefensible, and since details have emerged about what he did, most reports that I have read have backed off from the praise and tribute and are judging him correctly.

Those of you using this as an occasion to take shots at wrestling (and its fans) - probably the biggest, easiest target for mockery in the entertainment world - should be very proud of yourselves. Way to take the high road.

Also...I'm assuming that if you bash wrestling because of its predetermined outcomes, you also hate television, movies, and plays, because hey, it's all FAKE! (Wait a minute, you mean Bruce Willis didn't really launch that car off a ramp and blow up a helicopter in the new Die Hard movie? It was FAKE?! Inconceivable!) Give me a break here. The finishes are scripted, but there's no denying that a lot of what happens in that ring requires huge amounts of athleticism (if you disagree, please feel free to post a video of yourself performing a moonsault or a hurricanrana). Also, to simply blame wrestling as a whole for what Benoit did is a rush to judgment - wait until the toxicology report comes back, that will tell us if steroids had anything to do with this.

AMEN, Mike. Well said.

i have not watched wrestling in many years now, however how can you say that "as if Benoit was a legit athlete from a real professional sport league, when he was clearly just one of the most freakish members of a form of entertainment that is nothing more than a high-profile sideshow act" benoit and all wrestlers are athletes, have you not ever seen the moves they do? wrestling is a sport that can also be a form of entertainment. Its a shame that some people can not see that the likes of wwe have some gifted atheletes that are also great actors.

I think you have some valid points, but disagree with your flip flop approach on whether he should be treated as an athlete or not. If you were to tell me that my business needs to do drug testing because someone else does is to me, a matter of following the sheep. If you want WWE to do drug testing like the NFL or NBA then you must first admit that these actors are athletes as well.

FOOLISH AND IGNORANT....NO SIR, THAT WOULD BE YOU, AND TO PROVE IT, HERE IS A CHALLENEGE

YOU ARE A GYM RAT/BODYBUILDER/WHATEVER....CORRECT?

HERE IS WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO.
PLAY FOOT BALL WITH SOME OF THE BADDEST DUDES YOU KNOW.....3 GAMES IN ONE WEEK.

THEN, I WANT YOU TO FIND A GYM WITH A WRESTLING/BOXING/SPARRING RING....RUN THE ROPES FOR 3 MINUTES (RUN ACCROSS THE RING BACK AND FORTH), DO A FEW HIGH FLYIN MOVES OFF THE TOP ROPE, THEN FIND A SPARRING PARTENER (WHO IS HEAVY) TO BODY SLAM, PRESS OVER YOUR HEAD, SUPLEX, SUPLEX GERMAN STYLE, HAVE HIM PUT YOU IN A PINNING POSITION AND BRIDGE OUT OF IT.

THEN TELL ME, YOU WOULD RATHER PUT YOUR BODY THROUGH THAT 3-7 NIGHTS A WEEK, ALMOST EVERY WEEK OF THE YEAR (DEPENDING ON IF YOU FEEL LIKE TAKIN A VACATION) OR PLAY FOOT BALL FOR ONE SEASON EVERY YEAR.

FOOTBALL = RUN, TACKLE, TAKE A BREAK, REPEAT, OVER AND OVER AND OVER

WRESTLING = A STRENUOUS SHOW OF ATHLETIC PROWESS, STRENGTH AND STAMINA (SOMETIMES ENOUGH STRENGTH TO TOSS/LIFT/SLAM MEN TWICE YOUR SIZE - SEE CENA VS. THE BIG SHOW, BENOIT VS. KANE ETC).

NOT ONLY DO YOU NEED THE STRENGTH, STAMINA AND ATHLETICISM TO PULL THESE MOVES OFF.
YOU NEED THE TRAINING, AND PRACTICE TO MAKE THE SCRIPTED MATCH LOOK REAL, AND BE A GOOD ENOUGH ATHLETE TO PULL OFF THESE MOVES WITHOUT BADLY HURTING YOURSELF, OR THE PERFORMER YOU ARE WORKING WITH.

ALL FOOTBALL PLAYERS HAVE TO DO IS PAD THE HELL OUT OF THEMSELVES, RUN WITH A BALL AND KNOCK PEOPLE OVER.....AND (WHENEVER ON CAMERA) DRINK ALOT OF WHATEVER "ENERGY DRINK" OR "THRIST QUENCHER" IS SPONSORING THE LEAGUE.

I'M NOT SAYING FOOTBALL IS NOT ATHLETIC, I'M JUST SAYING, IT TAKES MORE STRENGTH, TALENT, PROWESS, STAMINA, ETC. TO BE AN ACTOR IN THE PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING BUSINESS, THAN IT DOES TO PLAY FOOTBALL.

TRUST ME, I HAVE PLAYED FOOTBALL WITH SOME ROUGH DUDES, AND I HAVE WORKED FOR SOME INDEPENDENT WRESLTING CIRCUITS....THE SCRIPTED WRESTLING TAKES ALOT MORE OUT OF ME....SO I AM SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE, NOT BEING "AN IGNORANT FOOL"

AND NO, I DO NOT SUPPORT THE MAN KILLING HIS WIFE AND KID, NICE ATTEMPT AT WITTY HUMOUR YOU WITLESS MEATHEAD.

AS FAR AS WRESTLERS NOT BEING ABLE TO HACK IT IN REAL SPORTS.... DO SOME RESEARCH GENIOUS

BROCK LESNAR, AND BILL GOLDBERG
GREAT FOOTBALL PLAYERS
LESNAR NOW FIGHTS IN MIXED MARTIAL ARTS MATCHES (AND WHOOPS SOME ASS I MIGHT ADD)

KURT ANGLE
OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST

MARK HENRY
WON MANY AWARDS IN STRONGMAN COMPETITIONS

CHRIS BENOIT, EDDIE GUERRERO, AND TAZZ
WERE ALL VERY TALENTED WRESTLERS (GRECO-ROMAN STYLE "REAL" WRESTLING THAT IS.)

THEY AREN'T HACK'S WHO CAN'T CUT IT IN REAL SPORTS....THEY ARE GREAT ATHLETES WHO CAN GET MORE MONEY OUT OF VINCE MCMAHON THAN ANY OTHER ATHLETIC PROMOTER

SO....IN SUMMARY....YOU ARE WRONG, IN EVERY WAY IMAGINABLE
NICE TRY THOUGH...KEEP EM COMIN

Man, you might as well classify wrestling fans as booger eaters and mouth breathers. Fans are reacting to this as a football fan would if Peyton Manning did it, or Tom Hanks for a movie fan. It's a kick to the gut, a total 180. The man -was- a class act. He's now a child killer. I can never watch a match of his again. You make a lot of good points, but demeaning wrestling fans is just a personal attack. See this from our POV. Thank you.

~Ahem~ Thanks, Sal, for calling a spade a spade.

Some of the comments I'm seeing here are disturbing. I don't follow "pro wrestling", but I see almost daily some account of a guy who didn't have balls enough to do himself without taking innocents with him. This Benoit guy is no different--I could give a rat;s ass about the pressures of his profession, the rampant use of steroids in the "sport", his marital difficulties, any other excuse his fans might make for him. The fact remains that he was just another loser who went out in the most cowardly, twisted way imaginable.

Thank you for making this point. And ghost NASCAR should not be considered a sport either. Any idiot out there can drive around in circles wasting gas. Benoit messed up and is probably burning in hell as we speak.

Sal,
I am a wrestling fan, and I know that MOST of the outcomes are fake, and that the moves are scripted, BUT I also acknowledge that the performers are genuinely gifted physically. They go out every day and perform their job as athletes and entertainers. To say that they are just a "freak show" is like commenting that a cashier at the grocery store isn't a worker because she doesn't hold a high ranking position in a major consumerative company. These guys (and gals) are just as much of an athlete as any football, basketball, or baseball player, and even more so than any nascar racer out there, and people call that a sport.

Now as to the other comments on Benoit's personality. I actually watched the RAW tribute to Benoit, and, if you had, you would have seen quite a few people who commented on how much of an honorable person Benoit was. I am not saying that he couldn't have done what is being presumed that he did, I am just saying that, from what the people who spent almost every day with him for the past 20+ years are saying he doesn't seem the type. Just my 2 cents

Okay, I agree Chris Benoit is a cold-blloded killer. But being a fan of his, I need to get my head around this tragedy just like other Benoit/wrestling fans. How would any of you people who are making personal attacks against us fans feel if the same thing happened by one of YOUR favorite athletes? HUH? This whole murder/suicide thing has upset me, saddened me, pissed me off, and I want to know WHY it happened! Like it or not, a lot of us are grieving over this whole terrible murder and the fact that one of our favorite athletes/entertainers committed heinous acts.

Debbie

It can only be hoped that the publicity helps other women trapped in violent relationships recognise that they need to get out - that if a man has been violent with them, then promises that he won't do it again, the fact is that he will, and it will almost certainly get worse and worse, and possibly end like this.

Amen to that, Natalie!

"too many media outlets have treated wrestling as if it were a real sport."

Whereas some fine establishments push all TV wrestling stories to the TV section.

[fistpump]

Let me tell you "fans" a little about death. I'm intimately familiar with suicide, having lost two brothers to it. Of course you want to know why, but you won't--ever. And you know what? it doesn't matter. A lot of suicides don't leave notes, and the vast majority don't seem "the type." There aren't any deep conspiratorial murder plots. Benoit wanted to go out, but he didn't have the balls to do it on his own. My sympathies are to the wife and son, as I think they should be. Benoit found himself trapped after committing two murders, and took the only route he had left. Don't make him out to be a tragic hero.

The line between sports and WWE are indeed oddly blurred sometimes.

"too many media outlets have treated wrestling as if it were a real sport."

Might I amend,

"too many media outlets have treated the news as it were a wrestling match..."

He's not a tragic hero any more than that murderer OJ Simpson is. I'm saying that we, as fans, feel we KNOW some of those wrestlers and LIKE them for the entertainment they give us each week. Can't you even fathom that we are grieving as fans? My sympathies are for his wife and son as well. Are we forbidden to grieve during this whole horrible situation? You tell me that any of the rest of you sports fans would NOT grieve if one of YOUR favorite athletes did what Chris did to his own wife and kid? It's appalling and horrible.

I'm familiar with suicides in my personal life as well. I may never know the answers WHY but it doesn't stop me from looking for one.

Sal,

I read your story with considerable interest, and after doing so I can only offer the following:

I think your assessment of wrestling and it's athletes/performers is in general a little harsh. Yes the outcomes are scripted and pre-determined, it's intended as an entertainment and as a spectacle, and anyone but the most deluded "mark" knows that.

But what these guys actually do in a ring during these matches is "real" in the sense that it does require considerable athleticism and skill (the two prinicipals involved also have to protect each other), and these guys do get legitimately hurt. "Fake" or not, there is no other professional sport -- not football, not baseball -- where the "season" goes 365 days a year.

That said, I think your comments about the wrestling industry in general, and about the rampant problem of steroid use within it are generally speaking, spot on.

As a wrestling fan since my childhood going to matches at the military base with my old man to see old school grapplers like Ripper Collins and The Shiek, I have wrestled with this tragedy myself just like so many other fans have.

I also wrote a piece eulogizing Benoit and generally singing the praises of his career accomplishments.

This was before I learned the more complete story we are still learning now. These facts, combined with a long discussion I had Tuesday night with a friend of mine who has ties to the industry, is what compelled me to write my second piece in which I suggested that Vince McMahon should radically rethink how he approaches the health concerns of his performers. By health concerns I mean, both physical and mental, and that an especially hard light should be shined on drug abuse -- performance enhancing and otherwise.

As for Chris Benoit himself, as I said in that article I simply cannot fathom what posesses a man to do what he did to his wife and to his innocent seven year old boy. Whatever the circuimstances, there is nothing that excuses it.

Which I think is part of why you see all of the mixed reactions these past several days. A lot of people are just trying their best to understand the incomprehensible.

Thanks for your article and for listening.

-Glen

"Can't you even fathom that we are grieving as fans?"

In a word, no.

"You tell me that any of the rest of you sports fans would NOT grieve if one of YOUR favorite athletes did what Chris did to his own wife and kid?"

I'm not a sports fan, per se, but no, I never grieve for evil people.

Reality check. Would you feel so strongly if it had ben a disgruntled worker who decides he's going to "get even" with his wife before he shoots himself? No, you'd just shake your head and go about your business.

Has it occurred to you that after he killed his wife, he waited hours before killing his son? What sort of scenario was that/

No, you fans aren't allowed to grieve because you found out your sport and its heroes are not what you imagined. That's just ego, isn't it?

First of all, the growth hormones that were given to Daniel have NOTHING to do with what happened in the death. He was given these hormones due to a DISEASE this child had, Fragile X. I can't believe that the media is constantly pointing out that Daniel had needle marks. Of course he did, from the growth hormones. Second of all, just because wrestling has storylines and all that stuff, doesn't mean that the pain isn't real. My husband wrestles with the local faction. He comes home gritting his teeth with pain. So don't you dare tell me that ALL of its fake. And I agree with a lot of these other comments. OJ Simpson, who you claim is a REAL athlete, is just as much of a murderer. Furthermore, DO NOT ridicule the fans just because they watch wrestling for entertainment. It's their choice. And only TRUE fans know whats fake and what's real. That's like saying that they shouldn't watch movies or TV shows or anything because they're just as scripted and storylined as wrestling. SOME of wrestling is fake (ie: storylines), but the moves and injuries are not. So maybe next time a movie star or song artist goes to jail or rehab, you should ridicule them too.

Great article! I've watched several WWE matches -- just trying to figure out how this stuff gets on TV -- and you have to either be an adolescent or kid, or have the mentality of one, to enjoy this type of scripted show. The athletes involved are very much athletes, but they are also steroid-loaded actors whose silly act is often centered around feigning rage, and in building some kind of cartoonish hyper aggressive persona. That it spills over into real murderous rage should delight many of the fans. They think their "sport" is "real" after all, even if the "opponents" are one's defenseless family members. Wake up and smell the coffee.

There are so many other sports to appreciate for their spectacle and skill, that people are attracted to this low class schlock, is unfathomable. The main kind of character this sport builds is aggression and abuse, both in the participants and the fans.

I can understand why people like Nascar. They like fast cars, and races, and outcome that isn't predetermined, and is a test of skill and engineering. But WWE is really for people living in a fantasy world. This Benoit incident is where fantasy collides with reality and goes boom, spelling the beginning of the end for this "stupid" sport. But hey WWE fans, you still got monster trucks and other similar crap.

Break the Prozac in half, Lizzie. Who claimed anything about OJ Simpson? It doesn't take a "ral fan" to realize these guys put themselves through pain. I'll take you at your word that you're privy to the lines between reality and illusion. But how do you explain what happened? It may be time you get your rose-colored glasses switched out.

Chuck Bednarik(forgive my spelling), Ernie Ladd, Wahoo McDaniel, a few freaks who earned money to support their families in the "High Profile Sideshow" when the NFL didn't have the contracts it does today. I have no reason to question your credentials, but you above most people should respect what the athletes of professional wrestling put their bodies through, and what condition they must be in, in order to perform at that level day in and day out. To lump the stars of proffesional wrestling with Chris Benoit, would be like lumping all NBA players with Ron Artest, or all baseball players with Darrel Strawberry, or all NFL players with "Tank" Johnson or....

First off, sir, I believe your article to be biased. I'll show you the objective approach. Professional Wrestling is predetermined. This is true. However, the performers use their skills in the ring and knowledge to talk about their match with each other, plan specific maneuvers, and the rest is improvised. Also, the WWE has had problems with drug use. If you were to look at Eddie Guerrero a few years before his death, you would see that his physique doubled. He also had acne on his chest and back. The WWE does need to enforce a monthly drug screening policy. One thing is certain, however, these wrestlers put their bodies on the line multiple times per week for the entertainment of the surfs of this world. They try to pull their punches and kicks and also let each other do moves that one could easily get out of. But they also get dropped on their heads, fall off of steel cages, jump off of ladders, get hit in the head with metal chairs, etc. It's also their real blood when they get "busted open" in a match. The reality of this is, however, that they usually cut themselves with razor blades. The point is that they put their bodies on the line every week and are discredited because of a few bad apples when they do so much hard work to entertain their target audience. The tragedy of the Benoit family is quite a compelling mystery. The mind-boggling part of this situation is the interviews that WWE superstars gave in memory of Benoit on Monday night's presentation. Everybody there described him as a quiet, caring individual who they looked up to. They said he was a nice guy. Then again, Ed Gein's peers also said that. The next step is to figure out exactly why he did what he did and not to judge him for it. Going into an investigation with a closed-mind leaves one to jump to conclusions. The reality is that the human species is nothing more than mere animals that are conditioned into repressing their biological, animalistic traits.

glen:
the steroid use doesn't occur in a vacuum. whether it's a chicken or an egg scenario with regard to the use of steroids and how the storylines have become more bizarre and violent is a moot point, as this form of entertainment has become abhorrent.

from the seemingly innocent days of ernie ladd, bruno sammartino, dick the bulldog brower, the incomparable johnny rodz and others pro wrestling has morphed into a freak show where growth hormones and steroids turn men into beasts.

the fact that the injuries are real doesn't change the fact that pro wrestling is not a sport and those who wrestle shouldn't be given the same treatment as team sport athletes.

the best angle one could take on this tragedy is to blame the wrestling organizations for what they "force" their wrestlers to do in order to get to the top. but frankly, today's wrestling fans wouldn't be very interested in a brand of pro wrestling where the participants were off the drugs and looked more like regular guys. so who is really to blame for what pro wrestling has become?

"when everybody knows that the Benoit "won" his matches as a result of a writer's meeting that was held in an office, and not as a result of actual competition."

There's so much more that goes into deciding who is going to win what. Yes, there are numerous times when someone has made it to the top due their ability to excite a crowd through a gimmick, but in the case of Benoit, he was there due to sheer talent. He did earn that belt, and fought for many years to make it there. This stuff doesn't happen overnight. Sadly, all that he worked for is now gone and tainted forever.

Most other pro athletes wouldn't even think of getting paid $25 in some small gym for a nights work, yet that's what they do until they can prove themselves. Lawrence Taylor said it was the toughest thing he had ever done physically after wrestling at Wrestlemania. Fake or not, these guys are amazing at what they do.

As for the needed changes to the sport, you're absolutely right. As to your understanding, you're completely off base.

Couldn't have said it better myself Matt.

-Glen

sal, reel it in a little bit. I liked your piece, but you're losing me in the comments. Athletes are no more and no less special than wrestlers. They are all entertainers.

guys, you can say what you want about someone working to "earn" something, but that doesn't make pro wrestling a sport.

when you say benoit was there by sheer talent, what talent? you'll never know what talent he had, or that he was more talented than other wrestlers, because the outcome of his matches were predetermined.

you can dress it up all you like with the tales of the road, and the injuries and the consecutive nights in the ring, but nothing changes the fact that what you see in the ring is a product that has been crafted and the outcome has been determined elsewhere.

i have no problem with people being entertained by pro wrestling, but don't make the mistake of thinking that because pro wrestling is a physical form of entertainment that it's sport. just as kevin spacey isn't really a singer because he played bobby darin in a movie and mark wahlberg isn't a pro football player because he played vince papale in a movie.

pro wrestling isn't a sport because of all the pretend elements, and doesn't deserve to be covered in the same manner that should be reserved for legitimate competition.

bicho
is your position that tiger woods, roger federer, mia hamm and albert pujols are in the same boat as chris benoit, john cena and the rock?

I was in shock last week when a caller phoned-in to a local sports TV talk show in Cleveland and informed the host (Bruce Drennan) that Vince McMahon was "blown up" in his limosine (and "the story" was also featured on CNN).

Drennan looked stunned and dismayed - admitting that he doesn't watch pro wrestling but found the story shocking, nonetheless.

I was "in shock" for different reasons - primarily because the FIRST thing I thought of is that THIS was just some WWE soap opera "stunt" for ratings. But WHY didn't the seasoned sports broadcaster with 30 years of "experience" think the same damn thing...?

After about an hour, and his intern searching the internet for "answers" ...it seems Mr. Drennan finally came to the same conclusion about McMahon's untimely "death" that I did.

I haven't followed pro wrestling since I was a pre-teen, but I know people in their 20's and 30's who still do. I make fun of them (in pure lighthearted jest) - just the same way they make fun of me for watching "Dawson's Creek."

Nevertheless, there's no doubt that these wrestlers are athletic and it takes a great deal of skill to perform these high-flying stunts. I also know that the outcomes are as well-scripted as any episode of "The Young and The Restless" - just replace the beautiful people of sudsy corporate america ...with sweaty men in tights.

And I've watched enough episodes of "Hogan Knows Best" with guilty glee - that Hulk Hogan isn't faking it when he wobbles around his Miami mansion on his deeply damaged knees.

But whether it's the tragic suicide of Tony Dungy's son - or the death of an innocent mother and her son at the hands of a madman (because of mental illness, drugs or extreme stress) - the outcome is all the same: Sad, disturbing and tragic.

depends on the boat. your article dealt with the media and wrestling, and the reaction of wrestling fans. Your comments, and maybe you are becoming defensive due to the reaction of some, make it sound like sports athletes are somehow better than wrestlers, not just as athletes, but as human beings in general. Maybe that's not what you mean, but that's how it's starting to come across. If that's the boat, it can sail without me.

With Tiger, I have heard some argue golf is a game not a sport. It certainly doesn't look good to have Angel, the winner of the US Open, smoking cigarettes while he's walking the course.

As far as Pujols, MLB and the Player's Union have done such a poor job almost every successful ball player is under a cloud of suspicion for steroids and the like. It's gotten to the point now, I am waiting for when not wondering if the next person will be revealed.

"when you say benoit was there by sheer talent, what talent? you'll never know what talent he had, or that he was more talented than other wrestlers, because the outcome of his matches were predetermined."

Seriously Sal, you have no idea what you're talking about. You should just stop now. There are bad pro wrestlers and good pro wrestlers. Just because the outcome is determined doesn't change how they get to that outcome. A good, high class pro wrestler can do things in the ring the lower rung simply can't handle.

Coming off those ropes, taking a bump properly, the timing, the reaction, etc. There's a LOT going on in that ring when those guys are out there, contrary to what you seem to think. There's a proper way to do things.

It's like saying all stuntmen are equal because the stunt in pre-planned. Are all actors equal when reading the same lines? A sloppy wrestling match is simply embarassing. A great match is something to see.

Seriously, I mean think about what you said. If it was all the same, and everyone was on equal ground, why would there even be a need for small independent federations? I've seen some of the most awful pro wrestling events in my life sitting front row by young guys trying to make it, and there is a clear line of talent that seperates them from their big time peers.

There are professional wrestling scouts that seek talent. The WWE holds tryouts. If everyone was equal, they wouldn't need any of that.

That's just an absurd statement Sal.

Obviously Sal has never seen an Al Snow match, Matt. LOL ---

Or, on the other end, a match with the science of a Kurt Angle, or for that matter, a Chris Benoit.

I agree with Matt, Sal. You should probably just stop now. The article was somewhat credible, but in the comments you are moving dangerously close to "DD" territory.

-Glen

I wonder if the purpose of the entry was an attempt to undermine and rubbish wrestling through Benoit. If it were, then it's really in bad taste. If it weren't, then cut the world some slack.

Benoit's human too. How many of us keep only one face which we show to all? Or do we actually learn selective schizophrenia so we present different facades of ourselves to others?

The more important thing that the world has forgotten is to learn to spot the signs which point to such unnecessary tragedies and then remedy the ills before they happen.

PS. By the way, what is true sport? Is 22 men chasing a ball in soccer sport? Is a tournament of men hitting balls into holes sport? Is 10 men chasing a basketball sport? Is potting balls on a table with a stick sport? Running round a stadium and swimming laps, jumping into sand pits and diving off 10 m platforms - sport? The ludicrousness of it all - what exactly is sport? Sports are merely "adequate" achievements in endeavours. Sports superstars are born when these adequate players become top of their league.

Ray Ellis wrote:
No, you fans aren't allowed to grieve because you found out your sport and its heroes are not what you imagined. That's just ego, isn't it?


Ray, I realize you're not a sports fan, for whatever reason. Neither am I basically. But I find wrestling to be fun and exciting to watch and, since I met Chris Benoit, I take this tragedy a little more seriously than do you. I never think of athletes as 'heroes', but Chris was a REAL PERSON to me who struck me as being very kind and generous to me and my grandnephews. What about all the kids who looked up to Chris? Do you have any feelings of compassion for what they, as young fans, may be going through?

"EGO", you wrote. Can you explain that comment to me? You are making no sense. Do I detect a note of 'inferiority complex' in your email? I'll bet you couldn't wrestle like the pros do on the best day of your life.

Thank you for your compassionate diatribe. What a nice guy you are.

Nice article Sal. And don't listen to Matt (P. not S.) I think he is a little loony sometimes.

I just want to say to all those people out there that feel they know what is classified as sport and what is not .... what might be sport for one person is not sport for another ... I do enjoy wrestling .. however I also enjoy other sports as well .. except golf and baseball and cricket (I would rather watch paint dry and grass grow).


However saying this .. what Chris Benoit did was inexcusable ... if he wanted to take his life then he should have just done that ... to take the life of his wife that made him a coward .. but to take the life of a 7 year old CHILD then to me that just makes him a downright evil coward .. no matter how good a wrestler he was .. that does not make up for what he did now ... He did that as an individual not anything about being a wrestler ... If it wasnt for the fact that chris benoit was a "famous" person no body would think twice about what happened.

Whatever people think about wrestling ... fake or not .. that is'nt the problem .. the fact that innocent people were murdered that is the problem

Maybe some of you forget that back in the 80's ESPN actually showed wrestling. Is wrestling fake? Sure it is but if you look up the definition of sport in any dictionairy wrestling would easily fall under what is defined sport (in fact in a few dictionaires, under wrestling, sport is actually used). It's also interesting to note that many pro football players (including hall of famer Reggie White) have made the jump to pro wrestling, very few end up making it or being able to handle it.

Wrestling really takes alot more heart and dedication than ANY pro sport does. Guys like Pacman Jones and Mike Vick can't even handle the pressures of NFL fame. Odds are both would be dead in their 20's if they had to endure the life a wrestler goes through. Also look at the imapact it does on a wrestler's body. Alot of these guys are still wrestling into their 40s where a pro athlete is usually winding down in his early-mid 30s.

I have been a diehard wrestling fan for over 20 years now. I'm not missing teeth, I don't live in a trailer park. I find it to be entertaining and harmless fun. I have been a huge Benoit fan for years and what has happened shocked the hell out of me like it did everyone else. Of course we saw a different Benoit on t.v. than the Benoit in real life but I was one of many who thought that Chris was one of the good guys. He was known for his passion for the fans, the business and was a hardworker. My heart goes out to his family, friends, co-worker and fans. Very sad that one of the all time greats will now best be known for being a murderer than an amazing athlete and wrestler.

Although murder-suicide will most often be tied in with a depressive illness, it is often also about control as well and therefore introduces the notion that the depressive illness may not be the entire reason for a person committing such an act.

...in other words, I'm going to die, and I'm taking you with me because you're mine and I can do whatever I like with you. Whether the depressive illness or other factors are mainly to blame is open to conjecture. Often, it revolves around a marriage break-up - usually but not always when a wife decides to leave her husband, or is on the verge of doing so, or simply is perceived to be on the verge of doing so.

It dovetails with statements made in relation to the state of Benoit's marriage

And I for one don't understand why the question of whether wrestling is a real sport or isn't would have anything to do with this tragedy. It's totally irrelevent. A bloke killed his wife and child and then killed himself. That's the story, period.

i'm a wrestling fan40 years now-i watched with my grammy-my uncles and my daddy-my sons were raised watching wrestling-one really likes it and has for 25 years-and the other really doesnt-its a sport no matter how you look at it-gymnastics are considered a sport-so why not the gymnastics the wrestlers do-no -matter how you break it down-its a sport-all games are considered a sport-baseball-basketball-football-gymnastics-oh my gosh-cheerleading is a sport.its all entertianment of some kind.i would just like to say-i;m waiting for some more info on this chris/murder-suicide-before i make a decision.i would like to give my condolences to the familys of chris,his wife and his son. and my condolences to all you wrestling fans too---anna

bicho:
i think you must misread my comments here. and i'm certainly not defensive about the position i've taken.

flat out, wrestling is not a sport and shouldn't be treated as such by the media. injuries and grueling schedule aside, pro wrestlers by the nature of what pro wrestling is - as athletes - cannot be considered in the same boat as team sport athletes. there are cretins in every walk of life, and nothing i wrote takes the position that as people and as a group, pro wrestlers are worse than anyone else.

and as far as the fans' reactions, both here and in general to the benoit murders, i'm not surprised.

you are a fraud. you who are an athelete have the gall to assault chris benoit who was a trained athelete. your comments were personal and sounded vengeful. your comments i feel were hurtful to benoit's living children and family members.
chris benoit was a very talented pro-wrestler and should be remembered as such. your personal feelings about the media coverage of the benoit family was outright attack and very judgemental. you assume the news reports are true yet no-one has thought that maybe benoit was not the one who killed his son and wife but maybe their deaths were caused by someone else.
as for me i have not heard enough evidence to convince me that chris benoit actuall killed his family.
you don't know what happened in the benoit home or who did what or in what mindset these crimes were caused from.
the killing of benoit's family were not caused by a rational person and the type of deaths make me think they were not caused by rage but, by a deliberate calculating mind.
i don't think chris benoit should be up for any praise at this point but, i do feel he should be forever remembered for his career in wrestling.
i remember another father who once gave his son to an angry mob knowing his son would be killed.
the son was killed and today that father is worshiped worldwide. by the way the father was named god.

I can not believe that you people are judging anyone. I think the world would be a much better place if everyone kept their opinions to themselves. The Bible does say: Thou shalt not judge. Let God be the one to judge.

A Sport is a combination of physical skills and competition.

Real competition = real sport. Fake competition = fake sport.

#51
"Chris was a REAL PERSON to me who struck me as being very kind and generous to me and my grandnephews. What about all the kids who looked up to Chris? Do you have any feelings of compassion for what they, as young fans, may be going through?"

By all accounts, Hitler loved dogs and little Aryan children. Does that make him any less evil? What Benoit did was inexcusable, pure and simple, and no amount of misplaced hero worship will ever change that. I can only hope kids "who looked up to Chris" come out of it perhaps a bit more jaded, but with an understanding that a public personna rarely represents the real person.

"I'll bet you couldn't wrestle like the pros do on the best day of your life."

I think that comment speaks for itself, and points to what I meant by "ego." Fans like yourself live vicariously through comic book versions of reality. It's not Benoit you're mourning--it's the blow to your ego that hurts you.

to any and all who are saying "it's for children and adolescents"....just know that literally thousands of football, basketball, baseball, and hockey players, as well as boxers (and tons of fans of all these sports) love wrestling....watch some wwe pay-per-views...there are always sports heroes in the crowds...

mike tyson loved wrestling so much, that he was in on it for a while (see shawn michaels - dx era - vs. steve austin).

so i guess all the sports stars that you cheap beer swilling, "watchin the game this weekend" kinda guys worship have the mentality of children huh?

as far as the "acting out fake rage"...well, if you don't like that, i guess you don't like any sci-fi, or action, or horror/gore, cop drama or suspense movies eh?
and don't say "oh, that's different" it isn't

yes it's all scripted....but sports are about showing athletic ability....NOT whether or not it's competitive.

wrestlers want everyone to know it's fake....that's why they all do out-of-charcter interviews, that's why vince discusses it whenever he goes on talk shows.

but they also hate the moronic mentality of anyone who says that because it is scripted or "fake", that it makes them lesser atheletes.

as i said, i have wrestled in the independant circuits, and played football with some rough people.....trust me, it takes far more skill, strength, energy, and stamina to keep a scripted match safe, entertaining, and looking somewhat convincing, than it does to run with a ball, knock someone over and then take a break.

all wrestlers have the ability to play other spotrs (many have....do some research), they just have more fun/make more money working in wrestling.

and finally.....wrestling fans in general (though i can not speak for all of us) are not dumb, or of a childhood mentality....say it all ya want, it ain't true.... there are dumbasses in all walks of life, wrestling fans, football fans, men, women, gays, straights etc.

and as a wrestling fan, i do not think it is wrong to remember his career, one of my all time favortie matches was benoit beating triple h and shawn michaels in a triple threat match at wrestlemania 20.

i know his friends will still think lovingly of him (anyone see e.c.w. on tuesday....that c.m.punk vs. elijah burke match was definately a silent tribute to some of the legendary rumbles between benoit and dean milenko), i know that those who thought of him as a great man, are probably feeling pretty betrayed, and confused right now.....who i feel for more than anyone are the relatives of his wife, and even his relatives (i know his two children from his ex-wife are probably devastated that their father could do such a thing....it isn't their fault, why shouldn't we feel for them?)

the point is, he may have been an asshole psycho....or he may have been a good man who just snapped (from drugs, pressure/stress, alcohol, or any combination of those types of things)...but the only people who know for sure....are dead now.

so stop speculating, and keep you hearts open, and say some prayers for all living realtives of chris,nancy and daniel benoit.

R.I.P.

sorry....relatives.....pardon my typo

I don't watch wrestling, but it is certainly a sport. Sports are not only about one person competing against another. Sports are also about displays of athletic skill. Gymnists are athletes and wrestlers are basically gymnists. They are shows of athletic skill. Try doing what they do for five minutes and you will see the training and skill involved.

well spoken brad

To BENOITSGHOST- I couldn't have said it better myself. "Betrayed" is pretty much how I feel and now I have to explain to my grandnephews WHY Chris did this horrible thing...they are heartbroken. How do I explain to them that Chris is a cold-blooded killer? Do I tell them he was just plain evil or he had a lot of problems himself? And it was I who introduced Chris to the boys-what will they think about MY judgment? I feel for ALL the fans, kids especially, who really looked up to Chris. Kids don't understand this sort of thing.

And to Ray-I lashed out at you unfairly and I apologize. You feel one way, I feel another and there was no reason for me to snap and insult you. I apologize.

Debbie K.

Debora,
You should tell them that sometimes even the people we look up to will do stupid things. This should teach them that the person we see in the public eye is never really the person we could see in private. That it is fine to admire a person's work while not admiring the person. Finally, this is a lesson that those we look up to will let us down from time to time. If they enjoyed watching him as a wrestler then they should take this as a lesson that people change, things change, and not all is as it appears on TV. This is not the total lesson from this, just the "kid friendly explanation" version.

Thanks, Brad. You've brought up some really good points for me to tell the boys.

What I am amazed about is that nobody is considering foul play in the death of Benoit and his family. This sounds like a contract killing that has been staged to look like Benoit did it. If he did it, he is scum, steriods or not. It should be investigated because drugs may have played a part in theses muredrers, plural. The drugs I am alluding to aren't steriods either.It is a shame that although the so-called informed refer to what is a known fact that wrestling is staged, the whole events discribed in Benoit's house are to neat for my taste. They appear to have been staged.

And Jim Morrison is running guns off the west coast of Africa, the CIA staged Lenny Bruce's heroin overdose, Marilyn Monrow had to be silenced, et cetera, et cetera.

Life's not a carefully staged movie. Contract killers would have gone in, don their job and left. They sure as hell wouldn't have made it a weekend excursion.

A little reality, please. . .

The past few days, I have seen people go both ways on Chris Benoit's death. The fact of the matter is, the police determined ONE day after Benoit's family where found dead. I completely agree with James Forrest, as no one has even taken a look at the idea that foul play might have been involved. I still believe that Chris Benoit is innocent. Unfortunately, you cannot trust the media anymore. It will be a great sight to see when Benoit's name is cleared in this whole tragedy and everyone is going to be coming back with apologies.
Also, to all of those who say wrestling is for pussies and the like, I want you to get into the ring with someone like Big Show, Kane, or Mark Henry. Sure, the endings are staged, but think of it this way: If the finish requires you to pick up your opponent,a heavyweight, and your about the size of a typical cruiserweight, how the hell can a normal person do that? They can't. Point being, being a wrestler makes you as much of an athlete as being a NASCAR driver or a basketball player. Don't diss something unless you are absolutely for sure that what you are saying is true.

I think Ray has the right analogy with Jim Morrison, or better yet, Elvis. He was a performer who could fill an arena, and people bought into his stage persona. Same with Benoit. It took years for some people to accept that Elvis died. Give wrestling fans a couple of weeks, ok?

Some of you people are saying wrestling isn't a sport. What about wrestling in schools? Is that not a sport??? There are kids that go out for the wrestling team in their high schools/colleges whatever. Are those matches all staged? So how can you sit there and say the ALL wrestling is fake and staged and that it's not a sport? Try telling your local high school wrestling team that and see what they do.
As far as wrestling being fake/real-what does that have to do with what happened to Chris and his family? Bottom line is that the media is butchering and slaying Chris without all the facts being present. It's still ALLEGEDLY nothing has been made definite yet. And NO ONE should be talking about steroids or drugs being FOR SURE in his system because NO ONE knows or will know until the toxicology test results come back-weeks from now.
What everyone needs to do is shut up about all this and let the fans and all be until stuff is made DEFINITE! People need to get on with their lives. Just because the Benoits were in the limelight doesn't mean anything. I don't see people covering my grandmothers' death like it was something monumental or anything. They died, move on. Yes its horrible, yes its painful to think about-but all this arguing and what not is NOT going to bring them back. Let the dead rest (in peace or otherwise).

Gee, Natalie, thanks for blaming the victim.

It's not the women who won't leave abusive men who are the problem, it's the ABUSIVE MEN.

er....you are half right

abusive men are worthless.
but women who stay with them, are idiots.

if you are abused, and you don't leave, or call the cops, or defend yourself.....you are asking for more punishment.....PERIOD

I can't believe the idiocy of some of these comments.

Pro-wrestling is not a sport. Period. Greco-roman is. Know why? Because somebody actually wins based on their abilities. Oxford dictionary defines sport as a game or competitive activity. Gymnastics is a sport because it's competition, as is golf, racing. mixed martial arts and any number of other sports. Somebody actually wins based on their performance and abilities. Pro-wrestling is a geek show of sterioded out, soap opera theatrics. It's insulting to sports to even use "pro-wrestling" in the same breath as the word "sport".

As for Benoit, the man is a disgusting animal who deserves no respect for anything he's ever done due to what he did last weekend. He bound his wife, kneeled on her back and strangled her in an extremely deliberate action. Strangling somebody is a slow grueling process that causes excessive struggling. He then did the same to his child, but that time he figured he could just do it by hand and did. A person is only as good as as what they are in the current moment. In the days before his death Benoit was a monster and in his final moment he was a coward.

All these comments just remind me how dumb wrestling fans really are.

Funny thing tho, I can recall many boxing matches where the challenger was so undertalented towards the champ, that there was no thought as to which direction the outcome would lie.

Even worse is the obvious matches where judges of said matches saw something that NO ONE in the rest of the world saw and deemed a winner that no one else was able to see.

But I am sure you would consider boxing a sport.

Interesting to watch how people respond with their "It's all about me" approach" to everything. Everybody knows this is an abusive entertainment industry. It doesn't really need to be said that stunt men take a beating. It doesn't need to be said that the fan base are entertained by musclemen acting like they are mentally retarded. For anyone who does require the explanation, it will be next to pointless to point these things out.

The fan base's appetite for simulated and real cruelty drives the industry. It is little more than gladiatorial. And frankly, NASCAR may require driving skill but it is boring as heck to watch which is why it cannot hardly be watched sober. The only real draw is the opportunity to see spectacular fiery crashes and death. More gladiatorial sports designed to appeal to the appetite of the fan base for cruelty and violence.

R Baker,
Yes, I do consider boxing a sport, but unfortunately its a sport that needs far more regulation than it has which leads to the types of decisions you speak of. These types of controversies can extend to any judged sport but boxing is the worst, I agree. This doesn't change the fact that while two fighters are in the ring it's a competition that will end with a winner and a loser (and rarely a draw) based on real (KO) or percieved (decision) performance.

R Baker,
I agree that boxing needs much more regulation. That doesn't change the fact that the two men in the ring are fighting to win a competition and have the possibility to not even leave it in judges' hands. Pro wrestling, while athletic, is predetermined and hence can't be compared to the real drama and spirit of actual sports. There is no drive to win, there is no last minute jumpshot, there is no game winning hail mary, there's no real human spirit in it. It's stunt work and bad acting.

In regards to #73. . .

I had really hoped I'd said all I had to say on this subject, but I can't let this one go unnoticed. It's just too uninformed--and I'm being diplomatic here.

I've worked with victims of abuse, and very few of them are "idiots." And they are certainly asking for "more punishment." The very nature of that comment points to a mentality that puts mens automatically into a dominant role, and relegates women to a submissive role. In other words, it's a neanderthal philosophy that, unfortunately, too many people still subscribe to--both sexes.
Women (and, in some cases, men)who fall victim to abuse have been conditioned to believe that somehow it is their fault. The abuser perpetuate that belief through a simple system of reward and punishment. I don't have the space here to go into the myriad this all manifests itself,but suffice it to say it's a cycle not easily broken.

It's frustrating to see, especially when you've spent the night in an emergency room with a victim who swears she's done with the abuse, only to see her kiss and make up with the svengali abuser who scarred her within a couple of days.

Idiots? Hardly. Tragic? Definitely.

We need a new attitude in this culture that deemphasizes male culture in favor of a human culture.

Sorry about the double posts. It didn't seem like it was going through.

Uh Ray Ellis-what does what you said have to do with anything I said? I didn't touch ANYTHING on that subject. I believe you're referring to #75 because I didn't say crap about abused people. So please next time you're going to criticize someone, make sure its the right person.

or others who made comments about abusive situations because i didn't not once say anything about any type of abuse, victim or attacker. . .

My mistake. Time for new glasses.

I have followed Chris Benoit's career for years and when I heard about this tragic event I was saddened and shocked. Never the less everyone R.I.P. But it sure is a shame that Chris Benoit left this earth without paying for what he did. But I do believe that he will pay in the after life.

ray-you're forgiven

women who are abused are not idiots they are just blinded by love.

Ian had it pegged. Although these guys may be athletic, they are not perticipating in a sport as the outcome is fixed and there is no real competition hence it is not a sport.

They should change the name from WWE to WTT and that stands for White Trash Theatre as that's all this shit is. What kind of loser would tune in to watch this shit with it's ridiculous story lines? I guess if you are a seven year old boy and you haven't yet realized how fucking stupid it all is it might be appealing.

I've worked out in large gyms for many years. And several years back I worked out with Chris Benoit, William Regal, and Steve Austin. These guys were extremely professional and as nice as anyone would hope them to be. WHile it's true you can never really know anyone, it's also true that wrestling has a place in entertainment. It's all about commercialization anyway.

Ok..... I have read a lot of commentry on the tragic events of last weekend, but this is my first post where I want to discuss it. Partially as a response to some of the posts above, and partly because it has taken me this long to get my head round what has happened.

Firstly, lets dispell the myth that all wrestling fans are stupid/naieve/live in trailers/alcholic/meatheads etc.

I'm a 31 year old guy with 2 university degrees, have been teaching theatre studies and history to high school students for the past 9 years and yes.... I love wrestling.

I also have competed in a number of different sports playing rugby at county level and Judo to 1st Dan (black belt) competeing in tournements across europoe when I was younger.

Should sports channels be covering a wrestling story? - If that story involves one of the atheletes of wrestling (for there is no denying they are athelets as many of the above posts have proven)in a matter that is 'real life' then why would it be any different to a football player being mentioned in light of something that has happened to them off the pitch. I would not expect a sports channel to cover a 'storyline' aspect of the wrestling business though (ie. a new champion/ vince McMahon's 'death' etc.)

Wrestling is a strange entity it is both drama/acting and sport/athletic. This is why the term sports entertainment was invented. It is unique in this aspect. To be the best and rise to the top you have to be a proficient actor and athelete. Now don't tell me that the acting is awful blah blah... I'm a drama teacher remeber....I have seen some of the greatest living actors in the world perform in everything from Shakespere to Chekov. The acting has its own particular style and some wrestlers are better than others...but as well as the amazing feats of athleticism that they perform in the ring, to go out and hold a baying audiences attention with a five minute monologue (promo) is pretty spectacular and takes some real skill.

To simply dismiss wrestling as made by idiots for idiots is simply insulting. The avarage wrestler has to much more intelligent than many athelets from just about any other sport BECAUSE the match is predetermined. The sport is in creating the best looking, most involving match they possibly can....learning how to read the reactions of the live audience and creatively adjusting the pace and tone of the match to feed that reaction, all the while protecting yourself and your partner whilst performing some of the most insane acrobatic skills.

Do wrestling fans have a right to grieve over Chris Benoit? Of course they do. Music fans grieved over Kurt Cobain. 2/3rds of the nation geived over Princess Di. When I first heard the news on a radio report that was being broadcast in a shop my legs almost buckled below me. I had followed this guys career for 15 years. He wasn't my favourite wrestler, but i sure as hell respected what he could do and how his integrity shined through in his performances. Up until last weekend he was a guy destined for the wrestling history books as one of the greats of the sport. Now his legacy is trnished for all time. His reputation ruined. The man became a monster and a coward. End of story. That doesn't mean we can't grieve. In fact it makes the grieving process even stronger as we have not only lost the man, but have had our illusions and memories shattered. We don't have the comfort in his death that would usually accompany the passing of other people that were respected by many people. I have a 5 year old daughter, and my grief is also for the tragic deaths of Daniel and Nancy. And with my grief comes my anger at what Benoit has done. Nobody has the right to wipe out an innocent life. I prey that they are with God.

Do I blame WWE/Vince McMahon? Hell no! The wwe wellness policy was installed to combat the use of steroids with frequent drug tests for all wrestlers on the books. Proffesional sport has had its fair share of scandals with top atheletes testing positive for steroids and yes so has wrestling. There are penalties in place for those found breaking the rules just like there are in 'real' sports. What else can they do? Give each wrestler a nanny? People are flawed in what ever walk of life you are in. How many murders were there in the US in the last week? One of them happened to involve someone who was a wrestler.

Sorry this has been an long ramble - but as much as I am disgusted and horrified by the actions of one man last weekend, I will not let him spoil the 'sport' that I have loved for 20 years and more. And to the people on here using this story to attack or belittle something that you don't like - you should be ashamed at yourselves.

I do appologise for the spelling errors in the above post.....its 2.49 am here in the uk and i am too tired to preview!

Arch Conservative,
Anyone can look down on something and judge. Are NBA fans morons because they watch the whole season? Everyone knows the "Money" players don't start playing untill the playoffs. While the outcome is predetermined, and finishes may be rehearsed, the "Entertainment" factor is that these ATHLETES!!! can do this day in and day out and still make me say "how did they do that"? Oh yeah, do you still enjoy magic shows?

Sal, you nailed it with this article. However they do show some athleticism by the stunts that they do. other that than it is mainly just a soap opera for men. great article..

hi everyone let me start this off by saying i was very upset when i heard chris benoit died i also found it hard to believe he killed his family. Even though the police have been investigating this as a double murder suicide i dont think he did it. If he did do it he can burn in hell (i am sorry if that upsets anyone it even upsets me). But the way this has been investigated by police it seems they are missing alot of of information. Whether they are doing it intentionally to save time or protect someone or they cant be fucked means they are ignoring the possibility of a triple murder. There reason for not looking into it "all weapons used for the murders were found in the house". So the fuck what. anyone can put them inside and leave. If it was a triple murder then they would be smart enough to wear gloves. as for the tools used rope to tie up nancy. chris was a big guy and he woudlnt need rope to kill her he could use his hands he was strong enough. as for using a choke hold on his kid he loved his kid he would not want to harm him. police have denied rage of any sort was involved, they say this was deliberately done. they havent found a suicide note or a motive and have found this case bizzare and unusual.
they have played out a senario as what happened that weekend which started on firday. apperntly chris was drinking alot that weekend. 10 empty cans of beer have been found as well as a half empty bottle of wine found next to chris' body and police believe he was drinking it. the only proiblem is that toxology reports showed there was no alcohol or roids in in system except for testosterone which he was taking for medical reasons. this raises the question of who drank da booze. couldnt be nancy or daniel as they were dead and it couldnt be chris as there was no alcohol in his body. i can only think of one thing someone else was in the house and was drinking it.
the wikipedia post saying benoit wasnt at vengence because his wife died 14 hours before the cops found the bodies is strange especially since it came from the same area as wwe hq (2 miles away) and was taken done one hour later as though they were trying to hide it. they later claimed it was a coincidence wat they wrote came true but refused to say which site they got the information from. makes me think someone knew about it b4 the cops.
the timeline they have put also makes no sense. according to police chris killed his wife on fiday i find this hard to believe as chavo guerroro was at his house that day and he said everything was ok also chris had other drugs in his system that basically noked u out and make u feel grogy (check da net for his games) when co-workers called him they said he sounded grogy. With that shit in u, it's very hard to keep ur eyes open let alone kill 2 people then hang urself.

sure he haid brain damage but a guy with brain damage and groggy from drugs can barely stand
what i havent heard anything about is fingerprints. i havent heard of one report of the cops fingerprinting the whole house to see who was in the house, who drank the beer who did the killings etc. if anyone hears anything let me no. my email is theceng at hotmail dot com (sorry about da breaks but the posting doesnt allow email addresses)
though the cops are trying to make us all believe chris did it, they have inadvertantly let people know someone knew about the bodies before they did. They have been carefull by not saying someone else was in the house during the murders or someone knew about this before us. they did this when they revealved wat time chris died and what time sms were sent from chris and nancy's fone.
the text were sent to co-workers from both chirs and nancy's fones saying my physical address is *********** (i have put stars as im not sure of the address though this can be found online) messages were also sent saying the back door is open and the dgs are in the yard. what makes it strange is the co-workers already knew this. these messages were sent between 3 and 4am(correct me if im wrong)

according to police chris died either late saturday nite or just after midnite. as the messages were sent several hours after midnite it's impossible chris did it. this means the only way this is possible is if someone else did it. the question then is who did it and why.

many theories have been on the net some more believeable then others.

one theory is that kevin sullivan did it. this has been posted by wrestling fans and a former wrestler who is now a priest. kevin has been suspected as he said about 10 years ago he would kill chris in front of many people when chris was still in wcw. this was becuase chris broke up his marriage and took nancy from him. this can be considered his fault as he made the angle where nancy left him for benoit and it later became real. though its been 10 years some have said he is cold and calculating and wouldnt do it rite away to avoid attention. though its bad 2 accuse one without proof the cops should question him to clear his name.

satanists have also been accused. nancy did a gimmick back in wcw where she was a satanist with then husband kevin sullivan. though it was an act some say she really was one. when she married chris after leaving kevin she became a christian. satansits dont like this kind of betrail and may have takn their revenge. this is likely as the killings happened on the weekend the satanists have their ritual of human sacrifice. kevin sullivan has been put it this as well since many claim he is a satanist in real life.

wwe is a suspect becuase chris may have found out some dirty business going on. if he did, he would have 2 be silinced.

i have even thought his neigbour did it or may be somehow invloved. im saying this as he/she had a key to the house, entered the house b4 the cops on the monday they came to the house and the fact that he/she has gone into hiding since the benoit family was found dead.

nancy's family should be suspected. they havent done anything but try to prove chris killed his son first then nancy so they can get all his money and leave nothing for his other kids from his first marriage. they havent shown being upset much just hungry to get chris benoit's money and estate. pretty sick considering it was their daughter and grandson that died

some have suspected chris' first wife becuase she wouldnt want all his money. But i find this unlikely as chris had opened up and account under her name to help support her and the kids. now thats wat a loving father does.


all this leads me to believe chris is innocewnt and a real killer is still out there. i hope the police look at this from all angles so the truth comes out.

and when it does, which i hope and pray it does all those who bad mouthed chris will have 2 apoligise especcially vince mcmahon and thats something i really want to see b4 i die

thanks for your time, bye

if your brain was gas, it wouldn't be enough to put in a pissant's motorcycle and ride around a b.b.

Say what u want there really isnt to much proof to blame him or anyone else and this happens and murders happen everyday so just stop just because he's famous doesnt mean you should pay more attention to this but maybe your to stupid...